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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Families Impacted By Boeing 737 Max Crashes Give Emotional TestimonyFamilies of some of the 346 people killed in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max airplanes on Wednesday gave emotional testimony to a congressional committee investigating the now grounded planes.
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The Federal Aviation Administration found a new problem in Boeing's Max plane last month, so it will likely be several more months before the troubled plane is certified to fly passengers again. -
Southwest, American and United Airlines have already pulled the aircraft from their schedules through Labor Day weekend. Two of the planes crashed within five months, killing hundreds of people. -
Boeing got a big vote of confidence in its troubled 737 Max. A European airlines group has inked a deal to buy 200 of the jets. But the troubles are far from over.
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Airlines say a record number of people will fly this summer so TSA is working to keep checkpoint lines moving. But the travel industry worries a plan to move agents to border security could increase wait times.
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More than 300 of the planes, including some of the grounded Max versions, may have flawed parts on their wings. The problem is not considered something that could lead to a crash. -
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration hinted it could recertify the plane to fly passengers again by as soon as late June, but he would not commit to a timetable. -
Global aviation safety officials are meeting in Fort Worth to discuss how they will certify Boeing's 737 Max as airworthy and how soon the troubled plane can fly again. -
The grounding of one of Boeing's most popular planes has Southwest, American and United canceling some summer flights — fares may go up for travelers affected.
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Boeing says it has completed development of a software fix for its trouble 737 Max planes, addressing a flight control system that investigators have implicated in two recent deadly crashes.
