217 Today: University of Illinois pro-Palestinian protests one year later
A Students for Justice in Palestine protester speaks at a rally for free speech on April 18, 2025. Emily Hays / Illinois Public Media
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Today's headlines:
- Four young girls were killed Monday when a vehicle struck an after-school child care building south of Springfield.
- Runners of the Cheer for Palestine section of this weekend’s Christie Clinic Marathon raised thousands of dollars for local activists facing legal charges.
- The Illinois State Board of Education announced it’s developing a statewide “numeracy” initiative to improve math performance.
- A new Northwestern University study credits singing for improving some older adults' mental and physical health.
In today's deep dive, we’ll look at how student activism at the University of Illinois has changed one year after a pro-Palestinian encampment was formed on campus and how the administration has responded.
217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Sean Crawford, Mae Antar, Peter Medlin, Clare Lane and Emily Hays.