Advertise on podcast: WGLT's Sound Ideas

Bloomington-Normal home sales declined last year, though there are a couple positive signs. The Mid-Illinois Realtors Association said home sales were down 5.9% in 2025. Berkshire-Hathaway Home Services Managing Broker Ed Neaves said there is still a supply bottleneck. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eureka-Goodfield EMS will be the first service in Illinois to offer a pre-hospital blood transfusion program. Two ambulances will now carry two units of O-positive red blood cells and two units of plasma. Dr. Matthew Jackson, medical director of pre-hospital and EMS at OSF HealthCare, tells student reporter Ben Howell why this area of patient care has been growing. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Child care in Bloomington Normal costs more than college tuition at Illinois State University -- if you can find it. A new report on a child care availability and affordability crisis in McLean County is out from the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council and YWCA McLean County. WGLT talks to Nora Harrison from the EDC and Liz German from the YWCA. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council [EDC] and YWCA McLean County are proposing significant public and private sector investment in affordable child care for the community. After a yearlong study, the report Building McLean County’s Future: A Collaborative Strategy for Childcare Solutions, lays out average child care costs that, coupled with mortgage or rent payments, consumes about half the income of a median household [$78,500] in McLean County. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karine Jean-Pierre, former press secretary to President Joe Biden, told a sold-out audience "the movement for civil rights and social justice is far, far from over” during a keynote address Friday night at Illinois State University.  Jean-Pierre, the first Black and openly queer person to serve as White House press secretary, spoke at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Dinner.   Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hourlong special celebrates Jon Norton, WGLT's longtime morning host and program director who is retiring at the end of January. You'll hear some of Jon's favorite music, plus messages from many of the musicians that Jon interviewed through the years. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Town of Normal staff are signaling a potential need for rate increases in several programs. Sometime in the next five years, the town will need to spend tens of millions of dollars on sewage lift stations, according to City Manager Pam Reece. Reece said existing annual rate increases of about 2% won't cover the price of new infrastructure. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OSF HealthCare has added a new member to its OB-GYN training team. “Victoria” is a high-tech birthing simulator that can replicate a variety of birth emergencies, including rare, high-risk complications. An addition to the mobile maternity care unit, “Victoria” provides advanced practice providers [APPs] with the skillset to effectively prepare for any situation they come across on the road. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Meet the Newsroom series pulls back the curtain to introduce you to the team that makes WGLT possible. The series begins with senior reporter Charlie Schlenker. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2025, actions of President Trump’s second term resulted in significant cuts to various funding sources for McLean County programs. A new citizen group wants to document the totality of these cuts in an initiative known as The Documentation Project. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Normal Editions Workshop turns 50 this year. To celebrate, University Galleries launched a large-scale exhibition with prominent prints from throughout the past five decades. Normal Editions interim director Morgan Price curated the exhibition, with input from University Galleries staff and ISU alumni. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WGLT is saying farewell to longtime local Morning Edition host and program director Jon Norton. Norton is retiring at the end of the month after nearly 23 years with Bloomington-Normal’s Public Media. Norton said he’d like to be remembered as someone who works hard and is a nice person. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Illinois lawmakers are looking to support farmers who are facing financial challenges because of tariffs, inflation and a more competitive foreign market. The Trump administration is giving bridge payments to farmers to offset losses from the tariffs, but the payments are not enough for some farmers to offset their losses. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A veteran diplomat said American actions in Venezuela and rhetoric on Greenland do not show any foreign policy advantage for the U.S. Gordon Duguid is the Donald F. McHenry Visiting Professor in Diplomacy and International Affairs at Illinois State University. Duguid spent more than three decades with the State Department, and since retiring has been a public diplomacy consultant for various entities. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton went on the offensive Monday night against U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly in the first live-broadcast debate in the heated Democratic primary race for retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.