Illinois Public Media News

What have we learned from tornados like the one that struck Joplin, Missouiri? Could deaths, like those six people who were killed at an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville have been prevented? Some are saying yes, if the industry had allowed certain safeguards to be put in place. To discuss this, we were joined by a journalist who's been covering this issue and a professor of civil and environmental engineering.

We are at the beginning of what’s expected to be an interesting year in Illinois politics, with expensive, rough political fights in both the primary and general elections. To discuss upcoming the new timeline for primaries, new legislative maps, the races for Statehouse and Congress and more, The 21st was joined by two political reporters.

With COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations spiking around the country, changing guidance on isolation and testing, and schools restarting for the spring semester, we decided to dive into the best ways to stay safe as the omicron variant spreads. To help us understand more about best testing practices, omicron transmission, and the CDC’s latest guidelines, we were joined by two virologists. 

School districts are again having to make tough decisions on how to conduct school.  Last week, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced that they and the Illinois State Board of Education would align with the CDC’s updated guidance on quarantine times and isolation periods. To talk about it, we were joined by education reporters from around the state.

A year after the insurrection, a large majority of Republicans still believe the 2020 election was stolen. They’re seeing this as an opportunity to take control of America’s electoral systems. If Democrats fail to pass electoral reform, they face loss of control of Congress in 2022. We continued our discussion on the insurrection, its lasting impact and current threats to our democracy with a professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University.