Illinois Public Media News

Black and Brown communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in Illinois. We’ll talk about the disconnect between the news media, government officials and communities of color. 

Cook County Jail is home to one of America's largest COVID-19 outbreaks, afflicting guards, nurses and detainees. We speak with Shannon Heffernan, a reporter on WBEZ's criminal justice desk who's been documenting the crisis.

Today on The 21st: we hear about the COVID-19 outbreak at the Cook County Jail — one of the largest in America; talk to a reporter about the disconnect between young communities of color, government officials and the news media; and hear what summer camps are planning for kids amid the uncertainty of the pandemic.

It’s been decades since conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly helped defeat the Equal Rights Amendment in Illinois. Now she’s the subject of a new TV series from FX. We explore what’s fact and fiction with two Illinois reporters. 

For two perspectives on COVID-19 and the stay-at-home orders, we speak with a struggling business owner and a county health department official.