On The 21st: Why is using the word 'crisis' detrimental when we're talking about Illinois' pension situation? Plus, Terry Allen has been in an Illinois prison for 36 years, even though he was never sentenced for the crime that got him there in the first place. And, we'll talk about how difficult it can be for those with student debt to become homeowners. 

On The 21st: Last year, 54 journalists were killed while doing their job. And hundreds more are in jail. We'll speak with Joel Simon who's the Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists. And, we'll bring you the latest in Illinois politics. 

On The 21st: Who gets to talk about history, especially when that history is brutal and hard to talk about in the first place? That’s the subject of a new play from Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater. Plus, after years of criticism, Illinois has scraped the controversial PARCC standardized test in schools. But will the new one be different enough to quell concerns from teachers and parents? And, we explore the messy backstory of the US trade war with China, including its roots in the Cold War and intellectual property theft. Also, what better way to celebrate Pi Day today than with some lemon meringue?

On The 21st: The recycling market has changed in a big way ever since China stopped importing recycled plastic from the US. In Northern Illinois, one recycling group has several tons piled up because there’s no good place for it to go. Plus, it can be hard to have an abortion in the Midwest but Illinois stands out as the state with the fewest barriers in the region. And now, some House Democrats say it’s time to continue expanding access through new legislation. And, we don’t have a national park here in Illinois. But, our neighbors to the east now officially do as of last month. Also, Amanda Vinicky joins us to share her favorite Springfield culinary classics. 

On The 21st: Boeing shares on Monday were at its lowest in almost five months after the second fatal crash involving its 737 Max plane. What’s next for the Chicago-based company? Also in travel, how inaction on building high-speed rail between Chicago and St. Louis is symbolic of the problem of train investment in America. Plus, if you’ve ever tried to get your kids off the internet, chances are YouTube is part of the equation. Now one state representative says it’s time to let teachers include media literacy in their high school classes. And, we get an update on the possibility of a Dwight Immigration Detention Center. 

On the 21st: For years, Dwight depended on a federal prison that is now closed. Now, community leaders believe they may have found a solution in the form of another kind of facility: an immigration detention center. Plus, the FDA says one in five Walgreens stores that were inspected illegally sold tobacco products to minors. Some lawmakers are also saying it’s time for the company to stop selling tobacco altogether. Also, it’s been more than 30 years since Harold Washington became Chicago’s first African-American mayor. We'll examine his legacy and how black politics has changed since. And, we'll unpack Gov. Pritzker's new tax rates that he's released that would be part of a new, statewide progressive income tax.

On The 21st: Federal prosecutors have dropped all charges against former Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock. As long as he pays back the IRS and stays out of trouble for six months, he’ll walk free with a clean record. Plus, tornado season is on the way although really, they can hit any time of year. We’ll check in with the town of Taylorville to see how they’ve recovered after a tornado hit their community last winter. And the U of I’s Black Chorus joins us. They’ve been on campus since 1968 and they’re singing at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts this Sunday. 

On The 21st: Daily expenses can cost a lot of money. The co-host of WNYC’s 'Nancy' podcast joins us to talk about life gets even more expensive for LGBTQ people. Plus, Cook County has a database that’s supposed to keep track of gang members. But it has a lot of mistakes and some say the bad data has even led to false arrests. Now, police agencies and elected officials are re-thinking what they should do with this information. And, a group of University High students in Urbana have put together a new documentary that dives into the complicated history of affirmative action.

On the 21st: More farmers are installing solar panels on their land - in part because crop prices are falling and the state is providing incentives. But some worry that it’s a waste of Illinois’ fertile soil. And, funding for federal elections has gone down in Illinois over the years. Plus, the debate over a hate crimes bill has put Republican lawmakers on one side, and Indiana’s Republican governor on the other. And find out what two U of I alums are doing to save endangered penguins.

On The 21st: Last year, fewer than 4 percent of incoming medical students in Illinois were black men. What’s behind that and what should be done about it? Plus, states are getting ready to make their own rules when it comes to sports betting. Here in Illinois, both Democrats and Republicans say it’s time to get in on this growing market. And, Governor JB Pritzker wants to change our state’s income tax so that higher-earners pay more. It’ll take a constitutional amendment and it’s going to be a long political fight.

On The 21st: We’ll get a tour of the Illinois Holocaust Museum’s newest exhibit. It focuses on the dangerous journeys that slaves made after they already got to America. Plus, we'll revisit our conversation about the radical past of the Sears catalog and how they helped disrupt segregation in the Jim Crow era. But first, The Department of Children And Family Services has had 11 directors in the last 16 years. And a new report from their inspector general says that more children are dying, even after DCFS has already checked up on them.

On The 21st: Chicago will elect a black woman as mayor for the first time ever. Last night, a field of 14 narrowed down to two: Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle. Also, Rep. Kinzinger may have violated Wisconsin state law by openly criticizing a governor's decision to withdraw troops from the southern U.S. border. Plus, the price of insulin has more than doubled since 2012. So should Illinoisans be allowed to import the drug from Canada? And, more than 40 years ago, the body of a young woman was found along the highway in Seneca, Illinois. She’s never been identified. But, Deputy Coroner Brandon Johnson is determined to give her back her name.

On The 21st: More than 50,000 students in Illinois dealt with homelessness last year. And now, one school district is using a state law to help families find housing using money in their transportation budget. Plus, Illinois was once home to many stops along the Underground Railroad. We'll bring you the story of just one of those stops at Wheaton College. And, are you getting more and more robocalls these days? We’ll give you some tips on what to do about them.

On the 21st: The Spurlock museum is featuring stories of the Indian diaspora with objects submitted by local residents. We hear what that exhibit says about the many stories of Indians right here in Illinois. Plus, when your gun permit gets revoked, the police send you a letter demanding that you turn in your firearm. But most of the time, there’s no follow-up and it has allowed thousands of people to keep their weapons, including, the gunman in last Friday’s Aurora shooting. And, a new grant funds diversity fellowships which calls for more representation in academic publishing. Plus, we talk about last night's Oscars.