The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Wednesday January 27, 2021

Olivia Butts
 
University of Illinois Police Officer Kyle Krickovich extinguishes a dumpster fire outside an apartment building in Urbana on Oct. 30, 2020.

University of Illinois Police Officer Kyle Krickovich extinguishes a dumpster fire outside an apartment building in Urbana on Oct. 30, 2020. Lee V. Gaines/Illinois Newsroom

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Wednesday January 27, 2021

Today’s headlines:

  • A federal partnership between Walgreens and CVS aimed at vaccinating all residents and staff in long-term care facilities nationwide has come under fire from governors all over —including Governor JB Pritzker.

  • OSHA must revise its COVID-19 workplace guidelines and consider new emergency standards —like mask mandates —by mid-March.

  • Champaign County officials are reporting 46 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total number of active cases county-wide to 656, including 24 county residents hospitalized with the virus.

  • During times of loss, it’s human nature to want to be physically together --and offer comfort to those who are grieving. Not being able to do that during the pandemic has complicated the grieving process.

In today’s deep dive, student abolitionists at the University of Illinois’ campus in Urbana want campus police gone. But, campus police and university administrators say they’re a necessary part of college life. We hear part three of our series from education reporter Lee Gaines.

217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts and hosted by Brian Moline. Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Christina Stella, Christine Herman, and Lee Gaines.