The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: U of I professor argues college debt is making jobs and care less accessible

Owen Henderson
 
Kevin Leicht, a sociology professor at UI, published a book about the declining respect for professional jobs. Titled

Kevin Leicht, a sociology professor at UI, published a book about the declining respect for professional jobs. Titled "Crisis in the Professions: The New Dark Age," the book discussed how college debt forces professionals to pursue higher-paying jobs. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer, courtesy of Sharita Forrest

Listen (Duration: 9:12)
Download

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Today's headlines:

  • New York City is about to join seven cities – including Champaign and Urbana – that have banned weight discrimination.

  • A $120 million earmark request for the upcoming federal budget could fund long-awaited upgrades to antiquated locks on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

  • Western Illinois University’s sports teams are moving to the Ohio Valley conference.

  • A proposal in Springfield to help the Bears move to Arlington Heights is scheduled for a committee hearing this morning.

In today's deep dive, we hear a conversation with a sociology professor about how college debt is preventing access to affordable services like medical care.

Reporting today contributed by Emily Hays, Tim Shelley, Rich Egger, Alex Degman and Piotr Fedczuk.