The events of January 6, 2021 were a stain on America’s democracy. Many experts are saying that there were clear warning signs leading up to this moment. To discuss the factors leading up to the siege on the Capitol, we talked with a philospophy professor from Yale University and an author of several books, including How Facism Works: The Politics of Us and Them.

January 6, 2021 was a dark day in U.S. history. A mob of pro-Trump extremists rampaged through the U.S. Capitol, damaging property and putting their feet up on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk. The 21st was joined by author Jonathan Alter to talk about what happened and what's next.

Pro-Trump extremists breached the Capitol yesterday. We wanted to know what people in Illinois thought and how they reacted to the news.

Winter during a pandemic is especially dark and cold. The Scandinavians have something to combat this, called Hygge. The 21st spoke with someone from the Danish Happiness Research Institute about the Danish concept of comfort and coziness.

Winter in the midwest can be cold, dark and a little depressing — especially during a global pandemic. The 21st spoke to a UK-based author who has written a book on how to embrace “Wintering.” 

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos is a Democrat and represents a large portion of northwest Illinois. She was just recently in for a new term and The 21st was able to speak to her about 

Malcolm X is the subject of a new biography called The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X. The 21st discusses the biography with co-author Tamara Payne about helping write the book and what young activists can learn from Malcolm X. 

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, The 21st checked in with two Illinois reporters to hear the latest news on vaccine rollout, a crisis in Illinois prisons and the state of in-person school and dining in some parts of the state.

We’ll speak with Chicago based visual artist and writer Riva Lehrer, whose recent New York Times Op-Ed “The Virus Has Stolen Your Face From Me” explores how the pandemic has presented challenges to her as both a disabled person, and as an artist whose work focuses on portraits and representations of faces and bodies stigmatized by society.

With the new, more contagious strain of COVID-19 now in the U.S., mask wearing is as important as ever — but masks also pose challenges to communicating for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

Illinois state lawmakers are set to return to Springfield this week for the first time since last May. The agenda includes dealing with significant budget shortfalls and the Black Caucus wants its agenda on equity addressed. 

Host Brian Mackey and producers Anna Casey and Ryan Wilde share some of their favorite and most memorable segments from The 21st.

As we review some of our favorite conversations from 2020, we revisit conversations with two authors whose books past tension between the press and past US presidents.