Illinois Public Media News

Illinois Newsroom is working to find answers to questions we’ve received from listeners about the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some of those questions.

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. 

Despite the thousands of COVID-19 cases tied to meat processing plants nationally, President Trump has ordered them to remain open. Today, one of the largest meat processing plants in central Illinois is reporting more than 45 confirmed cases of the disease.

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin joins The 21st to talk about his call for the General Assembly to reconvene in Springfield, Republican priorities for what remains of session, and divisions within his party about when and how to ease restrictions during the pandemic.

Today on The 21st, an interview with House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at a central Illinois meat processing plant, and the frequency and severity of tornadoes is expected to grow in Illinois.