The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Monday October 26, 2020

Olivia Butts
 
State Representative Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) led a statewide bus tour under the banner

State Representative Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) led a statewide bus tour under the banner "Restore Illinois." RepBailey.com

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Monday October 26, 2020

Today's headlines:

  • Congress passed a $2-trillion dollar federal stimulus package at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic —some of which was meant for local governments. But local governments are still fighting the governor’s office for that money.

  • Nearly half the processed venison tested in central Illinois had small fragments of lead, according to a new study done by Illinois Wesleyan University scientists Given Harper and Aaron Wilson.

  • Conservative lawmakers under the banner of “Restore Illinois” toured the state last week to promote their support for President Trump and opposition to Governor JB Pritzker.

  • Over the weekend, Illinois health officials reported more than 10,000 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 87 additional deaths. The average number of new daily cases has doubled since the beginning of the month – as has the state's seven-day positive testing rate, which now stands at 6.1%.

In today's deeper dive, state representative Darren Bailey says he’ll continue his court battle against Governor Pritzker’s use of emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic. He speaks with Illinois Newsroom's Jim Meadows.

217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts and hosted by Brian Moline. Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Charlie Schlenker, and Jim Meadows.