The 217 Today Podcast | Illinois Public Media

Keep up with news in Central Illinois every weekday with 217 Today. Hear the day's headlines, along with one deeper dive, in just ten minutes. Learn about the people and places that make Central Illinois unique with 217 Today.

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Chestnuts at the Missouri Chestnut Roast Festival on Oct. 2. Chestnut farming is a growth opportunity for Midwest agriculture. — Jonathan Ahl/Harvest Public Media

October 18, 2021

217 Today: Monday, Oct. 18, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll find out why more Midwest farmers are turning their cornfields into chestnut trees.

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Staff work at a recovery unit at UnityPoint's Methodist hospital in Des Moines. The unit receives many COVID-19 patients recovering from the virus. — Natalie Krebs/Side Effects Public Media

October 15, 2021

217 Today: Friday, Oct. 15, 2021

In today's deep dive, we’ll get an inside look at how the Delta variant of COVID-19 has made hospitalized patients younger and sicker.

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This Jelani Day portrait was returned for temporary display Monday Oct. 4., within a window at 104 Beaufort St. It's expected to be placed at ISU. It had previously been displayed and then removed from the outside of a publicly owned building in Normal. — Jake Fogal/WGLT

October 14, 2021

217 Today: Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll hear an Illinois State University criminal justice expert's thoughts about the Jelani Day investigation.

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An ISU cybersecurity expert says security breaches often happen when one individual user or computer gets hacked, suggesting a security system is only as strong as its weakest link. — Jenny Kane/AP

October 13, 2021

217 Today: Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll hear from a cybersecurity expert who says COVID-19 has made our workplaces less safe-- from online threats.

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The Cameron Owen Farm School is part of Marnie Simons Elementary School in Hamburg, Iowa. — Marnie Simons Elementary School/Facebook

October 12, 2021

217 Today: Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll visit a Midwest elementary school that lets students take care of chickens, pigs, sheep and goats-- which pays off in the classroom.

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October 11, 2021

217 Today: Monday, Oct. 11, 2021

In today's deep dive, we’ll learn more about two animals recently declared extinct that once called Illinois home.

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State and local officials say four years after Illinois enacted an — WNIJ

October 08, 2021

217 Today: Friday, Oct. 8, 2021

In today's deep dive, we’ll get an update on how Illinois is doing in getting money to the K-12 schools in the state that need it most.

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The FDA has approved Pfizer booster shots for older individuals and those at higher risk of infection, and Johnson & Johnson is seeking FDA approval for its booster shot. — stock photo

October 07, 2021

217 Today: Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll get the answers to some frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.

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In this Dec. 24, 2020, file photo, a COVID-19 vaccination record card is shown at Seton Medical Center in Daly City, Calif. — Jeff Chiu/AP

October 06, 2021

217 Today: Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021

In today's deep dive, we’ll learn about new research about how to best convince unvaccinated people to get the COVID-19 shot.

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The Indy Steelers are a youth football team that has been training at Tarkington Park since 2000. The team feels like family to many of the kids around here. But park renovations left them with a smaller and bumpier area to train on. — Stephanie Mbathi/Side Effects Public Media

October 05, 2021

217 Today: Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021

Where you live, and your race, can have a huge impact on your life expectancy. In Indianapolis, a new study finds there's more than a 16-year gap in how long people live.

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