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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Schools, colleges and other public institutions originally had until this week to make online content accessible to people with disabilities. Now, the Justice Department has delayed that deadline. -
Higher education is especially reliant on computers and phones, but accessibility for people with disabilities has often been forgotten. A new federal rule could change that. -
All children, regardless of immigration status, have the right to a free K-12 public education. But without birthright citizenship, access to schools and colleges could get complicated. -
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with the singer-songwriter Bill Callahan about his new album My Days of 58.
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What does the Democratic leader see for himself in the years to come? -
NPR's Scott Detrow talks with Annie Farmer, one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, about what may be in the final release of the Epstein files by the Department of Justice.
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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. -
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Rob Doar, president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Law Center, on his viewing of and reaction to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.
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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.
