217 Today: Illinois prisons need $2.5 billion in repairs, and that’s just the beginning

217 Today: Illinois prisons need $2.5 billion in repairs, and that’s just the beginning

July 26, 2023 Today’s headlines: The National Weather Service has placed many parts of Central Illinois under a Heat Advisory from Wednesday until Saturday. After structural problems at Dennis Lab School caught Decatur administrators by surprise, they want to get every school inspected. Following in the footsteps of their neighbors in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois State University police…

217 Today: 1 in 5 people in McLean County are on Medicaid. And a big shakeup is coming.

217 Today: 1 in 5 people in McLean County are on Medicaid. And a big shakeup is coming.

July 25, 2023 Today’s headlines:  Senator Dick Durbin believes the U.S. Supreme Court has been making a string of bad decisions lately – and its decision on President Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness program is one of them. President Joe Biden will sign a proclamation on Tuesday to create the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument…

217 Today: Drought made Midwest and Great Plains crops look ‘like death.’ Recent rains bring some hope

217 Today: Drought made Midwest and Great Plains crops look ‘like death.’ Recent rains bring some hope

July 24, 2023 Today’s headlines: The Station Theatre in Urbana is preparing for the opening of “Ride the Cyclone.” Illinois leaders hope a Joliet electric vehicle plant will help draw more EV-makers to the state. Illinois U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth says she will oppose cuts to any of the specialized positions at the 182nd Airlift…

217 Today: Sinfonia da Camera hosts piano institute, announces season 40

217 Today: Sinfonia da Camera hosts piano institute, announces season 40

Friday, July 21, 2023 Today’s headlines:  Football players are filing lawsuits against Northwestern University and their coach for hazing. Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian is opening its first showroom in Chicago in September. Striking screenwriters and actors rallied at Chicago’s Millennium Park Thursday — as the labor dispute that has halted Hollywood spread to more cities….

217 Today: Illinois Supreme Court becomes the first state to end cash bail system

217 Today: Illinois Supreme Court becomes the first state to end cash bail system

Thursday, July 20, 2023 Today’s headlines:  Illinois will eliminate cash bail in September after the state supreme court upheld a law that made it so courts could only hold someone pretrial if they were a risk to public safety or likely to try and flee. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul Wednesday joined his Democratic peers…

217 Today: New provost comes to U of I after increasing diverse enrollment

217 Today: New provost comes to U of I after increasing diverse enrollment

July 19, 2023 Today’s headlines: The Illinois Supreme Court upheld a law eliminating cash bail throughout the state on Tuesday. State residents no longer need a doctor’s note to change their gender on their birth certificates. The head of an agency investigating alleged sexual misconduct by Chicago cops involving migrants says the city has not…

217 Today: Rev. Jesse Jackson Senior has stepped down from his role as leader of the Rainbow PUSH Co

217 Today: Rev. Jesse Jackson Senior has stepped down from his role as leader of the Rainbow PUSH Co

July 18, 2023 Today’s headlines: The Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District was awarded $6.6 million to purchase low to zero-emission buses. Illinois is running out of time to update statewide emission standards before it starts running afoul of federal guidelines. A new study finds that 63% of Great Lakes beaches were closed to swimming for at…

217 Today: Elderberries are a successful niche crop at a crossroads

217 Today: Elderberries are a successful niche crop at a crossroads

July 17, 2023 Today’s headlines: The Reverend Jesse Jackson says he’s stepping down as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. A recent report from the non-profit Bee Informed Partnership found beekeepers across the U.S. lost nearly half of the honey bees last year. Black drivers in Illinois are nearly twice as likely as white motorists to…

217 Today: Tax credits jump start Midwest carbon capture projects

217 Today: Tax credits jump start Midwest carbon capture projects

Friday, July 14, 2023 Today’s headlines:  Iowa’s Republican-led legislature passed a bill this week banning most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Two recruits to Northwestern’s football team have announced they will not be joining the program following news of hazing. Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation making it easier for community college students to transfer…

217 Today: Chicago State University’s president is on a mission to enroll more Black students in college

217 Today: Chicago State University’s president is on a mission to enroll more Black students in college

Thursday, July 13, 2023 Today’s headlines:  Cleanup is underway after multiple tornadoes touched down in the Chicago area Wednesday night. The Urban League Club of Chicago is talking about what people can expect from next year’s Democratic National Convention.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Springfield is warning the public of a “grandparent scam” targeting elders…

217 Today: Abortion bans build off each other. Indiana’s will impact people across the region

217 Today: Abortion bans build off each other. Indiana’s will impact people across the region

July 12, 2023 Today’s headlines: University of Illinois researchers say air pollution from Canadian wildfires has a causal relationship with the labor market. The fired head coach of Northwestern’s football program – Pat Fitzgerald – maintains he did not know about hazing among his players.  Governor JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation to help eight counties…

217 Today: Abortion bans are fueling a rise in high-risk patients heading to Chicago hospitals

217 Today: Abortion bans are fueling a rise in high-risk patients heading to Chicago hospitals

July 11, 2023 Today’s headlines: When a severe thunderstorm knocked out power for 60% of Vermilion County two weeks ago, a solar-powered brewery stayed safe. Illinois has set a new record for hotel revenues this fiscal year ending June 30, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker wants Chicago Police Department to hold the officers accountable who…

217 Today: Congress made SNAP work rules stricter. Food advocates worry about following Kansas’ lead

217 Today: Congress made SNAP work rules stricter. Food advocates worry about following Kansas’ lead

July 10, 2023 Today’s headlines: Though the Biden Administration has vowed to continue pushing for student loan forgiveness after the Supreme Court struck down its plan, some borrowers say they’re not holding their breath. As Danville opens its first casino and draws new companies to town, Alderman Tricia Teague is making sure small businesses are included…

217 Today: Despite horror stories and deaths, will Illinois keep its prison health care company?

217 Today: Despite horror stories and deaths, will Illinois keep its prison health care company?

Friday, July 7, 2023 Today’s headlines:  Rockford is back on track to bring passenger rail to the city. The Illinois State Museum’s curator is traveling to Kenya next week for a ceremony to mark the return of 37 sacred artifacts. The Illinois tax on groceries returning at the beginning of this month is receiving some…

217 Today: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts announces upcoming season

217 Today: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts announces upcoming season

Thursday, July 6, 2023 Today’s headlines:  Landlords in Illinois can no longer require their tenants to pay rent online. A group based in central Illinois is about to send its largest shipment of donated ambulances and emergency vehicles to Ukraine, as the war against Russia continues. The series of Folk and Roots concerts in Crystal…