Jeff Brady
Jeff Brady is a National Desk Correspondent based in Philadelphia, where he covers energy issues and climate change. 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 stories from the consumer side of the light switch and the gas pump in an effort to demystify an energy system that can seem complicated and opaque. Brady has reported on natural gas utilities fighting to preserve their business in a world more concerned about climate change, the long saga over the Keystone XL oil pipeline, the closing of a light bulb factory in Pennsylvania and how gas ranges pollute homes and make climate change worse.
In 2017 his reporting showed a history of racism and sexism that have made it difficult for the oil business to diversify its workforce. A union at the center of that reporting now faces a class-action lawsuit from its Black members.
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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A 2008 law requires all U.S. railroads to install a new safety system that monitors and regulates train speed. Unless there's an extension, railroads say they'll shut down rather than pay fines. -
On his last day in the U.S., Pope Francis visited inmates at a prison in Pennsylvania and told them they should not view their confinement as an exclusion from society.
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On the final leg of his U.S. visit, Pope Francis arrived in Philadelphia on Saturday to celebrate Mass and address a huge public gathering outside the city's Independence Hall.
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Caryl Johnson calls herself a priest, but technically she was excommunicated after being ordained. Johnson is one of many Catholic women who see a gap between what they believe and church dogma. -
Gasoline prices in the Midwest are up sharply even as oil prices head down. The problem is unscheduled repairs at a big BP refinery in Indiana.
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A huge legal battle is coming over the White House plan to address climate change with additional power plant regulations. The coal industry has the most to lose, and plans to take the EPA to court.
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Deaths from lightning strikes are up sharply this year, according to the National Weather Service. Here are some myths about lightning, or avoiding it, and tips on how to actually stay safe.
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Deaths in the U.S. from lightning strikes are up in 2015, compared with recent years. A convertible won't save you. Get inside at the first rumble of thunder, and stay away from plugged-in appliances. -
Professors in Pennsylvania are upset over a new law that requires them to be fingerprinted and undergo thorough background checks. The law came in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. -
Migratory birds and humans have long relied on the odd creatures, and scientists now fear they're on the decline. This time each year, volunteers fan out along Mid-Atlantic coast to count the crabs.
