In-depth reporting from WILL, NPR, the Associated Press, and other sources
Contact WILL News at willnewsroom@illinois.edu
It’s nearly impossible to have a conversation about Illinois government or politics without it eventually coming back to one man: House Speaker and Democratic Party of Illinois Chairman Michael Madigan. The 21st is joined by two journalists and one former statehouse reporter to talk more about Madigan's past.
Last week Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his Vice Presidential running mate. The 21st speaks to a member of the Black Caucas and a journalist to discuss Kamala Harris’, and what her selection as Joe Biden’s V.P. nominee means for women of color.
It’s the first day of the DNC and it’s an unprecedented one — with events being all virtual because of the pandemic. There was another unprecedented Democratic Convention in Chicago in August of 1968. The 21st reached out to three people who were alive at during the 1968 convention to recall the events that took place a draw parallels to the current 2020 conventions.
This election year looks starkly different than those of the past. The 21st checks in with two reporters to talk about what's usually happening on the first day of the Democratic National Convention and what will take place this year instead.
The name Eliot Ness may prompt some listeners to remember Kevin Costner’s portrayal in the 1987 blockbuster The Untouchables, as his character seeks to bring mobster Al Capone to justice during the prohibition era. The 21st talks to two “Chicago Book of the Year” award-winning authors who have a new book out on Ness.
