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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Airlines employ people from all over the world, including staff from countries barred by Trump's immigration order. Now they're hurrying to reroute flight attendants who could be affected. -
A Chicago program announced two years ago that allows homeowners in impoverished neighborhoods to buy vacant lots on their block for a dollar is off to a very slow start. Residents hoping to spruce up the lots, plant community gardens or turn them into gathering places are frustrated by slow city bureaucracy.
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Dr. Quentin Young, civil rights activist and public health advocate, died this week at the age of 92. The longtime Chicago resident was also a physician to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner partially vetoed the Heroin Crisis Act, which would have cleared the way for Medicaid to fund addiction treatments. -
Gov. Bruce Rauner acknowledges his state is dealing with a serious heroin addiction crisis, but he is stripping a key provision from a measure aimed at tackling the problem.
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The man was infected in Liberia but didn't develop symptoms until about 4 days after arriving in Dallas. His case raises concerns about how prepared airports and airlines are to handle the disease.
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In many states, young adults are lagging in signing up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. With the enrollment deadline looming at the end of March, Illinois is turning to The Onion to try to reach "young invincibles." The satirical news site will run banner ads, video and other content to help promote Obamacare.
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First responders are trained to rescue, help and save. In Newtown, Conn., many of the police officers, firefighters and EMTs who rushed to Sandy Hook Elementary School last week are struggling to cope with the fact that there was little they could do to help. -
Federal taxpayers will pay the lion's share of the restoration for the Jersey shore damage caused by Sandy. But since most of those who will benefit are private landowners on the shore, one N.J. lawmaker wants to prohibit the shore towns from charging access fees to their public beaches. -
Most Chicago public schools have less-than-six-hour school days — some of the shortest in the country. And many have no recess. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pushing to lengthen the day to at least seven hours. But critics say some crucial details are missing — especially, how much a longer school day would cost.
