Illinois Public Media
Arts and Culture
Biking 500 miles on the Grand Illinois Trail
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. “The 21st Show” talks with Sara Egan of Openlands, which is pushing to get the project across the finish line.Latest News
Kindred the Family Soul announcement
WILL FM
Illinois Classical
Evening Concert
The Evening Concert on Illinois Classical
Music by Mozart, Schumann, Teresa Carreño, Britten, William Schuman, Bartok, Poulenc, Saint-Saens, and others
Dialogue
Get a sneak peak of the new Obama Presidential Center, then listen his 2004 interview with WILL-radio
IPM's Reginald Hardwick leads you on a tour of the grounds of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Then we listen to then-State Sen. Obama on WILL-AM.
WILL AM
The 21st Show
How do location sharing apps impact relationships?
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…
Weather Realness
How weather forecasting evolved from guesswork to science
Weather forecasts are a part of everyday life, but predicting the weather was once considered impossible. Learn how meteorology evolved from early observations and hand…
Weather Realness
What summer weather could look like in Illinois this year
Summer isn’t always just hot. From thunderstorms and flash floods, summer can bring a variety of hazards. We talk about what Illinois residents can expect for the months…
WILL TV
Prairie Fire
Prairie Fire: Season 3 - Episode 7 - May 2026
For this month's Prairie Fire, students from the University of Illinois’ College of Media spent a semester producing five short documentaries highlighting food, skating,…
News Local/State
Behind The Mic: Newsroom editor Arjun Thakkar thinks public media is integral in combatting information overload
At Illinois Public Media, Arjun Thakkar helps reporters with story pitches, sources, and final editing, and sometimes reports stories himself.
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…
