Illinois Public Media News

The 21st spoke to an Illinois man, born to an American serviceman in Vietnam, who connected with his birth father through DNA testing — only to find out they'd been living less than 100 miles away from each other. They joined The 21st to speak about meeting after 48 years.

With Father's Day around the corner, The 21st spoke to two fathers across Illinois to hear about what fatherhood means to them in 2021. 

Through fragmented notes left on scraps of paper, Lincoln aimed to document his best thoughts that could later come in handy when he needed to write a speech or lay down his arguments in debates. Over 100 of these notes have been archived and are considered the closest thing to a diary by author Ronald C. White. White joined The 21st to further discuss Lincoln's documented thoughts. 

The internet is full of memes poking fun at how often McDonald’s ice cream machines seem to be broken — but there may be some truth to the McBroken stereotype. The 21st spoke to a technology reporter about this cold case of failing ice cream machines and what’s behind it. 

Black soldiers who fought in the World War were hopeful that their efforts fighting for the country would be enough to finally grant them equality, but instead they were greeted with a sweeping of racial violence and riots across the country in 1919, a period known as the Red Summer.