Pam Fessler
Pam Fessler is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk, where she covers poverty, philanthropy, and voting issues.
In her reporting at NPR, Fessler does stories on homelessness, hunger, affordable housing, and income inequality. She reports on what non-profit groups, the government, and others are doing to reduce poverty and how those efforts are working. Her poverty reporting was recognized with a 2011 First Place National Headliner Award.
Fessler also covers elections and voting, including efforts to make voting more accessible, accurate, and secure. She has done countless stories on everything from the debate over state voter identification laws to Russian hacking attempts and long lines at the polls.
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Fessler became NPR's first Homeland Security correspondent. For seven years, she reported on efforts to tighten security at ports, airports, and borders, and the debate over the impact on privacy and civil rights. She also reported on the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, The 9/11 Commission Report, Social Security, and the Census. Fessler was one of NPR's White House reporters during the Clinton and Bush administrations.
Before becoming a correspondent, Fessler was the acting senior editor on the Washington Desk and NPR's chief election editor. She coordinated all network coverage of the presidential, congressional, and state elections in 1996 and 1998. In her more than 25 years at NPR, Fessler has also been deputy Washington Desk editor and Midwest National Desk editor.
Earlier in her career, she was a senior writer at Congressional Quarterly magazine. Fessler worked there for 13 years as both a reporter and editor, covering tax, budget, and other news. She also worked as a budget specialist at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and was a reporter at The Record newspaper in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Fessler has a master's of public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and a bachelor's degree from Douglass College in New Jersey.
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Transportation safety authorities say they had warned Washington's Metro system to upgrade its old subway cars, but the transit system did not do so. The age of the equipment is one aspect of the investigation into Monday's crash in which one train smashed into the rear of another stationary train. At least nine people were killed.
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DC Central Kitchen, a charity organization, got its start 20 years ago this week by collecting leftover food from the inaugural balls of George H. W. Bush and giving it to the homeless. Now, the group's culinary arts students are doing some of the cooking for this year's inaugural festivities. -
Some problems with voting machines and other issues have come up as voters turn out for the presidential election.
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As floods soak the Midwest states, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it's trying to honor reforms put in place after Hurricane Katrina. These include coordinating more closely with state and local officials for a quicker response.
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Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain had a rally Tuesday in Kenner, La., where he acknowledged that Democratic Barack Obama would be a formidable opponent. McCain previewed his likely campaign mantra that paints him as the experienced candidate compared with Obama's youthfulness.
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Ohio's vote in Tuesday's primary will be crucial, but there could be a delay in getting results. The state is making major changes in the way its residents cast ballots, especially in its most populous county, Cuyahoga. The county is instituting an optical scan paper ballot system, rather than using electronic voting machines.
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The Department of Homeland Security will begin asking people crossing into the U.S. by land for passports or other proof of citizenship. Critics predict confusion and many border-area businesses oppose the idea.
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Only a few primaries have happened so far, but already questions are being raised about the reliability of electronic voting equipment. In New Hampshire, two candidates asked for a recount. In South Carolina, some voting machines didn't start up on time.
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The Department of Homeland Security began to take shape five years ago, merging two dozen agencies and almost 200,000 federal employees. More than $200 billion later, the department faces low morale, missed deadlines and continued concerns about its abilities. -
Intelligence officials told the Senate Homeland Security committee Monday that the U.S. is still at high risk of terrorist attacks. Some aspects of security have been improved, they say, but not enough to justify complacency.
