Illinois Public Media News

Since Afghanistan collapsed into Taliban control in August as the world looked on, some 70,000 Afghans were evacuated into the United States.  Almost 850 of those have come here to Illinois, with that number possibly expanding to 3000. According to a recent ProPublica investigative piece, chaos has erupted in the Chicago shelters housing many of the children who came to Illinois. The children are suffering from the traumas of a hasty evacuation, of war, and of separation from their families. We spoke to the reporter behind that story.

Bach to Black is a new project from a University of Illinois professor and pianist that pairs Johann Sebastian Bach's music with works written by Black composers. It's designed to bridge divides in the music community and increase diversity and inclusion in classical music. This segment originally aired on October 21, 2021.

The 21st was joined by a bird expert a conservation educator about America’s most iconic bird. The Bald Eagle population has rebounded in the past two decades and here in Illinois there are now nests in all 102 counties. But there are new threats to America's national bird. We spoke to a bird expert and a Vermilion County Conservation District educator about it. This segment originally aired on August 3, 2021.

Joanne Lee Molinaro has been sharing her recipes and family stories since 2016, but the Illinois native and graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign never expected her food, and her words, to mean so much to so many people. She joined The 21st to talk about her book "Korean Vegan," as well as the intersection of food and cultural identity. This segment originally aired on September 18, 2021.

Despite a court order, Illinois’ child-welfare agency continues to fail Spanish-speaking families; that’s the conclusion of an investigation by ProPublica. We talked with one of the reporters behind the story. This segment originally aired on September 16, 2021.