217 Today: Good gourd! These Midwesterners are raising giant pumpkins that weigh as much as a car
Mark Mourlas
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Today’s headlines:
- Illinois families will lose access to food assistance benefits this Saturday if Congress doesn’t reach a deal to end the government shutdown.
- Hundreds of Illinois political candidates lined up early Monday morning to get their names on next year’s primary ballot.
- A former downstate cop charged with murdering Springfield-area resident Sonya Massey last year took the witness stand today.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a plan last week aimed at increasing cattle herd sizes by expanding grazing on government lands and reducing red tape.
In today’s deep dive, raising giant pumpkins is a labor of love for some Midwest growers. And the pumpkins keep getting bigger and bigger.
217 Today is produced by Stephanie Orellana. Reporting today contributed by Emily Hays, Alex Degman, Mawa Iqbal, Molly Ashford and Peter Medlin.
