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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The jobs report for April showed stronger job creation and a four-year low in the unemployment rate, sending stocks soaring. But the monthly numbers, while encouraging, are bound to be revised. That suggests that perhaps we're paying too much attention to them.
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With bourbon sales growing fast, small distillers are looking for ways to get their product to market faster. One Cleveland company has come up with a way to shrink the aging process from years to just days, while also cashing in on the craze for all things local.
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The sequester was supposed to affect nearly all federal programs equally. But with Congress showing it's ready to save the most popular programs, the ultimate effects may not be equitable.
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As George W. Bush's presidential library opens, supporters of the 43rd president are convinced his reputation will improve. For that to happen, historians say, they need to get a look at the documents that the library houses — and that won't happen anytime soon.
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Governors and mayors become the faces of communities coping with events such as natural disasters or mass killings. They have to offer the impression that someone is in charge, despite what may be scant preparation and while dealing with heartbreak themselves.
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The bombing and its aftermath revealed a massive, highly coordinated homeland security apparatus that can organize a mass casualty disaster or lock down a major American city at a moment's notice. Or both.
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With a manhunt underway for a suspect in Monday's bombings, the area in and around Boston has been virtually shut down. Transit isn't running, and most businesses and schools are closed. Most people are safe at home, but many are unnerved.
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The days of made-to-order ice cream are far from over in San Francisco. A small shop that operates out of an old shipping container uses liquid nitrogen to freeze ingredients together in about a minute for an ultra-fresh, ultra-smooth treat.
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It may take runners a long time to erase the memory of bombs exploding right at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, one of the most celebrated races in the world. But many runners say continuing to run offers a small, symbolic way of putting such violence behind them.
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During a time of paralysis in Washington, states are taking the lead on a whole host of issues, from guns and gay marriage to education and tax policy. Of course, not everyone applauds the laws they pass. The Daily Show'sJon Stewart recently called states the "meth laboratories of democracy."