The 21st Show

It’s almost time for the World Cup. This year hosting duties are being shared among the U.S, Mexico and Canada. Illinois has fairly strong representation in this year’s World Cup.

More than 100,000 Illinois residents are at risk of losing federal food support because of new work requirements. What does that mean and what’s being done about it?

Top leaders representing the Republican side of the Illinois House and Senate share their thoughts and criticisms on this year's budget.

The Democrats who preside over the Illinois House and Senate share their thoughts on this year's $56 billion state budget.

In just a few weeks, the Barack Obama Presidential Center will be opening in Chicago. We’ll talk about what’s inside with a journalist who got to tour the museum last month.

The Illinois General Assembly has wrapped up its spring session. A statehouse reporter discusses the results of the session.

Apps that let people share their locations with friends and loved ones have become quite common. A researcher who’s been studying how they affect relationships shares more about his findings.

Red Lobster's CEO Damola Adamolekun talks about his personal life experiences, what made the restaurant chain so iconic, and how it plans to make a comeback amid closings nationwide.

Economist and sociologist Juliet Schor has spent years documenting how Americans are overworked — but her latest research suggests a solution: shaving one day off the workweek, with no drop in pay or (in many cases) productivity. She outlines these findings in a book, “Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter.”

With Memorial Day this past weekend, summer travel season has begun. But have you seen those gas prices? We’ll talk with Illinois-based travel YouTuber Mark Wolters about where to head this summer — and how to save some money on the way.

The Grand Illinois Trail aims to connect Northern Illinois by bicycle. It spans more than 500 miles, from Chicago to the Quad Cities and back. And after 30 years of planning, it’s almost done. We’ll talk with Sara Egan of Openlands, which is pushing to get the project across the finish line.

On what would have been Miles Davis' 94th birthday, The 21st asks family members and musical experts to talk about his childhood in Illinois, his impact on the discussion of race and of course, his legendary musical performances and compositions.

State lawmakers are in the final days of their spring legislative session — with a Constitutional deadline of May 31. There's a long list of unfinished business. A statehouse reporter breaks it all down on today's program.

On Memorial Day, we learn about the ongoing work to identify missing soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines from America’s past wars. That includes Illinoisans who’ve finally been accounted for, like Marine Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck of Chicago, killed at age 25 during the Battle of Tarawa in World War II. Plus, we’ll talk about the enduring symbolism and mythology of soldiers thought left behind in V...

You've heard of a midlife crisis — but what about one during quarterlife? The years between adolescence and middle ages come with their own challenges. We'll talk with psychotherapist Satya Doyle Byock about what it takes to survive and thrive during this stage of life. Her book is Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood.

In the 1980s, conservatism was on the rise in America, and Democrats were fighting over how best to respond. While the party struggled nationally, here in the Midwest progressives made a populist case that resonated with voters — urban and rural, Black and white. All this is the subject of a new book by historian Cory Haala: When Democrats Won the Heartland: Progressive Populism in the Age of Reag...

A Republican politician is mounting a legal challenge to Illinois’ Voting Rights Act. She joins the program to discuss the case along with experts, who weigh in on voter representation in different areas and the political and legal aspects surrounding voting rights.

Libraries have to pay more for eBooks that can expire after just a few dozen checkouts. We’ll talk about an effort to change that in Illinois.

What if doctors were able to test their treatment plans on a version of their patient before actually trying it on their body?

How has being from the Midwest influenced some of our best writers? A collection of short essays seeks to answer this question.

Hantavirus has been in the news after a fatal outbreak on a cruise ship. Separately, there was an unrelated case in northern Illinois.

As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, there are few things as American as the hamburger. So how has Illinois and the greater Midwest contributed to America’s favorite hand-held food? 

The Iran war has caused a massive hike in gas prices across the nation.

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services is overhauling its family planning programs- prioritizing natural methods over contraceptives. How do the two approaches compare?

As the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court approaches four years, what is the status of abortion care in Illinois today?