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Damaged farmhouse in North Okaw Township, Coles County following storms on December 10, 2021.
Emily Hays/Illinois Newsroom

The 21st Show

How tornadoes shape building codes

What have we learned from tornados like the one that struck Joplin, Missouiri? Could deaths, like those six people who were killed at an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville have been prevented? Some are saying yes, if the industry had allowed certain safeguards to be put in place. To discuss this, we were joined by a journalist who's been covering this issue and a professor of civil and environmental engineering.

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Reginald Hardwick/Illinois Newsroom

The 21st Show

Preview of 2022 in Illinois politics

We are at the beginning of what’s expected to be an interesting year in Illinois politics, with expensive, rough political fights in both the primary and general elections. To discuss upcoming the new timeline for primaries, new legislative maps, the races for Statehouse and Congress and more, The 21st was joined by two political reporters.

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A middle school principal walks the empty halls of his school as he speaks with one of his teachers to get an update on her COVID-19 symptoms, Friday, Aug., 20, 2021, in Wrightsville, Ga. On Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, U.S. health officials cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and also shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.
AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File

The 21st Show

Understanding COVID testing and isolation guidelines

With COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations spiking around the country, changing guidance on isolation and testing, and schools restarting for the spring semester, we decided to dive into the best ways to stay safe as the omicron variant spreads. To help us understand more about best testing practices, omicron transmission, and the CDC’s latest guidelines, we were joined by two virologists. 

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In this image made from video, an empty classroom is shown at David Ellis Academy in Detroit, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021.
AP Photo/Mike Householder File

The 21st Show

Reporter roundtable: Schools and COVID-19

School districts are again having to make tough decisions on how to conduct school.  Last week, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced that they and the Illinois State Board of Education would align with the CDC’s updated guidance on quarantine times and isolation periods. To talk about it, we were joined by education reporters from around the state.

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Kevin Anderson is a professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University.

The 21st Show

What comes after an insurrection?

A year after the insurrection, a large majority of Republicans still believe the 2020 election was stolen. They’re seeing this as an opportunity to take control of America’s electoral systems. If Democrats fail to pass electoral reform, they face loss of control of Congress in 2022. We continued our discussion on the insurrection, its lasting impact and current threats to our democracy with a professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University.

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Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

The 21st Show

Interview: Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

We spent our entire show talking about (not only) what happened on January 6, 2021, but also what’s happened in the year since and what the future holds for American democracy. We began with Illinois’ other U-S Senator, Tammy Duckworth. She was in the Capitol complex during the siege last year.

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