On this special edition of The 21st: President Obama has been on the political sidelines since he left office. But no more. In an hourlong speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the former president rebuked President Trump, calling him "a symptom, not a cause" of today's political climate. He also encouraged the nearly 1,100 students in attendance to vote in this fall's midterm elections, saying "our democracy depends on it."

On the 21st: Chicago author Marcus Sakey joined us to talk about his newest novel, “Afterlife,” a thriller and love story that takes place between two worlds. Plus, we learned how the distribution of SNAP benefits may be linked to shoplifting. We also talked to a POLITICO reporter who reported on former Obama staffers now running for office and heard from a Springfield doctor who launched his own health care review website.

On the 21st: We discussed how the Obama Presidential Center fits into the Jackson Park community in Chicago. Plus, we spoke with the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health about the importance of vaccinations and revisited our conversation about what the new Trail of Tears sites in Illinois mean for Native Americans today.

On The 21st: Two Illinois residents - with two very different experiences with the Affordable Care Act - join us to talk about the healthcare law along with two policy experts. Plus, we get the latest in Illinois politics and share some exciting news on the heels of our one-year anniversary as a show.

On The 21st: We talked about why progressives went to the state capitol for a Women's March in Springfield. We also learned about what former President Obama said in his first public appearance since leaving office. Then, we talked about the nursing shortage in the U.S and what it could mean for our healthcare system.