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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A Boeing engineer filed an ethics complaint last year accusing the company of rejecting 737 Max safety upgrades. Meanwhile, the FAA has ordered airlines to inspect other 737s for structural cracks.
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The National Transportation Safety Board says Boeing underestimated how pilots would respond to a failure of automated software in the 737 MAX. Two of the jets crashed killing a total of 346 people.
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Boeing's board of directors is recommending changes to safety protocols after two 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people. The changes come as Boeing settles some lawsuits filed by victims' families.
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Twice a year, on the fall and spring equinoxes, the sun sets perfectly framed by Chicago's skyscrapers. The perhaps unintended phenomenon takes its name from England's ancient monument Stonehenge. -
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. -
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. -
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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The company is still producing about 50 737 Max planes per month. This week, it unveiled software fixes and other improvements for the fleet as it tried to reassure the public that they are safe. -
Boeing invited members of the media, airlines, regulators and pilots to Washington state in a bid to assure them that the 737 Max is safe to fly. The aircraft were grounded after two deadly crashes.
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Boeing is giving updates on the software fix to it's troubled 737 Max jets in a bid to get the plane back in the air.
