Illinois Public Media News

It’s bug season. Which means in Illinois means ticks, mosquitoes and other insects are looking to attach themselves to people and pets. The 21st spoke with an ecologist and a mosquito expert about how climate change is affecting mosquito populations and diseases ticks can transmit.

Spring is here and can mark an internal shift; we leave our long, reflective winter hibernation and emerge with an opportunity for transformation. The director of the Japan House at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign joined us to talk about zen and the art of transitioning to spring.

Summer is just around the corner, and for a lot of kids that means camp is calling their names. But what’s that going to look like during the COVID-19 pandemic? The 21st spoke to camp directors in Illinois to talk more about what precautions they'll be taking to ensure the safety of the children. 

A Native American city, larger than Paris and London at the time, was in Illinois. New research might shed some light on why it was abandoned and also challenge our misconceptions about Indigenous societies.

The 21st was joined by one of the lead authors of the recently released report about Illinois’ climate change. They talked about the future of our state’s agriculture, human health and ecosystems.