The 217 Today Podcast
217 Today: Monday, Jan. 10, 2022
In today's deep dive, a look back at the early days of WILL-AM, which turns 100 years old this year.
WILL-AM
WILL AM 580 Live Stream
The 217 Today Podcast
217 Today: Friday, Jan. 7, 2022
In today's deep dive, we’ll ride along on a Rockford school bus where they’ve been dealing with a shortage of bus drivers all year.
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.
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.
The 21st Show
The insurrection: One year later
One year ago today, our country was forever changed. A pro-Trump mob stormed the United States Capitol as a joint Congress session had assembled to count elector votes and formalize Joe Biden’s legitimate election as the next President. Last year, on January 7th, we had political analyst, historian, and author Jonathan Alter on the show, and he joined us again.
The 217 Today Podcast
217 Today: Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022
In today's deep dive, we'll take a look at the political polarization throughout the state of Illinois -- which has created "two Illinoises."
The 21st Show
Nikki Usher: “News for the Rich, White, and Blue”
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign journalism professor Nikki Usher talked about their book, News for the Rich, White and Blue, How Place And Power Distort American Journalism, which argues that news is increasingly geared toward people who are rich, white, and lean Democratic. This segment originally aired October 27, 2021.
The 21st Show
Can a new taskforce save Illinois journalism?
As we asked "Who is in charge of the news?" we looked at the new Local Journalism Task Force, signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker. To find out who’s on the task force, their goals, and whether it will save local, independent journalism, we were joined by the bill’s creator, the bill's co-sponsor, the news director at Northern Public Radio, and a journalism professor. This segment originally aired October 27, 2021.
The 217 Today Podcast
217 Today: Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022
In today's deep dive, we'll hear the third and final story in a series from Side Effects Public Media on how the pandemic continues to affect rural towns with meatpacking plants
The 21st Show
Yes, investigative and statehouse journalism still exists in Illinois
As we ask "Who’s in charge of news?" we explored non-profit news organizations focused on hard-hitting investigations and statehouse reporting. We were joined by representatives from Pro-Publica, the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, and Capitol News Illinois. This segment originally aired October 26, 2021.