In Illinois, there’s a lot riding on a car company called Rivian. The first of Rivian’s electric trucks is expected to roll off the lot at a new plant in Normal. Learn what the company's plant means for our state and its connection to Amazon.

Spring is here and can mark an internal shift; we leave our long, reflective winter hibernation and emerge with an opportunity for transformation. The director of the Japan House at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign joined us to talk about zen and the art of transitioning to spring.

To speak more about reducing the amount of waste we produce on a daily basis, The 21st was joined by a waste and sustainability consultant. 

Water is the basis for life on this planet. Three public radio reporters spoke about threats to water and the environment in the Midwest and Illinois.

People have shared their experiences on social media about how their menstrual cycle was temporarily changed after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The 21st spoke with researchers who want to learn more about this connection by collecting data they say is missing, and about the history of women's side effects being overlooked in clinical trials.

The 21st heard from listeners who have been reacting to the guilty verdict for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of second degree murder for killing George Floyd last year.

President Joe Biden announced a sweeping $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal, which the administration is calling the American Jobs Plan. The 21st spoke to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to hear more about the details of the plan.

Mohawk Johnson was one of the thousands of protestors arrested by Chicago Police last summer. He was put on house arrest and is being electronically monitored despite not having been convicted. The 21st spoke about the increased use of electronic monitoring devices in the criminal justice system. 

Forty miles west of Chicago sits one of the most powerful particle physics laboratories in the world: Fermilab. The lab released findings that suggest there is more to reality than we currently understand. 

On April 13, US health agencies urged a pause on use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Three reporters discussed the pause, what it means for vaccine distribution in Illinois, and some of the other big COVID stories from the week.