At least four current and former members of the @chicagofire.bsky.social will be participating in the 2026 @fifaclubworldcup.bsky.social.

More than 100,000 Illinois residents are at risk of losing federal food support because of new work requirements.

Today: -More than a hundred thousand of our fellow Illinoisans are at risk of losing federal food support. We’ll talk about why. -Plus, multiple soccer players from Illinois are gearing up to compete in the World Cup! It's all at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

Illinois House and Senate Minority leaders Tony McCombie and John Curran weigh in on the recently passed state budget.

Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch and Senate president Don Harmon weigh in on the recently passed state budget.

The Illinois General Assembly wrapped up its annual legislative session this week. We’ll talk about what happened with the Speaker of the Illinois House, the president of the state Senate, and their Republican counterparts. It's all live today at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

Illinois Public Media News Director Reginald Harwick talks about his tour of the Barack Obama Presidential Center ahead of the grand opening this month.

A statehouse reporter from @wbez.org discusses what did and did not happen with the General Assembly.

A researcher who’s been studying how location sharing apps affect relationships discusses his findings.

Today: -Apps that let people share their locations with friends and loved ones have become common. We’ll talk about them. -The results of the General Assembly spring session. -Plus, a reporter who got a preview of the Obama Presidential Center. It's all live at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

Travel influencer Mark Wolters gives advice about where to head this summer — and how to save some money on the way.

Economist and sociologist Juliet Schor has spent years documenting how Americans are overworked — but her latest research suggests a solution: shaving one day off the workweek, with no drop in pay or (in many cases) productivity.

Coming up: -The Grand Illinois Trail aims to connect Northern Illinois by bicycle. We’ll talk about it. -Plus, tips for what’s going to be an expensive summer travel season. It's all today at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

State lawmakers are in the final days of their spring legislative session — with a Constitutional deadline of May 31 and there's a long list of unfinished business.

Greetings from Illinois, U.S.A.! We connect the people of the Greatest State in America with the news, politics, history, science, and culture that matters. Join the conversation at 11 a.m. Monday–Thursday on an NPR station near you — and please keep in touch! → [email protected] ←

In his new book, historian @coryhaala.bsky.social discusses the populist movement of the 1980's launched by progressives.

We're going back to airing four days a week. The cuts that've been taking place across public media because of the rescission of federal funding have affected us, too. 🧵

There was a time when conservatism in America was on the rise, and yet progressives made a populist case that resonated with Midwest voters. That's the subject of a new book by @coryhaala.bsky.social, "When Democrats Won the Heartland." He's with us live at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

Former Illinois State Representative Jeanne Ives along with other legal and political experts join the conversation.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently weakened more of the federal Voting Rights Act. Now a former Republican lawmaker is suing Illinois over its Voting Rights law. Today at 11, we’ll talk about the future of elections and representation in the 21st state. will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

Libraries have to pay more for eBooks that can expire after just a few dozen checkouts.

What if doctors were able to test their treatment plans on a version of their patient before actually trying it on their body? Doctors from @feinberg.northwestern.edu are doing just that.

Today: -Northwestern Medicine is studying a way to test treatment plans on virtual patients. -Illinois libraries have to pay more for digital books, and they can expire after just a few dozen checkouts. We’ll talk about an effort to change that. It's all live at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

Public health experts outline the risks of the rodent-carried disease and the surprising list of Illinois cities that have the biggest problem with rats.

Today: -Hantavirus. We'll talk about the cruise ship outbreak, and an unrelated case in northern Illinois. -How has being from the Midwest influenced some of our writers? We’ll talk with the editor of a collection of short essays about that topic. It's all at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

A food and drink writer from @wbez.org discusses America’s most iconic sandwich from a Midwestern lens.

An expert on energy and geopolitics explains how the conflict is impacting Illinoisans economically. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGnT...

Today: -Have you seen the price of gas lately? We’ll talk with an Illinois-based expert in global energy markets about what’s happening. -Plus, an Illinois-based author’s new book on hamburgers. Join us at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

Recently, the Trump Administration released new guidelines that seeks to change how the Department of Health and Human Services delivers grant money to family planning services projects.

An official from the @chiabortionfund.bsky.social discusses abortion access in Illinois, four years after the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.

Today: -The number of women seeking an abortion has actually gone up over the past four years. We’ll talk about what's happening in Illinois. -We'll talk about overhauls in family planning ... to prioritize natural methods over contraceptives. It's all live at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

An Illinois man has been part of some of the more memorable Super Bowl commercials of the past 15 years.

A man who spent most of his life in Illinois is the creative brain behind some of the most memorable ad campaigns this century, including many that have aired during the Super Bowl. Today, live at 11, we’ll talk with Pat Burke about his life in advertising. will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

A representative from AFSCME Council 31 joins the program with the details.

Today: -Service workers at Illinois State University recently spent nearly a month on strike. We’ll talk about what happened. -Plus, a popular video game that simulates being a truck driver is integrating Illinois into its map. It's all at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

We talked today with some of the Illinoisans whose work helped make the Artemis II mission a reality.

Artemis II was the culmination of work by countless thousands of people, including some based in Illinois. Today at 11, we’ll talk with an engineer who dreamed of space as a boy … and still does. Plus the head of a company whose work with NASA dates back to Apollo. will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

What is Catholicism's place in American politics today?

Cardinal Blase Cupich discusses Pope Leo’s role in the world and his political views ahead of his one-year anniversary of serving as the head of the Catholic Church.

Illinois’ own Pope Leo XIV has been critical of America’s war in Iran, as well as harsh immigration enforcement. For that, he’s been attacked by President Trump. Today at 11, we’ll talk about the intersection of American politics and Catholic social teaching. will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

One-on-one with @congressmanraja.bsky.social

@hannahmeisel.bsky.social from @capitolnewsil.bsky.social gives the latest on the Broadview 6 trial, the Trump administration seeking data on Illinois voters, and a Department of Justice investigation of Illinois schools teaching about gender.

The USA is soon to be 250 years old. How are people in Illinois thinking about the country's past and future? And what is the pursuit of happiness, anyway? These are the sorts of questions a new Illinois Humanities oral history project tries to reckon with. We talked about it today on @21st.show.

Today: -We're live with @congressmanraja.bsky.social. -We'll talk with @hannahmeisel.bsky.social about some of the latest news in state politics. -And we'll hear about an Illinois oral history project marking America's 250th anniversary. It's all at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

State Senator Terri Bryant as well as officials from @illinoisstateu.bsky.social , Western Illinois University, and the University of Illinois System weigh in on the debate surrounding the legislation.

Many Illinois public universities say they're underfunded. Some state lawmakers want to change that, directing more money to smaller state schools. But there’s also opposition, notably from the University of Illinois system. We'll talk about it live today at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

@brendenmoore.bsky.social from @capitolnewsil.bsky.social has the rundown on the biggest stories happening around Illinois.

Lucy Long, author of the new book “Sweet, Tart and Golden: Apples in the Midwestern Imagination” joins the program.

Today: -An update on what Illinois lawmakers are doing to keep the Chicago Bears playing here. -Plus, author Lucy Long. Her new book is “Sweet, Tart & Golden: Apples in the Midwestern Imagination.” It's all live today at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

A college student's short documentary on the Atlas Collective, a cafe and bookstore in Moline, is now on Roku.