Jonaki Mehta
Jonaki Mehta is an LA-based NPR correspondent covering education with a focus on students with learning differences. Mehta has covered discrimination against students with disabilities, the benefits of integrating disabled students into general education classrooms, and the integral role federal dollars play in rural school communities.
Before joining NPR's Education Desk, Mehta was a producer for All Things Considered. She has covered breaking news stories around the country about reproductive rights, hurricanes, deadly wildfires, and mass protests. She was part of the award-winning team that told stories from Taiwan, exploring issues of identity as the island faced a consequential election. She also produced stories in Ukraine in the days leading up to Russia's invasion. As the show's west-coast producer, she covered nature, culture, and music across California — including as a founding member of the show's "First-time Grammy nominees" series.
Mehta attended undergrad at UCLA where she found her love for radio stories, hosting a news and culture talk-show. She has worked for Marketplace, LAist, and a number of publications as a freelance producer and reporter. She was once a kindergarten teacher in Oakland, California, which instilled in her the utmost respect for educators.
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What does the Democratic leader see for himself in the years to come? -
Destin Conrad went from teen social media star to a musician touring the world on some of its biggest stages. In 2025, he put out both an R&B and jazz album and earned his first Grammy nomination. -
Vocalist Michael Mayo reached new heights through his latest album Fly, with the project earning the crooner his first Grammy nominations of his career. -
The fictional band HUNTR/X from the hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters went from a group no one had ever heard of to one of the biggest pop acts of 2025. Now they have five Grammy nominations. -
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to comedian Aparna Nancherla about her return to the stage with her first full-length comedy special, Hopeful Potato, and the mental health challenges that kept her away.
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Renowned comic journalist Joe Sacco on how a 2013 conflict between Hindus and Muslims in India became a window into the stories people tell about violence, identity, and belonging
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NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Jennifer Lopez, star of the movie musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, about her performance and how it makes her think about her own legacy.
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In her new memoir, author and journalist Beth Macy returns to her hometown of Urbana, Ohio to learn how it changed from a stable working- and middle-class community to a town struggling with poverty.
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House of Nanking has long been known for simple and fresh homestyle multi-regional Chinese food. Now, Peter and Kathy Fang are sharing their story and culinary secrets in a new cookbook. -
For the first time ever, a non-Champagne has won a prestigious international award for best sparkling wine. Ari Shapiro talks with head winemaker of England's Nyetimber, Cherie Spriggs, about the win.
