The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Thursday, July 8, 2021

Brian Moline and Carolina Garibay
 
A sign advocating for Exelon's Byron Nuclear Power Station to stay open.

A sign advocating for Exelon's Byron Nuclear Power Station to stay open. Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco/WNIJ

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Thursday, July 8, 2021

Today's headlines:

  • Illinois’ first vaccine lottery drawings take place today, with $1 million dollars and three scholarships on the line.

  • A pro-EV group is urging Illinois and other states to encourage more widespread adoption of electric buses and semis.

  • Researchers in Fulton County are using image recognition technology to control invasive Asian carp on the Illinois River.

  • Fifty-six summer residents are moving back into Hendrick House at the University of Illinois, ten days after an explosion forced them to evacuate.

In today's deep dive, the planned closure of two nuclear plants in northern Illinois wouldn’t just affect the energy market – it could also hurt funding for schools in the area.

Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Ryan Denham, Vivian La and Peter Medlin.