217 Today: New entertainment district opens in downtown Champaign

217 Today: New entertainment district opens in downtown Champaign

Friday, May 31, 2024 Today’s headlines: In Central Illinois, there are mixed reactions to former President Donald Trump’s guilty verdict. Governor J.B. Pritzker says justice has been served by the guilty verdict on all counts in Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial. Illinois missed its chance to regulate delta-8 this spring. Earlier this week the…

A man with is bent over playing a saxophone with insects covering him.

217 Today: Professor blends nature and music with the sounds of cicadas in Illinois

Thursday, May 30, 2024 Today’s headlines: Illinois lawmakers have ended their legislative session – though one proposed reform remains in limbo. The University of Illinois will host a new national center of research on railroads. Illinois lawmakers failed to advance a measure that would have strictly regulated the state’s hemp industry. Protesters from the Champaign-Urbana…

217 Today: ‘Junk patents’ by big pharma lead to soaring drugs prices, FTC says

217 Today: ‘Junk patents’ by big pharma lead to soaring drugs prices, FTC says

Wednesday, May 29, 2024 Today’s headlines: The Illinois House approved a $53 billion state budget early this morning – but passing the revenue package to help pay for it was difficult. Urbana is considering whether to expand its police force, based on a public safety study it commissioned. State lawmakers have approved a measure to pause the…

217 Today: ‘Can you cut?’ – Female barbers show off their skills in recent competition

217 Today: ‘Can you cut?’ – Female barbers show off their skills in recent competition

Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Today’s headlines: Local pro-Palestinian activists are demanding action from politicians after Israeli airstrikes killed dozens in a refugee camp in Rafah. The Illinois House heads back to Springfield today to put the finishing touches on the next fiscal year’s state budget. The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is one step closer to reclaiming…

Eastern red cedars emerge from a grassland.

217 Today: Trees are spreading across the Great Plains. They’re actually making climate change worse

Friday, May 24, 2024 Today’s headlines: The Champaign County Board voted to censure County Auditor George Danos on Thursday for unprofessional conduct and failure to do his job as a watchdog.   Democratic lawmakers in Springfield are hoping to expand protections for patients seeking abortion services in Illinois. Public special education day schools in Illinois could…

Two men stand on opposite sides of a Wurlitzer organ

217 Today: Rushville’s newly restored Wurlitzer organ is ‘such a gift from the donor’

Thursday, May 23, 2024 Today’s headlines: There have been several measures aimed at protecting workers’ rights that have come before Illinois state lawmakers this Spring. The Champaign County Board may censure its own county auditor tonight. Former Texas Longhorn Defensive Back Terrance Brooks joined the Illinois football team earlier this week. In today’s deep dive,…

A variety of purple, yellow and red flowers grow out of a person's front yard in Michigan.

217 Today: Grass lawns are a landscape staple, but an environmental reckoning may change that

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 Today’s headlines: State police closed some interstate highways in central Illinois on Tuesday as gusty winds and dry soil combined to create dust storms. About 25 people came to Champaign’s city council meeting last night to urge city council members to divest from institutions involved in the war in Gaza. Some employees…

217 Today: Coal ash is polluting Illinois rivers. Environmentalists want the state to move faster to stop it

217 Today: Coal ash is polluting Illinois rivers. Environmentalists want the state to move faster to stop it

Monday, May 20, 2024 Today’s headlines: Credit monitoring agencies wouldn’t have access to some medical debt information under a bill Illinois lawmakers just approved. Illinois Republicans in Springfield are urging the state Senate to pass legislation aimed at authority figures in schools who sexually abuse students. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker says while people should expect…

217 Today: Scientists find success deterring invasive carp with underwater acoustics

217 Today: Scientists find success deterring invasive carp with underwater acoustics

Friday, May 17, 2024 Today’s headlines: The public can now view and comment on three proposed boundary maps for Urbana’s seven City Council wards at the city’s website. Illinois’ rules against hazing could get a little stronger. State lawmakers across the U.S. including Illinois gathered this week to advocate for work permits for all immigrants….

217 Today: A Chicago woman who helps migrants fights for a chance to stay in the United States

217 Today: A Chicago woman who helps migrants fights for a chance to stay in the United States

Thursday, May 16, 2024 Today’s headlines: Illinois families living under the federal poverty line can get extra help feeding their kids during summer vacation. Planned Parenthood wants to expand access to abortion in Illinois by not requiring patients to see a doctor. Downstate Illinois lawmakers are furious after Chicago-area House Democrats passed a measure banning…

Farmer Mark Mueller looks over a field he’s turning back into native wetlands.

217 Today: Drought lingers in parts of the Midwest and Great Plains. ‘You have to have some hope’

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Today’s headlines: Illinois Republicans are glad the state is getting sued over a new law that changes how candidates are selected for elections. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office is patting itself on the back for keeping people enrolled in Medicaid coverage. In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn how some farmers in the…

217 Today: New reservation in DeKalb County draws optimism and uncertainty

217 Today: New reservation in DeKalb County draws optimism and uncertainty

Tuesday, May 14, 2024 Today’s headlines: A NASA program launched to help U.S. farmers marked its first anniversary this spring. At least two incidents of servals on the loose in Illinois have prompted lawmakers to introduce a bill that would ban the ownership of servals and other wild animals. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker continues to…

217 Today: Their first baby came with medical debt. These Illinois parents won’t have another.

217 Today: Their first baby came with medical debt. These Illinois parents won’t have another.

Monday, May 13, 2024 Today’s headlines: State Senator Chapin Rose says the University of Illinois is not being fair to its flagship campus when it distributes state funds. Proponents of a measure to let terminal patients end their own lives are increasing pressure on state lawmakers as two weeks remain in the spring legislative session….

217 Today: What you need to know about bird flu, your food and risk to humans

217 Today: What you need to know about bird flu, your food and risk to humans

Friday, May 10, 2024 Today’s headlines: Illinois families are once again pushing for the state legislature to pass a permanent child tax credit this spring. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office is warning state department directors that they’ll have to cut their budgets if lawmakers don’t agree to revenue increases. A western Illinois woman convicted of…

217 Today: Native American educators build resources for new Illinois education curriculum

217 Today: Native American educators build resources for new Illinois education curriculum

Thursday, May 9, 2024 Today’s headlines: The Illinois agency that oversees licensing is still struggling to fix technology problems. Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul is suing an online publisher for posting sensitive personal information about Illinois voters. An Illinois lawmaker is calling for comprehensive changes to the state department of juvenile justice in light of a…