The 21st Show

Author Ken Liu was born in China in 1976, and his family emigrated to the U.S. when he was 11. He has published multiple collections of short stories and an epic series of novels. Several of his works have been made into films , including “Good Hunting,” which was part of the Netflix animated anthology series Love, Death and Robots. He's also known for translating the Chinese sci-fi series known as The Three Body Problem. Based in the Boston suburbs, Liu visited Central Illinois back in 2024 for a talk at the Champaign Public Library on art and artificial intelligence. That's when we first aired this conversation, in which he talks about trading a traditional job for writing full time, what's unique about Chinese science fiction, and why he's excited for the possibilities of artificial intelligence.

The Onion's news satire has become a staple of American culture. It's come a long way from humble beginnings in the Midwest in 1988, when Christine Wenc was part of the original. Her book, Funny Because It's True: How the Onion Created Modern American News Satire explores history of the publication and how it's still relevant today.

Business owners who offer safe spaces to their local LGBTQ communities in downstate Illinois discuss what these spaces mean to people in the current political environment.

For enslaved people and others of African descent, it would be nearly another century until they were included in the founders' conception of liberty and women would win equal citizenship more than a half-century after that. That is the subject of a new exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

David Lipsky's book, ‘The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial', tells the story of how American people have lost their trust in science.

It's almost time for the World Cup. This year hosting duties are being shared among the U.S, Mexico and Canada. Illinois has fairly strong representation in this year's World Cup.

More than 100,000 Illinois residents are at risk of losing federal food support because of new work requirements. What does that mean and what's being done about it?

Top leaders representing the Republican side of the Illinois House and Senate share their thoughts and criticisms on this year's budget.

The Democrats who preside over the Illinois House and Senate share their thoughts on this year's $56 billion state budget.

In just a few weeks, the Barack Obama Presidential Center will be opening in Chicago. We'll talk about what's inside with a journalist who got to tour the museum last month.

The Illinois General Assembly has wrapped up its spring session. A statehouse reporter discusses the results of the session.

Apps that let people share their locations with friends and loved ones have become quite common. A researcher who's been studying how they affect relationships shares more about his findings.

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.”

With Memorial Day this past weekend, summer travel season has begun. But have you seen those gas prices? We'll talk with Illinois-based travel YouTuber Mark Wolters about where to head this summer — and how to save some money on the way.

The Grand Illinois Trail aims to connect Northern Illinois by bicycle. It spans more than 500 miles, from Chicago to the Quad Cities and back. And after 30 years of planning, it's almost done. We'll talk with Sara Egan of Openlands, which is pushing to get the project across the finish line.

On what would have been Miles Davis' 94th birthday, The 21st asks family members and musical experts to talk about his childhood in Illinois, his impact on the discussion of race and of course, his legendary musical performances and compositions.

State lawmakers are in the final days of their spring legislative session — with a Constitutional deadline of May 31. There's a long list of unfinished business. A statehouse reporter breaks it all down on today's program.

On Memorial Day, we learn about the ongoing work to identify missing soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines from America's past wars. That includes Illinoisans who've finally been accounted for, like Marine Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck of Chicago, killed at age 25 during the Battle of Tarawa in World War II. Plus, we'll talk about the enduring symbolism and mythology of soldiers thought left behind in Vietnam.

You've heard of a midlife crisis — but what about one during quarterlife? The years between adolescence and middle ages come with their own challenges. We'll talk with psychotherapist Satya Doyle Byock about what it takes to survive and thrive during this stage of life. Her book is Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood.

In the 1980s, conservatism was on the rise in America, and Democrats were fighting over how best to respond. While the party struggled nationally, here in the Midwest progressives made a populist case that resonated with voters — urban and rural, Black and white. All this is the subject of a new book by historian Cory Haala: When Democrats Won the Heartland: Progressive Populism in the Age of Reagan, 1978–1992.

A Republican politician is mounting a legal challenge to Illinois' Voting Rights Act. She joins the program to discuss the case along with experts, who weigh in on voter representation in different areas and the political and legal aspects surrounding voting rights.

Libraries have to pay more for eBooks that can expire after just a few dozen checkouts. We'll talk about an effort to change that in Illinois.

What if doctors were able to test their treatment plans on a version of their patient before actually trying it on their body?

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

Hantavirus has been in the news after a fatal outbreak on a cruise ship. Separately, there was an unrelated case in northern Illinois.

