Illinois Public Media News

The US Constitution has been put to the test for the past four years, and in the waning days of the Trump Presidency, constitutional issues and questions remain: the 25th Amendment, impeachment, and the president’s pardoning powers.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says he’s “suspending” his campaign to remain speaker — but not withdrawing. Could his actions lead to the first Black or first woman Speaker of the House?

Today, we opened the phones lines and shared text messages and voicemails from people across the Land of Lincoln responding to the insurrection that occurred at the US Capitol on January. 6, 2021. 

Images of tear gas inside the US Capitol and extremists storming offices and interrupting the Democratic process was difficult to watch, and many Americans felt a tightness in their chest yesterday. We spoke with psychologist Dr. Cynthia Lubin Langtiw about the emotions we’re processing.

The events of January 6, 2021 were a stain on America’s democracy. Many experts are saying that there were clear warning signs leading up to this moment. To discuss the factors leading up to the siege on the Capitol, we talked with a philospophy professor from Yale University and an author of several books, including How Facism Works: The Politics of Us and Them.

January 6, 2021 was a dark day in U.S. history. A mob of pro-Trump extremists rampaged through the U.S. Capitol, damaging property and putting their feet up on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk. The 21st was joined by author Jonathan Alter to talk about what happened and what's next.

Pro-Trump extremists breached the Capitol yesterday. We wanted to know what people in Illinois thought and how they reacted to the news.

Winter during a pandemic is especially dark and cold. The Scandinavians have something to combat this, called Hygge. The 21st spoke with someone from the Danish Happiness Research Institute about the Danish concept of comfort and coziness.