The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Friday Feb. 19, 2021

Brian Moline and Olivia Butts
 
Urbana mayoral candidates L-R: Incumbent Mayor Diane Marlin, Ald. Dennis Roberts, Andy Ma.

Urbana mayoral candidates L-R: Incumbent Mayor Diane Marlin, Ald. Dennis Roberts, Andy Ma. Provided by the candidates

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Friday Feb. 19, 2021

Today's deep dive:

  • Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has resigned from his seat in the legislature.

  • Those in the hospitality business say state officials should work with them to revive Illinois’ restaurant, hotel and convention business.

  • Remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on students across Illinois, particularly those who aren’t engaged in online instruction. As a result, the Illinois State Board of Education is looking to waive upcoming spring assessments.

  • Champaign County’s seven-day COVID-19 case positivity rate is 3.8% when excluding data from the University of Illinois.

In today's deep dive, the Democratic primary for the Urbana mayor’s race is coming up on Tuesday. Illinois Newsroom's Jim Meadows looks at where the three candidates stand on police reform.

217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts. Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Derek Cantu, Jose Zepeda, and Jim Meadows.