Maureen Foertsch McKinney

3 weeks ago | nprillinois.org | Maureen Foertsch McKinney

Sheila Lockwood of McHenry became an ambassador for Mothers Against Drunk Driving after her son Austin was killed in a single-car crash caused by an impaired driver. Lockwood recently spoke with reporter Maureen McKinney about the loss of her son.

1 month ago | nprillinois.org | Maureen Foertsch McKinney

As prospects of federal budget cuts loom, housing experts in Illinois worry that more people will go unhoused – and that seniors will bear the brunt of the problem. Recently, President Donald Trump signed into law a resolution that extends the federal budget to September. That includes $13 billion in cuts from the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. While there is $4.5 billion more for Housing and Urban Development programs, specific items under HUD have been cut.

1 month ago | nprillinois.org | Maureen Foertsch McKinney

Whether the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market returns to the 400 block of Adams Street in the downtown area is dependent on the status of demolition and construction still occurring, the Downtown Springfield, Inc. executive director said. “We're working with all parties involved to do our best to make sure that the market is as close to the original location as possible,’’ said DSI’s Carlos Ortega. The outdoor market operates from May-October.

2 months ago | nprillinois.org | Maureen Foertsch McKinney

Reporter Maureen McKinney recently interviewed Lauren Aronson, who directs the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She says the president’s series of executive orders on immigration upon taking office, shook her clients’ and students’ lives. Court pushback against the president’s birthright citizenship order is a positive sign to Aronson, who continues to try to stay abreast of evolving news on immigration. This is an edited, excerpted version of that interview.

2 months ago | nprillinois.org | Maureen Foertsch McKinney

Springfield’s Jewish community has not suffered violence as others in America have, but it is not immune. President Donald Trump’s grant of clemency to the 1,500-some people charged or convicted in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has raised fears among Jewish leaders that the move will embolden violence. Among them is Rabbi Greg Kanter. He leads Temple B’rith Sholom, Springfield’s oldest Jewish congregation, which is housed in a neoclassical columned synagogue south of downtown.