The 21st spoke to two Hispanic Illinois-based politicians, one from each end of the political spectrum on their experience appealing to Hispanic voters. 

There are 2.2 million Hispanic Illinoisians, 17% of the state’s population. We’ll talk to a Pew Researcher who recently co-wrote a study on the issues most important to Hispanic voters in 2020, and speak with some Hispanic leaders from both sides of the aisle.

With the first presidential debate coming on Tuesday night, The 21st recapped it with the chief political reporter for the Chicago Tribune. 

Peter Manseau, author of “The Jefferson Bible: A Biography.”, joins The 21st to talk more about his book.

President Trump has selected Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court seat left by the latest Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. If confirmed, Coney Barrett could represent the biggest ideological shift for the court in decades. We’ll speak with Amy Howe of SCOTUS Blog and a law professor who worked with Trump’s nominee.

The Major League Baseball regular season ended yesterday.  But whether you’re a Cubs, White Sox, or even a Cardinals fan, you still have something to root for.  All 3 teams made it to the playoffs.  We’ll recap the season and get a preview of the new playoff format.

Early voting is underway in Illinois, and one of the biggest questions on the ballot is whether the state constitution should be changed to allow for a graduated income tax — where people who make more money pay a higher rate. We answer your questions on the proposed constitutional amendment.

Alongside the COVID-19 pandemic is another, worsening crisis — hunger. In today’s reporter roundtable we’ll hear from two food and agriculture reporters about how families and school districts in the Midwest are coping.

U.S. Census Bureau offices are scheduled to complete their work by next Wednesday, September 30. We’ll talk with census experts about the importance of a full and accurate count, and what an undercount could mean for Illinois.

Maybe you’ve spent more time at home with your dog in recent months and thought "what are they thinking?" We’ll speak with a Bloomington-based psychology professor who studies the minds of canines. 

The 21st took a look back at one of the biggest concerts in Illinois history. September 22, 2020 marked the 35 year anniversary of the first annual Farm Aid concert which happened in Champaign. It was organized by musicians Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young, and featured some of the biggest names in music of the day. 

The 21st spoke to Andrew Ti, the co-host of a podcast that tackles racism using comedy.

Since 2005, Pygmalion Fest in Champaign Urbana has drawn some of the biggest indie music acts from around the country to central Illinois. But for the first time, the festival will be all virtual. The 21st talks about the lineup and how to see the performances all for free.