The 21st Show

Illinois Public Media - WILL
  • 4.6 (25)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED DAILY
The 21st Show

The 21st is Illinois's statewide news talk show. Produced by Illinois Public Media and airing on six NPR member stations in across Illinois.

  1. 1D AGO

    New Ella Jenkins biography sheds light on her role in developing children’s music

    Ella Jenkins died last year at the age of 100 and now she’s the subject of a new biography. It’s called “This is Rhythm: Ella Jenkins, Children’s Music, and the Long Civil Rights Movement.” The author of the book joins the program today to discuss Jenkins' life, career, and her influence on children's music.

  2. 1D AGO

    Courts Update: Madigan sentencing, State Senator Emil Jones III corruption case, and more

    The fall of Michael Madigan continued last week, as the former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and Democratic powerbroker was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. There are questions about what happens next in the trial of a state senator that ended with a hung jury. Also, a jury found a former January 6 defendant guilty of reckless homicide in a 2022 car crash.

  3. 2D AGO

    Author documents attempt to change her own personality in new book

    Olga Khazan is a staff writer for the Atlantic. She descibes herself as neurotic. Khazan spent a year writing the book “Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change.” The project made her question if she could indeed change her personality. Khazan joins the program today.

  4. 3D AGO

    Reaction to anti-ICE protests and the wider context behind the Latino community’s fight for immigration justice

    Protests swept across the country last week in response to ICE officers raiding communities and detaining undocumented immigrants.But the protesting movement itself didn’t appear last week. There is a long history of organizing especially within Latino communities, which have long led the fight for immigration justice efforts.

  5. 3D AGO

    ‘No Kings’ protest in Central Illinois brings people from all walks of life together

    Over the weekend, protests took over cities across Illinois and around the nation – under the banner “No Kings Day.” An Illinois Public Media News reporter who covered the rallies in downtown Urbana joins the program.

  6. 3D AGO

    Is deploying the National Guard to handle ICE protestors an ‘overreach of federal authority’?

    A former Democratic congressman who led the Illinois National Guard talks about the legality, politics, and practicality of calling in the National Guard to push back against protestors.

  7. 6D AGO

    Ultra-runner completes 400-mile journey across Illinois in 10 days

    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.

  8. 6D AGO

    June 13, 2025: Pritzker goes to DC to defend sanctuary status while ICE officers target migrants outside courts

    Illinois Gov. Pritzker went to Washington this week to defend the state's sanctuary policies. In our Friday politics roundup, we talk about that, immigration enforcement actions in Chicago, and protests against ICE.

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4.6
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

The 21st is Illinois's statewide news talk show. Produced by Illinois Public Media and airing on six NPR member stations in across Illinois.

Information

  • Creator
    Illinois Public Media - WILL
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    335
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 University of Illinois
  • Show Website
    The 21st Show

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