217 Today: America’s favorite pollinator species is experiencing its biggest loss in history. What’s the buzz?
Rena Wilson-Jones and her husband Drew Jones capture honeybees in a colony swarm outside their home in Urbana. Wilson-Jones is the co-president of the Eastern Illinois Beekeepers Association. Kaitlyn Devitt/Illinois Student Newsroom
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Today's headlines:
- Illinois preschool providers say they're struggling to deal with federal office closures for the early childhood education program Head Start.
- Illinois plans to once again sue the Trump administration.
- An Illinois legislative committee is green-lighting the end of a program that provides healthcare coverage for immigrant adults without legal status.
In today's deep dive, we’ll learn what's causing bees across the country to die at record-high rates.
217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Emily Hays, Mawa Iqbal, Alex Degman and Kaitlyn Devitt.