Kat Chow is a journalist covering race, ethnicity, and culture for NPR's new Code Switch team. In this role, Chow is responsible for reporting and telling stories using social media, sparking conversations online, and blogging.

Prior to coming to NPR, Chow worked with WGBH in Boston and was a reporting fellow for The Cambodia Daily, an English-language newspaper in Phnom Penh.

While a student at the University of Washington in Seattle, Chow was a founding member of a newsmagazine television show and freelanced for the Seattle Weekly. She also interned with the Seattle Times and worked on NBC's Winter Olympics coverage in Vancouver, B.C. You can find her tweeting away for Code Switch at @NPRCodeSwitch, and sharing her thoughts at @katchow.

Rockford
6:30 am
Wed May 29, 2013

Federal Lawmakers Urge Rockford Leaders To Work Together On Crime

Credit Jenna Dooley / WNIJ
(Left) Rep. Cheri Bustos (Center) U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (Right) Winnebago State's Attorney Joe Bruscato

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos visit Rockford to assess surge in criminal activity

Rockford-area officials are trying to get on the same page to fight crime. They met with lawmakers this week to discuss the scope of the problem.

"We can't continually keep arresting people because if arresting alone would solve the problem, we wouldn't have a crime problem. We have to look at evidence-based programs around the country." -Rockford Police Chief Chet Epperson

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Budget
4:59 am
Wed May 29, 2013

House Passes Portions Of Budget To Upper Chamber

Credit Brian Mackey / Illinois Public Radio

The bulk of a new state budget passed out of the Illinois House this week, and now heads to the Senate.  It's far less harsh than lawmakers had been predicting at the start of the legislative session. 

When he presented his budget back in March, Governor Pat Quinn referred to it as his most difficult.

He warned that pension costs were eating up money for other causes.

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David Bogenberger Hazing Case
6:08 pm
Tue May 28, 2013

Four 'Pikes' Plead Not Guilty in NIU Hazing Death

Credit Rob Winner
Steven A. Libert (left), of Naperville, appeared in DeKalb County Court in Sycamore, Ill. on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 in connection to hazing charges related to Northern Illinois University David Bogenberger's death. Libert allegedly planned the unsanctioned Pi Kappa Alpha drinking party in November where freshman pledge David Bogenberger died.

Four NIU students pleaded “not guilty” to felony hazing charges Tuesday. They’re charged in the death of freshman David Bogenberger, who died of alcohol poisoning in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house last year.


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Kurt began his radio career at 16 as weekend disc jockey at KOLS-AM/KKMA-FM (now KMYZ) in Pryor, Okla. He gradually began doing news work at his home town radio station. Kurt studied journalism at Oklahoma State University, serving two terms as managing editor of "The Daily O'Collegian." He returned to his radio roots while at Oklahoma State, working first as a part-time news producer, then as Morning Edition host at KOSU. Kurt left the station in 1990 returning to Pryor to be a part of a new business, ViaGrafix, that developed computer training videos. He eventually sold his business to attend seminary at The Iliff School of Theology in Denver and Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Okla. He served as minister of communications for St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City for five years before starting his own media business, Discuss Communications LLC. In 2005, he once again returned to radio as the operations manager and Morning Edition anchor at KGOU, eventually transitioning to news director in 2009, where he also serves as editorial director for StateImpact Oklahoma.

Kurt is secretary of the Oklahoma Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and member of the Oklahoma Associated Press Broadcasters board. He lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, the Rev. Charla Gwartney, and daughter, Elizabeth.

-Illinois
4:50 am
Tue May 28, 2013

With Days To Go, Crunch Time In Springfield

Credit Brian Mackey
The Illinois House and Senate were in session on Memorial Day 2013. (Brian Mackey/Illinois Public Radio)

While many people across Illinois had Monday off from work for Memorial Day, the members of the Illinois General Assembly were meeting in Springfield. Just four days remain until lawmakers are scheduled to adjourn for the summer. The last week of session is a time for individual legislators to shine — or stumble — as months of hard work on legislation culminates in long-awaited votes. We took a look at some of this week's key players in Springfield.

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Revenue
4:47 am
Tue May 28, 2013

Tax Collections Bring "April Surprise"

Credit ilga.gov
Rep. John Bradley

The state of Illinois' budget has been under pressure for years, forcing lawmakers to make difficult decisions to cut spending.

Even people who closely follow state government can lose track of all the billions and millions that get tossed around during budget-making season.

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Healthcare
4:18 am
Tue May 28, 2013

House Approves Medicaid Expansion

Credit ilga.gov
Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie

Low-income adults who do not have children would be eligible for state-backed health care coverage under a measure approved in the Illinois House.

The Medicaid expansion is a signature plank of the federal Affordable Care Act.

Republicans protested the move because they say Illinois cannot afford it.

But House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie says the state is already paying for people without insurance.

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-Illinois
6:08 am
Mon May 27, 2013

House Approves Horse Racing Legislation

Credit Jenna Dooley / WNIJ

Internet gambling on horse racing would once again be legal in Illinois under legislation approved Sunday by the Illinois House of Representatives.

Online and telephone horse betting has been illegal in Illinois all year.  A law authorizing it expired on Dec. 31.

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Jim Thompson on law and legislators
2:16 am
Mon May 27, 2013

Former Governor Honored By NIU Law School

Credit Susan Stephens / WNIJ
Scoreboard shot of former Governor Jim Thompson receiving his honorary degree from NIU's law school Saturday, May 25th.

Former Illinois Governor Jim Thompson never attended Northern Illinois University…but this weekend, his connections to the law school earned him an honorary doctorate.


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