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The logo for The 21st Show and then a series of photographs of Mary Todd Lincoln and to the right of those photos there is an image of the new book,

Journalist Lois Romano says Mary Lincoln was ‘An Inconvenient Widow’

 Many of us were taught Mary Lincoln was a spendthrift, a little crazy, and a drag on her husband’s greatness. These narratives are challenged by journalist Lois Romano, who spoke to "The 21st Show" about her new biography of Abraham Lincoln's wife. "I think once a narrative is formed, it’s really hard to shake it," Romano told "The 21st Show." "And her narrative was written 150 years ago, and it was written by men who just couldn’t stand her. And they projected onto her things that just weren’t there."
IPM Newsroom
Happy Pride Month from all of us at Illinois Public Media
Illinois Classical
Illinois Classical 90.9

Your home for Classical and more in Central Illinois.
Evening Concert

The Evening Concert on Illinois Classical
Music by Messiaen, Gnattalli, Verdi, John Williams, Mahler, and others. 
Dialogue
three teenagers in graphic

‘We’re not speaking up loud enough’: Three teens share candid thoughts about youth gun violence in central Illinois
In the first half of this year, gun violence has taken the lives of four teens in Champaign. Several more have been injured. And many of the suspects are also teenagers. 
The 21st Show
the ferris wheel has 24 passenger cars, each of which is framed in white and red lights; fog obscures the dome of the Capitol Building, which is still visible in the background; in the foreground you can see the golden eagle atop a mock version of the

Illinois skipped the Great American State Fair, so the Peoria Riverfront Museum stepped in
As the United States marks its 250th birthday, the celebration has split into two: America250, the bipartisan effort Congress created in 2016, and Freedom 250, established by…
News Local/State
man smiling at camera

Behind The Mic: Meteorologist Ed Kieser returns to Illinois Public Media
Meteorologist Ed Kieser is teaming with Andrew Pritchard to provide forecasts and breaking weather information. He was Illinois Public Media's fulltime meteorologist from 1987…
The 21st Show
a man with short hair is silhouetted against the glow of video gambling machines

The human cost of Illinois’ gambling boom
Gambling in Illinois used to mean a trip to a riverboat, a racetrack, or the lottery counter. Now it's in restaurants and gas stations — and on the phone in your pocket.…
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,…
News Local/State
man smiling at camera

Behind The Mic: Meteorologist Ed Kieser returns to Illinois Public Media
Meteorologist Ed Kieser is teaming with Andrew Pritchard to provide forecasts and breaking weather information. He was Illinois Public Media's fulltime meteorologist from 1987…
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…