Illinois Public Media News

Ella Jenkins died last year at the age of 100 and now she’s the subject of a new biography. It’s called “This is Rhythm: Ella Jenkins, Children’s Music, and the Long Civil Rights Movement.” The author of the book joins the program today to discuss Jenkins' life, career, and her influence on children's music.

The fall of Michael Madigan continued last week, as the former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and Democratic powerbroker was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. There are questions about what happens next in the trial of a state senator that ended with a hung jury. Also, a jury found a former January 6 defendant guilty of reckless homicide in a 2022 car crash.  

Olga Khazan is a staff writer for the Atlantic. She descibes herself as neurotic. Khazan spent a year writing the book “Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change.” The project made her question if she could indeed change her personality. Khazan joins the program today.

Protests swept across the country last week in response to ICE officers raiding communities and detaining undocumented immigrants.But the protesting movement itself didn’t appear last week. There is a long history of organizing especially within Latino communities, which have long led the fight for immigration justice efforts.

Over the weekend, protests took over cities across Illinois and around the nation – under the banner “No Kings Day.” An Illinois Public Media News reporter who covered the rallies in downtown Urbana joins the program.