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 transportation secretary wants stricter regulations on freight trains hauling toxic or volatile chemicals, and is calling on Congress to "untie" the DOT's hands for implementing safety measures. -
The White House is defending the federal response to the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in Ohio two weeks ago, which resulted in thousands of people being evacuated from their homes.
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The acting head of the FAA was grilled on Capitol Hill over recent safety lapses and a computer system failure. The hearing comes as the agency struggles with aging technology and no permanent leader.
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India's second-largest domestic carrier placed orders for 220 Boeing aircraft valued at $34 billion and 250 Airbus planes in a separate deal that could be worth tens of billions of dollars. -
A Senate hearing Thursday explored the causes and impacts of recent air travel disruptions. Some Democrats called for an airline passengers bill of rights that would include big payouts for delays.
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A top executive entered the plea on behalf of the company in federal court in Texas Thursday, as relatives of those killed in two crashes push to overturn deal giving Boeing immunity. -
The Federal Aviation Administration now says contract employees inadvertently deleted critical files, causing the computer outage last week that grounded air traffic nationwide.
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This week's NOTAM system failure, which caused thousands of flight delays and cancelations, has airline industry leaders calling for more stable funding to upgrade antiquated FAA systems. -
The Federal Aviation Administration said late Wednesday that early work traced the blackout to a "damaged database file." -
A critical computer system of the Federal Aviation Administration failed, leading to the delays or cancellations of thousands of flights. The antiquated system is now functioning but questions remain.
