Bill Chappell Bill Chappell is a writer and editor on the News Desk in the heart of NPR's newsroom in Washington, D.C.
Stories By

Bill Chappell

Bill Chappell

Reporter, Producer

Bill Chappell is a correspondent and editor, and a leader on NPR's flagship digital news team. He has frequently contributed to NPR's audio and social media platforms, including hosting dozens of live shows online.

He has gone to two Olympics for NPR (Rio and Pyeongchang), focusing on finding the human aspect of sports — and sharing that fascination through text, video and images on NPR's Instagram and other branded accounts. He was also the lead editor for several other Olympic Games.

Because of his contributions, Chappell is also named on NPR's Peabody-award winning team for its Ebola coverage. Years ago, he established the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps' presence on NPR.org, which separately won a Webby Award.

At NPR, Chappell has trained digital and radio staff in how to tell compelling stories online, facilitating collaboration between departments and desks. He was previously NPR.org's homepage editor, and has frequently worked with shows such as Morning Edition, Fresh Air, and All Things Considered.

Prior to NPR, Chappell was an editor on the Assignment Desk at CNN International, handling coverage in areas from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. He also edited and produced stories for CNN.com's features division, and edited video for the CNN Sports Illustrated venture.

Story Archive

Friday

New analysis has found a source of carbon within Europa, Jupiter's moon that is believed to hold massive amounts of liquid water. This view of the moon was created from images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s. NASA/JPL-Caltech hide caption

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NASA/JPL-Caltech

Thursday

Wednesday

Protesters block a street in Yerevan, Armenia's capital, on Wednesday, after a cease-fire was announced between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. Karen Minasyan/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Karen Minasyan/AFP via Getty Images

Simone Biles continues to soar: 10 years after putting elite gymnastics on notice, she's now heading to her sixth World Championships. Biles is seen here during the floor routine at last month's U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Loren Elliott/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Loren Elliott/AFP via Getty Images

Tuesday

An image from a Drug Enforcement Administration affidavit shows a block of fentanyl and a "kilo press" that authorities say they found at a day care where four young children were apparently poisoned — one fatally. Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Screenshot by NPR

Family members embrace freed Americans Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz and Emad Shargi, as well as two returnees whose names have not been released by the U.S. government, who were released in a prisoner swap deal between U.S and Iran, as they arrive at Davison Army Airfield on Tuesday at Fort Belvoir, Va. Jonathan Ernst/AP hide caption

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Jonathan Ernst/AP

Monday

A pilot ejected from an F-35B Lightning II near Charleston, S.C., prompting a search for the advanced fighter jet. The plane is from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501; an F-35 from the squadron is seen here at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, south of Charleston. Lance Cpl. Kyle Baskin/Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort hide caption

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Lance Cpl. Kyle Baskin/Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort

Friday

U.S. rider Sepp Kuss (center) celebrates with teammates winning while crossing the finish line of the 21st and last stage of the 2023 La Vuelta cycling tour of Spain, on Sunday. Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images

Thursday

A surfer watches higher than normal waves crash ashore in Lido Beach, N.Y. on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. Long Island beaches witnessed 8 to 10-foot waves as Hurricane Lee moved toward the New England area. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images hide caption

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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Wednesday

Convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante was "subdued" by a police dog as he tried to crawl away from tactical teams — but by then, he was surrounded, officials said on Wednesday. Chester County District Attorney's Office hide caption

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Chester County District Attorney's Office

Tuesday

Hurricane Lee is expected to speed up its forward motion as it turns more to the north. While its winds will weaken, the large storm will pose flooding and other threats, forecasters say. National Hurricane Center hide caption

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National Hurricane Center

A "river of wine" cascaded down the streets of a small town in Portugal, after two large tanks ruptured at a nearby distillery. _o_cabra_da_peste via X / Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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_o_cabra_da_peste via X / Screenshot by NPR

Monday

This 1:24 scale miniature was used to film pivotal scenes from the first Star Wars film. It's now at the center of a auction of items collected over decades by Greg Jein, a master model-builder for film and TV. Heritage Auctions hide caption

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Heritage Auctions

Saturday

Friday

This satellite image provided by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Lee (right) in the Atlantic Ocean at 4:50 p.m. ET Friday. NOAA via AP hide caption

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NOAA via AP

Thursday

Hurricane Lee formed a well-defined eye wall on Thursday. The storm is seen here in a satellite image from around noon ET Thursday, showing the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico to the west. NOAA/NESDIS/STAR hide caption

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NOAA/NESDIS/STAR

Bruce Springsteen cited symptoms of peptic ulcer disease in taking a break from his international tour. The singer, who says he'll make up the concert dates, is seen here performing in Copenhagen, Denmark, in July. Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

Wednesday

Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill, seen here as prosecutor Creighton Waters makes closing arguments in the Alex Murdaugh trial, is accused of improperly influencing jurors in the high-profile murder case. Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool hide caption

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Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool

Kian Lutu rushed to Maui to help find his grandfather. As people followed his story on social media, they started sending him money through Venmo. Bill Chappell hide caption

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Bill Chappell

Tuesday

Monday

Friday

Thursday

Electrical wires and telephone poles were downed in Lahaina, Hawaii, after the deadly wildfires. Maui County has filed a lawsuit targeting Hawaiian Electric Co., or HECO, and several of its subsidiaries, seeking "punitive and exemplary damages" and to recoup costs and loss of revenue from the fires. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Claire Harbage/NPR

The fire that devastated historic Lahaina in western Maui left a red-roofed house relatively unscathed. Its owner says he wants to open the house to the neighborhood to help the rebuilding process. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images