Best of: Illinois mental health lifeline program for kids is collapsing under demand, investigation finds
A state hotline was meant to help kids in crisis but for many young people it was a line to nowhere.
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Best of: Hip hop’s history in Illinois and America
Hip-hop is just a few decades old, but its cultural impact in Illinois and America at large is unquestionable.
Best of: What effect is Illinois’ rising minimum wage actually having?
As Illinois' minimum wage continues its slow rise to $15, many questions still linger about the state of the minimum wage here.
Best of: Will Leitch on his career, his time at U of I, and more
Today on The 21st, we were spent the whole hour with Will Leitch, a writer who was born, raised, and educated here in central Illinois before making it big in the world of sports journalism in New York City as the creator of Deadspin.
Best of: New IL national park honors first town founded by a formerly enslaved man
In late 2022, the first town in Illinois to be legally founded by a formerly enslaved person became a national park. The 21st was joined by a professor descended from the town's founder and the director of research at the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.