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The IRS will begin accepting tax returns on Feb. 12, 2021.
AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The 21st Show

Doing Your Taxes in a Pandemic

Many people rely on free, in-person filing help to get the most out of their federal return. In a pandemic though, many people could miss out on help when they need it most. The 21st was joined by two Illinois accountants and answer some listener questions.

Shown above are power lines in Houston. A Democratic senator is calling for federal investigations into possible price gouging of natural gas in the Midwest and other regions following severe winter storms that plunged Texas and other states into a deep freeze that caused power outages in million of homes and businesses.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip

The 21st Show

Illinois Energy Preparedness

The electrical grid and energy system in Texas were not ready for the polar vortex and climate change means extreme weather events are going to become more common. What about here in Illinois and the Midwest — how resilient is our power supply? 

The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Monday March 1, 2021

In today's deep dive, anyone who lacks health insurance has until mid-May to sign up for options offered through the Affordable Care Act.

Dozens of tables with equipment for COVID-19 vaccinations sit in the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Mary Hansen/NPR Illinois

The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Friday Feb. 26, 2021

In today's deep dive, across the country, Black people are getting the COVID-19 vaccine at lower rates than the general population. State and county health officials point to hesitancy – a distrust of the medical establishment about getting vaccinated – as a reason for the gap. But as Mary Hansen reports, equity advocates say access plays a role too.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Schamburg, questions Postmaster General Louis DeJoy during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on the Postal Service in this file photo from Aug. 24, 2020.
Tom Williams/Pool via AP

The 21st Show

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on Stimulus Checks, COVID Relief, and Problems at the Post Office

Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who represents the northwest suburbs of Chicago, joined The 21st to talk about the next round of COVID relief being considered this week in the U.S. House, including $1,400 stimulus checks, an extension of enhanced unemployment benefits, and aid for state and local governments; plus increasing attacks on Americans of Asian descent, and problems at the U.S. Postal Service.

Sarah Mirk/Flickr

The 21st Show

What Would Student Debt Cancellation Look Like?

A higher education is now the second largest source of consumer debt, second only to mortgages. Amid the pandemic, there have been increasing calls to forgive student loan debt or cancel it all together. The 21st discusses what debt cancellation could look like, and who it could help most. 

The 21st Show

Human Trafficking and How the Pandemic Plays a Role

The pandemic has halted and changed our many ways of living across our state and the world. Despite these drastic changes to our lifestyles and traveling opportunities, there is one issue that has not gone away during this pandemic – and that is human trafficking. It happens right here in Illinois and to learn more about how the pandemic plays a role in it, The 21st was joined by two experts and a survivor.