WILL-AM

The 21st Show

For many people of Latino communities, the holiday season means tamales. But this is more than a savory holiday dish, it’s at the heart of history and culture for millions of families. The 21st talked about it with a lecturer in the Department of Latina/Latino Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The 21st Show

As the New Year approaches, things are starting to seem like a repeat of another year we’d all hoped was past us: 2020. To talk about what the omicron variant could mean for the holiday season, we were joined by a correspondent from NPR's Science Desk and an investigative reporter from the Chicago Tribune. 

The 217 Today Podcast

In today's deep dive, we'll learn more about the latest wave of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations that have hit Champaign County.

The 217 Today Podcast

In today's deep dive, we'll learn more about the challenges that students faced with remote learning last year -- including that one in five Illinois students was chronically absent.

The 21st Show

A couple of years ago, the term hygge actually made the short list for Oxford dictionary’s word of the year. It’s defined as “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” The 21st spoke with someone from the Danish Happiness Research Institute about the Danish concept of comfort and coziness. This segment originally aired January 6, 2021.

The 21st Show

Governor JB Pritzker is up for reelection in 2022, and he joined The 21st to talk about COVID-19, climate change, criminal justice, and threats to American democracy.

The 217 Today Podcast

In today's deep dive, we’ll take a tour through an exhibit at Krannert Art Museum that's meant to change the way we think about disability. 

The 21st Show

This year, demand to see Santa in-person has increased by 120%, but the Santa workforce is down 15%. We talked to the founder of Hire Santa about how the world of Santa performers is navigating a shortage, despite the high demand, while keeping performers and kids safe from COVID-19.

The 21st Show

Today we explored the question of what it means to be Asian American. Specifically, whether it makes sense to have a single marker of identity for that broad group of people hailing from a huge portion of the Earth’s landmass and how they fit into a nation that has a longstanding binary along the poles of Black and white. We talked about it Jay Caspian Kang, who explores the topic in his new book, “The Loneliest Americans."

The 217 Today Podcast

In today's deep dive, we’ll take a look at the history and consequences of religious exemptions that are now being used to avoid COVID-19 vaccine mandates.