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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The cast of the Monticello Theatre Association's youth production — Photo Courtesy of the Monticello Theatre Association

July 23, 2021

217 Today: Friday, Jul 23, 2021

In today's deep dive, a conversation with one WILL’s news production interns, who spoke with some theater operators about their plans for reopening in the next couple of months.

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A woman walks by the Olympic Rings near the National Stadium in Tokyo Wednesday, June 9, 2021. Roads were being closed off since last Tuesday around Tokyo Olympic venues, including the new $1.4 billion National Stadium where the opening ceremony is set for July 23. — Eugene Hoshiko/AP

July 22, 2021

217 Today: Thursday, July 22, 2021

In today's deep dive, the Tokyo Olympics officially start Friday. We learn about the physics behind the Olympics.

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Darrell, Jacob and Clinton are among those incarcerated at Clarinda Correctional Facility in southwest Iowa. They're learning how to be beekeepers. — Katie Peikes/Harvest Public Media

July 21, 2021

217 Today: Wednesday, July 21, 2021

In today's deep dive, prisons often provide a variety of job training programs. Now, one is turning to beekeeping.

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This Sept. 23, 2014 photo shows wildflowers dancing in the breeze amid the grasses of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City, Kan. Tallgrass prairie once covered 140 million acres of North America, including much of the Midwest, but today only 4 percent of that ecosystem remains. — Beth J. Harpaz/AP

July 20, 2021

217 Today: Tuesday, July 20, 2021

In today's deep dive, we hear from we hear from the authors of a new book about how to create a slice of prairie in your backyard.

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Paige Raab holds her baby in the neonatal intensive care unit. Her experience with two traumatic births and NICU stays led her to create the new nonprofit group, — Courtesy of Paige Raab

July 19, 2021

217 Today: Monday, July 19, 2021

In today's deep dive, we meet the founder of a new organization in Champaign-Urbana that aims to provide critical support to local families whose babies spend their first weeks of life in the neonatal intensive care unit.

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July 16, 2021

217 Today: Friday, July 16, 2021

In today's deep dive, protests last summer fueled a debate over police in schools. In many cities, the conversation about “school resource officers” or “SROs” continues.

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Two volunteers at the University of Iowa mobile clinic set up a COVID-19 vaccination station at the Broadway Neighborhood Center in Iowa City. — Natalie Krebs/Side Effects Public Media

July 15, 2021

217 Today: Thursday, July 15, 2021

In today's deep dive, as the delta variant of COVID-19 picks up steam, vaccination rates have slowed. We’ll learn how one Midwestern state is trying to get more shots in arms.

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Squash being distributed at a summer food program in Amboy, Illinois. — Peter Medlin/WNIJ

July 14, 2021

217 Today: Wednesday, July 14, 2021

In today's deep dive, it’s summer, and schools are searching for silver linings from their COVID-19 school year. We look at one pandemic idea that has lasted: summer food programs.

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Phyllis Boyd, the executive director of Groundwork Indy, does not shy away from digging into the soil with her hands to teach the youth. She was a landscape architect and urban designer focused on sustainable design and planning. — Farah Yousry/Side Effects Public Media

July 13, 2021

217 Today: Tuesday, July 13, 2021

In today's deep dive, it has been a rough year for kids across the country, especially for those in lower income areas. In one Midwest neighborhood, a small vegetable garden is providing fresh food and a safe haven.

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July 12, 2021

217 Today: Monday, July 12, 2021

In today's deep dive, the pandemic has been stressful for many families. That stress can affect a child’s development, including their language and social skills.

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