The 21st Show

President Trump is trying to pause funding for child care programs in Illinois and other states led by Democrats. We’ll talk about why, how those programs work, and the effect they have in their communities.

Illinois has been fighting the Trump administration in court over ICE activity, National Guard deployments, and government funding. We’ll talk about that with the state’s top legal officer, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

President Trump wants to allow a class of tiny Japanese vehicles to be built and sold in the U.S. They’re known as Kei cars, and they’ve mostly been banned here. A journalist who covers the automotive industry and a car importer discuss Trump's proposal and if there is market for Kei cars in the U.S. The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois...

Respiratory illnesses are surging across Illinois. An official from the Illinois Department of Public Health discusses what causes a more severe year for respiratory diseases, and how we can keep ourselves safe. 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 o...

George Packer is best known for his journalism. He's been a staff writer at The Atlantic magazine since 2018, and before that spent 15 years at The New Yorker. He’s also written books on American politics and foreign affairs. His previous books include The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq (2005) and The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America (2013). Now, for the first time in decades, he’s...

Kevin Ryan is a former teacher and United States Marine from the south suburbs of Chicago. He is now running in as a Democratic in the Primary race for U.S. Senate in Illinois. He talks one-on-one with Brian Mackey about ICE, the U.S. struggling economy, and his military background.

Joseph Gone has spent decades studying Native American moscots — as a psychologist, as a member of the Aaniiih-Gros Ventre Tribal Nation, and as a University of Illinois graduate student who campaigned against Chief Illiniwek in the 1990's. He shares his perspective today.

The Chicago Bears are in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. We’ll talk about their post-season prospects, and how GM Ryan Poles, Head Coach Ben Johnson, and Quarterback Caleb Williams made it happen.

Months of U.S. military pressure on Venezuela culminated in the capture of the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro. We’ll talk with about how we got here and what comes next.

Miscanthus is a type of grass that can grow to be particularly tall. According to a group of researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a form of this grass known has proven to be a good crop for farmers, with a lot of versatile uses. The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that...

Last month, the state Department of Public Health put out a comprehensive report on alcohol use in Illinois. A public health expert and an alcohol researcher discuss the findings and what they mean for our health.  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 th...

Illinois' grocery tax officially expired at the start of this year. But many Illinoisans are still paying that tax. The money from the grocery tax went to local governments and many of them have responded by re-imposing the tax through their village boards or city councils.

A new year means new laws are now in effect across Illinois from criminal justice and law enforcement, education and schools to gun control. An Illinois Public Radio reporter highlights several new laws that Illinoisans might see play out in their daily life. The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and storie...

Five years ago today, a mob stormed the United States Capitol committing many violent acts. Laura K. Field has been studying what led up to January 6th — not just the rally and the riot, but the ideas behind “stop the steal” in particular and the MAGA movement in general. She discusses her new book, "Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right." The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekda...

Today, we begin a series of conversations on existential risks to humankind — such as nuclear war, global warming and artificial intelligence. Those dangers are regularly explored by the “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists”, which was founded 80 years ago in Chicago.  The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, cultur...

We are going to take a moment and listen back to the news and highlights that made 2025 the year that it was. That includes the good, the bad, the inspiring and the tragic, local, national, and international stories as covered on The 21st Show.  The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories th...

Eighty years ago at a school in Reims, France, German Army Field Marshall Jodl signed a five paragraph “Act of Military Surrender.” The Russians wanted the surrender documents signed again, in Berlin, and that happened the next day, May 8, 1945. It would be known as V-E — Victory in Europe.  A historian and author who has written about World War II joins the program. The 21st Show i...

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.

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.”

Dick Van Dyke is an accomplished actor, singer, and comedian. He celebrated his 100th birthday over the weekend. Van Dyke also grew up in Danville, Illinois. We discuss his life, career, and legacy. 

As 2025 approches its end, two film critics look back at all the different movies that were released this year. 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 talk about? Send us a...

Smartphones have revolutionized our lives and also changed family dynamics as children are more engaged with their screens these days. An expert who specializes in human developement and family studies gives his take on smartphones and families.    The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that...

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.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that...

Last week, President Trump announced a $12 billion payment package for American farmers. The money is meant to offset losses from the ongoing trade war with China — which has hit soybean growers especially hard.    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. H...

U.S. Secretatry of State Marco Rubio says a Biden-era switch to the font Calibri — meant to be more accessible to more readers — was another instance of too much focus on DEI. He has ordered a return to Times New Roman, the old Microsoft Office classic. We’ll talk about that with Ellen Lupton, the author of a definitive, bestselling book on typographic design.