217 Today: How could cuts to the U.S. Department of Education impact Illinois schools?

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  • Photo: Spencer Tritt

Friday, March 14, 2025

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Today’s headlines:

  • Central Illinois could see some severe weather today, including high winds, thunderstorms and an elevated fire risk.
  • The Urbana Health and Wellness Center opened this year and surpassed one thousand memberships. 
  • Illinois is among 20 states and the District of Columbia that filed a federal lawsuit yesterday, challenging the Trump administration’s mass layoffs across the U.S. Department of Education.
  • The Illinois High School Association’s Boys Basketball State Finals Tournament started yesterday at State Farm Center.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn about the local impact of cuts to the Department of Education.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Today’s report was contributed by Andrew Pritchard, Stephanie Mosqueda, Emilie Syberg, Colin Hislope and Peter Medlin.

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.