217 Today: Three of four Republican candidates in Illinois 13th District design campaigns after former President Trump

217 Today: Three of four Republican candidates in Illinois 13th District design campaigns after former President Trump

Tuesday, June 7, 2022 Today’s headlines: Today, it costs more on average to fill up your car in Illinois than it would in Hawaii. This summer at select schools in Champaign-Urbana, anyone 18 or younger can get a free meal. Dolostone is a rock that was used in the construction of the State Capitol building…

217 Today: Health problems from alcohol use soared in the Midwest during the pandemic

217 Today: Health problems from alcohol use soared in the Midwest during the pandemic

Monday, June 6, 2022 Today’s headlines: A coal plant in the Chicago suburb of Waukegan is slated to close this month after operating for almost a century. But local activists and officials say the plant will stay with Waukegan residents until its owner removes two “ponds” of coal ash from the shores of Lake Michigan….

217 Today: Bilingual education helps students learn English while increasing their confidence and academic performance

217 Today: Bilingual education helps students learn English while increasing their confidence and academic performance

Friday, June 3, 2022 Today’s headlines: In a Thursday night debate between the four 13th Congressional district Republican candidates, agriculture was a major topic of discussion. Two cultural events are planned in the city of Lincoln this month – even after the city council denied a request for financial help. The six Republican candidates for…

217 Today: Democratic candidates in Illinois’ 13th District debate gun control, gas prices, aid to Ukraine and inflation

217 Today: Democratic candidates in Illinois’ 13th District debate gun control, gas prices, aid to Ukraine and inflation

Thursday, June 2, 2022 Today’s headlines: U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is responding to a report of violent conditions at Thomson Prison – a federal prison in northern Illinois – that’s been labeled as one of the deadliest prisons in the U.S. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has filed the office’s first-ever hate crime lawsuit under…

217 Today: Wind energy industry finds sustainable ways to dispose of old turbine blades and repurpose them

217 Today: Wind energy industry finds sustainable ways to dispose of old turbine blades and repurpose them

Wednesday, June 1, 2022 Today’s headlines:  In Naperville residents, students led an “End Gun Violence Now” rally just days after the tragic murder of 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. Parents who choose not to vaccinate their kids against COVID-19 are more likely to base that decision on their own research rather than…

217 Today: Black farmers in U.S. are in limbo after not receiving funds promised by the American Rescue Plan Act

217 Today: Black farmers in U.S. are in limbo after not receiving funds promised by the American Rescue Plan Act

Tuesday, May 31, 2022   Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker will sign into law a measure funneling $700 million annually into Medicaid-funded nursing homes to improve their quality of care. The Champaign Public Library’s new director starts this week, replacing the current director, Donna Pittman. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on…

217 Today: Scientists use wastewater to track the spread of COVID-19 and its variants

217 Today: Scientists use wastewater to track the spread of COVID-19 and its variants

Friday, May 27, 2022 Today’s headlines: Democratic candidates for Illinois’ 13th district David Palmer and Nikki Budzinski met Thursday night for a debate ahead of the June 28th primary. Illinois U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth isn’t optimistic that any gun control legislation will pass the Senate this year, even after the school shooting in Texas this…

217 Today: U.S. Representative discusses proposals that address gun violence after Texas mass shooting

217 Today: U.S. Representative discusses proposals that address gun violence after Texas mass shooting

Thursday, May 26, 2022 Today’s headlines: After the school shooting in Texas, Democrats in Congress are once again calling on Republicans to help tighten gun control laws. Illinois Republican lawmakers in Washington have condemned the mass shooting in Texas, but they’re defending gun rights. While most students in Champaign Unit 4 schools are home for…

217 Today: One community college is fighting the stigma of addiction in its community

217 Today: One community college is fighting the stigma of addiction in its community

Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Today’s headlines: Starting next month, the Illinois Department of Public Health will scale back the way it contacts people about COVID-19 infection. The white gunman who killed 10 African Americans in a supermarket in Buffalo was motivated by hate according to police and a 180-page document he allegedly published online. Illinois’…

217 Today: CDC marks Champaign County community level of COVID-19 as high

217 Today: CDC marks Champaign County community level of COVID-19 as high

Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Illinois Attorney General is warning people to look out for baby formula scams as the shortages continue. A new analysis has found that crop insurance premium subsidies cost taxpayers nearly $40 billion over 20 years across states in the Mississippi River Basin. Beginning in July, all letters, photos…

217 Today: A glitch in the Affordable Care Act led one family to file for divorce to get health insurance

217 Today: A glitch in the Affordable Care Act led one family to file for divorce to get health insurance

Monday, May 23, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Illinois Prisoner Review Board will have its first parole hearing in months next week after state senators rejected two nominees to the board and a third resigned. Early voting is underway in Illinois until the June 28 primary. The Champaign County History Museum observed its 50th anniversary since…

217 Today: Small broadband providers get rural customers connected in places telecom giants left behind

217 Today: Small broadband providers get rural customers connected in places telecom giants left behind

Friday, May 20, 2022 Today’s headlines: A new study confirms a method for reducing nutrient pollution from chemical fertilizer that is impacting recreational and drinking water across the Midwest. The Illinois State Board of Education won’t be making any changes to federally mandated high stakes testing for now. On Wednesday night, about 20 local cyclists…

217 Today: Two incumbent Republicans face off in the primary for Illinois’ 15th Congressional District

217 Today: Two incumbent Republicans face off in the primary for Illinois’ 15th Congressional District

Thursday, May 19, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed a measure banning the sale and ownership of “ghost guns.” The nationwide shortage of infant formula affects food-insecure families most because of state policy. Early voting begins Thursday across the state for the primary election on June 28. In today’s deep dive, we’ll…

217 Today: Some hospitals have stopped using race to inform patient care

217 Today: Some hospitals have stopped using race to inform patient care

Wednesday, May 18, 2022 Today’s headlines: More than half the children who prompted contempt orders against the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ director are still waiting for proper placement. The Urbana Board of Education wants to explore converting its two Spanish dual-language programs into one, fully dual-language school, like International Prep Academy in…

217 Today: New section of Kickapoo Rail Trail is expected to be finished this fall

217 Today: New section of Kickapoo Rail Trail is expected to be finished this fall

Tuesday, May 17, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois is spending $11 million dollars to shore up reproductive healthcare and family planning services statewide. Chicago area-based Abbott Laboratories, which makes baby formula, says it expects its products to reach store shelves in about six to eight weeks. Dining and facilities workers at the University of Illinois at…