As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, there are few things as American as the hamburger. So how has Illinois and the greater Midwest contributed to America's favorite hand-held food? 

The Iran war has caused a massive hike in gas prices across the nation.

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services is overhauling its family planning programs- prioritizing natural methods over contraceptives. How do the two approaches compare?

As the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court approaches four years, what is the status of abortion care in Illinois today?

An Illinois man has been part of some of the more memorable Super Bowl commercials of the past 15 years.

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.

A settlement has been reached between AFSCME Council 31 and Illinois State University following a strike that lasted nearly four weeks.

Lee Hawkins is a journalist, a podcast producer, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. But in his new book, he turns his skills toward telling his own family's story. It's a memoir across 400 years of enslavement, Jim Crow, and beyond — and how the trauma of those experiences is passed from one generation to the next. The book is called, “I Am Nobody's Slave: How Uncovering My Family's History Set Me Free.”

Nathan Jones, an emergency room doctor from Springfield, Illinois, was part of NASA's Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA. It was the first of a series of missions to simulate life on Mars. He was one of four crew members living in isolation on earth at the Johnson Space Center from June 25, 2023 – July 6, 2024.

When the four astronauts of Artemis II orbited the moon, it was the culmination of work by countless thousands of people — including some based here in Illinois. We'll talk with an aerospace engineer who dreamed of space as a boy (and still does), and the head of a company whose work with NASA dates back to Apollo.

The book "Eve" explores human evolution with a particular focus on the female body and its author joins the program today.

As President Trump criticizes Pope Leo for his position on the Iran war, it begs the question if religious leaders should be vocal about political issues.

Cardinal Blaise Cupich discusses Pope Leo's first year at the Vatican, how it feels for Illinoisans and Americans to see a pope speaking their language in a familiar accent, as well as how the pope has handled political issues specifically in regard to war.

The United States is celebrating 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. There's an oral history project underway in connection with that milestone. It's meant to document the stories of Illinoisans and how they think about American values like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

From immigration enforcement to investigations by the Trump administration, a number of legal cases are currently going on in Illinois. A reporter who covers legals affairs around the state has the latest updates.

Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi discusses the Iran war, the U.S. House of Representatives voting to pass a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security minus Border Patrol and ICE, and what's next for him after he leaves office next year. 

If you're lacking manners, you're in luck. A Certified Etiquette Consultant, who runs the Royal Purpose School of Etiquette joins the program.

Many of Illinois' public universities say they are underfunded. Some state lawmakers are hoping to change that – directing more money to smaller state schools. But there's also opposition-notably from the flagship University of Illinois system.

How did Evangelical Christians come to not only vote for Donald Trump, but embrace him as a heroic figure? Historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez says it was a long time in coming, and that Trump is not a betrayal of evangelical values, but a fulfilment of them. We'll talk with Du Mez ahead of delivering the annual Thulin Lecture this week in Urbana.

Joseph Gone has spent decades studying Native American mascots — 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.

"Disturbing the Bones” is the name of a new novel set in Illinois. It's part crime story and part geopolitical thriller. The book is a collaboration between film director Andrew Davis and journalist Jeff Biggers.

A new book “Sweet, Tart and Golden: Apples in the Midwestern Imagination" explores the historic connection between apples, Americana, and Midwestern values.

What's the latest update on the new Chicago Bears stadium? Also, lawmakers approved language for a potential amendment to the Illinois constitution around voting rights and former House Speaker Michael Madigan got a ruling in his appeal of his corruption conviction.

Many students go to college hoping to become filmmakers, but not many get firsthand experience with professional filmmaking that early in their career. Sawyer Carver is a sophomore at Augustana College in the Quad Cities. Their short documentary on The Atlas Collective, a cafe and bookstore in Moline, is now on Roku. Carver joins the program along with the co-founder of a national organization focused on teaching filmmaking fundamentals to young people.

A Danville alderman and his cousins went night fishing at a park in Paris, Illinois. White men approached them, used racial slurs, and opened fire. Three are now charged with hate crimes — two with attempted murder. How 911 responded to the incident is a matter of concern.

Illinois has already seen significant tornado activity this year. Most people head for shelter when severe weather hits, but others run toward the storm. Our friends at Illinois Public Media's Weather Realness recently spoke with two people who chase storms and tornadoes professionally.