The 21st Show

Composer Juri Seo was born in Korea, educated at the University of Illinois, and is now based at Princeton, in New Jersey. She returns to Illinois this week to premiere two new works.

There's been a rare sighting of a mountain lion in southern Illinois. We'll talk about how they and other apex predators end up here — and what it means.

A new book, “Our Own Worst Enemies: America in the Age of Violent Populism," argues that the biggest threat to American democracy is coming from within, as political violence rises. Author and professor Robert Pape discusses what led to this increase in extremism in the U.S.

A decade ago, Pokémon Go sent Illinoisans into parks and parking lots … chasing virtual cartoon creatures with their phones. The craze faded, but the game and its most dedicated fans have kept on.

Representative Darin LaHood is campaigning for a sixth term representing Illinois' 16th Congressional District. He defends his stance on tariffs and shares his views on what the U.S. has achieved so far in the conflict with Iran and outlines some proposals for legal immigration.

Born in raised in downstate Illinois, Archbishop Fulton Sheen reached millions and millions of Catholics through his radio and TV shows... Now, he's a candidate for sainthood in the Catholic Church.

A new investigation from the Illinois Answers Project documents tens of thousands of incidents in county jails in recent years … from fires to escape attempts and deaths. Two of the reporters behind the years-long project discuss their findings.

Two years ago, software consultant Jim Marter ran against Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood in Illinois' 14th House District. Marter lost that race and this year, he's back again trying to flip the seat.

As we wrap up our trip across the 21st state's portion of Route 66, we take a look at the tiny Village of Brooklyn, located on the cusp of the Mississippi River in the Metro East, just before Route 66 enters Missouri, to learn about the country's first Black-majority town and the history that connects it to the Mother Road.

As we continue to tour across the 21st state's portion of Route 66, we're making a stop at the Ace Sign Museum in Springfield, which restores and collects signs of all kinds from Route 66's past.

A book released earlier this year explores mob activity in the Prohibition era along Route 66 specifically through the lens of Benld, Illinois.

Atlanta, Illinois is the next stop on our Route 66 journey. The American Giants Museum restores iconic large size statues of figures in American culture.

A film made in Central Illinois is getting its big premiere. Vijay M. Rajan, writer and director of the psychological thriller “Dark Soul River" joins the program.

We continue our series reflecting on 100 years of Route 66 — particularly the 300-or-so miles of it that span the 21st state. However, Route 66 goes well beyond the borders of Illinois passing through Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona, and California and this is the subject of a new film.

As we continue our journey on Route 66, we're stopping in Bloomington-Normal to check out the McLean County Museum of History.

We continue our Route 66 journey heading southwest to the city of Joliet. Operating from 1858 through 2002, the Old Joliet Prison is now a tourist site. A local history expert takes the 21st Show through the prison highlighting its history and significance to the city.

Route 66, America's most famous highway is turning 100 this year, and Illinois is bound up in more than 300 miles of its stories. To kick off our week-long series and begin our statewide journey, the 21st Show traveled to the start of Route 66, in the heart of downtown Chicago

Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Twenty-five years later, Illinoisans share stories of where they were and how the events of that day affected them.

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.

Many pregnancies end not with birth, but with loss and that can leave a lasting mark on the people who experience it. A new book takes a deep dive into this.

Economist and sociologist Juliet Schor has spent years documenting how Americans are overworked — but her latest research suggests a solution: shaving one day off the workweek, with no drop in pay or (in many cases) productivity. She outlines these findings in a book, “Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter.”

An Illinois-based journalist is searching for President Barack Obama's controversial tan suit after it was given away.

What does downstate Illinois have to offer to visitors?

Niala Boodhoo has more than two decades of experience in journalism — including, as the founding host and executive producer of the 21st Show. She is launching a podcast in which she's interviewing religious scholars and looking at modern day issues from a spiritual point of view.

Illinois native Pokey LaFarge is back in the 21st state for some performances He discusses an upcoming national tour as well as his new album that will be released in less than two weeks.

Illinois has deep economic ties to Canada and counts the country as it's number one international trading partner. Meanwhile, a trade war with Canada has the U.S. imposing 50% tariffs on each other's goods. What does all this mean for Illinois?

