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Tractor spraying liquid on crops

Pesticide drift and the debate over regulation

 Pesticides help Illinois farmers control weeds, bacteria and other threats to crops, but the chemicals can drift beyond where they are applied. That can damage plants and crops and raise health concerns for nearby residents. In this episode of The 21st, a Central Illinois resident affected by pesticide drift and an ecological health expert discuss the ongoing debate over pesticide use and whether regulations should be strengthened.
IPM Newsroom
Tickets go on sale AUGUST 13 for Kindred the Family Soul for Illinois Soul's third anniversary celebration
Illinois Classical
Illinois Classical 90.9

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Atomic Age Cocktail Party
Atomic Age logo with an illustration of a woman's face and hands. Text reads

Only A Memory (174)
Remember to be here this week for The Atomic Age Cocktail Party. “Only A Memory” is the theme. It's another program featuring songs about memory and the act of…
Dialogue

Vietnam’s ‘Queen of Soul’ prepares for Illinois appearance
Carol Kim is the featured performer of the Saigon Jazz Revival in Chicago on August 29, 2026. She talked about her career and the influence of Black artists in her music.
The 21st Show
Black Rock City grows in the Nevada desert ahead of the Burning Man festival in this file photo from 2006. This year's event will include

Artist sisters to debut sculpture at Burning Man festival
"Octopolis,” a 20-foot-tall sculpture made from — among other things — salvaged metal and reclaimed fabric will be featured at Burning Man in Nevada this summer. An…
The 21st Show

How to handle pesticide drift
The pesticides that farmers use can drift miles beyond where they’re originally used-harming plants, trees, and people. We’ll talk about how it happens as well as what…
The 21st Show
Alli Schroder, Captain of the Boston Hunters, with teammates at Springfield's Robin Roberts Stadium during the inaugural season of the Women's Pro Baseball Leaugue

A new women’s pro baseball league is playing in Springfield. But Illinois has always been part of the women’s baseball scene
Two years after the launch of the Women’s Pro Baseball League, the inaugural season is taking place right now — in Springfield, Illinois. We’ll talk about the…
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,…
Mid-American Gardener

We Visit Tranquility…A Backyard Garden Inspired by the Beauty of Japan
Tour a peaceful Champaign garden where Japanese design, bonsai, maples, and hundreds of hostas come together in a landscape more than 25 years in the making.
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…