David Schaper
David Schaper is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk, based in Chicago, primarily covering transportation and infrastructure, as well as breaking news in Chicago and the Midwest.
In this role, Schaper covers aviation and airlines, railroads, the trucking and freight industries, highways, transit, and new means of mobility such as ride hailing apps, car sharing, and shared bikes and scooters. In addition, he reports on important transportation safety issues, as well as the politics behind transportation and infrastructure policy and funding.
Since joining NPR in 2002, Schaper has covered some of the nation's most important news stories, including the Sandy Hook school shooting and other mass shootings, Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, California wildfires, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and numerous other disasters. David has also reported on presidential campaigns in Iowa and elsewhere, on key races for U.S. Senate and House, governorships, and other offices in the Midwest, and he reported on the rise of Barack Obama from relative political obscurity in Chicago to the White House. Along the way, he's brought listeners and online readers many colorful stories about Chicago politics, including the corruption trials and convictions of two former Illinois governors.
But none of that compares to the joy of covering his beloved Chicago Cubs winning the World Series in 2016, and three Stanley Cup Championships for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
Prior to joining NPR, Schaper spent almost a decade working as an award-winning reporter and editor for WBEZ/Chicago Public Media, NPR's Member station in Chicago. For three years he covered education issues, reporting in-depth on the problems and progress — financial, educational and otherwise — in Chicago's public schools.
Schaper also served as WBEZ's Assistant Managing Editor of News, managing the station's daily news coverage and editing the reporting staff while often still reporting himself. He later served as WBEZ's political editor and reporter; he was a frequent fill-in news anchor and talk show host. Additionally, he has been an occasional contributor guest panelist on Chicago public television station WTTW's news program, Chicago Tonight.
Schaper began his journalism career in La Crosse, Wisconsin, as a reporter and anchor at Wisconsin Public Radio's WLSU-FM. He has since worked in both public and commercial radio news, including stints at WBBM NewsRadio in Chicago, WXRT-FM in Chicago, WDCB-FM in suburban Chicago, WUIS-FM in Springfield, Illinois, WMAY-AM in Springfield, Illinois, and WIZM-AM and FM in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Schaper earned a bachelor's degree in mass communications and history at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a master's degree in public affairs reporting at the University of Illinois-Springfield. He lives in Chicago with his wife, a Chicago Public School teacher, and they have three adult children.
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The Mississippi River and its tributaries continue to rise. In Memphis, Tenn., hundreds of homes already are underwater and thousands of people have moved to higher ground. Floodwaters there are expected to crest Tuesday just under the record level set in 1937. -
Gun owners are praising the U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down a ban on handgun ownership in the District of Columbia, which has one of the strictest laws of its kind. Chicago's is similar, and some gun owners there filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the city's anti-gun law.
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Many fans of professional baseball say they're not all that surprised by findings of widespread use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Fans around the country speak out about the use of steroids in baseball, which has been whispered about as early as the 1980s.
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A new law that went into effect in January requires U.S. citizens to have a passport when traveling to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. The change created demand that is peaking now that spring break is here and summer looms.
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Members of the Chicago police routinely tortured suspects, predominantly black men, during the 1970s and '80s, special prosecutors say in a new report -- but the crimes are too old to file charges on.
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From Philadelphia's Liberty Bell to the streets of downtown Los Angeles, pro-immigrant rallies are taking place in most major cities across America. In New York and elsewhere, marchers formed human chains. In Chicago, authorities estimated some 500,000 people marched.
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As gas prices soar to $3 per gallon, many Americans are beginning to examine their driving habits and make minor adjustments. Many drivers say they may be forced to make more drastic changes to how they work and play if prices go higher.
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A jury convicts former Gov. George Ryan of steering millions of dollars in state leases and contracts to political insiders, lying to federal agents and tax fraud. The Republican is the third former Illinois governor in three decades to be convicted of federal felony charges.
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New figures from the Census Bureau show that Hispanics accounted for about half the population growth in the U.S. last year. Births have now overtaken immigration this decade as the largest source of Hispanic growth. One region where the trend is well illustrated is Cook County, including Chicago.
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The Bush administration is running into increasing resistance to altering Social Security. Republicans in Congress are beginning to feel pressure from their constituents as well. The president stumped for changes to Social Security in Iowa Wednesday.
