The 21st Show

Born and raised in Chicago, Cheryl Whitlow Thompson’s career in journalism goes back more than four decades — from her days as a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, to hard-hitting investigative work at the Washington Post and NPR. Thompson is also the daughter of one of the Tuskegee Airmen, William E. Whitlow Jr. Her forthcoming book, Forgotten Souls: The Search for the Lost T...

Fraud is all around us, from pyramid schemes to spam phone calls. Illinois-based forensic accountant Kelly Richmond Pope writes about why people do it — and how we can better protect ourselves — in her book “Fool Me Once: Scams, Stories and Secrets from the Trillion Dollar Fraud Industry.”

Colleen Shogan was the 11th Archivist of the United States — the head of the National Archives and Records Administration. The agency is responsible for safeguarding America's founding documents, other important government records, and running many of the presidential libraries across the country. Shogan was appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate. But while the job is traditi...

The sights and sounds of traditional Mexican folk dancing. We’ll talk with members of Quad Cities Ballet Folklorico, which has been teaching young people this cultural dance for more than 40 years.

State lawmakers are back in Springfield for the Illinois General Assembly’s fall veto session. Some Democrats are exploring their options for putting guardrails on what ICE can do. Also potentially on the agenda is funding for mass transit, home insurance rates, and soaring energy bills.

The Trump administration has expanded the scope of ICE operations in Chicago and its suburbs, but state and local officials — as well as everyday citizens — are pushing back.

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...

If you have young people in your life, you might've heard them use words such as skibidi (SKIH-bih-dee) or rizz or sigma. Maybe that's mumbo-jumbo to you, as mumbo-jumbo was to someone else in the past. But Adam Aleksic says that's just how language evolves. And as we continue through the internet age — specifically the era of short form video — the rate of change in our language is only going to...

A conversation with retired U.S. Diplomat Eric P. Whitaker. Born in DeKalb and raised there and in North Aurora, Whitaker earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he was also in the Marching Illini. Before joining the Foreign Service, he spent time in the Peace Corps in the Phillipines. His diplomatic postings include South Korea, Sudan, Iraq,...

We spoke with an archivist for an oral history project and a longtime member of Danville's Jewish community.

The president of Northern Illinois University discusses how her school is responding to challenges in higher education.

We talked with people on the ground after President Trump deployed National Guard troops to Illinois.

Rick Goldsmith is an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker. His newest film, "Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink," examines how hedge funds and private equity firms are hollowing out America's newspapers. He stopped by our studios to talk about the film and the struggles of American journalism. A version of this interview was originally broadcast April 1, 2025.

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, novelist Shelby Van Pelt now makes her home in Wheaton, Illinois. Her debut novel, "Remarkably Bright Creatures," has been a huge hit, reportedly selling more than two million copies. It's also being made into a movie by Netflix. We'll talk with Van Pelt about her life and work.

In the midst of economic uncertainty, job seeks are struggling to find work and competing with thousands of applicants at times. Labor and economic experts weigh in on what's happening and where the labor market goes from here.     The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter to t...

The federal government shutdown is now in its second day with no end in sight. Congressman Eric Sorenson gives his take on how federal workers in Illinois are being impacted by the shutdown.   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 o...

The government has shut down for the first time in nearly seven years after not being able to reach a funding deal by midnight. How will this move impact federal workers in Illinois and the many people in the state, who rely on federal benefits? The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter to th...

As the government officially shuts down, Congressman Sean Casten shares his thoughts on what could have been done to prevent this situation and what this means for Illinoisans.   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...

The head of Illinois' public health department discusses how the state is responding to all of the changes coming from the federal government-from guidance on vaccines to taking acetaphamine.     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...

Ocean explorer Annie Crawley is an underwater photographer, filmaker, writer, and scuba diver. She was in Urbana last week for a screening of her new documentary. In a taped conversation, she talks about the project as well as her career, and her lifelong love of water.    The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news,...

Darren Bailey has announced another run for governor of Illinois. The downstate farmer easily won the Republican primary in 2022, but went on to lose to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker by 13 points. Bailey’s quick rise raises a question: How did a relatively obscure state lawmaker from rural Illinois end up with his party’s nomination? A new book argues the mainstream media bears much of the respons...

A longtime journalist from the Bloomington-Normal area recounts his earlly life and highlights of his career is his new memoir “Broadcast Live: 71 True Stories, Including Some I’d Just as Soon Forget.”   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....

The book "Eve" explores human evolution with a particular focus on the female body and its author joins the program today.   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 should tal...