Ina Jaffe

Ina Jaffe is a National desk correspondent based at NPR West, NPR's production center in Culver City, Calif.

Covering California and the West, Jaffe has reported on nearly all of the major news events, elections, and natural disasters in the region. Currently, she covers issues related to aging. She also reports on regional and national politics, contributing election coverage in 2008, 2010, and 2012.

In addition to captivating and informing listeners, Jaffe's reports have garnered critical acclaim. In 2012, her series on rising violence in California State Psychiatric Hospitals was honored with a Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media as well as awards from Investigative Reporters and Editors and the American Bar Association. Her three-part series on California's Three Strikes sentencing law won the ABA's Silver Gavel Award in 2010, as well as the Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists. For her coverage of California politics, Jaffe received two California Journalism Awards for reporting on minority political power in Los Angeles and the historic recall election that made Arnold Schwarzenegger governor.

Before moving to Los Angeles, Jaffe was the first editor of Weekend Edition Saturday with Scott Simon which made its debut in 1985. As Weekend Edition Saturday editor, Jaffe shared a 1988 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for the report "A State of Emergency" which covered racial conflict in Philadelphia.

Born in Chicago, Jaffe attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and DePaul University receiving Bachelor's and Master's degrees in philosophy, respectively.

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1:21am

Wed May 1, 2013
Your Money

Automatic-Enrollment IRAs Get A Test Run In California

Originally published on Wed May 1, 2013 8:51 am

Credit iStockphoto.com

With all of the controversy over entitlement reform, there's one thing both sides can agree on: Social Security alone does not provide enough money for a comfortable retirement. For these workers, the Obama administration is proposing automatically enrolling workers in IRAs through their employers.

California adopted a version of this last year. Democratic state Sen. Kevin de Leon sponsored the bill to automatically enroll workers in an individual retirement account. The inspiration, he says, was his Aunt Francisca, who's 74.

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2:25pm

Wed April 10, 2013
Law

A Mother's Fight Against 3 Strikes Law 'A Way of Life'

Originally published on Wed April 10, 2013 5:19 pm

Credit Ina Jaffe / NPR

Since the November election, 240 California prisoners facing potential life sentences have been set free. That's because voters changed California's tough three strikes sentencing law.

As NPR reported in 2009, that law sent thousands of people to prison for terms of 25 years to life for minor, nonviolent crimes. Now those prisoners can ask the court to have their sentences reduced.

One of those set free under the new law is Shane Reams. He owes his freedom in no small part to his mother Sue's 17-year campaign to change the law.

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1:55am

Thu March 14, 2013
Working Late: Older Americans On The Job

A Retired Chicago Cop's Second Act Is At A Barbershop

Originally published on Thu March 14, 2013 6:43 pm

Increasingly, people are continuing to work past 65. Almost a third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 70 are working, and among those older than 75, about 7 percent are still on the job. In Working Late, a series for Morning Edition, NPR profiles older adults who are still in the workforce.

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1:42am

Wed March 6, 2013
Working Late: Older Americans On The Job

For Elderly Midwife, Delivering Babies Never Gets Old

Originally published on Thu March 7, 2013 12:30 pm

Increasingly, people are continuing to work past 65. Almost a third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 70 are working, and among those older than 75, about 7 percent are still on the job. In Working Late, a series for Morning Edition, NPR profiles older adults who are still in the workforce.

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1:02am

Wed February 27, 2013
Working Late: Older Americans On The Job

At 85, 'Old-School' Politician Shows No Signs Of Quitting

Originally published on Wed February 27, 2013 6:16 pm

Increasingly, people are continuing to work past 65. Almost a third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 70 are working, and among those older than 75, about 7 percent are still on the job. In Working Late, a series for Morning Edition, NPR profiles older adults who are still in the workforce.

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1:08am

Wed February 20, 2013
Working Late: Older Americans On The Job

When A Bad Economy Means Working 'Forever'

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 6:34 pm

Increasingly, people are continuing to work past 65. Almost a third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 70 are working, and among those older than 75, about 7 percent are still on the job. In Working Late, a series for Morning Edition, NPR profiles older adults who are still in the workforce.

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1:43am

Wed February 13, 2013
Working Late: Older Americans On The Job

For One Senior, Working Past Retirement Age Is A Workout

Originally published on Wed February 13, 2013 6:29 pm

Increasingly, people are continuing to work past 65. Almost a third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 70 are working, and among those older than 75, about 7 percent are still on the job. In Working Late, a series for Morning Edition, NPR profiles older adults who are still in the workforce.

Retirement isn't what it used to be, or even when it used to be.

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2:41pm

Tue January 8, 2013
Around the Nation

Workshops Help Families Grappling With Alzheimer's Home Care

Originally published on Tue January 8, 2013 7:24 pm

Credit iStockphoto.com

There are more than 5 million people with Alzheimer's in the U.S., and most are cared for at home. Now, one company has begun offering training to family caregivers to help them deal with the special challenges of caring for an Alzheimer's patient.

The company, Home Instead Senior Care, is the nation's largest provider of nonmedical home care for seniors. The workshops are free and available to anyone, whether they're clients of the company or not.

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1:26am

Fri November 16, 2012
It's All Politics

In California, 'Republican' Is Becoming A Toxic Label

Originally published on Fri November 16, 2012 8:35 pm

Credit Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images

1:10pm

Thu October 18, 2012
It's All Politics

Underdog Democrat Keeping Things Close In Nevada Senate Race

Originally published on Thu October 18, 2012 6:00 pm

Credit Julie Jacobson / AP

Early in-person voting in Nevada starts Saturday, and it's not just the presidential contest that's being closely watched in this swing state.

The race for the U.S. Senate is also seen as a tossup, a bit of a surprise for Republicans, who have counted on retaining the GOP-held seat as they try to build a majority.

Republican Sen. Dean Heller — in office for only 18 months — faces seven-term Rep. Shelley Berkley on Nov. 6.

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