The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Thursday April 1, 2021

Brian Moline
 
Lloyd Lucky Hall (right) died of Covid-19 in March 2020 at age 69. He leaves behind a family of children and grandchildren.

Lloyd Lucky Hall (right) died of Covid-19 in March 2020 at age 69. He leaves behind a family of children and grandchildren. Sirrea Whittaker

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Thursday April 1, 2021

Today's headlines:

  • Illinois public schools will receive $7 billion dollars from the federal stimulus package signed by President Joe Biden earlier this month. Governor JB Pritzker’s administration has some suggestions on how schools can best spend that money.

  • The U.S. Department of Justice says former Peoria Congressman and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood paid a $40,000 to settle a federal investigation into his failure to disclose his acceptance of foreign cash in 2012.

  • Proponents of nuclear power in Illinois are rallying together in hopes of preventing plant closures later this year.

  • The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District announced 49 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. There are now 323 active cases within county limits, up from 289 on Tuesday.

In today's deep dive, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on overall life expectancy rates in the U.S. It also seems to be widening the gap between Black and white Americans.

Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Tim Shelley, Dana Cronin, and Farah Yousrey.