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Featured Segments

This section features my work as a producer for The Washington Post and Illinois Public Media, from short daily podcasts to hours-long segments. 

Illinois Public Media •

AI through the lens of Journalism | Illinois Public Media

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. What role does it play in Journalism? There is concern about AI’s potential negative effects on the information environment, like the potential for the spread of convincing-but-fake images and audio. People in the media business wonder about the potential for job loss, as well as plagiarism and copyright infringement.

An AI researcher and a Journalist who co-authored an AI ethics guide for people who work in newsgathering...
Illinois Public Media •

State lawmakers on the push to ban AI therapy in Illinois | Illinois Public Media

Illinois State Reps. Bob Morgan and Gregg Johnson sponsored a bill to ban therapy services provided by AI.
Jerry Nowicki Capitol News Illinois and WVIK News
State Rep. Bob Morgan is the lead sponsor of legislation that aims to ban AI therapy in Illinois. State Rep. Gregg Johnson was a co-sponsor of the bill, which was recently signed by Governor JB Pritzker. Illinois is reportedly the third state with this kind of law, joining Utah and Nevada.

Both lawmakers...
Illinois Public Media •

A deep dive into AI legislation and regulations | Illinois Public Media

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our daily lives — whether we know it or not … and whether we want it or not. It’s in the software targeting users with advertisements, answering requests to a smartphone, and recommending the next video while on social media.

However, there are no federal laws that would regulate the use of AI. That’s prompted a number of states, including Illinois, to look at imposing their own regulations. A legal expert with insight into AI research jo...
Illinois Public Media •

As Illinois schools prepare to reopen, staff shortage and Department of Education cuts pose some challenges | Illinois Public Media

It’s August, which means students across the state are preparing for school to resume. While national headlines scream about “teacher shortages,” the data shows a much more nuanced picture. Some schools are hiring more than ever even as student enrollment declines, while others can’t fill open and necessary jobs, especially in rural parts of the state.

A panel of educators and education policy experts join today's conversation.

 

GUESTS

Joey Brewer
Dean of Students at Spoon River Valley CUSD...
Illinois Public Media •

The latest in the carbon sequestration and Mahomet Aquifer saga | Illinois Public Media

A map of east-central Illinois shows the boundary of the Mahomet Bedrock Valley.
Graphic courtesy of Prairie Research Institute
The issue of carbon capture and storage underground has sparked debate across Illinois especially around the Mahomet Aquifer, which spans from Iroquois County to Cass County — and is the primary source of water for more than 800,000 Illinois residents.

Some worry the project could threaten groundwater quality and safety, but many sc...
Illinois Public Media •

Do ‘Crime-Free Housing’ ordinances in Illinois target vulnerable tenants or simply protect neighborhoods? | Illinois Public Media

In Illinois, as in other states, there are many towns and cities with what are known as “crime-free housing” ordinances. The idea is to keep drugs and other illegal activity out of apartment buildings and other rental properties. If a place is found to be problematic, authorities can lean on the landlord to evict the tenant in question.

But an investigation by the Illinois Answers Project found that in towns across Illinois, people have been evicted not for violent crimes, but for allegations a...
Illinois Public Media •

Southern Illinois University student is a finalist in the 2025 NPR Student Podcast Challenge | Illinois Public Media

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to local arts, education, new ideas, and community needs, sent straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to our newsletters to get updates about Illinois Public Media's role in giving voice
to local arts, education, new ideas, and community needs, sent straight to your inbox.
Illinois Public Media •

Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun on cultural significance of the chain and revamping strategies after facing bankruptcy | Illinois Public Media

Founded in 1968, Red Lobster once had more than 600 locations across the U.S., Canada, and overseas franchises. But last year, the $2 billion revenue company went into bankruptcy, reorganized, and came out with new ownership and new leadership.

The company has sought to revamp operations, make changes to its menu, and close a few locations. According to USA Today, five Illinois Red Lobsters have closed — including in Bourbonnais, Danville, and Peoria. 

All these changes are being led by the co...
Illinois Public Media •

The 21st Show goes ‘up, up and away’ at 2025 Balloons over Vermilion | Illinois Public Media

On the Friday, July 11, 2025 edition of The 21st Show, we took our program on the road to Vermilion County, which sits on the Illinois/Indiana border. The weather broke just in time for host Brian Mackey to be aboard a hot air balloon.

More than 30 pilots take part in Balloons over Vermilion on July 11-12.

Dean Carlton
Wagz • Danville, Illinois

Glenn O'Connell
RE/MAX • Gilberts, Illinois

Donna Carlton-Vish
Sunny Side Up • Danville, Illinois

Walt Rudy
Aloft Horizons • Wadsworth, Ohio
 


Sp...
Illinois Public Media •

The 21st Show in Vermilion County: Why are young people leaving small towns in Illinois? | Illinois Public Media

On the Friday, July 11, 2025 edition of The 21st Show, we took our program on the road to Vermilion County, which sits on the Illinois/Indiana border. We talked to a panel of students about why they are less likely to stay in the small communities where they grew up. It's something we've heard before in Carbondale and Peoria. Our conversation took place at Danville Area Community College.

