Illinois Public Media News

The next big item on the Biden Administration’s legislative agenda is to pass a sweeping, $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan which the administration is calling the American Jobs Plan. The 21st spoke with two agriculture reporters about what it could mean for farmers and rural areas of Illinois.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) recently published a memoir detailing her experiences as a Thai-American, the discrimination she sometimes faced and what it was like living off of food stamps in her childhood. 

Various forms of digital art can be sold as a “non-fungible token." To talk more about NFT sales and how they're transforming the art community, The 21st was joined by an artist and a reporter following art news. 

An interstate highway bridge near the Quad Cities is set to be replaced. Instead of destroying the old one, an environmentalist wants to turn it into a new national park. The 21st spoke to the President of Living Lands & Waters about the details of the plan. 

As more people are sitting at home watching films, many have turned to the social media platform Letterboxd to rate and candidly share their opinions about films.

The 21st discusses a program that connects students in Illinois with those in Oklahoma to explore their common histories with racial violence.

In addition to infusing federal funds into Illinois' K-12 schools, Gov. J B Pritzker also announced four initiatives that he hopes will help make up for the effects of the pandemic on students, teachers and parents.

The 21st was joined by two members of the UI Kingfisher Quiz Bowl Team to talk more about quiz bowl, operating virtually this year and what the team's chances are at winning the National Championship.

More than 2.3 million people in Illinois are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to numbers from the Illinois Department of Public Health. The 21st was joined by a panel of guests to speak more about vaccine eligibility, what happens after an individual is fully vaccinated and the implications of a "vaccine passport."