The 21st Show

Lloyd Randall has been challenging the authorities in Danville, Illinois over racial disparities in traffic stops. Data from the Illinois Department of Transportation shows that in 2024, although Black motorists represent just 20 percent of Danville's driving population, they were 58 percent of the traffic stops. We’ll talk with Randall, a reporter who’s covered this issue, and an advocate for civ...

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

Early Voting starts in less than two months for primary elections, which will decide whose names make it onto next fall’s ballots. We’ll talk about what’s happening from the governor’s race to Congressional campaigns across the state.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stori...

The Director of Get Covered Illinois discusses how to navigate the marketplace and answers questions about qualifications, deadlines, and available plans. 

Health insurance is getting more expensive next year. Costs are rising for people on employer plans, Medicare, and especially for those who buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.   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 o...

The issue of abortion is often framed in religious terms usually by people who oppose the procedure. However, Illinois philosopher Peter Wenz says there are religious arguments in favor of abortion. His new book is called “Abortion Rights as the Free Exercise of Religion: The Constitutional Case for Choice". Wenz joins the program today.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday pu...

Is the U.S. facing an “epidemic of loneliness?"   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 an email: talk@21stshow.org. If you'd like to have y...

A recent survey from the American Psychological Association estimates half of adults in the U.S. say they lack companionship or are isolated from others, at least some of the time. What difference does connection make for a population whose health is especially vulnerable such as older adults? What can seniors do to expand their social networks?   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide wee...

The penny is history, and retailers across the country are trying to figure out how to adapt. Meanwhile, a settlement between credit card companies and merchants could mean new fees, or even declined cards, at the checkout. We’ll talk about what it all means for the way we pay.

Philip A. Wallach is the author of the book "Why Congress", which was released in 2023 and is still relevant today. In the book, Wallach argues that the future of American constitutional democracy depends not on better presidential candidates or more ethical judges, but on Congress getting its act together.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting...

Cassandra Jenkins is an artist and musician, living in New York City. But one of our producers stumbled upon her track titled, “Aurora, I-L.” As in Aurora, Illinois. He wondered about the origin of the song and what it means.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter t...

Northwestern University will pay $75 million to the federal government, and make commitments to comply with Trump preferences in admissions, hiring, campus protests policies, and trans health care. In exchange, the administration is dropping its investigations against the school and restoring federal funding. The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois...

A new book and exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum aims to tell the story of our 16th president through objects and documents from his life. Co-written by the ALPLM's chief of acquisitions Ian Hunt and museum director Christina Shutt, the book is called Lincoln: A Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation in 100 Objects (Rizzoli, $50). The related exhibition of some of the o...

College basketball is back across the 21st state. And now that we’re beginning to see whether early season predictions are holding, we’re going to consider how the various teams across Illinois are doing and assess what teams could have a chance to join the big dance in March.   The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bring...

The upcoming Chicago Review of Architecture will be produced in collaboration with the New York Review of Architecture. The magazine aims to give a critical eye  to the architecture around us including the politics of it all. 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...

The late film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert created a television show that made them household names, and made their “two thumbs up” a coveted endorsement. Author and film critic Matt Singer looks at their unique role in Hollywood history in his new book, “Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever.”

A new book discusses how Midwestern food fits into the bigger picture of American culture.

A new book offers lessons from a culture that’s mastered the art of savoring simple pleasures while maintaining deep connections in family and community.   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 shar...

They say everyone experiences something similar akin to a quarter-life crisis. A psychotherapist and author sees it as a stage of life that is often overlooked.

Civic education is an essential part of Democracy. Teacher and writer Lindsey Cormack argues schools are not up to the task, which means parents have to take matters into their own hands. Cormack adresses this in her book, “How to Raise a Citizen". The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that mat...

What makes pie American? With Thanksgiving coming up, we’ll talk about that with culinary expert Catherine Lambrecht, and highlight some of Illinois’ contributions to the history of pie.

Augustana College in the Quad Cities has about 2,500 students. We'll talk with its president, Andrea Talentino, about trends in enrollment, working with the community, and responding to changes in higher education under the Trump administration.

Fee speech is a fundamental right in America, but it’s facing many challenges this year from the Trump administration to universities to television networks. A trio of Illinois journalists who’ve been covering free speech challenges across the Midwest join today's discussion.  

Sudanese-American comedian Samir Abdul shares his experience surviving the Darfur Genocide in the 2000's before coming to the U.S. as a refugee with his family eventually settling in the Quad Cities. He discusses his work and his personal connection to the current humanitarian crisis in Sudan caused by ongoing war.    The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, c...

Since 2023, Sudan has been engaged in a brutal civil war with a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces commiting acts of mass violence towards the county's minority groups. Despite the many atrocities happening in Sudan including ethnic cleansing, sexual violence towards women and girls, and starvation, it's a crisis that has not received as much international attention as other rece...