The 21st Show

In 2023, NPR's Aisha Harris joined The 21st Show to talk about the culture that shaped her, the intersection of her identities as a Black woman and a critic, and more. Her book, “Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me” is now available in paperback.

Tristan Ahtone is a member of the Kiowa Tribe and editor-at-large at Grist. His award-winning investigation “Land-Grab Universities” revealed how the 1862 Morrill Act turned nearly 11 million acres of Indigenous land into seed money for land-grant universities — including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Allen C. Guelzo has written many books about the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. The most recent is “Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment,” which explores Lincoln’s ideas about democracy and how they led America through the Civil War. Guelzo is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Abraham Lincoln Association’s annual banquet this Thursday in Springfield...

Another conversation with a candidate for the U.S. Senate: R. Cary Capparelli is seeking the Republican nomination. He works in marketing, teaches geography, and is the son of a longtime Illinois Democratic state legislator. He's previously run (unsuccessfully) for offices ranging from the Illinois House to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District — as both a Democrat and a Republican. We'll ta...

In 2023, researchers from the Middle West Review asked 11,000 people from 22 states their perceptions of Midwestern identity. Almost 94 percent of Illinoisans who responded said yes, they live in the Midwest. But Midwestern identity stretches farther than that. For example, more than half of the people from Wyoming who responded said yes, they too live in the Midwest and consider themselves to be...

In the spring of 2025, Chase Bandolik ran 416 miles from Cairo, Illinois north to Beloit, Wisconsin (near the northern Illinois border). We talk with him about the journey.

Global warming is continuing to make big changes to our weather, and the ways we experience the seasons. This winter, we've been seeing wild swings in the temperature already. We'll talk about what this means, what's going on, and how Midwesterners are reckoning with change.

Casey Chlebek is one of the half dozen Republicans running in the primary for the U.S. Senate race in Illinois. Born and raised in Poland before immigrating to Chicago, Chlebek shares his own story of immigration while pitching ideas for immigration reform as well as his thoughts on cultural Marxism.

Tom Burrell revolutionized advertising in the 1970s, shifting the industry from racist depictions of African Americans to positive and realistic portrayals. Jason Chambers' new biography, Advertising Revolutionary: The Life and Work of Tom Burrell, highlights Burrell's significant contributions to advertising, emphasizing his role in integrating African American culture into mainstream media​​.

As we continue our series of U.S. Senate candidate interviews, we sit down with Awisi Quartey Bustos, who has extensive experience working in government as well as private sector. She discusses the economy, the need for reforming ICE, and why her past roles working for the state are valuable.

Groundhog Day is Monday, and the 1993 movie with that name means a lot to Woodstock, Illinois, where it was filmed. We’ll talk about the city’s annual festival, which this year features actor Stephen Tobolowsky, who played insurance salesman Ned Ryerson.

It’s been 18 months since a giant sinkhole opened beneath a sports complex in Alton, Illinois. It slowly filled up with water and is finally getting drained. We’ll talk about why it took so long and rate the probability of similar calamities in the future.

The Trump Administration says it wants to rein in corporations and private equity buying up single-family homes — aimed at alleviating a tight housing market that has seen significant price increases. What does this mean for homebuyers in Illinois?

Ted Dabrowski is a former leader of a conservative research publication. He’s one of four people running for the Republican nomination in the race for Illinois Governor. Dabrowski shares his vision Illinois and why he thinks he's the best choice to run against Governor JB Pritzker in November.

Bryan Maxwell is one of the 10 people hoping to represent the Democratic Party in this fall’s election for outgoing Senator Dick Durbin's seat. Known for supporting anti-war causes, he shares his views on military spending, economic sanctions in other countries, and being a socialist.

15,000 Illinoisans are facing homelessness on any given day, according to a report released by the Illinois Department of Human Services. The scale of homelessness has grown in recent years even as states like Illinois embrace active efforts to bring it down. That increase in homelessness has also strained some of the organizations who are trying to help. The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekd...

Tax season is looking a little different this year, because of new tax policy created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The Food Pyramid was introduced to the public in 1992 by the federal government to serve as a guide for a healthy and balanced diet. The current Food Pyramid is now inverted. Two nutrition experts discuss present day nutrition guidelines. 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...

Pamela Denise Long is seeking the Republican nomination in Illinois' U.S. Senate race. She discusses her nuanced perspectives on many topics including abortion rights, healthcare for transgender people, and high-income taxes for Illinoisans.

It’s been one year and one day since President Trump returned to office. A political science professor and a former U.S. ambassador weigh in on America's place in the world from recent rhetoric around Greenland to policies toward Russia and Ukraine. The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter t...

A general preview of what lies ahead in the spring legislative session as Illinois lawmakers return to SpringfieldThe 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 talk about? Send us...

The Illinois Senate returned to Springfield last week. The House returns today, and the two chambers will spend the next several months trying to address a projected $2.2 billion budget shortfall. Senate Republican Leader John Curran joins the program to highlight some goals Republican lawmakers are focusing on this session.  The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk...

The Illinois House is set to return to Springfield today — to begin the 2026 spring legislative session. Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Emanuel “Chris” Welch joins the program to preview the session. 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 thou...

Non-violence was key to Martin Luther King’s conception of politics, following the example of Gandhi. But even before his assassination, activists were rejecting parts of that philosophy. We’ll talk about how both Gandhi and King approached the subject of nonviolence, and whether it’s still relevant today.

Governor J.B. Pritzker has been building up his profile. A new analysis finds he’s favoring national outlets, many of which are friendly toward Democrats, over Illinois-based news providers. We’ll talk with Ben Szalinski, one of the reporters behind the story.