Ari Shapiro

Ari Shapiro reports on the White House for NPR with a focus on national security and legal affairs. His stories appear on all of NPR's newsmagazines, including All Things Considered and Morning Edition, where he is also a frequent guest host. Shapiro began covering the White House in 2010 after five years as NPR's Justice Correspondent, during which time his coverage of Justice Department policies and controversies chronicled one of the most tumultuous periods in the department's history.

The first NPR reporter to be promoted to correspondent before age 30, Shapiro has been recognized with several journalism prizes, including The American Bar Association's Silver Gavel for his coverage of prisoners lost in Louisiana's detention system after Hurricane Katrina; The Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize for his investigation of methamphetamine use and HIV transmission; the Columbia Journalism Review's "laurel" recognition of his investigation into disability benefits for injured veterans; and the American Judges' Association's American Gavel for a body of work reporting on courts and the justice system. He has appeared as a guest analyst on television news programs including The NewsHour, The Rachel Maddow Show and CNN Newsroom.

Shapiro is based in Washington, D.C., where, as NPR's Justice Correspondent, he covered some of the most significant court cases in recent history, including Supreme Court rulings on Guantanamo detainees, the perjury trial of top White House official Lewis "Scooter" Libby and the fraud trial of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. He has also broken stories about the government's evolving approach to counterterrorism, detention and interrogation policies. He investigated abuses of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison and covered the legal proceedings against American soldiers accused of those abuses.

Before covering the Justice Department, Shapiro was NPR's regional reporter in Atlanta and then in Miami. In 2003, he was an NPR reporting fellow at WBUR in Boston.

Shapiro is a magna cum laude graduate of Yale. He began his journalism career in 2001 in the office of NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg. Shapiro was born in Fargo, North Dakota, and grew up in Portland, Oregon.

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Election 2012
4:49 am
Fri September 28, 2012

Voters Comments That Sparked A Debate Are Clarified

Originally published on Fri September 28, 2012 8:29 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Let's follow-up now on a story that prompted some debate among our listeners when it first aired. Here's NPR's Ari Shapiro, who stumbled upon this post-script.

ARI SHAPIRO, BYLINE: When Mitt Romney spoke to the American Legion Conference in Indianapolis last month, thousands of people from across the country were in the audience. I happened to speak with Bobbie Lussier of Virginia, who said this about President Obama...

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It's All Politics
5:29 pm
Thu September 27, 2012

A Second, Chance Interview With Subject Of Controversial First Lady Remarks

Credit Alex Wong / Getty Images
Mitt Romney speaks Thursday at American Legion Post 176 in Springfield, Va.

Originally published on Thu September 27, 2012 6:17 pm

During the Republican National Convention last month, I traveled with Mitt Romney's campaign from Tampa, Fla., to the American Legion conference in Indianapolis.

Romney delivered a speech about foreign affairs and national security. Among the thousands of attendees from around the country, I interviewed one woman from Virginia whose quote sparked a conversation among NPR's audience and staff.

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Presidential Race
4:59 pm
Thu September 27, 2012

Romney Talks Economy, Military Cuts In Virginia

Originally published on Thu September 27, 2012 5:50 pm

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney campaigned with veterans in Northern Virginia on Thursday. And like President Obama, he was in territory that voted for the opposite party four years ago.

Election 2012
4:50 am
Thu September 27, 2012

Obama Campaigns In Battleground Ohio

Originally published on Thu September 27, 2012 7:00 am

Transcript

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene. Renee Montagne is talking with voters in Colorado this morning for our series First and Main.

It is hard to believe but we are finally nearing the end of a presidential campaign that in many ways started back in January 2009.

INSKEEP: Iowa begins early voting today. Other states begin soon, and the presidential candidates are preparing for a final expensive and possibly brutal final act.

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The Message Machine
4:35 pm
Mon September 24, 2012

Colorado Springs Soaks In Triple The Political Ads

Originally published on Tue September 25, 2012 5:11 pm

Second of a two-part series

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Presidential Race
3:26 am
Mon September 24, 2012

Ads Slice Up Swing States With Growing Precision

Originally published on Tue September 25, 2012 9:08 am

It's All Politics
5:26 pm
Mon September 17, 2012

Obama, Romney In Tug Of War Over China Trade

Credit Alexander F. Yuan / AP
Shipping containers sit at a port in Tianjin, China, on Feb. 28.

Originally published on Sun October 21, 2012 6:04 pm

President Obama kicked off the week in the battleground state of Ohio, where he spent much of the time Monday talking about China.

His administration filed a new trade complaint against China with the World Trade Organization on Monday. The White House is challenging Chinese subsidies for auto parts.

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Election 2012
5:01 am
Mon September 17, 2012

Romney Tries To Appeal To Hispanic Voters

Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 9:52 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Mitt Romney is here in Los Angeles today, where he'll be interviewed on Telemundo and then give a speech to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Later this week, he'll be in Miami for a forum on Univision TV. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports on Romney's latest attempt to woo skeptical Hispanic voters.

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Presidential Race
5:45 am
Thu September 13, 2012

Attacks Move Foreign Policy To Center Of Campaign

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And the attacks in Libya and elsewhere in the Arab world come in the midst of a presidential campaign. It became, in effect, a test of leadership for both the president and his Republican challenger. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports.

ARI SHAPIRO, BYLINE: President Obama learned Wednesday morning that Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other diplomats were killed in the Libyan city of Benghazi. When he spoke in the White House Rose Garden hours later, he didn't mention politics.

(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)

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It's All Politics
4:25 pm
Tue September 11, 2012

Reporter's Pledge-Of-Allegiance Quandary Sparks Twitter Debate On Romney Trail

Credit Charles Dharapak / AP
Attendees at Monday's Mitt Romney rally in Mansfield, Ohio, recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Originally published on Tue September 11, 2012 4:34 pm

Mitt Romney's rally in Mansfield, Ohio, on Monday began the way every political event begins. "Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and our country's national anthem."

This is always an uncomfortable moment for me. While I sat at my laptop, most of the reporters around me stood and put their hands over their hearts. This time instead of just sitting and working, I tweeted what I was feeling:

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