School districts across Illinois will be required to ban cell phones and other devices during the school day starting next school year. A state lawmaker, an educator, and an education policy expert discuss how that works, as well as the pros and cons … for students, teachers, and families.

Republican Jeff Wilson is hoping to make Illinois' 13th congressional district red again. Running against incumbent Nikki Budzinski, the former Champaign County Board member makes his case.

Federal charges have been filed against four managers of a Southern Illinois coal mine. This stems from a fire back in 2021. The men are accused of failing to evacuate their people — and then covering up what happened.

In the early 1970's, a young filmmaker named Barbara Kopple heard a story on NPR about leadership elections for the United Mine Workers of America, which was among the strongest labor unions in the United States. Nearly 50 years later, Kopple discusses how the film is still relevant.

In 2024, Republican Darin LaHood was re-elected unopposed in Illinois' 16th district. This year, he has a challenger. Democrat Paul Nolley discusses what he brings to the table.

"Octopolis,” a 20-foot-tall sculpture made from — among other things — salvaged metal and reclaimed fabric will be featured at Burning Man in Nevada this summer. An Illinois woman and her sister came up with the idea from the project and created it.

The pesticides that farmers use can drift miles beyond where they're originally used-harming plants, trees, and people. We'll talk about how it happens as well as what could change with more regulation.

Two years after the launch of the Women's Pro Baseball League, the inaugural season is taking place right now — in Springfield, Illinois. We'll talk about the significance of the league and the history of women playing baseball in America.

Illinois is one of the top corn producers in the country but producing it could be more difficult in the near future. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say that a lack of diversity in the corn's genetics could make it more difficult to breed new corn that can survive the difficulties of the future.

Republican Congressman Mike Bost has a challenger this year in the mid-terms. Democratic congressional candidate Julie Fortier discusses the needs of Southern Illinois residents and what she brings to the table.

21st Show host Brian Mackey captures a sonic postcard from some of the thousands of people who are part of making the state fair.

The State Fair is back in town. Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II discusses the state of agriculture in the 21st state from the fair.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey explains why he's running for governor again and shares his thoughts on existing policies in the state.

In 1872, a group of men set out to take a census of Earth's oceans, but much of the life they discovered no longer exists. A new book examines their voyage and what it can tell us about our oceans' decline.

Artificial intelligence is all around us these days … from internet searches to event flyers to customer service calls. But what effect is it having on people who use it and the way we interact with the world?

State Representative Kelly Cassidy gives her take on former colleague Harry Benton's resignation amid sexual harassment allegations and Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch's handling of the case and his own questionable behavior towards the alleged victim.

Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker is seeking a third term this fall. We'll talk with him about his nearly eight years on the job so far — and why he's asking you to give him another four.

When was the last time you got a really clear view of the night sky? There is an entire universe out there, but artificial lighting has cut us off from it.

Senator Tammy Duckworth discusses the Iran war and other changes happening in the Department of Defense, the voter registration changes President Trump is calling for in the SAVE Act, and the issue of why so many people feel left behind by the American economy.

The second Trump administration has tried to assert more control over elections … using false claims about election security as justification. We'll talk about security and safety at the polls headed into the midterms.

This spring, a reporter and photographer from the Chicago Sun-Times spent two weeks in Lithuania as the Pulitzer Center's 2026 Richard C. Longworth Media fellows, reporting a six-part series on Lithuania's deep Illinois ties — and its uneasy position on the front line of Europe's standoff with Russia.

Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch is facing criticism for his handling of sexual harassment allegations against fellow Democrat, Harry Benton.

A new series of film screenings in the Quad Cities focuses on movies that highlight Latino culture.

The Joliet Treatment Center is a prison that was dedicated to providing mental healthcare. But conditions have declined in the decade since it opened, and prisoners have set dozens of fires over the past few years in attempts to get help. An investigation takes a in-depth look into why.

Hundreds of workers are set to lose their jobs at the troubled Choate Mental Health Center in Southern Illinois. We'll talk about why and reflect on the history of abuse allegations at the facility.