Alan Greenblatt
Alan Greenblatt has been covering politics and government in Washington and around the country for 20 years. He came to NPR as a digital reporter in 2010, writing about a wide range of topics, including elections, housing economics, natural disasters and same-sex marriage.
He was previously a reporter with Governing, a magazine that covers state and local government issues. Alan wrote about education, budgets, economic development and legislative behavior, among other topics. He is the coauthor, with Kevin Smith, of Governing States and Localities, a college-level textbook that is now in its fourth edition.
As a reporter for Congressional Quarterly, he was the inaugural winner of the National Press Club's Sandy Hume Memorial Award for Excellence in Political Journalism, which is given to outstanding reporters under the age of 35. Sadly, he no longer meets that requirement.
Along the way, Alan has contributed articles about politics and culture for numerous publications, including The New York Times, Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is happy to be working for an outlet where he has been able to write about everything from revolutions in the Middle East to antique jazz recordings.
Alan is a graduate of San Francisco State University and holds a master's degree from the University of Virginia.
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A 19-year-old driver fainted, causing his car to cross the center line of a tunnel near Manning, Ore. He was apparently playing a childhood game that involves holding your breath and making a wish.
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Three to six hurricanes are expected to form during the six-month season that begins June 1. That's below average, but NOAA officials emphasized a single storm can make for a bad year.
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A secretive, nocturnal species that lives on a remote island off the coast of Mexico had not been spotted since 1936. Scientists have concluded it is genetically distinct from mainland neighbors.
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A federal judge refused to drop any of the 14 corruption charges against Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen. He also refused a motion to have them tried separately.
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Merriam-Webster has added 150 words to its Collegiate Dictionary, but it forgot to include the "p" in its pronunciation guide to "Yooper" — a term describing people from Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
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The Merriam-Webster dictionary has added more than 150 terms this year, including many from technology. This shows that dictionary editors are becoming more aggressive about reflecting common speech.
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Authorities issued an additional 13,000 evacuation notices Thursday afternoon as a 1,000-acre blaze spread out in several directions. It's one of nine brushfires plaguing the area.
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The Kansas Board of Regents changed social media guidelines put in place last year after a professor sent out an offensive tweet. The new rules have also gotten bad reviews from faculty and media.
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Top earners are usually paid when they stay home sick, but low-income workers are not. That has triggered a debate about fairness and risks to public health when incentives force sick people to work.
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Individualism has always been a strong part of American life, but it's becoming more so these days. People are charting their own courses when it comes to education, the economy and health.