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Tanya Ballard Brown Tanya Ballard Brown is an editor for NPR. She joined the organization in 2008.
Tanya Ballard Brown
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Tanya Ballard Brown

Tanya Ballard Brown

Editor

Tanya Ballard Brown is an editor for NPR. She joined the organization in 2008.

As an editor, Tanya brainstorms and develops digital features; collaborates with radio editors and reporters to create compelling digital content that complements radio reports; manages digital producers and interns; and, edits stories appearing on NPR.org. Tanya also writes blog posts, commentaries and book reviews, has served as acting supervising editor for Digital Arts, Books and Entertainment; edited for Talk of the Nation and Tell Me More; and filed on-air news reports. She also has laughed loudly on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast and Facebook Live segments.

Projects Tanya has worked on include Abused and Betrayed: People With Intellectual Disabilities And An Epidemic of Sexual Assault; Months After Pulse Shooting: 'There Is A Wound On The Entire Community'; Staving Off Eviction; Stuck in the Middle: Work, Health and Happiness at Midlife; Teenage Diaries Revisited; School's Out: The Cost of Dropping Out (video); Americandy: Sweet Land Of Liberty; Living Large: Obesity In America; the Cities Project; Farm Fresh Foods; Dirty Money; Friday Night Lives, and WASP: Women With Wings In WWII.

Tanya is former editor for investigative and longterm projects at washingtonpost.com and during her tenure there coordinated with the print and digital newsrooms to develop multimedia content. She has also been a reporter or editor at GovExec.com/Government Executive magazine, The Tennessean in Nashville and the (Greensboro) News & Record.

In her free time, Tanya fronts a band filled with other NPR staffers, sings show tunes, dances randomly in the middle of the newsroom, takes acting and improv classes, teaches at Georgetown University, does storytelling performances, and dreams of being a bass player. Or Sarah Vaughan. Whichever comes first.

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Story Archive

President Trump Doesn't Need To Release His Tax Returns — For Now

A federal appeals court has granted President Trump a temporary stay of decision, saying he does not have to turn over eight years of tax records for a New York state criminal probe. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

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Evan Vucci/AP

Politics

President Trump Doesn't Need To Release His Tax Returns — For Now

A federal appeals court has granted President Trump a temporary stay of decision, saying he does not have to turn over eight years of tax records for a New York state criminal probe.

'I Hate Myself,' Former Dallas Police Officer Who Killed Neighbor Tells Jurors

Fired Dallas police officer Amber Guyger becomes emotional as she testifies in her murder trial on Friday. She told police she thought that her neighbor's apartment was her own and that he was an intruder. Tom Fox/AP hide caption

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Tom Fox/AP

National

'I Hate Myself,' Former Dallas Police Officer Who Killed Neighbor Tells Jurors

In her first public comments about the shooting, Amber Guyger says she was scared Botham Jean was going to kill her when she shot him in his home last September.

Second Parent Sentenced In College Admissions Scandal

Devin Sloane (right) arrives at federal court in Boston on Tuesday for sentencing in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal. Sloane admitted to paying $250,000 to get his son into the University of Southern California as a fake water polo player. Elise Amendola/AP hide caption

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Elise Amendola/AP

National

Second Parent Sentenced In College Admissions Scandal

Devin Sloane was sentenced to four months in prison and must pay a $95,000 fine and perform 500 hours of community service. He spent $250,000 to get his son accepted into college as a fake athlete.

Fate Of Fetal Remains Unclear As Investigation Continues In Indiana

A few dozen anti-abortion activists gathered outside the coroner's office in Will County, Ill., on Thursday, to pray and call for formal burial of the remains. Sarah McCammon/NPR hide caption

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Sarah McCammon/NPR

National

Fate Of Fetal Remains Unclear As Investigation Continues In Indiana

More than 2,200 medically preserved fetal remains were found at the home of a recently deceased former abortion provider. The discovery has led to calls for the remains to be formally buried.

Fate Of Fetal Remains Unclear As Investigation Continues In Indiana

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GM, Union Officials Prepare For Contract Talks Amid Plant Closings And FBI Probes

United Auto Workers President Gary Jones speaks in Detroit on July 16. The FBI is investigating allegations that Jones and other UAW officials accepted bribes. Paul Sancya/AP hide caption

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Paul Sancya/AP

National

GM, Union Officials Prepare For Contract Talks Amid Plant Closings And FBI Probes

Michigan Radio

General Motors and the United Auto Workers sit down soon to negotiate a new contract. Recession fears and slowing sales are concerns, along with allegations of corruption among UAW leaders.

There's A Continued Uptick In Violent Crime, According To Federal Survey
Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag

Criminal Justice Collaborative

There's A Continued Uptick In Violent Crime, According To Federal Survey

The federal government on Tuesday released the annual National Crime Victimization Survey. The 2018 data show a big jump in reports of sexual assault and rape.

