Thursday, October 31, 2024 Today’s headlines: In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about the Black male voting ahead of the upcoming election. 217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Jim Meadows, Kulsoom Khan, Elissa Eaton, Jim Meadows, Emily Hays and David Pierce.
This summer, three broods of cicadas emerged at the same time in parts of Illinois. Cicadas lay their eggs in the bark of small trees, which can damage or stunt their growth. The volume of cicadas varied from town to town.
Mike McClain’s job recommendations weren’t bribes – or even improper, witness says CHICAGO – For decades, electric utility Commonwealth Edison renewed its contract with top Springfield lobbyist Mike McClain – in part because of his strategic abilities, but also because of his close relationship with longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. But it was…
OGDEN -A large and smoky farm field fire shut down I-74 east of Urbana for several hours Tuesday afternoon. Heavy smoke obstructed the view for dozens of drivers in an area between St. Joseph and Fithian. IPM meteorologist Andrew Pritchard said from the scene that Tuesday’s strong winds in central Illinois helped the fire spread…
A new gender-affirming closet on the University of Illinois campus opened Monday at the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center. The Q-Closet will be filled with a variety of secondhand clothing, shoes and accessories for students to select from during the center’s hours of operation. Soon, the closet will also have brand-new makeup products. Priscilla Martinez…
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 Today’s headlines: In today’s deep dive, we’ll take a look at how Midwesterners are leading a national campaign to save a haven for fish, wildlife and people. 217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Stephanie Mosqueda, Dave McKinney, Arjun Thakkar, Jim Meadows and Rachel Cramer.
With one week until Election day, officials in Champaign County are urging the public to abide by voting rules after incidents where violence and unlawful political activity occurred at polling places. County Clerk Aaron Ammons said there was a physical fight Saturday at the Meadowbrook Community Church voting center. He said an individual wore a…
Missouri’s 2025 state budget includes less than a third of the federal funding the state received for Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program grants. More than a dozen producers with selected projects are without funding for now. The day Emily Wright expected to hear whether her vegetable and flower farm in mid-Missouri would receive grant funding…
Election season is causing anxiety for some college students who are casting their ballots for the first time. Many students are voting early and taking advantage of the service being offered on campuses across Champaign County. One of several polling locations include Parkland College. Robin Fitzgerald, 19 was one of the first in line before…
A Fire Weather Watch is in effect for Tuesday from Noon to 7pm.
In ex-speaker’s trial, former utility exec calls Madigan’s apparent involvement in contract talks ‘unusual CHICAGO – Commonwealth Edison’s top attorney was busy preparing for the General Assembly to take up major legislation the utility had spent months negotiating when ComEd’s top in-house lobbyist stopped by his office in late October 2011. A little over 13…
Tuesday, October 29, 2024 Today’s headlines: In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about how the county is keeping election ballots secure. 217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting contributed by Andrew Pritchard, Jiim Meadows, Kulsoom Khan and Arjun Thakkar.
NPR is kicking off its fourth annual College Podcast Challenge. The contest gives students an opportunity to share their stories with the NPR audience and beyond, and compete for a $5,000 cash prize. The NPR Student Podcast Challenge began six years ago, with submissions open to grades 4 through 12, and more recently, opened up…
Nobel Laureate William Faulkner once wrote that “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Nowhere are Faulkner’s words more true today than in the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. This week’s chapter of Fallout considers the long durability of injustice and violence and asks what it might take to…
Prosecutors paint picture of Mike McClain’s extreme loyalty to ex-Illinois House speaker CHICAGO – By early 2019, Mike McClain had been a fixture around the Statehouse in Springfield for the better part of 50 years, first as a Democratic lawmaker in the 1970s and then for decades as a high-profile contract lobbyist. And though he…