217 Today: Drought means ‘drier than normal.’ How will climatologists define drought if the new normal is dry?

Monday, July 21, 2025

Today’s headlines: 

• A children's camp at Allerton Park in Monticello celebrated its 75th anniversary this weekend.
• A conservation program that works with farmers in almost every U.S. county is facing major budget cuts in Illinois.
• An educational tango music and dance group is kicking off its first week-long workshop.
• The Illinois Department of Human Services says they will continue providing specialized suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth through the state's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

In today’s deep dive, in the midst of climate change, figuring out what’s drought or just the new normal can be difficult. Climatologists are working to define what makes a drought.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Orellana. Reporting today contributed by Emily Hays, Stephanie Mosqueda, Lauren Warnecke, Jess Savage and Harshawn Ratanpal.