Illinois Public Media News

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WILL Newscast

The 21st—Thursday, April 7, 2020

Today on The 21st, a conversation with Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, how to get healthy sleep during a pandemic, and how Illinois booksellers are adapting to the crisis — plus recommendations based on what they're reading.

Andrew Pritchard

Why The Term ‘Tornado Alley’ May Do More Harm Than Good

When we think of tornadoes in the U.S., images of the Southern Plains, or maybe Oklahoma as depicted in the 1996 action-thriller “Twister” come to mind.  But Illinois was home to two of the worst tornadoes in U.S. history. We spoke with meteorologist Victor Gensini about predicting tornadoes, whether they're becoming more frequent in illinois, and why 'Tornado Alley' might be an unhelpful term when it comes to keeping the public safe. 

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