WILL-AM

The 217 Today Podcast

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn about what is coming to the Central Illinois area in the world of arts, culture and entertainment.

The 21st Show

In his new book, "Algospeak", linguist Adam Aleksic says that we are living through a transitional phase of the english language as social media has a big influence on vocabulary. 

The 217 Today Podcast

In today’s deep dive, Republicans in Congress approved President Trump’s request to cut two year’s worth of funding for public radio and television. We talk about how this will impact Illinois.

The 21st Show

Tommy Prine was raised in Nashville with guitars lying around his house and music always on. And that’s because his father is John Prine, the legendary singer-songwriter, originally from Maywood, Illinois. He famously worked on songs while working a postal route here — was referred to by some as "the Mark Twain of songwriting.” 

The 21st Show

In Illinois, as in other states, there are many towns and cities with what are known as “crime-free housing” ordinances. The idea is to keep drugs and other illegal activity out of apartment buildings and other rental properties. Critics say the ordinances disproportionately target low-income families and people of color while supporters of the law say the programs ensure safety and have helped revitalize struggling neighborhoods.

The 217 Today Podcast

In today’s deep dive, we talk to Chancellor Robert Jones who tells us why leaving the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the toughest decision he had to make in 46-years of higher education.

The 21st Show

NPR and it's affiliated public media outlets are sometimes accused of bias, especially by those on the conservative side of the political spectrum. As NPR and PBS lose more than a billion dollars in federal funding, it begs the question: Did public media sow the seeds of its own destruction?

The 21st Show

Late last week, Republicans in Congress approved President Trump’s request to claw back more than two year’s worth of funding for public radio and television. A panel of general managers from NPR and PBS stations across Illinois discuss what the path is going forward.

The 217 Today Podcast

In today’s deep dive, in the midst of climate change, figuring out what’s drought or just the new normal can be difficult. Climatologists are working to define what makes a drought.

The 21st Show

Kaylee Bauchens is a senior at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her podcast episode is called “Relief of Getting a Goodbye”. It explores themes of intuition, grief, and acceptance. It's a finalist of this year's NPR College Podcast Challenge.