Liz Baker
Liz Baker is a producer on NPR's National Desk based in Los Angeles, and is often on the road producing coverage of domestic breaking news stories.
Since joining NPR as an Arts Desk intern in 2010, Baker has worked on each of NPR's newsmagazine programs and dozens of hours of special coverage, including every election night and inauguration special since President Obama's second term. She has covered natural and man-made disasters, including Hurricanes Maria, Ida, and Ian, the catastrophic 2019-2020 wildfire seasons in California, Oregon, and Australia, and the Surfside condo collapse in Florida. She also covered mass shootings in Buffalo, NY, Uvalde, TX, and Monterey Park, CA, and high-profile court cases such as the hate crime and murder trial against Ahmaud Arbery's killers in Brunswick, GA, Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault trial in Los Angeles, and Britney Spears' conservatorship hearing.
In 2020, Baker produced on-the-ground coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the summer of racial justice protests following the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. She reported extensively on the protests in her hometown of Rochester, NY, which were sparked by police body camera video of Daniel Prude's death and contributed to renewed conversations about policing reform and mental illness.
From 2015 to 2019, Baker produced and directed Weekend All Things Considered; working closely with host Michel Martin to revitalize the program after its move to Washington, D.C. following a 2-year run in Los Angeles.
In her spare time, she enjoys climbing, camping, and clomping around the Santa Monica mountains with a too-heavy pack, always ready to lend first aid and snacks to others on the trail.
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Residents in Asheville, N.C., got their first supplies of water Monday, days after the remnants of Hurricane Helene blitzed the mountainous region with rain, wind and floods that killed dozens.
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In western North Carolina, officials are struggling to rescue people following Tropical Storm Helene. Many are without power, water systems are offline and cell service is down.
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A new app is gaining popularity in Western states with major wildfire risk. It's staffed in part by volunteers who listen in on first responder radio frequencies.
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A big protest marked the beginning of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. But by the end of the week, the mood had changed to focus on the RNC's effect on the local community.
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Want to see the most vibrant wildflowers in SoCal? Find out where to go via a weekly hotline that has been providing wildflower reports for over 40 years, voiced by actor Joe Spano.
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NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Sergio Martínez- Beltrán, political reporter for The Texas Newsroom, about the impeachment trial Attorney General Ken Paxton faces with charges including bribery.
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In Los Angeles, lots of people spent the last couple of days anxious about the arrival of Tropical Storm Hilary. Here's a look at what Southern California expected, versus what it experienced.
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The rape and sexual assault case against Harvey Weinstein opened in Los Angeles Monday. Prosecutors described violent encounters between Weinstein and eight key witnesses from 2004 to 2013.
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After the hurricane damaged the only bridge, the only way to get to Pine Island is by private boat. Residents are returning to salvage what remains of their homes.
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As Hurricane Ian's eye moves closer to the Florida gulf coast, millions of residents have been told to evacuate. Forecasters say Ian will bring winds, a storm surge and tornadoes as it comes ashore.