Ashley Westerman
Ashley Westerman is a producer who occasionally directs the show. Since joining the staff in June 2015, she has produced a variety of stories including a coal mine closing near her hometown, the 2016 Republican National Convention, and the Rohingya refugee crisis in southern Bangladesh. She is also an occasional reporter for Morning Edition, and NPR.org, where she has contributed reports on both domestic and international news.
Ashley was a summer intern in 2011 with Morning Edition and pitched a story on her very first day. She went on to work as a reporter and host for member station 89.3 WRKF in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she earned awards covering everything from healthcare to jambalaya.
Ashley is an East-West Center 2018 Jefferson Fellow and a two-time reporting fellow with the International Center for Journalists. Through ICFJ, she has covered labor issues in her home country of the Philippines for NPR and health care in Appalachia for Voice of America.
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Ukrainian officials claim to have taken Izium, Balakliya and Kupiansk — all of which have been controlled by Russian forces for months. -
Antony Blinken is on a trip to Kyiv, where he visited a children's hospital and met with U.S. Embassy staff. The U.S. announced nearly $3 billion in aid and weapons for Ukraine and other countries. -
The Carpathian Mountains are a wildly popular domestic getaway spot for Ukrainians in the summer. But Russia's invasion has deeply affected the tourism industry there this year.
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Enerhodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov speaks to NPR about the risks of attacks and nuclear disaster with Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant under Russian occupation. -
Russia invaded Ukraine six months ago. In that time, thousands of people have been killed, cities destroyed, millions of people displaced and the Ukrainian economy has been battered. -
Andriy Tuz was at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant when it came under Russian control in March. Now in Switzerland, Tuz talks about work and life at the complex under Russian occupation.
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Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska was criticized for her pose on the cover of the famous fashion magazine. People are coming to her defense to challenge stereotypes about women.
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After Russia's invasion, Ukraine announced martial law in February and issued a travel ban, so most men couldn't leave the country. Many have since felt trapped and worry they'll be drafted to fight.
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Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska was criticized for not looking ladylike in a recent Vogue photoshoot. Her supporters pushed back, creating an online campaign asking what it means to #SitLikeAGirl.
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Kotek won her state's Democratic primary on Tuesday. If she wins the general election later this year, she will become the country's first openly lesbian governor.
