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NPR president and CEO Katherine Maher spoke with Brian Mackey of

“The 21st Show” talks to NPR president Katherine Maher

 It's been one year since the Corporation for Public Broadcasting began winding down. That came after the Trump administration realized a longtime conservative goal of ending federal funding for public radio and television in America. Since then, NPR has had buyouts and layoffs and programming changes, but CEO Katherine Maher says as difficult as that's been, she hopes it's not led to noticeable differences for listeners.
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Illinois Classical
Illinois Classical 90.9

Your home for Classical and more in Central Illinois.
Prairie Performances
A man in a white button-up shirt with embroidered flowers smiles.

A Look Back: Oliver Talukder
This week on Prairie Performances, we are revisiting the works of Mexican-Bengali oboist and winner of Cedille Records’ 2025 Emerging Artist Competition, Oliver Talukder.…
Dialogue
Two men speaking on a podcast

African natives who call Illinois home talk about Black American and Black Immigrant relationship
Two African natives discuss their journey to Champaign-Urbana and the conversation between Black Americans and Black Immigrants.
The 21st Show
a collage of McBride's book covers includes The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, The Color of Water, The Good Lord Bird, and Miracle at Saint Anna; the author is also pictured: a light-skinned black man rests his head on his chin in a thoughtful pose; he has a narrow salt-and-pepper goatee and is wearing a dark blue sweater with a matching blue beret

Author James McBride on seeking the good in dark times
James McBride is a man of many talents: musician, screenwriter, and an award-winning author. His latest novel, “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,” was a huge…
The 21st Show
a Civil War-era drawing of people walking through a ravine, most are Black, some are on horseback, others help muscle a covered wagon over rough terrain

How Sherman’s March to the Sea became ‘America’s largest emancipation’
Among the most famous episodes in the Civil War is General William Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” It split the Confederacy in half and helped bring about the end of the…
The 21st Show
Cookie Monster stares into the middle distance from a control room at a PBS station in 2025, the year the federal government ended support for public broadcasting.

After federal funding, cuts and ‘rage giving’ at Illinois public media stations
It's been one year since the Corporation for Public Broadcasting began winding down. That came after the Trump administration realized a longtime conservative goal of ending…
Prairie Fire

Illinois Wetlands
The Prairie Fire team takes a tour of some of Illinois' crucial wetland areas to find out why they are so important to the health of our state and how they're being…
Mid-American Gardener

Late-Summer Garden Bounty: Dahlias, Vegetables and Beautiful Blooms
Shane and Chuck join Tinisha with an abundance of garden produce and beautiful blooms. And Kelly stops by to discuss caring for mums.
State of Change

Small gestures to make a big difference in preserving our planet
We visit a zero-waste general store, a garden bringing a community together in a Chicago food desert, a program protecting pollinators, and advice to increase sustainability…