The 21st Show

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. What role does it play in Journalism?   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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

Farm Progress is an annual trade show that bills itself as “The Nation’s Largest Outdoor Farm Show.” Brian Mackey visited the show this year and offers a sampling of some of the people who make the event what it is —both exhibitors and attendees.     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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

Kathleen Davis was always terribly scared of flying ever since she was a child. So how did she end up with a 35-year career as a flight attendant? That is one of the questions Davis set out to answer in her new memoir called “The Closest Exit May Be Behind You: Memoirs of a Fearful Flight Attendant.”   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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

It’s been two weeks since President Trump ordered National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C. — and two months since he did so in Los Angeles. Is Chicago next?    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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

IPM News' Education Reporter Emily Hays spoke with University of Illinois' new chancellor, Charles Isbell last week. They discussed what he's learned on the job so far, his role in the state’s upcoming quantum park, and how he plans to adapt to federal funding cuts to higher education.    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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

For decades, it was a routine for many Americans to wind down their day with late night television on one of the big three networks. However, are late night talk shows still relevant in 2025?    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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

On a recent visit to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum in Springfield, director Christina Shutt took us through three exhibits: one previewing the museum's 20th anniversary celebration, another on a rare 21-star flag from when Illinois had just become the 21st state, and the third on a special exhibit aimed at making Lincoln more accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. That exhibit is called Lincoln: Sight, Sound & Touch. It features replicas of some of the artifacts in the museum's collection, like a casting of Lincoln's face and hands made just after his death, and a leather briefcase he used while president. It also seeks to render two-dimensional objects in 3-D, including a copy of the Gettysburg Address in Lincoln's own handwriting that's been made into a tactile experience.

The community of Stelle, Illinois, was founded by a man who prophesied a doomsday in the year 2000. But while he's long since gone — as is the turn of the millennium — the people of Stelle continue to work together to make a more sustainable way of life.

We continue our series of in-depth conversations with candidates for U.S. Senate, who are vying for Senator Dick Durbin's seat. Congresswoman Robin joins us live in our studio in Urbana.    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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

Two state lawmakers who sponsored a bill that aims to ban the use of AI for therapy services in Illinois dicuss the dangers of using this technology for treating patients with mental health issues. 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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. However, there are no federal laws that would regulate the use of AI. legal expert with insight into AI research joins the program to explore potential legalities around this phenomenon. 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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

 Jelani Day was a student at Illinois State University in 2021, who mysteriously went missing. His remains were found later in the Illinois River. Four years after this incident, his mother joins the program to remember Jelani and discuss how the family has turned pain into purpose. 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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

Lynsey Addario is a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist whose striking images from nearly every theater of war in the 21st century tell the story of the people living in these conflict zones. This conversation originally aired November 18, 2021.

A University of Illinois professor's award-winning book, “The Second Battle for Africa" looks into a movement started by activist Marc Garvey and how it relates to Black people in the midwest.    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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0 Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

As we continue our coverage of the Illinois State Fair, we're going to take a moment to take a look at the state of agriculture in Illinois. 

We take listeners to Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair. Plus, an interview with Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello.

For the second year in a row, there was a naturalization ceremony during the Illinois State Fair-welcoming immigrants. This comes at a time when the Trump administration is doing everything it can to discourage people from coming to America. Brian Mackey spoke to some of the 400 new Americans at the ceremony, who shared a little bit about their background and why they chose to immigrate to the U.S.

Democrats are doing great in Illinois. However, nationally, the party has been struggling with very little power in the U.S. House and Senate. Brian Mackey visits the fair to hear from party leaders in Illinois and from activists and organizers from around the state about how to do better in 2026 elections. 

A new documentary film examines Abraham Lincoln’s relationships with four men at different times in his life — building a case that Lincoln was, as the title of the film suggests, a “Lover of Men.”

To kick off our series of in-depth interviews with each of the candidates seeking to replace Senator Dick Durbin, Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton joins us live.  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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-21st-show/id1084405213 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0u7xVxKng8VhsaML Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org

Set in Harlan County, Kentucky, where miners went on strike, Barbara Kopple's film "Harlan County, U.S.A." won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 1977. The documentary went on to shape a generation of filmmakers in and beyond the cinema verite tradition. She joins the program to discuss the experience of making the film.  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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-21st-show/id1084405213 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0u7xVxKng8VhsaML Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org

Last week, more than 50 Texas House Democrats left that state in an attempt to deny the Republican-controlled legislature a quorum for its special session. Republicans may get another five seats in the U.S. House. Some Democrats from the state have left and made their way to Illinois to avoid this.  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 your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-21st-show/id1084405213 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0u7xVxKng8VhsaML Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org

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.

Earlier this year, Governor JB Pritzker signed a law to transfer ownership of Shabbona Lake State Park to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. A member of the Prairie Band tribal council discusses the history of the tribe, its connection to Illinois and what this move means for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.

