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Nearly half the federal money for Bloomington Normal pandemic rent help has yet to go out. The reasons are a mixed bag. More than a thousand buildings in Bloomington have water damage. An expert in restoration tells you how rare that is and what can be done about it, even the nasty smelly, sometimes dangerous sewer backups. The city of Bloomington Public Works Director lays out why sewer backups are happening during heavy rain events.

The pandemic may have eased in Bloomington Normal but a lot of residents are still frantic about the danger to family members in India. Listen to south Asian community concerns about what's still a global problem. Plus the retiring head of the Center for Human Services in Bloomington says need for mental health services in the community outpaces supply by more than two to one. A week long series of activities marking Juneteenth begins. And legislators and advocates hope to make Illinois the second state to permit marriage certificate name changes for trans people.

A central Illinois native with PTSD finds healing through art. Hear about the organization CreatiVet. Plus, business is coming back to hospitals in central Illinois, but it's not all the way back. The head of Carle BroMenn says the feds are making up only 60% of the loss. Insurers are looking at new ways to gauge safe driving and who is doing it. Here's the world according to telematics. The Bloomington Normal band The Something Brothers have a new album, or two, no wait: make that three.

An escaped slave with a central Illinois connection grabbed the colors from a falling comrade and charged the cannons in a Civil War battle. Hear how Andy Jackson Smith won the Medal of Honor more than a century after his bravery. Sen. Dick Durbin comes to Normal to push for electric vehicle infrastructure as part of the Democratic party effort to build support for the Biden jobs and infrastructure bill. And the Illinois House Speaker and Republican leader talk about the state budget.

It's the fifth anniversary of Rivian in Bloomington Normal. From a vacant Mitsubishi plant headed for scrap Rivian has built a $3 billion modern auto plant making trucks, SUV's and cargo delivery vans for the future electric vehicle marketplace. Six years ago Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe came to town and saw something special, a forward looking community. Rivian and Bloomington Normal are helping each other and the company has raised and spent billions to get to the marketplace and embrace a future together.

Apple is in a unique position to challenge the FBI's request for access to a terrorist suspect's iPhone. Nonetheless, more tech companies worry about the precedent.

Suggestions range from entering the user's age when setting up a phone to setting limits on screen time and confining the use of iPhones and iPads to certain hours.

Users will now encounter pop-ups asking whether they want to allow their data to be shared with third parties. That little question could have a big impact on advertising companies like Facebook.

Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez have been drawing and writing their comic book series Love and Rockets since 1982.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder about his efforts to counter gerrymandering.