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Becky Sullivan

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Becky Sullivan
Becky Sullivan/NPR

Becky Sullivan

Reporter, News Desk

Becky Sullivan has reported and produced for NPR since 2011 with a focus on hard news and breaking stories. She has been on the ground to cover natural disasters, disease outbreaks, elections and protests, delivering stories to both broadcast and digital platforms.

In January 2020, she traveled to Tehran to help cover the assassination and funeral of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani, work that made NPR a Pulitzer finalist that year. Her work covering the death of Breonna Taylor won an Edward R. Murrow Award for Hard News.

Sullivan has spoken to armed service members in Afghanistan on the anniversary of Sept. 11, reported from a military parade in Pyongyang for coverage of the regime of Kim Jong-Un, visited hospitals and pregnancy clinics in Colombia to cover the outbreak of Zika and traveled Haiti to report on the aftermath of natural disasters. She's also reported from around the U.S., including Hurricane Michael in Florida and the mass shooting in San Bernardino.

She previously worked as a producer for All Things Considered, where she regularly led the broadcast and produced high-profile newsmaker interviews. Sullivan led NPR's special coverage of the 2018 midterm elections, multiple State of the Union addresses and other special and breaking news coverage.

Originally a Kansas Citian, Sullivan also regularly brings coverage of the Midwest and Great Plains region to NPR.

Story Archive

Tuesday

Friday

From California to Capitol Hill, tributes to Dianne Feinstein flood in after her death

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California who was first elected in 1992, died Thursday at the age of 90. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Politics

From California to Capitol Hill, tributes to Dianne Feinstein flood in after her death

Leaders in the House and the Senate paused from the race to avert a government shutdown to remember Feinstein, the California Democrat who was longest-serving woman to ever sit in the U.S. Senate.

Thursday

250 million is the new 40: Mammals may already be halfway done on Earth, study finds

A new study in the journal Nature Geoscience predicts that 250 million years from now, a supercontinent formed around the equator will be too hot for mammals to survive. Jean-Philippe Ksiazek/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Jean-Philippe Ksiazek/AFP via Getty Images

Research News

250 million is the new 40: Mammals may already be halfway done on Earth, study finds

The future is always hard to predict, especially millions of years from now. But researchers found that a future supercontinent centered around the tropics may be tough for mammals to survive.

Tuesday

National

New York firefighters continue to lose lives from 9/11 illnesses

Two recent deaths of New York City firefighters from 9/11-related illnesses brought the total to 343, matching the FDNY's death toll from 9/11.

New York firefighters continue to lose lives from 9/11 illnesses

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Monday

FDNY deaths from 9/11-related illnesses now equal the number killed on Sept. 11

On Sept. 11, 2001, 343 firefighters and paramedics were killed, most when the towers collapsed. Now, an equal number have died from 9/11-related illnesses, the FDNY says. Pool/Getty Images hide caption

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Pool/Getty Images

National

FDNY deaths from 9/11-related illnesses now equal the number killed on Sept. 11

Two recent deaths brought the total to 343, matching the death toll from Sept. 11, the FDNY said. Some 11,000 former and current FDNY employees suffer from 9/11-related illnesses, 3,500 with cancer.

FDNY deaths from 9/11-related illnesses now equal the number killed on Sept. 11

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Friday

A Taylor Swift Instagram post helped drive a surge in voter registration

Taylor Swift on the first night of her Eras tour, pictured earlier this year. The artist has often encouraged her fans to register to vote. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images

Politics

A Taylor Swift Instagram post helped drive a surge in voter registration

More than 35,000 new voters registered at Vote.org after the singer posted a link on her Instagram Stories. "I've heard you raise your voices, and I know how powerful they are," Swift wrote.

Thursday

As Ukraine's war drags on and a D.C. shutdown looms, Zelenskyy makes his case for aid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in the U.S. Capitol Thursday alongside House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Politics

As Ukraine's war drags on and a D.C. shutdown looms, Zelenskyy makes his case for aid

In a visit to Washington, the Ukrainian leader faces a small but growing chorus of skepticism at new funding for the war, as $24 billion of aid hangs in limbo ahead of a possible government shutdown.

Wednesday

What to know about the tensions between Canada and India over the killing of a Sikh

Security personnel outside the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi. Both India and Canada have expelled a diplomat as part of escalating tensions over the death of a Sikh activist in British Columbia in June. Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images

World

What to know about the tensions between Canada and India over the killing of a Sikh

Canada says India is linked to the June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent activist for the creation of a Sikh homeland in India. India considered Nijjar a terrorist but denies involvement.

Friday

Yes, Puerto Rican licenses are valid in the U.S., Hertz reminds its employees

Hertz has apologized and rewritten company policy after a Puerto Rican man was denied a rental car despite showing his valid U.S. driver's license. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Olson/Getty Images

Business

Yes, Puerto Rican licenses are valid in the U.S., Hertz reminds its employees

A Puerto Rican man was denied a car rental at a Hertz location at the New Orleans airport where employees apparently believed his driver's license was from outside the U.S. Hertz has since apologized.

Thursday

Tuesday

E. Jean Carroll aims to expand defamation lawsuit against Trump, seeking $10 million

Writer E. Jean Carroll leaves a Manhattan courthouse earlier this month after a jury found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Law

E. Jean Carroll aims to expand defamation lawsuit against Trump, seeking $10 million

Earlier this month, a jury found the former president liable for sexual abusing Carroll at a department store in the mid-1990s. The day after the verdict, Trump again denied the allegations on CNN.

