The 21st Show

Cassandra Jenkins is an artist and musician, living in New York City. But one of our producers stumbled upon her track titled, “Aurora, I-L.” As in Aurora, Illinois. He wondered about the origin of the song and what it means.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter t...

Northwestern University will pay $75 million to the federal government, and make commitments to comply with Trump preferences in admissions, hiring, campus protests policies, and trans health care. In exchange, the administration is dropping its investigations against the school and restoring federal funding. The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois...

A new book and exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum aims to tell the story of our 16th president through objects and documents from his life. Co-written by the ALPLM's chief of acquisitions Ian Hunt and museum director Christina Shutt, the book is called Lincoln: A Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation in 100 Objects (Rizzoli, $50). The related exhibition of some of the o...

College basketball is back across the 21st state. And now that we’re beginning to see whether early season predictions are holding, we’re going to consider how the various teams across Illinois are doing and assess what teams could have a chance to join the big dance in March.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bring...

The upcoming Chicago Review of Architecture will be produced in collaboration with the New York Review of Architecture. The magazine aims to give a critical eye  to the architecture around us including the politics of it all. The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter to the 21st state. H...

The late film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert created a television show that made them household names, and made their “two thumbs up” a coveted endorsement. Author and film critic Matt Singer looks at their unique role in Hollywood history in his new book, “Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever.”

A new book discusses how Midwestern food fits into the bigger picture of American culture.

A new book offers lessons from a culture that’s mastered the art of savoring simple pleasures while maintaining deep connections in family and community.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter to the 21st state. Have thoughts on the show or one of our episodes, or want to shar...

They say everyone experiences something similar akin to a quarter-life crisis. A psychotherapist and author sees it as a stage of life that is often overlooked.

Civic education is an essential part of Democracy. Teacher and writer Lindsey Cormack argues schools are not up to the task, which means parents have to take matters into their own hands. Cormack adresses this in her book, “How to Raise a Citizen". The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that mat...

What makes pie American? With Thanksgiving coming up, we’ll talk about that with culinary expert Catherine Lambrecht, and highlight some of Illinois’ contributions to the history of pie.

Augustana College in the Quad Cities has about 2,500 students. We'll talk with its president, Andrea Talentino, about trends in enrollment, working with the community, and responding to changes in higher education under the Trump administration.

Fee speech is a fundamental right in America, but it’s facing many challenges this year from the Trump administration to universities to television networks. A trio of Illinois journalists who’ve been covering free speech challenges across the Midwest join today's discussion.  

Sudanese-American comedian Samir Abdul shares his experience surviving the Darfur Genocide in the 2000's before coming to the U.S. as a refugee with his family eventually settling in the Quad Cities. He discusses his work and his personal connection to the current humanitarian crisis in Sudan caused by ongoing war.    The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, c...

Since 2023, Sudan has been engaged in a brutal civil war with a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces commiting acts of mass violence towards the county's minority groups. Despite the many atrocities happening in Sudan including ethnic cleansing, sexual violence towards women and girls, and starvation, it's a crisis that has not received as much international attention as other rece...

If it seems like the mood of the nation right now is “angry,” there is some data to back up that observation. According to the Mood of The Nation Survey from American Public Media and the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, nine in ten Americans can name a recent news event or something about our country’s politics that made them mad. A sociologist, a clinical psycholog...

The Springfield-based Illinois Times is celebrating its 50th anniversary-surviving many changes in journalism from the rise of the Internet and social media to the collapse of classified advertising. The owner and editor of the paper joins today's program. The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that m...

An investigative journalist who reported on the death of a mentally ill woman in an Illinois jail discusses her findings and the challenges people with mental illnesses face in jails across the state.  The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter to the 21st state. Have thoughts on the show...

George Packer is best known for his journalism. He's been a staff writer at The Atlantic magazine since 2018, and before that spent 15 years at The New Yorker. He’s also written books on American politics and foreign affairs. His previous books include The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq (2005) and The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America (2013). Now, for the first time in decades, he’s...

There's a lot of passenger rail projects underway across Illinois with some pushing full-steam ahead and some in railway limbo.    The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter to the 21st state. Have thoughts on the show or one of our episodes, or want to share an idea for something we...

The historic government shut down just ended, but improvements in air travel are not expected right away. Air traffic controllers are increasingly calling in sick resulting in the cancellation of more than 10,000 flights in the last few days.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories tha...

Robert Moore was the second Black U.S. Marshal for Central Illinois. He also served in many other roles in law enforcement at a time when opportunities for Black people were limited. Moore's self-published memoir expores his pioneering career.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter...

This year's State of Change special produced by Illinois Public Media focuses on prarie preservation and restoration in Illinois.

William Smith was a Native American, who relocated to Chicago. Some high school students in Illinois co-produced a film on his life, which is to be screened at Chicago's Goodman Theater this weekend.    The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter to the 21st state. Have thoughts on th...

To mark Veterans Day, Illinois women who’ve served in the military speak about some of their experiences and reflect on some of their struggles.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter to the 21st state. Have thoughts on the show or one of our episodes, or want to share an idea...