The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Thursday October 29, 2020

Olivia Butts
 

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Thursday October 29, 2020

Today's headlines:

  • Several regions across Illinois are seeing a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. The state has responded with increased restrictions --including a ban on indoor dining.

  • Bloomington State Senator Bill Brady calls for Senate hearings on mitigation rules as Coronavirus positivity rates spike statewide. The Republican minority leader tells reporters mitigation efforts threaten to destroy the livelihood of many bar and restaurant owners.

  • Candidates for Illinois’ 13th congressional seat representing parts of Springfield, Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington Normal are making their final appeals to voters.

  • The percentage of positive COVID-19 tests in Region 6 -- which includes Champaign and 20 other counties in east-central Illinois -- is steadily rising. When test results from the University of Illinois are excluded, the seven-day positivity rate is now above 8 %  -- putting the region at risk of additional mitigation.

In today's deeper dive, a record number of Illinoisans are casting their ballots by mail in the November election. We’ll find out how those ballots are processed, and what ballot rejections could mean for election results.

217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts. Reporting today contributed by Christine Herman, Eric Stock, and Mary Hansen.