Sean Crawford
Managing Editor, NPR Illinois/ CAB Ex-OfficioSean has led the NPR Illinois news operations since the fall of 2009. He replaced the only other person to do so in the station's history, Rich Bradley.
Prior to taking over the News Department, Sean worked as Statehouse Bureau Chief for NPR Illinois and other Illinois Public Radio stations. He spent more than a dozen years in the statehouse press room, winning numerous awards for his reporting, including a national Capitolbeat honor for coverage of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's impeachment and removal from office.
Overall, Sean has logged 40 years in journalism. He began his broadcasting career at his hometown station WJPF in Herrin, Illinois while still in high school. It was there he learned to cover local government, courts and anything else that made the news.
He spent time in the Joliet area as News Director and Operations Manager for radio station WKBM and worked for a chain of weekly newspapers for two years. Along with news coverage, he reported heavily on sports and did on-air play by play.
Sean hosts weekly shows Statewide and State Week, which air across Illinois Public Radio stations. He holds a Master's Degree in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield.
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Campus officials said the result was due to fewer international graduate students enrolled. UIS also saw the number of international students go down in 2025 after the Trump Administration implemented stricter visa guidelines.
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Michele Anderson started in the position Tuesday.
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The team has yet to finalize a plan to stay in Illinois or move games to Indiana.
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About 300 people died when the ship sank in Lake Michigan, near what is now Highland Park and Highwood, Illinois.
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First Listen for Monday, Aug. 31, 2026.
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Speech language pathologists trained in autism evaluation would be allowed to diagnose children under age 3 who are enrolled in Illinois Early Intervention Program. We hear from experts and parents.
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First Listen for Friday Aug. 28, 2026
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Water flowed along the street and into nearby buildings.
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Illinois has joined other states in a legal challenge against the president's order.
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Located near Barry in western Illinois, New Philadelphia is the first town known to be officially registered by an African American.