Illinois Public Media News

Writer and disability activist Melissa Blake isn’t letting internet trolls stop her from spreading a message of positivity and acceptance online. We’ll talk to the DeKalb resident about her recent runway debut during New York Fashion Week. 

A recent study from the Pew Research Center found that about 1 in 4 Hispanics in the United States have heard of the word Latinx, and just 3% use it to describe themselves. Today, we’ll talk about the origins and usage of the terms Hispanic, Latino and Latinx.

Maybe you’ve spent more time at home with your dog in recent months and thought "what are they thinking?" We’ll speak with a Bloomington-based psychology professor who studies the minds of canines. 

The 21st sppke with constitutional lawyer, race and class scholar, and author Ian Haney Lopez about dog-whistle politics, and the role that race and class plays in electoral politics.

A food and dining reporter at the Chicago Tribune who has years of experience making smaller Thanksgiving dinners on a single sheet pan, joined us to talk about how to prepare a Thanksgiving meal for one or a few. 

Holidays can be a stressful time for many reasons. This year though, a lot of those typical stressors have been replaced with other concerns because of the pandemic. The 21st was joined by a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist to help us navigate that stress and those difficult conversations with family. 

Bernard Schoenburg and Doug Finke have been covering state government for Springfield’s State Journal-Register newspaper for decades. The two talked about retiring at the end of November 2020 and how covering the statehouse has changed over the years.

Author Henry James Garrett says we need more kindness in our lives — and not just little acts of kindness, but a deeper, moral kindness, rooted in empathy. He talks about his book, This Book Will Make You Kinder.

In light of recent developments in the federal investigation into the electric utility company ComEd, federal prosecutors are charging former executives and lobbyists for the company with conspiring to influence a state of Illinois official. The 21st was joined by a politics reporter from WBEZ who has been following the story to give listeners a brief update of the recent charges.

Since the pandemic the IDES says its processed almost 3 million new claims for jobless benefits. This has presented a number of significant challenges to the system. The department's director joined us to answer your questions.