217 Today: Weight-loss drug coverage for Illinois state workers could cost hundreds of millions of dollars
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 Today’s headlines: The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is now home to a document that historians say helped start the Civil War. Environmental advocacy groups lobbied Illinois lawmakers at the first-ever Conservation Day at the Statehouse. Two major labor unions are skeptical of a proposal out of Springfield to consolidate the […]
217 Today: 15 migrant couples got married in Chicago: See the prep, ceremony and wedding party
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 Today’s headlines: A protester arrested at pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of Illinois was released Monday after about 60 hours in the Champaign County jail. Some Jewish students at the University of Illinois’ Urbana campus are commemorating Passover while camping out for Palestine. The Illinois Department of Corrections is proposing moving […]
217 Today: Pro-Palestine groups reconstruct encampment, dispute UIUC officials’ account of protest negotiations
Monday, April 29, 2024 Today’s headlines: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators camped out overnight at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They’re back to demand the campus divest from companies with ties to Israel’s military. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found working-age rural residents die from natural causes at a higher rate than their […]
217 Today: Supreme Court appears skeptical of blanket immunity for a former president
Friday, April 26, 2024 Today’s headlines: The annual Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend is underway There’s an effort underway in Illinois to decriminalize paid, consensual sex work between adults. A new report finds Black people in Illinois are nearly eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. President Joe Biden signed legislation that […]
217 Today: What’s Happening in Champaign-Urbana Apr. 25 – Apr. 28
Thursday, April 25, 2025 Today’s headlines: Republicans in the Illinois House introduced a new bill that could increase the penalty for people who protest on some busy roadways. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and other elected officials say they’re skeptical about the Chicago Bears’ plans for a new lakefront stadium. Illinois sophomore golfer Ryan Voois won […]
217 Today: Gambling addiction on the rise as access to betting options expands
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 Today’s headlines: The Champaign County African American Heritage Trail unveiled two new signs on Monday honoring Black University of Illinois students. Local Palestinians aren’t happy after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution last week declaring a common chant antisemitic. Police officers will return to Champaign Unit 4 schools in […]
217 Today: Freeport High School students help fill in the gaps in local news
Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Today’s headlines: For the first time since the 19th century, a Native American tribe has sovereign authority over land in the state of Illinois. The U.S. Senate is poised to consider aid for both Israel and Ukraine this week. Illinois state officials are working to reduce disparities that make Black women […]
217 Today: The ancient farming practice that’s getting a new life — and reducing emissions
Monday, April 22, 2024 Today’s headlines: Illinois is, once again, home to a federally recognized tribal nation. Young adults incarcerated in Illinois prisons could soon have access to educational opportunities and mental health services. On Saturday, Crystal Lake Park in Urbana was filled with people learning about ecology ahead of Earth Day. The Fighting Illini […]
217 Today: A new voice is hitting the airwaves for Illinois Public Media’s “Dialogue”
Friday, April 19, 2024 Today’s headlines: Patient advocates are backing an effort led by Governor J.B. Pritzker to ban junk insurance plans in Illinois. Some Illinois mayors are pushing back against Governor J.B. Pritzker’s idea to cut the state’s one percent grocery tax. The Illinois Senate passed legislation this week aimed at supporting local media in […]
217 Today: Music, physics and theater professors at UIUC are launching a new art and science collective
Thursday, April 18, 2024 Today’s headlines: The Illinois State Board of Education is asking state lawmakers for billions of dollars for the next school year and a chunk of that would go for migrant students. Madison County voters in the Metro East are one step closer to taking a symbolic vote on seceding from Illinois. […]
217 Today: Lawmakers in some states say they want to protect IVF services. But how can they do that effectively?
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 Today’s headlines: Unofficially, Republican incumbent Adam Niemerg won his write-in campaign for the 102nd district race for the Illinois House Representatives. Illinois Jewish leaders are concerned about a major increase in antisemitic incidents. Congress took time to honor Urbana native and educator William Patterson. University of Illinois students, alumni, and staff […]
217 Today: Citing the mental health crisis, some hope to see Illinois legalize psilocybin
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Today’s headlines: The U.S. Supreme Court seems ready to narrow a federal bribery law used in some big Chicago corruption cases. Governor J.B. Pritzker is promoting his plan to eliminate medical debt for hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans. Urbana School District 116 is set to vote Tuesday on which elementary school will […]
217 Today: Newspapers in rural areas are folding, leaving vast news deserts. But there are bright spots
Monday, April 15, 2024 Today’s headlines: Illinois lawmakers are moving to update the state’s biometric privacy law. The major theme for a service celebrating the life of local educator Dr. William Patterson was, “It don’t stop.” A shooting in a Chicago neighborhood killed a 7-year-old girl and left nearly a dozen others injured. In today’s deep […]
217 Today: Hospitalized seniors are at risk of a dangerous downward spiral. Some programs are trying to help
Friday, April 12, 2024 Today’s headlines: A bill headed for the Illinois House could give library employees enhanced legal protections. The principal of Booker T. Washington STEM Academy in Champaign is resigning. Illinois lawmakers are trying to regulate an industry that could be taking customers out of cannabis dispensaries. A referendum about abortion pills on campus […]
217 Today: UIUC’s Black Chorus pays tribute in annual Mom’s Day concert
Thursday, April 11, 2024 Today’s headlines: The Biden administration announced plans this week to provide student debt relief to more than 30 million borrowers. The federal government is cracking down on toxic “forever chemicals” with new drinking water standards. Local efforts are helping people redistribute eclipse glasses. In today’s deep dive, we’ll listen to a conversation […]
