The 21st Show

It's been one year since the Corporation for Public Broadcasting began winding down. That came after the Trump administration realized a longtime conservative goal of ending federal funding for public radio and television in America. Since then, hundreds of NPR, PBS and independent stations across America have been working to carry on. We'll check in with the leaders from three Illinois stations: in Champaign-Urbana, Charleston, and Macomb.

It's been one year since the Corporation for Public Broadcasting began winding down. That came after the Trump administration realized a longtime conservative goal of ending federal funding for public radio and television in America. Since then, NPR has had buyouts and layoffs and programming changes, but CEO Katherine Maher says as difficult as that's been, she hopes it's not led to noticeable differences for listeners.

The quinceañera is a rite of passage in Latina culture, marking the transition from girlhood to womanhood. It’s also the subject of a new book of essays about the tradition and its place in popular culture. We talked with the collection’s editors.

It’s been more than seven months since America and Israel escalated a decades-long conflict. We’ll talk with an Illinois-based Iranian-American scholar about the latest developments, and what the war means for the Middle East, America, and the world.

Collin Corbett was a Republican political consultant — until a few months ago. Now, he’s an independent candidate for governor. He joined us live for a conversation on Illinois politics and policy, and what it’s like campaigning outside the two-party system.