The 21st Show

Ever wondered about Illinois' bat population? Or perhaps you recently dealt with trying to get a bat out of your home? The 21st Show took the opportunity to catch up on the state of bat populations across the 21st state, and how you can safely get rid of one that might find comfort in your home and when to respond to health-related concerns following exposure to bats.

For most of American history, when a Justice Department lawyer stood up in court and told a judge something, the judge took it as true. There's even a name for this — it’s called "presumption of regularity," the idea that government officials are doing their jobs honestly and in good faith. That assumption is now under strain. A growing number of federal judges — appointed by presidents of both pa...

The 2026 Warrior Games are currently underway in San Antonio, Texas. First started in 2010, the Warrior Games are designed to bring together wounded, ill or injured service members from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and Special Operations Command. This year, there are nearly 200 people competing in 12 adaptive sports. Among them are Navy Aviation Structural Mec...

In Illinois, when someone is convicted of a crime they didn't commit and later cleared, the state makes it official with what's called a certificate of innocence. It allows people to seek monetary compensation from state government, and can help them wipe the case from their record. Lately, however, that system has been moving in two directions: a state appeals court has ruled some exonerated peop...

Last week, three teenagers from Collinsville, Illinois were on their way to a job. That’s when they were stopped by local police in Christian County. Before long, all three of them were in the custody of federal immigration agents. The family says local police circumvented the TRUST Act — the Illinois law meant to stop that from happening. We'll talk about it with Brian Munoz of St. Louis Public R...

Author Ken Liu was born in China in 1976, and his family emigrated to the U.S. when he was 11. He has published multiple collections of short stories and an epic series of novels. Several of his works have been made into films , including “Good Hunting,” which was part of the Netflix animated anthology series Love, Death and Robots. He's also known for translating the Chinese sci-fi series known a...

The Onion's news satire has become a staple of American culture. It’s come a long way from humble beginnings in the Midwest in 1988, when Christine Wenc was part of the original. Her book, Funny Because It’s True: How the Onion Created Modern American News Satire explores history of the publication and how it's still relevant today.

Business owners who offer safe spaces to their local LGBTQ communities in downstate Illinois discuss what these spaces mean to people in the current political environment.

For enslaved people and others of African descent, it would be nearly another century until they were included in the founders’ conception of liberty and women would win equal citizenship more than a half-century after that. That is the subject of a new exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

David Lipsky’s book, ‘The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial’, tells the story of how American people have lost their trust in science.

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.