Illinois Public Media News

The State Fair is taking place this week in Springfield and at the center of it are the big political events. There are at least 23 separate fundraising and speaking events in the next three days. 

Hundreds are dead after a strong earthquake in Haiti. The executive director of Hope for Haitians joined The 21st to discuss the earthquake and Illinois' deep ties to Haiti. 

American troops have left Afghanistan after two decades and the longest war in U.S. history. Thousands of Afghan citizens are trying to flee as the Taliban takeover. We heard analysis of what's to come next, from the director of Afghanistan and Pakistan studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

In rural areas with lower vaccination rates, Illinois farmers are now being called on to step up as trusted community voices to have conversations one-on-one with neighbors, friends, and family about getting the shot. To learn more, we spoke with a health reporter, a farmer, and a member of the National Rural Health Association.

After weeks of back-and-forth protests over whether students should be wearing masks, Governor JB Pritzker settled the question, requiring masks for a students and teachers, K-12, in schools public and private. The 21st was joined by the director of Safe and Health Climate at the Illinois State Board of Education.