217 Today: Illinois Republicans look to gain control of the state Supreme Court this election

217 Today: Illinois Republicans look to gain control of the state Supreme Court this election

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s campaign fund got a major boost from Republican mega-donor Richard Uihlein. Republican Esther Joy King is making her second run to represent Illinois’ 17th Congressional District. Illinois schools are unable to fill one out of every one-hundred teaching positions. The University of Illinois…

217 Today: Lack of data on sickle cell disease creates consequences for patients

217 Today: Lack of data on sickle cell disease creates consequences for patients

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 Today’s headlines: Many Central Illinois communities are cleaning up after severe storms Monday night. Members of the University of Illinois Graduate Employees Organization say the University’s proposed contract doesn’t give them the pay and benefits they deserve. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is now strongly recommending students and staff wear…

217 Today: Invasive species threaten the Mississippi River Basin

217 Today: Invasive species threaten the Mississippi River Basin

Monday, August 29, 2022 Today’s headlines: Multiple reports of gun violence kept Central Illinois police busy over the weekend. At a kickoff for the Jelani Day Foundation over the weekend in Normal, his mother Carmen Bolden Day was again critical of the police agencies working the case. The University of Illinois is recommending – but…

217 Today: Education researcher says school staffing issues are more than just a ‘teacher shortage’

217 Today: Education researcher says school staffing issues are more than just a ‘teacher shortage’

Friday, August 26, 2022 Today’s headlines: Governor JB Pritzker says the Biden administration’s decision to cancel some student debt is a good first step. President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan has brought relief to many but also left unanswered questions. Union members representing graduate student employees at the University of Illinois rallied outside the Illini…

217 Today: Hall of Fame wide receiver returns to central Illinois to attend season opener, hold golf tournament

217 Today: Hall of Fame wide receiver returns to central Illinois to attend season opener, hold golf tournament

Thursday, August 25, 2022 Today’s headlines: More than a million Illinois residents saddled with federal student loan debt may be eligible for some relief under a new executive order from President Joe Biden. The mother of Illinois State University grad student Jelani Day said she’s had no time to find closure in the year since…

217 Today: School districts across Illinois attempt to increase diversity in Advanced Placement classes

217 Today: School districts across Illinois attempt to increase diversity in Advanced Placement classes

Wednesday, August 24, 2022 Today’s headlines: Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Illinois on Tuesday to meet with Senator Tammy Duckworth to announce a new investment in biofuels. More Mexican laborers who helped prepare Rivian’s electric vehicle plant Normal for production will finally get the overtime pay that they were owed but never received. Nineteen…

217 Today: Marketplace plans deny in-network claims more than you might think

217 Today: Marketplace plans deny in-network claims more than you might think

Tuesday, August 23, 2022 Today’s headlines: A drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes can lower the severity of COVID-19, according to a new study from Northwestern University. Students at the University of Illinois returned to campus on Monday for the first day of classes. Ten University of Illinois students have signed up to be the first…

217 Today: Illinois Legislative Inspector General says his role is to serve as a watchdog, not prosecutor

217 Today: Illinois Legislative Inspector General says his role is to serve as a watchdog, not prosecutor

Monday, August 22, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Peoria City Council may ask state lawmakers next year to permit the usage of red-light cameras in Peoria County. Farmers in Illinois now have a place to turn when they have extra fruits and vegetables they can’t sell. An annual survey shows U.S. commercial beekeepers have lost 39…

217 Today: Ukrainian students visit sister city of Rockford for respite from war

217 Today: Ukrainian students visit sister city of Rockford for respite from war

Friday, August 19, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Republicans hammered high taxes, executive overreach, and even the city of Chicago as they rallied their base at the Illinois State Fair Thursday.  The Workforce Equity Initiative at 18 Illinois community colleges will receive nearly $19 million in funding for a third year of programming.  Thursday was the…

217 Today: Long COVID patients join a chronic illness community seeking answers

217 Today: Long COVID patients join a chronic illness community seeking answers

Thursday, August 18, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Republicans get their day in the sun Thursday at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.  Illinois Senate President Don Harmon says lawmakers have not reached a consensus on the bills they would propose in a possible special legislative session.  A conservative Christian group held a meeting in Decatur…

217 Today: A conversation with the Illinois Department of Agriculture Director, Jerry Costello II

217 Today: A conversation with the Illinois Department of Agriculture Director, Jerry Costello II

Wednesday, August 17, 2022 Today’s headlines: A recent study places Illinois in an “extreme heat belt” in the next 30 years.  Some Illinois families may need to re-apply for free and reduced cost meals heading into the new school year.  The University of Illinois Police Department says it’s hired seven new officers needed to help…

217 Today: State Farm faces more race discrimination lawsuits in Texas and Georgia

217 Today: State Farm faces more race discrimination lawsuits in Texas and Georgia

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Naperville City Council could ban most sales of assault rifles at its meeting Tuesday night. A new collaborative workforce training program in the Metro East will include an expansion of the Southern Illinois University School of Law. As undergraduates return to Champaign-Urbana, the University of Illinois is preparing…

217 Today: infectious disease experts keep a close eye on pediatric cases of monkeypox

217 Today: infectious disease experts keep a close eye on pediatric cases of monkeypox

Monday, Aug. 15, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Department of Children and Family Services and the Residential Simulation Lab at the University of Illinois’ Springfield campus are at odds over why a contract that helped the lab train new investigators has ended. Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi recently returned from a trip to Taiwan where he talked about…

217 Today: U.S. trip to Taiwan may further strain relationship between U.S. and China

217 Today: U.S. trip to Taiwan may further strain relationship between U.S. and China

Friday, August 12, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker is re-upping his call for an apology from Republican rival Darren Bailey for once comparing abortion to the Holocaust. The electric automaker Rivian plans to add a second shift at its Normal manufacturing plant by the end of next month, creating a need for even…

217 Today: Federal judge holds Illinois Department of Corrections accountable for poor prison conditions

217 Today: Federal judge holds Illinois Department of Corrections accountable for poor prison conditions

Thursday, August 11, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Illinois State Fair kicks off on Thursday in Springfield. Leaders of a new clinic opening next month in Carbondale hope they can fill a need for residents in the region and in surrounding states. Circuit judge elections don’t receive much attention, but they touch many lives. We look…