Illinois Public Media News

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.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, affects an estimated 10 million Americans each year. To talk about it, The 21st was joined by a professor of clinical psychiatry and the clinical director of a counseling center.

There are nearly 800,000 veterans currently living in Illinois, each with a unique story and experience during their service and as transition back into civilian life. Ahead of Veteran’s Day, we spoke with four of those Illinois veterans about why they served, what challenges they face, and misconceptions about veterans and their experiences.