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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More than a year after the plane's grounding because of two deadly crashes, the FAA began a series of certification flights Monday, a big step toward allowing the 737 Max to fly passengers again. -
At a hearing, they accused the agency of "stonewalling" congressional investigators and keeping them "in the dark," in their effort to examine what went wrong in certifying Boeing's troubled airplane. -
The Minneapolis police department will withdraw from contract negotiations with the police union. Police Chief Medaria Arradondo called it the first step in the "transformational" reform of the force.
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The agreement between the city and state human rights authorities promises several reforms. It comes after the state opened a civil rights investigation into the city's police department. -
George Floyd has died a week ago after a former Minneapolis police officer used his knee to pin Floyd's neck to the ground. His brother, Terrence Floyd, has urged protesters to be peaceful Monday.
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In Minneapolis, where Floyd died, a semitrailer drove into a crowd of protesters on an interstate. Authorities in Kentucky say a man was killed as security forces confronted a crowd early Monday. -
The number of people traveling by air has plummeted more than 90% since the beginning of March. More than half of the employees losing their jobs are being laid off involuntarily. -
The airlines have lost billions of dollars in revenue with virtually no demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Now they are seeing more bookings despite concern from passengers. -
The Department of Transportation received some 25,000 consumer complaints in March and April, up from about 1,500 a month. DOT will also allow airlines to stop serving some cities with little demand. -
Planes are carrying medical personnel, essential workers and people returning from abroad or visiting critically ill relatives. Airlines are blocking middle seats and taking other safety measures.