Guests:

Victoria Boothe, Jodie Ingram, Dawn Nasser and Alexis Simmons

On the Friday, July 11, 2025 editio...
Illinois Public Media •

What is the human cost of Medicaid and SNAP cuts? | Illinois Public Media

Here in Illinois, nearly 3.4 million people are Medicaid recipients and nearly 1.9 million rely on food stamps — now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The newly enacted Big Beautiful Bill Act will require states to cover some or all of these costs, tighten work requirements and essentially reshape who qualifies for help and for how long.
 
So what does this all mean for Illinoisans who are at risk for losing critical support?
 
GUESTS

Danielle Perry 
VP of Policy...
Illinois Public Media •

Illinois farmers and food banks face many challenges amid cuts to federal food programs | Illinois Public Media

Agriculture is a key part of the Illinois economy, but recent changes to federal food funding are putting pressure on some farmers and the communities that rely on their products. Programs like Illinois Eats, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the Biden administration aimed to help farmers sell directly to food banks and communities with food insecurity.

However, as of this week, this $14 million program and many like it have been shut down. That’s because the Trump administrat...
Illinois Public Media •

What’s next after U.S. inserts itself into Israel-Iran war? | Illinois Public Media

President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Saturday, June 21, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear and military sites, directly joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen.
Carlos Barria/Pool via AP
The United States  launched an attack on Iran over the weekend targeting the nuclear facilities of Fo...
Illinois Public Media •

As Israel and Iran war intensifies, is U.S. intervention inevitable? | Illinois Public Media

Residents watch a damaged apartment in Tehran, Iran, early Friday, June 13, 2025. Israel attacked Iran's capital last week with explosions booming across Tehran.
AP Photo/Vahid Salemi
The latest escalation between Iran and Israel began a week ago today. Since June 13, Israel has struck Iranian nuclear facilities and military targets while Iran has retaliated with missile attacks on Israeli cities.

Israel said today that 24 people had been killed and another 1...
Illinois Public Media •

Reaction to anti-ICE protests and the wider context behind the Latino community’s fight for immigration justice | Illinois Public Media

Protests swept across the country last week in response to ICE officers raiding communities and detaining undocumented immigrants. The National Guard was deployed in many state in response to those protests. But the protesting movement itself didn’t appear last week. There is a long history of organizing  especially within Latino communities, which have long led the fight for immigration justice efforts.

Immigration experts from the Latino community discuss the legality of these ICE raids and d...
Illinois Public Media •

‘No Kings’ protest in Central Illinois brings people from all walks of life together | Illinois Public Media

Over the weekend, protests took over cities across Illinois and around the nation – under the banner “No Kings Day.” More than 200 groups organized demonstrators, with reportedly millions of people participating from major cities like Chicago and Philadelphia  to smaller red-state cities like Boise and Tulsa.

An Illinois Public Media News reporter who covered the rallies in downtown Urbana joins the program.

GUEST

Mae Antar 
Weekend Edition Host & Reporter, Illinois Public Media

Over the wee...
Illinois Public Media •

Is deploying the National Guard to handle ICE protestors an ‘overreach of federal authority’? | Illinois Public Media

An ICE Special Response Team member stands guard outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, while protesters gathered outside to denounce ICE operations, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles.
AP Photo/Eric Thayer
After Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers conducted raids across Los Angeles, massive protests devolved in the city and beyond last week. President Trump called in the Marines and the National Guard  despite backlash from the state...
Illinois Public Media •

Breaking down Meta’s deal with Clinton power plant: What does it mean for future of nuclear energy? | Illinois Public Media

The Meta corporation, which owns Facebook and Instagram, one of the Big Five American tech companies — is looking to make an investment in Central Illinois. Meta recently signed a 20-year deal with the nuclear plant owned by Constellation Energy in Clinton, Illinois. 

An energy expert discusses the complexities of this agreement, what it means for the future of nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, and the region. 

GUEST

Ashley Finan
Global Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, School o...
Illinois Public Media •

Trump administration’s crackdown on international student visas raises many questions, creates uncertainty | Illinois Public Media

Altgeld Hall on the University of Illinois campus. The University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign has one of the largest international student populations in the country, totaling nearly 12,500 students in 2024
Reginald Hardwick/Illinois
Like many universities across the country, the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign has one of the largest international student populations in the country, totaling nearly 12,500 students in 2024. Nearly 50% of those are from...
Illinois Public Media •

How do Western Illinois University’s financial struggles impact the local and state economy? | Illinois Public Media

For decades, universities across America have been anchors for local economies, providing jobs and a steady stream of customers for local businesses. But for some universities and college towns, that is changing.
 
Enrollment is declining at regional colleges. Experts have pointed to lower birth rates, funding cuts, and other factors. In Illinois, that national trend was exacerbated by the two-year budget crisis Governor Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly inflicted on the state.
 
Western Ill...