Statewide: Coming together amid the war in Ukraine

Many in the U.S. feel helpless as they watch the war in Ukraine. But we'll take you to a small gift shop in Illinois, which has become a place to show support and find a sense of belonging. Also, Russian immigrants in the state explain their thoughts watching the war unfold.

Those stories and more on this episode of Statewide.

This week:

* A visit to gift shop in Chicago's Ukrainian neighborhood, which has seen an influx of customers during the war.

* Michael Puente talks with Russian immigrants in Chicago, including those with ties to both Ukraine and Russia.

* Tim Shelley with WCBU interviews the sales manager for Pringle Robotics in Peoria. The company's robots are starting to be used in more locations, including restaurants and hotels, as a way to help with staff shortages.

* Yvonne Boose of WNIJ talks with a 101-year old Elmhurst woman who celebrates poetry every day.

* Side Effects Public Media's Natalie Krebs reports from Iowa about an effort to license midwives to help with home births.

* University of Chicago Law Professor Judith Miller discusses the illegal reentry law, which is facing several legal challenges.

* Dave McKinney and Dan Mihalopolous bring us the latest developments on a scandal involving a major player in a state program.

* WBEZ's Shannon Heffernan continues her reporting on the Illinois prison system with a story of two mental health workers at the Pontiac prison who tried to change things from within.

* We get an update on the city of Evanston's slow and sometimes contentious launch of its historic reparations program.

* Harvest Public Media's Elizabeth Rembert tells us how Ford is trying to prove its new electric truck can handle the workload in rural areas.