WNYC
As an assistant producer on the health team at WNYC - NPR's New York City affiliate station - I filled a variety of roles. I reported local health stories for radio, ranging from daily turn-around spots to superspots, features and two-ways. I reported a series of accountability stories on lead poisoning in NYC children, shown below. I also reported and produced an 8-part podcast called Aftereffect, which uses the story of one man with autism to illustrate the failures of the American disability services system. To accompany the podcast, I wrote long-form articles that appeared on WNYC and The Washington Post.
Aftereffect Podcast
WNYC Studios: A SWAT team, an autistic man, an American tragedy.
In the summer of 2016, a police shooting upended the life of Arnaldo Rios Soto, a 26-year old, non-speaking, autistic man. Aftereffect tells Arnaldo's story -- a hidden world of psych wards, physical abuse and chemical restraints -- and asks the question: What made Arnaldo's life go so wrong?
The Washington Post: What happened next to the man with autism whose aide was shot by police
Soto became famous as an illustration of police violence, but nearly two years after the shooting, his story reveals a different problem. People with disabilities are at risk not only of abuse by the police but also by the very systems charged with their care and protection.
Radio Reporting
City Cherry-Picks Numbers to Downplay Lead Exposure in Public Housing
New York City officials say just 19 kids with high lead levels got them from paint in their apartments. But they don't mention all the cases where inspectors have not found a cause of contamination - it's about ten times more.Write here…
NYC Lags in Reinstating Public School Water Fountains After Finding Lead
A year after New York City took thousands of water fountains at public schools out of service due to lead contamination,a WNYC analysis finds only roughly 20 percent have been reopened.
NYC Undercounts Thousands of Children Most At Risk for Lead Exposure
New York City's benchmark for measuring high lead levels in children differs from the federal standard, causing it to undercount thousands of at-risk kids.
Parents Wait for Kids Outside School in Lock Down Following Manhattan Truck Attack
The Halloween Day truck attack in Manhattan occurred in an area with several schools. Concerned parents rushed to the scene when news broke of a terror attack. But they had to wait hours to see their kids, since the schools had gone into lock down. I was at the scene to observe this and speak with them. I then discussed my reporting live on air that evening.
New Yorkers Speak Out In Favor of Controversial Statues
Following the white supremacist rally in summer 2017 in Charlottesville and the national conversation about Confederate monuments, New Yorkers engaged in their own conversation about controversial statues. The mayor created a commission to set forth recommendations about how the city should address this issue. At the first public hearing, many residents urged the city to keep the monuments.