The 21st Show
Ella Jenkins died last year at the age of 100 and now she’s the subject of a new biography. It’s called “This is Rhythm: Ella Jenkins, Children’s Music, and the Long Civil Rights Movement.” The author of the book joins the program today to discuss Jenkins' life, career, and her influence on children's music.
The 21st Show
The fall of Michael Madigan continued last week, as the former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and Democratic powerbroker was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. There are questions about what happens next in the trial of a state senator that ended with a hung jury. Also, a jury found a former January 6 defendant guilty of reckless homicide in a 2022 car crash.
The 217 Today Podcast
In today’s deep dive, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts has announced its 2025-2026 performance season, which officially starts this September.
The 21st Show
Olga Khazan is a staff writer for the Atlantic. She descibes herself as neurotic. Khazan spent a year writing the book “Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change.” The project made her question if she could indeed change her personality. Khazan joins the program today.
The 217 Today Podcast
In today’s deep dive, shame tied to menstruation is more common than you might expect. We hear from young women in Illinois about their experiences.
The 21st Show
Protests swept across the country last week in response to ICE officers raiding communities and detaining undocumented immigrants.But the protesting movement itself didn’t appear last week. There is a long history of organizing especially within Latino communities, which have long led the fight for immigration justice efforts.
The 21st Show
Over the weekend, protests took over cities across Illinois and around the nation – under the banner “No Kings Day.” An Illinois Public Media News reporter who covered the rallies in downtown Urbana joins the program.
The 21st Show
A former Democratic congressman who led the Illinois National Guard talks about the legality, politics, and practicality of calling in the National Guard to push back against protestors.
The 217 Today Podcast
In today’s deep dive, period poverty isn’t just about products. It’s also about stigma and the barrier it creates to education, for girls across the globe.
The 21st Show
In the spring of 2025, Chase Bandolik ran 416 miles from Cairo, Illinois north to Beloit, Wisconsin (near the northern Illinois border). We talk with him about the journey.
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