The 21st Show

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?

An Illinois man has been part of some of the more memorable Super Bowl commercials of the past 15 years.

SCS Software, the makers of American Truck Simulator, is soon releasing an expansion for the game that highlights several cities across Illinois, including Chicago, Champaign, Peoria, Quincy, Moline, Rockford, several interstates and Davenport, Iowa.

A settlement has been reached between AFSCME Council 31 and Illinois State University following a strike that lasted nearly four weeks.

Lee Hawkins is a journalist, a podcast producer, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. But in his new book, he turns his skills toward telling his own family’s story. It’s a memoir across 400 years of enslavement, Jim Crow, and beyond — and how the trauma of those experiences is passed from one generation to the next. The book is called, “I Am Nobody’s Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Fre...

Nathan Jones, an emergency room doctor from Springfield, Illinois, was part of NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA. It was the first of a series of missions to simulate life on Mars. He was one of four crew members living in isolation on earth at the Johnson Space Center from June 25, 2023 – July 6, 2024.

When the four astronauts of Artemis II orbited the moon, it was the culmination of work by countless thousands of people — including some based here in Illinois. We’ll talk with an aerospace engineer who dreamed of space as a boy (and still does), and the head of a company whose work with NASA dates back to Apollo.

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

As President Trump criticizes Pope Leo for his position on the Iran war, it begs the question if religious leaders should be vocal about political issues.

Cardinal Blaise Cupich discusses Pope Leo's first year at the Vatican, how it feels for Illinoisans and Americans to see a pope speaking their language in a familiar accent, as well as how the pope has handled political issues specifically in regard to war.

The United States is celebrating 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. There’s an oral history project underway in connection with that milestone. It’s meant to document the stories of Illinoisans and how they think about American values like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

From immigration enforcement to investigations by the Trump administration, a number of legal cases are currently going on in Illinois. A reporter who covers legals affairs around the state has the latest updates.

Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi discusses the Iran war, the U.S. House of Representatives voting to pass a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security minus Border Patrol and ICE, and what's next for him after he leaves office next year. 

If you're lacking manners, you're in luck. A Certified Etiquette Consultant, who runs the Royal Purpose School of Etiquette joins the program.

Many of Illinois' public universities say they are underfunded. Some state lawmakers are hoping to change that – directing more money to smaller state schools. But there’s also opposition-notably from the flagship University of Illinois system.

How did Evangelical Christians come to not only vote for Donald Trump, but embrace him as a heroic figure? Historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez says it was a long time in coming, and that Trump is not a betrayal of evangelical values, but a fulfilment of them. We’ll talk with Du Mez ahead of delivering the annual Thulin Lecture this week in Urbana.