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

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Tanya Ballard Brown

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

Projects Tanya has worked on include 19th Amendment: 'A Start, Not A Finish' For Suffrage (video); Being Black in America; 'They Still Take Pictures With Them As If The Person's Never Passed'; 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.

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'We've Got A Steep Road Ahead': Americans Focus On The Future

President Biden delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the 46th president. Patrick Semansky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Patrick Semansky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Inauguration Day: Live Updates

'We've Got A Steep Road Ahead': Americans Focus On The Future

January 20, 2021 • During his inaugural address, President Biden spoke of renewal, resolve and the will of the people. Across the nation, there was a feeling of cautious optimism.

NPR

Tell Us: What Will Your New 'Normal' Look Like?

April 30, 2020 • As states consider gradually loosening stay-at-home orders, tell us what you plan to do. Our reporters may contact you for a story featured on NPR.

A Comedian Coughed — And Came Up With 'Coronavirus Rhapsody'

Comedian Dana Jay Bein's parody, "Coronavirus Rhapsody," began with a cough on a couch. Courtesy of Dana Jay Bein hide caption

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Courtesy of Dana Jay Bein

A Comedian Coughed — And Came Up With 'Coronavirus Rhapsody'

April 3, 2020 • A cough on his couch led comedian Dana Jay Bein to write the parody song "Coronavirus Rhapsody." Then he tweeted it — and the Internet took it from there.

Tell Us About Trying To Get Tested For The Coronavirus

Health care professionals screen people at a testing site organized by the Maryland National Guard in a parking lot at FedEx Field on Monday in Landover, Md. Andrew Cabellero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Andrew Cabellero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

The Coronavirus Crisis

Tell Us About Trying To Get Tested For The Coronavirus

March 31, 2020 • Experts have said that testing is essential to controlling the coronavirus pandemic. Tell us your experiences trying to access testing for the coronavirus.

Social Distancing Or Quarantined: How Are You Spending Your Time?

Katherine Du/NPR

The Coronavirus Crisis

Social Distancing Or Quarantined: How Are You Spending Your Time?

March 16, 2020 • As you're working from home or under quarantine, what are you doing to cope and entertain yourself or your family?

Hero Killed In UNC-Charlotte Shooting Immortalized As 'Star Wars' Jedi

University of North Carolina, Charlotte student Riley Howell was hailed by police as a hero for tackling a gunman who opened fire in a classroom in April. Matthew Westmoreland/AP hide caption

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Matthew Westmoreland/AP

National

Hero Killed In UNC-Charlotte Shooting Immortalized As 'Star Wars' Jedi

December 25, 2019 • Riley Howell, who died saving his classmates from a gunman last April, was a Star Wars fan. Now he is a part of the Star Wars universe.

Songwriter Allee Willis, Whose Work Spanned 'Friends' And 'The Color Purple,' Dies

Songwriter Allee Willis attends PAWS/LA presents An Evening of Comedy and Kitsch at Avalon in 2012 in Hollywood. Brian To/WireImage hide caption

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Brian To/WireImage

Music

Songwriter Allee Willis, Whose Work Spanned 'Friends' And 'The Color Purple,' Dies

December 25, 2019 • Willis, 72, also worked with Earth, Wind & Fire. She says she learned from the band's Maurice White to "never let the lyric get in the way of the groove."

Why We Celebrate Thanksgiving On The 4th Thursday Of November

Roosevelt celebrates Thanksgiving with polio patients at the Warm Springs Foundation for Infantile Paralysis Sufferers on the Friday after the national holiday in 1938. Bettmann/Corbis/AP hide caption

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Bettmann/Corbis/AP

History

Why We Celebrate Thanksgiving On The 4th Thursday Of November

November 28, 2019 • There is an explanation, but you have to go back to things decreed by Presidents Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt (FDR, that is).

Prince Memoir, 'The Beautiful Ones,' Brings To Life A Vision In One's Mind

Penguin Random House

Review

Book Reviews

Prince Memoir, 'The Beautiful Ones,' Brings To Life A Vision In One's Mind

October 27, 2019 • You won't get a full picture of Prince from this book, but it does manage to pierce through some of the mystery the renowned artist purposely cultivated around and about himself.

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

October 7, 2019 • 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

September 27, 2019 • 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

September 24, 2019 • 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

September 19, 2019 • 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

September 12, 2019 • 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.