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VE Day
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The 21st Show

Remembering VE Day 80 years later

Eighty years ago at a school in Reims, France, German Army Field Marshall Jodl signed a five paragraph “Act of Military Surrender.” The Russians wanted the surrender documents signed again, in Berlin, and that happened the next day, May 8, 1945. It would be known as V-E — Victory in Europe.  A historian and author who has written about World War II joins the program.

 

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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A collage that includes a photo of author Shelby Van Pelt (a white woman with brown hair, wearing a navy blue outfit), and the cover of the book (which features a watercolor painting of bright orange octopus on the ocean floor)
Courtesy of Shelby Van Pelt and Bloomsbury Publishing

The 21st Show

Illinois author Shelby Van Pelt on the smash success of ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, novelist Shelby Van Pelt now makes her home in Wheaton, Illinois. Her debut novel, "Remarkably Bright Creatures," has been a huge hit, reportedly selling more than two million copies. It's also being made into a movie by Netflix. We'll talk with Van Pelt about her life and work.


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

Weather Realness

Your official 2025 weather year in review

From deadly wildfires in California to deadly floods in central Texas to severe weather and an early winter in central Illinois… we reviewed 2025's biggest weather stories.

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a collage including a picture of a black woman with dark brown hair wearing a dress with an interlocking red and navy pattern; and the cover of
Courtesy of Kelly Richmond Pope

The 21st Show

Why do scams work? An Illinois accountant explains

Fraud is all around us, from pyramid schemes to spam phone calls. Illinois-based forensic accountant Kelly Richmond Pope writes about why people do it — and how we can better protect ourselves — in her book “Fool Me Once: Scams, Stories and Secrets from the Trillion Dollar Fraud Industry.”

 

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
Illinois Arts Council Agency

These programs are partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.