WILL-AM | Illinois Public Media

The 21st Show

April 01, 2026

What to know when filing 2026 tax return

Tax season is looking a little different this year, because of new tax policy created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter to the 21st state. Have thoughts on the show or one of our episodes, or want to share an idea for something we should talk about? Send us an email: talk@21stshow.org. If you'd like to have your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0...
Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

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Elle, 18 months, and her mother Claire Dooley stands by the revised food pyramid, after an announcement by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., about nutrition policy, at Health and Human Services Headquarters, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. — AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

The 21st Show

April 01, 2026

The new Food Pyramid and constantly changing dietary guidelines

The Food Pyramid was introduced to the public in 1992 by the federal government to serve as a guide for a healthy and balanced diet. The current Food Pyramid is now inverted. Two nutrition experts discuss present day nutrition guidelines.

The 21st Show is Illinois' statewide weekday public radio talk show, connecting Illinois and bringing you the news, culture, and stories that matter to the 21st state. Have thoughts on the show or one of our episodes, or want to share an idea for something we should talk about? Send us an email: talk@21stshow.org. If you'd like to have your say as we're planning conversations, join our texting group! Just send the word "TALK" to (217) 803-0730. Subscribe to our podcast and hear our latest conversations.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PT6pb0...
Find past segments, links to our social media and more at our website: 21stshow.org.

Listen

Matt Slocum/AP

The 21st Show

March 31, 2026

The penny’s dead. Your credit card might cost more. What now?

The penny is history, and retailers across the country are trying to figure out how to adapt. Meanwhile, a settlement between credit card companies and merchants could mean new fees, or even declined cards, at the checkout. We’ll talk about what it all means for the way we pay.

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collage including a portrait of Sergio Lemus wearing a back button-down shirt with a red necktie; and the cover of the book — Portrait: Texas A&M University / Book: University of Illinois Press

The 21st Show

March 30, 2026

‘Los Yarderos’ explores lives of Mexican yard workers in the Midwest

Here in the Midwest, many of the landscapers who mow our lawns, trim our trees, and rake our leaves are Mexican immigrants. Anthropologist Sergio Lemus writes about his experience with that work, and the stories and struggles of those who come to America seeking a better life. His new book “Los Yarderos: Mexican Yard Workers in Transborder Chicago.”

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canada geese walk from a sidewalk to a road in the rain; they have a distinctive look, with black heads and necks, brown and beige bodies, and black legs and feet — Charles Krupa/AP

The 21st Show

March 30, 2026

When geese became a menace, Moline turned to the ‘Goosinator’

Canada geese are a fact of life in many parts of Illinois. But the creatures can be a safety risk and a danger to public health. We'll talk with the creator of the Goosinator, a device that aims to get rid of geese (in a humane way), and the head of parks and rec in Moline, Illinois.

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Weather Realness

March 28, 2026

How rising temperatures are reshaping California’s snowpack and Illinois’s drought

Soaring temperatures are reshaping water systems across the U.S. We talk about how the heat is melting the Sierra Nevada snowpack and influencing the ongoing drought in Illinois.

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Corn crops under the sun. — Associated Press

Weather Realness

March 28, 2026

Inside the March heatwave that shattered records across the U.S.

Summer just came early. A March heatwave broke over 100 record highs from the West and High Plains. Learn why this heatwave shattered records and how likely we will see something like this in the future.

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Hikers are standing atop a huge, tall, tan-and-gray rock formation set in a backdrop of a green forest. The entire scene is under a bright blue sky with just a few thin clouds. — Reginald Hardwick/IPM

The 21st Show

March 27, 2026

‘Couple of Patels’ on traveling Illinois and beyond

With the weather getting warmer again, it’s time to consider spring and summer travel plans. We’ll talk about popular destinations in the 21st state and beyond with Illinois-based travel content creators Jay and Himani Patel, known on social media as “Couple of Patels.”

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a man wearing a dark blue suit has his fingers crossed behind his back — Adobe Stock

The 21st Show

March 27, 2026

Why did super PACs spend millions lying to Illinois voters?

Money from super PACs flooded into Illinois for the Democratic primary — much of it aimed at defeating progressives by misleading voters about their records. We’ll hear from a candidate on the receiving end of such an attack: congressional candidate Robert Peters, whom a crypto PAC labeled a “corporate pawn” despite being endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. We’ll also put these kind of attacks into a broader national context with Dave Weigel of Semafor.

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