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A portrait oil painting of Mary Todd Lincoln is exhibited in the Milch Gallaries in New York City on Feb. 12, 1929 in honor of the 16th president's birthday. The first lady had sat for the painting as a suprise gift for her husband at a gathering of personal friends at the white house.
AP Photo

Why do Americans dislike Mary Lincoln?

Why do we think the wife of Abraham Lincoln was crazy? Some historians are saying that maybe it’s time for a reprisal of the way talk about her. One such historian joined us to talk about her findings. This segment originally aired December 8, 2021. 

Gerald Berry, 16 in this photo, holding his baby brother Kendrick. Berry is serving life in prison on a felony murder conviction.
Photo courtesy Dorothea Ford

Despite reforms, some face life for murders they didn’t commit

Because of the "felony murder rule," hundreds of people in Illinois prisons are thought to be serving life sentences for murder even though they didn’t kill anyone, according to a recent analysis from the nonprofit news outlet Injustice Watch. The 21st was joined by someone affected by the rule, as well as two reporters following the story and the co-director of the Center for Wrongful Convictions.

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