Jeff Brady
Jeff Brady is a National Desk Correspondent based in Philadelphia, where he covers energy issues, climate change and the mid-Atlantic region. Brady helped establish NPR's environment and energy collaborative which brings together NPR and Member station reporters from across the country to cover the big stories involving the natural world.
Brady approaches energy stories from the consumer side of the light switch and the gas pump in an effort to demystify an industry that can seem complicated and opaque. Frequently traveling throughout the country for NPR, Brady has reported on the Texas oil business hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, the closing of a light bulb factory in Pennsylvania and a new generation of climate activists holding protests from Oregon to New York. In 2017 his reporting showed a history of racism and sexism that have made it difficult for the oil business to diversify its workforce.
In 2011 Brady led NPR's coverage of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State—from the night legendary football coach Joe Paterno was fired to the trial where Sandusky was found guilty.
In 2005, Brady was among the NPR reporters who covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His reporting on flooded cars left behind after the storm exposed efforts to stall the implementation of a national car titling system. Today, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System is operational and the Department of Justice estimates it could save car buyers up to $11 billion a year.
Before coming to NPR in September 2003, Brady was a reporter at Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) in Portland. He has also worked in commercial television as an anchor and a reporter, and in commercial radio as a talk-show host and reporter.
Brady graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Southern Oregon State College (now Southern Oregon University). In 2018 SOU honored Brady with its annual "Distinguished Alumni" award.
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Gov. Tom Corbett hopes to tap into federal money offered as part of the Affordable Care Act to extend Medicaid coverage to more people. But he has conditions. His alternative would require some people to pay an insurance premium and to look for work. -
The Amish are perceived as shunning technology, but it's more complicated than that. Many Amish communities embrace newer technologies such as power tools and word processors, but only after determining they won't harm the community or disrupt family life. -
Americans are using less gasoline, and that affects how much money is available for constructing and repairing highways. Some states are levying taxes and fees on hybrids and electric cars to make up for lost revenue. -
The university plans to charge employees who refuse to submit to health screenings an extra $100 a month for their health care benefits. But some employees object, saying the university should encourage workers to be healthy rather than penalize those who don't want to participate in the new program. -
A fraternal agriculture organization known as the Grange must bring in younger members to survive. But the new generation's interest in environmental issues and food politics is clashing with the Grange's support of industrial farms. -
A Princeton University alumna advised young women studying at her alma mater to find husbands now and not wait. Susan Patton's letter set off a heated discussion, but she stands by her words. -
A Philadelphia doctor who performed abortions is accused of murder in the deaths of a patient and seven babies who the prosecutor says were born alive. Abortion opponents cited the case as a reason to push for stricter regulations on clinics. -
The energy giant says it has "thrown in the towel on solar." The industry has evolved since BP entered the ring, currently emphasizing cheap production rather than research and development. BP says it just wasn't making money, though it will continue investing in other renewable resources. -
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, the latest member of President Obama's Cabinet to announce his second-term departure, ran a department responsible for a half-billion acres of public land. But it's how he dealt with the oil industry and renewable energy issues that marked his tenure. -
Forty-seven states now have widespread outbreaks of the influenza virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We look at the Philadelphia area, where health officials say flu season arrived early this year.
