The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today Wednesday March 31, 2021

Brian Moline
 
Water tower near downtown Rantoul, Illinois.

Water tower near downtown Rantoul, Illinois. Jim Meadows/Illinois Newsroom

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Wednesday March 31, 2021

Today's headlines:

  • Illinois Republicans are again calling for an independent commission to draw Illinois’ new legislative maps.

  • A bill introduced in the Illinois House earlier this year would require the state to tackle gun violence as a public health issue.

  • Dozens of people gathered outside the Champaign City Building Tuesday to protest anti-Asian violence.

  • More than 48,000 people have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in Champaign County – that accounts for about 28 percent of the county’s vaccine-eligible population, and about 23 percent of the entire population of Champaign County.

In today's deep dive, Illinois Newsroom's Jim Meadows takes us to Rantoul, where residents are electing trustees by district for the first time, rather than at-large.

Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Christine Herman, Gavin Good, and Jim Meadows.