WILL-AM

The 21st Show

Through fragmented notes left on scraps of paper, Lincoln aimed to document his best thoughts that could later come in handy when he needed to write a speech or lay down his arguments in debates. Over 100 of these notes have been archived and are considered the closest thing to a diary by author Ronald C. White. White joined The 21st to further discuss Lincoln's documented thoughts. 

The 21st Show

The 21st spoke with Illinois Director of Public Health Ngozi Ezike about the new masking guidelines, vaccination rates and the state’s path to reopening. 

The 217 Today Podcast

In today's deep dive, the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the mental health of many Midwesterners, including children. One state in the region has been trying to standardize mental health services for kids.

News Local/State

WATCH LIVE:  At 1:30 p.m. today Gov. Pritzker is holding a press briefing in Springfield to provide an update on the state of COVID-19 in Illinois.

The 21st Show

More young people are entering the foster care system in Illinois, and the need for foster parents is expected to grow over the next year because of the pandemic. The 21st heard from advocates in the state about what it’s like to foster and be in foster care. 

The 21st Show

The Illinois Legislature worked past its midnight deadline to approve a $42 billion state budget early Tuesday. Two statehouse reporters joined us to talk about what was and was not accomplished over the Memorial Day 2021 Weekend.

The 217 Today Podcast

In today's deep dive, a few times a year, farmers have to do a dangerous task; go inside large grain bins to take care of their harvest. Last year, more than 30 of them were trapped inside silos in the U.S., according to Purdue University. But a new robot could help keep farmers safe.

The 217 Today Podcast

In today's deep dive, parts of eastern Illinois are beginning to hear a brood of cicadas finally coming above ground after 17 years. Katie Dana, specialist in entomology at the Illinois Natural History Survey, discusses what to expect from these cicadas and what to do if you see them.

The 21st Show

A top-aide to former Illinois speaker of the house Mike Madigan was indicted yesterday for lying to federal prosecutors. The 21st got the latest on the criminal charges against Timothy Mapes with a WBEZ state politics reporter.

The 21st Show

If they could talk, what would they say? A speech language pathologist from Aurora, Illinois has gotten a bit closer to having these types of conversations with her dog. The 21st spoke to speech-language pathologist and author of the new book How Stella Learned to Talk to hear more.