There's A Continued Uptick In Violent Crime, According To Federal Survey

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Jury Selection Set To Begin In Case Of Ex-Dallas Cop Who Killed Black Neighbor

Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger fatally shot an unarmed black neighbor whose apartment she said she entered by mistake, believing it to be her own. AP hide caption

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AP

Criminal Justice Collaborative

Jury Selection Set To Begin In Case Of Ex-Dallas Cop Who Killed Black Neighbor

The defense team for the white former Dallas police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black neighbor last September is expected to argue she was defending herself and the killing was a mistake.

Jury Selection Begins For Ex-Dallas Police Officer Who Shot Man In His Own Home

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No Charges For Minneapolis Police Officers In June Shooting Fatality

A memorial for Thomas Blevins Jr. was set up on June 25 in the alley where he was shot and killed two days earlier by Minneapolis police. On Monday, the district attorney announced he would not be charging the officers in Blevins' death. Youssef Rddad/AP hide caption

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Youssef Rddad/AP

Criminal Justice Collaborative

No Charges For Minneapolis Police Officers In June Shooting Fatality

Thurman Blevins was killed on June 23 by two police officers. On Monday, the district attorney said there was "no basis to issue criminal charges" against them for shooting the armed suspect.

Indiana Attorney General Calls For Investigation Into Groping Accusations Against Him

Four women, including a state lawmaker, have accused Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill of sexual misconduct. Hill denies the charges and has called for an investigation. Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Bloomberg via Getty Images

National

Indiana Attorney General Calls For Investigation Into Groping Accusations Against Him

WFYI Public Radio

Three legislative staffers and a state lawmaker say Curtis Hill groped them at a party in March. The governor and state legislative leaders have called for him to step down. Hill says he won't quit.

Black Oregon Lawmaker Says Police Were Called As She Knocked On Constituents' Doors

Oregon state Rep. Janelle Bynum poses with the Clackamas County sheriff's deputy who responded to a call from someone who said Bynum was casing the neighborhood. The legislator said she was going door to door talking to constituents. Janelle Bynum/AP hide caption

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Janelle Bynum/AP

National

Black Oregon Lawmaker Says Police Were Called As She Knocked On Constituents' Doors

Democratic state Rep. Janelle Bynum was visiting voters in her district on July 3. The legislator says one of them thought she was casing the neighborhood and called law enforcement.

U.K. Police Investigating 2 New Cases Of Deadly Nerve Agent Poisoning

The U.K.'s head of Counter Terrorism Policing Neil Basu (right) and the chief medical officer for England Dame Sally Davies, speak at a news conference at New Scotland Yard in London on Wednesday. British police say a couple who are critically ill were exposed to the Russian nerve agent Novichok. John Stillwell/AP hide caption

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John Stillwell/AP

Europe

U.K. Police Investigating 2 New Cases Of Deadly Nerve Agent Poisoning

Police in Britain say two people have been exposed to Novichok, the same nerve agent that poisoned former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in March.

U.K. Police Investigating 2 New Cases Of Deadly Nerve Agent Poisoning

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Trump Administration: Migrant Families Can Be Detained For More Than 20 Days

People demonstrate in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, demanding an end to the separation of migrant children from their parents. On Friday, the Justice Department said in a court filing that "the government will not separate families but detain families together during the pendency of immigration proceedings." Nicholas Kamm /AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Nicholas Kamm /AFP/Getty Images

National

Trump Administration: Migrant Families Can Be Detained For More Than 20 Days

Now that a judge has ordered a stop to separating families, the Justice Department says it can hold families caught illegally crossing the border until their immigration proceedings are resolved.

Maryland Newsroom Shooting That Left 5 Dead Was 'Targeted Attack'

Police officers respond to a shooting at the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Md., on Thursday. Greg Savoy/Reuters hide caption

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Greg Savoy/Reuters

National

Maryland Newsroom Shooting That Left 5 Dead Was 'Targeted Attack'

The suspect, identified as Jarrod W. Ramos, 38, reportedly has had a long-standing feud with The Capital newspaper for its coverage of a 2011 criminal harassment complaint against him.

Maryland Newsroom Shooting That Left 5 Dead Was 'Targeted Attack'

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Trump Cancels Summit, North Korean Leaders Leave Door Open For Talks

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in walk together after a tree-planting ceremony at the truce village of Panmunjom on April 27. Korea Summit Press Pool via/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Korea Summit Press Pool via/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Trump Cancels Summit, North Korean Leaders Leave Door Open For Talks

President Trump's scuttling of a meeting with North Korea's leader caused South Korean President Moon Jae-in to call an emergency meeting of his advisers. North Korean officials still want to meet.

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