WILL-AM

Weather Realness

Stressed out over climate change and natural disasters? We talk about how climate issues affect our mental health and how to manage it. 

The 21st Show

Cairo, Illinois, spent seven years as a “food desert” — until 2023, when residents banded together to open a co-op grocery store. But as of January, the store is closed. We’ll talk about what went wrong, and what lessons organizers are taking from the experience.
 

The 21st Show

Trans people have been much discussed in American politics — from sports to bathrooms to health care. But their representation in elected office has been minimal. We’ll talk with several Midwestern trans women looking to change that by running for office themselves.

Among our topics: how forward candidates should be about their identity, balancing trans politics with affordability and other kitchen table issues, and the divergent opinions about how U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Deleware) is approaching her role as the first openly trans member of Congress.

The 217 Today Podcast

 Under the Trump administration, rising visa costs and fears at ports of entry are keeping more international artists and musicians away from the Midwest.

The 21st Show

We continue our conversations with candidates in the primary elections for U.S. senator from Illinois. Today is our tenth interview, with attorney Sean Brown, who's running in the Democratic primary.

The 21st Show

In 2023, NPR's Aisha Harris joined The 21st Show to talk about the culture that shaped her, the intersection of her identities as a Black woman and a critic, and more. Her book, “Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me” is now available in paperback.

The 217 Today Podcast

A screening of a French musical film, a tribute performance by a Chicago saxophonist, a musical dinner with a buffet of songs, and of course, live music.

The 21st Show

Tristan Ahtone is a member of the Kiowa Tribe and editor-at-large at Grist. His award-winning investigation, “Land-Grab Universities,” revealed how the 1862 Morrill Act turned nearly 11 million acres of Indigenous land into seed money for land-grant universities — including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The 217 Today Podcast

 Illinois' 2nd congressional district runs from the south side of Chicago to Champaign and Vermilion counties. Meet some the candidates, including one from a well-known political family.

The 21st Show

Allen C. Guelzo has written many books about the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. The most recent is “Our Ancient Faith: Lincoln, Democracy, and the American Experiment,” which explores Lincoln’s ideas about democracy and how they led America through the Civil War.

Guelzo is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Abraham Lincoln Association’s annual banquet this Thursday in Springfield, Illinois. He's also scheduled to talk with fellow Lincoln scholar Michael Burlingame on Friday.