WGLT's Sound Ideas - Full Episodes

Bloomington Normal students want to have the same pointed conversations about guns with lawmakers as Florida teens did. Maddie Bierne is one. Plans for a school walkout mount. Ryan Denham reports. Plus, ISU Theater student Francoise Battiste never needed his backup plan. Laura Kennedy talks about the art of acting with the acclaimed performer. And World War One destroyed much, but also gave central Illinois the Caterpillar Tractor Company. Ryan Denham talks with a historian a hundred years on.

Hear from Illinois State University scholar who says even ranking police officers say there is more progress to make for women cops. Cara Rabe-Hemp talks with GLT's Jon Norton about her new book, "Thriving in an all boys club, female police and their fight For equality". Hear part 2 on the report of the 3 minute thesis contest, Illinois State University grad students make their work exciting and accessible. Also, its a profile of a west side county board race. Ryan Denham reports on the race

Take “A Wonderful Trip to the Mushroom Planet.” Laura Kennedy talks with Paul Allen who has written a book about Eleanor Cameron, the author of that Sci Fi kids book. Allen wants to keep Cameron’s memory alive. Plus, Judy Valente takes us Into the Woods. Jon Norton visits with Sarah Quah. And We hear energetic presentations of new scholarship in the Three Minute Thesis Competition at Illinois State University.

Hear from the CEO of Rivian Automotive who says their first vehicle will be more like a Patagonia jacket than a Hugo Boss suit. RJ Scaringe talks about the company's first two self-driving electric adventure vehicles -- a 5 passenger pickup and a 7 passenger SUV. And it's a conversation with the film maker behind the documentary The Colorado. The unconventional film is a marriage of stunning visuals and music commissioned especially for the film. Murat Eyuboglu tells the story of the river basin

An ISU researcher is looking for possible clues to longevity. And it starts in B cells. Scientist Laura Vogel tells Judy Valente why turtles and B cells matter. Get an update on the rapidly growing brewery and tap room scene special WGLT beer correspondent Ryan Denham. He checks in with the brewers behind Keg Grove Brewery, right off the Constitution Trail. And Laura Kennedy brings you an Oscars preview from GLT Culture Maven Shari Zeck.

The future of the McLean County Democratic Party is up for grabs heading into one of the most exciting local election seasons in years. Jill Blair and other local Democrats talk about bringing together the old guard and new faces -- hoping to create a permanent shift in McLean County politics. GLT's Ryan Denham has the story. Hear an IPR report about gun measures being debated in Springfield. The call for more gun control following the parkland high school shooting is being heard in Illinois.

The people running for the Democratic nomination for Illinois Governor are barnstorming the state. Some promise to oppose president Trump. Some want to work with him for Illinois. Some want to end politics as a game for billionaires. One is a billionaire. One even wants to split Illinois up into three different states. Listen to a debate among the Democratic candidates for Governor.

It’s an interview on the flaws in teaching history, like a thorough examination of interracial conflict. Judy Valente talks with U of I scholar and Illinois State University Black History Month speaker Adrienne Dixson. While Illinois entered the Union as a non-slavery state, it had embraced slavery from the beginning. John Norton talks with the author of “Creating the Land of Lincoln: The History and Constitutions of Illinois, 1778-1870.” And Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner answers questions

It's a report on possible mandatory recycling at apartment buildings in the Town of Normal. For ISU student tenants, discover why recycling is about more than just cans and bottles. You’ll hear from Jason Hale from ISU's Student Government Association along with landlords and recycling companies. GLT's Ryan Denham reports. Find out what Whiteside county is doing to fight opioid addiction. Find out why the outpatient drug rehab center could be a model for other parts of the state. And during an

GLT’s Ryan Denham talks with Tricia Griffith, the CEO of Progressive Insurance, during a return trip to her alma mater, Illinois State University. Then GLT’s Charlie Schlenker talks to Kyle Ham from the Economic Development Council about the upcoming One Voice trip, as well as David Taylor about fundraising changes at the United Way of McLean County. And GLT correspondent Bryan Bloodworth re-introduces you to Trevor Tucci, a special swimmer who’s headed to college on a scholarship.