217 Today: Jim Meadows signs off for the final time

Friday, August 29, 2025

Today’s headlines: 

• A quarter-billion dollar makeover for Champaign’s busiest interchange is one step closer to completion.
• Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is pushing back against President Trump’s reported plans to stage National Guard troops at the Great Lakes Naval Station north of Chicago.
• Carle Health says it’s preparing to see a lot more patients at its Urbana hospital as OSF HealthCare plans to shift some specialty services to other cities.
• Democratic Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski is pushing back against critics who say she hasn’t done enough to support an end to the war in Gaza.

In today’s deep dive, a final conversation with Illinois Public Media’s Jim Meadows after 25 years of reporting and hosting, he’s stepping into retirement.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Orellana. Reporting today contributed by Reginald Hardwick, Arjun Thakkar, Mae Antar and Kimberly Schofield.