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rain Weevil has one fully functional prototype. They're building five more in the coming weeks.
Cecil Smalley Photography

The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Tuesday June 1, 2021

In today's deep dive, a few times a year, farmers have to do a dangerous task; go inside large grain bins to take care of their harvest. Last year, more than 30 of them were trapped inside silos in the U.S., according to Purdue University. But a new robot could help keep farmers safe.

A Cicada in Vermilion County in May 2021.
Tinisha Spain/Illinois Newsroom

The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Friday May 28, 2021

In today's deep dive, parts of eastern Illinois are beginning to hear a brood of cicadas finally coming above ground after 17 years. Katie Dana, specialist in entomology at the Illinois Natural History Survey, discusses what to expect from these cicadas and what to do if you see them.

The 21st Show

Author Interview: Christina Hunger, How Stella Learned to Talk

If they could talk, what would they say? A speech language pathologist from Aurora, Illinois has gotten a bit closer to having these types of conversations with her dog. The 21st spoke to speech-language pathologist and author of the new book How Stella Learned to Talk to hear more. 

The 21st Show

Leader Interview: Senator Tammy Duckworth

The 21st spoke to Senator Duckworth about recent mask guidelines for vaccinated people, divides in her Democratic Party, infrastructure and the Biden administration’s plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

Western Illinois University's campus in the Quad Cities.
Western Illinois University

The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Thursday May 27, 2021

In today's deep dive, Western Illinois University's new riverfront campus in Moline was supposed to allow Western to grow in the Quad Cities, but instead, enrollment has shrunk. This has led to criticism from some leaders in the Quad Cities about the university's direction.

Young people dance during prom at the Grace Gardens Event Center in El Paso, Texas on Friday, May 7, 2021. Around 2,000 attended the outdoor event at the private venue after local school districts announced they would not host proms this year. Tickets cost $45.
Paul Ratje/AP Photo

The 21st Show

Prom During a Pandemic

In 2020, proms were cancelled across the country because of the pandemic. In 2021, proms are back but with masks and social distancing rules. The 21st spoke to three high school students from Illinois about their proms.

People hold Black Lives Matter flags at the intersection of Florence and Normandie Avenues, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Los Angeles, after a guilty verdict was announced at the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for the 2020 death of George Floyd.
Jae C. Hong/AP Photo

The 21st Show

A Conversation with Black Police Officers

It has been one year since a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man for 9 minutes, killing him. The widely circulated video of the incident sparked a summer of protests. The 21st spoke to three Black law enforcement officers about the calls for change in policing, and for greater racial justice following the murder of George Floyd.