The Trump administration is requesting voting data from numerous states across the country including Illinois.The head of an election research center and a politcal science professor weigh in. 

The annual Illinois State Fair opens Thursday at noon and runs through August 17.The main organizer behind the fair gives a rundown of what visitors can expect this year.  

It’s August and national headlines scream about “teacher shortages,” but the data shows a much more nuanced picture. Some schools are hiring more than ever, while others can’t fill open and necessary jobs, especially in rural parts of the state.

How does private equity effect everyday Americans? Journalist Megan Greenwell explores this in her new book "Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream." 

Rural hospitals have been struggling for decades. Hundreds have closed. Now, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that President Trump signed into law last month is making substantial changes to Medicare and Medicaid. How will this impact rural healthcare in Illinois? 

The new Weather Realness podcast debuted on August 1, 2025. The podcast is available on YouTube. The radio show airs Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. on WILL-AM 580. If you have a question for local meteorologists, leave a voicemail at 217.333.2141 or email weatherrealness@illinois.edu.

After President Donald Trump placed tariffs on trade partners around the world, the stock market has rebounded. But what's next for the economy? How is the feeling of uncertainty and instability affect our economy and our mental health?   

The Quad Cities' Niabi Zoo is part of a network of zoos providing care and shelter to displaced animals from around the world. A representative from the zoo discusses that work. 

Nearly 29,000 people are currently incarcerated in Illinois' prison system. But being imprisoned -- or even just getting arrested -- can follow someone for decades after the experience is over. A new organization in Bloomington-Normal is trying to help former prisoners in their reentry journey as they face many barriers. 

Some communities in Illinois have won national awards for its drinking water, including Champaign, Dieterich, Moline and Danville. But there's also instances where the tap water might not be the best option for clean drinking water. A scientist with an environmental organization offers deeper insight into the state's drinking water.

During the warmer months, algae blooms in lakes and ponds become more commplace. Mattoon recently dealt with an algae bloom that contaminated the region's drinking water. A city administrator joins the program, and we discuss contamination prevention with an Illinois water expert.  

We're checking in with an Illinois State University professor who specializes in the cultural history of chocolate. Quite a treat for sweet tooths!

The issue of carbon capture and storage underground has sparked debate across Illinois especially around the Mahomet Aquifer, which spans from Iroquois County to Cass County. Some worry the project could threaten groundwater quality and safety, but many scientists say those concerns aren't justified.

We’re talking about the taboo associated with menstruation which persists despite the fact that everyday millions of people are on their period.   

A group of student journalists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign traveled earlier this year to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to report on the issue of period poverty and grassroots efforts to address it.    

As climate change brings with it more severe weather more often and a higher cost to repair and pick up the pieces when disaster strikes. 

State Farm is raising its home insurance rates in Illinois next month by an average of 27 percent, pointing to increased severe weather risks and higher home repair costs. 

Athlete and University of Illinois alumna Susannah Scaroni talks about winning the women's wheelchair division at the Boston Marathon and other highlights from her career.

Emily Hays, who covers education for IPM News, had the chance to speak with the new Univeristy of Illinois Chancellor last month about his approach to federal policy changes and the future of AI, which is his academic speciality.

Senator Tammy Duckworth gives her take on the rescinding of $1.1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by President Trump and congress as well as the status of publicly-funded healthcare, SNAP, and VA benefits after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

In his new book, "Algospeak", linguist Adam Aleksic says that we are living through a transitional phase of the english language as social media has a big influence on vocabulary. 

Tommy Prine was raised in Nashville with guitars lying around his house and music always on. And that’s because his father is John Prine, the legendary singer-songwriter, originally from Maywood, Illinois. He famously worked on songs while working a postal route here — was referred to by some as "the Mark Twain of songwriting.” 

In Illinois, as in other states, there are many towns and cities with what are known as “crime-free housing” ordinances. The idea is to keep drugs and other illegal activity out of apartment buildings and other rental properties. Critics say the ordinances disproportionately target low-income families and people of color while supporters of the law say the programs ensure safety and have helped revitalize struggling neighborhoods.

NPR and it's affiliated public media outlets are sometimes accused of bias, especially by those on the conservative side of the political spectrum. As NPR and PBS lose more than a billion dollars in federal funding, it begs the question: Did public media sow the seeds of its own destruction?

Late last week, Republicans in Congress approved President Trump’s request to claw back more than two year’s worth of funding for public radio and television. A panel of general managers from NPR and PBS stations across Illinois discuss what the path is going forward.

Kaylee Bauchens is a senior at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her podcast episode is called “Relief of Getting a Goodbye”. It explores themes of intuition, grief, and acceptance. It's a finalist of this year's NPR College Podcast Challenge.

Susana Mendoza won't run again as State Comptroller. The crowded field of Democratic candidates for open US House and Senate seats in Illinois continues to grow. Plus, the US House approves a Trump administration plan to rescind $9 billion in previously allocated funds, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).