Thursday

Penguin Random House and 5 authors are suing a Florida school board over book bans

Penguin Random House, the largest publisher in the U.S., has sued a Florida county school board over its decisions to ban and restrict access to books. Joining the lawsuit are five authors, two parents of students and the advocacy group PEN America. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Law

Penguin Random House and 5 authors are suing a Florida school board over book bans

Officials in Escambia County, Fla., removed 10 books from school libraries and restricted access to more than 150 others. Writers' advocacy group PEN America calls the lawsuit the first of its kind.

Penguin Random House and 5 authors are suing a Florida school board over book bans

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Wednesday

The abortion pill mifepristone has another day in federal court

On Wednesday, a federal appeals court heard arguments over access to mifepristone, a drug commonly used in a two-pill regimen to provide abortion and miscarriage care. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

The abortion pill mifepristone has another day in federal court

While a Supreme Court order continues to ensure the drug is still widely available, the issue returned Wednesday to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals as lawyers for both sides urged the court to act.

Beyond the 'abortion pill': Real-life experiences of individuals taking mifepristone

Since it was first approved for use in 2000, mifepristone has been used by millions of women to provide abortions and manage miscarriages. Gracey Zhang for NPR hide caption

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Gracey Zhang for NPR

Shots - Health News

Beyond the 'abortion pill': Real-life experiences of individuals taking mifepristone

Ahead of oral arguments in a federal appeals court over access to mifepristone, more than 150 people shared stories with NPR about how they used the medication — and how it changed their lives.

Beyond the 'abortion pill': Real-life experiences of individuals taking mifepristone

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Tuesday

All Things Considered

People who took mifepristone share their stories

Mifepristone, sometimes known as the abortion pill, is the center of a legal battle underway this week. Some of the people who have taken it share their stories.

People who took mifepristone share their stories

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Tuesday

A jury finds Trump liable for battery and defamation in E. Jean Carroll trial

E. Jean Carroll (center) departs the Manhattan courthouse where a jury awarded her $5 million after finding former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing her in the mid-1990s. Seth Wenig/AP hide caption

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Seth Wenig/AP

Law

A jury finds Trump liable for battery and defamation in E. Jean Carroll trial

Jurors believed that Carroll's allegation of sexual abuse in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s was more likely true than not. They awarded her $5 million in total damages.

Thursday

Thursday

He played more than 1,100 minor league games, and finally made an emotional MLB debut

After more than 1,100 minor league games, Drew Maggi of the Pittsburgh Pirates made his Major League debut on Wednesday. Joe Sargent/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Sports

He played more than 1,100 minor league games, and finally made an emotional MLB debut

The picture of a baseball journeyman, Drew Maggi had seen 4,500 plate appearances in places like Charleston, Tulsa, Little Rock and Altoona, Pa., before finally getting his big-league shot Wednesday.

Bud Light sales dip after trans promotion, but such boycotts are often short-lived

Bud Light is under fire from conservatives on social media for a promotion with a trans influencer. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for GLAAD hide caption

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Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for GLAAD

Business

Bud Light sales dip after trans promotion, but such boycotts are often short-lived

Bud Light, under fire from conservatives on social media for a promotion with a trans influencer, has seen its sales slip. But studies of other boycotts showed that negative impacts didn't last long.

Friday

Tuesday

2 shootings at mistaken addresses renew the focus on controversial self-defense laws

A police officer drives past the Kansas City home where 16-year-old Ralph Yarl was shot last week. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption

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Charlie Riedel/AP

Law

2 shootings at mistaken addresses renew the focus on controversial self-defense laws

Stand your ground laws have proliferated in the years since the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the Black teenager killed in 2012. Research shows the laws have led to an increase in firearm homicides.

2 shootings at mistaken addresses renew the focus on controversial self-defense laws

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Monday

After days of outrage over the shooting of a Black teen, officials charge the gunman

Ralph Yarl, 16, was shot and wounded by a homeowner after accidentally going to the wrong house to pick up his younger siblings in Kansas City, Mo. Lee Merritt via Reuters hide caption

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Lee Merritt via Reuters

National

After days of outrage over the shooting of a Black teen, officials charge the gunman

Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior, was shot by a white homeowner after he went to the wrong address to pick up his brothers. The shooter was charged on Monday after criticism over delays.

Friday

The pharmaceutical industry urges courts to preserve access to abortion pill

A patient prepares to take mifepristone during a visit to an abortion provider in Kansas City, Kan., in October. A federal judge's preliminary injunction invalidating the FDA's approval of the common abortion medication could have far-reaching effects if it's allowed to stand. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption

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Charlie Riedel/AP

Health

The pharmaceutical industry urges courts to preserve access to abortion pill

As the debate over mifepristone makes its way to the Supreme Court, the pharmaceutical industry has raised concerns that ruling against the FDA could chill the development of new drugs.

The pharmaceutical industry urges courts to preserve access to abortion pill

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Thursday

Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to restore full access to abortion pill

In this 2018 photo, mifepristone and misoprostol pills are provided at a Carafem clinic for medication abortions in Skokie, Ill. Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images hide caption

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Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Law

Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to restore full access to abortion pill

The Justice Department is seeking emergency relief from the U.S. Supreme Court in a Texas case involving limited access to the abortion drug mifepristone.

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