In a note to newsroom staff, Anna Yukhananov, Deputy Washington Editor, Dana Farrington, Deputy Editor, and Krishnadev Calamur, Chief Washington Editor, made the following announcement:
We are delighted to announce that Jason Breslow will be returning to the Washington Desk as a second congressional editor, working alongside Kelsey Snell, but also chipping in on other news as it warrants. He will start Monday, Jan. 13.
Additionally, Danielle Kurtzleben, fresh off the campaign trail where she covered the Republican nominee and his supporters, will move to the White House team where she will cover the Trump administration. She will join the other members of the excellent White House team and their editor, Roberta Rampton.Lexie Schapitl, our desk producer, will split her time between the White House and Congress teams, working with Roberta and Kelsey as a producer and editor.
Ximena Bustillo, who shone with her work covering Donald Trump's New York trials, as well as the election campaign, returns to Washington to take on a new beat. She will be NPR's new Immigration Policy reporter. She will work closely with our colleagues on the National Desk who will continue to cover the impact of immigration laws and policies on the public. She will be edited byAnna Yukhananov.
The Voting team under Ben Swasey takes on an expanded role. They will also cover the federal bureaucracy and how institutions are being challenged and changed by the incoming administration. Hansi Lo Wang will use his experience covering the Census to track data integrity at the Commerce Department's Census and NOAA; Miles Parks will examine security and safety at FEMA and CISA, where he will work closely with Jenna McLaughlin, as well as cover the U.S. Postal Service; Ashley Lopezwill cover poverty policy and work closely with Jennifer Ludden and the National Desk. The overall Voting team will work closely with Andrea Hsuof the Business Desk who covers the federal workforce.
On the Politics team, Don Gonyea will remain in Detroit and will focus specifically on working-class voters. Don has long covered unions – and this is a way for us to cement his expertise and sources during the next four-year cycle as the nation's political forces continue to realign. Sarah McCammon, an expert on religious conservatives, will expand her beat to also report on conservative culture and politics, including the individuals and podcasts who influence the incoming administration. They will both continue to work with their editor, Megan Pratz.
Finally, we're in the process of hiring a General Assignment reporter for the desk, as well as an associate editor for the NPR Politics Podcast. Stay tuned – and Happy New Year!
Cheers, Anna Yukhananov, Dana Farrington & Krishnadev Calamur
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