On The 21st: A proposal passed the Senate to change the way the state funds K-12 education. Plus, how are vulnerable seniors faring with the budget impasse? And Purdue University's new college tuition repayment program may save students money.

On The 21st: John Oliver's take-down of science journalism goes viral - why does the media so often get it wrong? Plus, we talked about immigration, migrant workers, and your family’s stories of why they came to this country.

On The 21st: Calls from prison are expensive and unregulated; what's going on in Springfield to change that? Also, new FDA regulations on e-cigarettes and the latest in Illinois politics.

On the 21st: Seven out of 10 of the most profitable hospitals in the US are nonprofit -- we learned about what it means to be a nonprofit hospital, and what we should -- and should not -- take away from the earnings numbers. Plus, a local radio host joined us to share why he took action to help reopen a state park in Madison County. 

Today on the 21st: Schools across Illinois are starting to create policies to provide transgender students with access to restrooms that match their gender identity. What do advocates want? Plus, we learned about a herd of bison in Illinois that live in a surprising location.

On The 21st: Illinois has the highest property taxes. Why? And should the U of I have a new mascot? We also asked the question: Should the state help a struggling nuclear energy industry keep its downstate silos open?

Today on The 21st: As students demand a greater voice on campus through protests and other means, where do you draw the line with free speech on a college campus? Plus, the not-so-surprising diet secrets of wildlife animals.

On The 21st: State Attorney General Lisa Madigan joined us to tell us why she thinks the statutes of limitations for sexual assault should be changed. Plus, we spoke with two women in media about online harassment, and in our new Monday political round table, we talked about Chicago State University's recent announcement to lay off 300 employees.

On the 21st: We spoke with Juan Felipe Herrera, the first Latino U.S. Poet Laureate of the United States. Plus, scientists from an Illinois supercomputing facility told us about their role in a new 3D space documentary.

On the 21st: There are more than 175,000 Illinois kids with a parent in prison - we spoke with some of these families and the organizations that help them stay in touch. Also, a fusion energy testing facility is starting operations in Illinois. And $600 million will soon start flowing to Illinois colleges and universities. We spoke with the president of Western Illinois University about what this means for his campus.

On The 21st: Thursday night, Illinois university presidents awaited news of a funding measure that would’ve provided them with the first state funds in almost a year - until it fell through. We spoke with an statehouse reporter in Springfield who filled us in on Friday's activities, including the eventual passage of a bill that would enable funding for state universities. Plus, we spoke with choreographer Endalyn Taylor about the musical, Kiss Me, Kate, and her dance career; the Midwest and Jewish origins of one of America's most popular cookbooks; and we honor Prince with a song.

A multimedia journalism project sheds a light the lack of representation of African-Americans in the sciences and engineering. We discussed what's being done about it. Also, we spoke withone of the astronomers who discovered a new "dark galaxy" 4 billion light-years away. 

Why are the poor in central Illinois dying younger than in other parts of the country? We talked to researchers and health professionals to find out. Also, we spoke with the women behind the Ebertfest Film "Radical Grace."

On today's show: how the arts can help overcome stereotypes about mental health and disability. We also highlighted a new documentary on the life of Jackie Robinson, and talked about what makes a good children's book - in honor of Beverly Cleary's 100th birthday this week.