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Ben Bradford
Former State Government Reporter
Ben Bradford is a city mutt, who has lived in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., the Bay Area and most recently Charlotte, North Carolina.
Before entering journalism, he did stints as a bartender, actor, undersized bouncer, stuntman, viral marketer and press secretary to a Member of Congress.
Deciding he would rather explain and examine the political system than serve it, Ben entered the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism to be a newspaperman and quickly found himself in public radio.
He sold his second-ever radio story to WNYC, and his third to NPR.
For WFAE in Charlotte, he covered the arrest and resignation of mayor Patrick Cannon for public corruption, the removal of the confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse, the Duke Energy coal ash spill, and how cities find sister cities (it’s a lot like dating).
He won the 2014 national Edward R. Murrow award for hard news reporting.
As the State Government Reporter, Ben covered California politics, policy and the interaction between the two.
Bill To End Bail In California Headed To Gov. Brown
August 21, 2018
The bill would make California the first state to completely end bail for suspects awaiting trial.
California Takes Next Step Toward Eliminating Cash-Bail System
August 20, 2018
The Assembly passed a bill that would make California the first state to get rid of cash bail, replacing it with a pre-trial detention system that has polarized lawmakers and the same civil liberties groups that originally supported the overhaul.
Surfing Is Now California's Official State Sport
August 20, 2018
Alaska has dog-mushing, Minnesota has hockey and Maryland has jousting. And now California has surfing as its official state sport.
California Lawmakers Reject Proposal To Audit The DMV Despite Complaints About Long Waits
August 8, 2018
Visits to the DMV can take as much as six hours, as the agency has struggled to hand out new federally required driver’s licenses and IDs.
Extreme California Wildfires Emit More Greenhouse Gases — But Scientists Don’t Know Exactly How Much
August 7, 2018
Wildfires put a lot of emissions into the air at the same time as California is trying to reduce them, but scientists are unsure about a fire’s carbon footprint.
Trump Administration Looks To Remove California's National Sway Over Vehicle Emissions
August 2, 2018
To fully repeal Obama-era vehicle emissions standards, the administration first must strip California of a long-held authority.
Gov. Brown Discusses Need To Protect California Utilities From Fire Liability
August 1, 2018
California Gov. Jerry Brown advocated for limiting power companies’ liability when their equipment causes wildfires. He believes electric utilities could go bankrupt due to the increasing threat of wildfires, if current law isn’t changed.
Positive Fiscal Outlook For California, According To Credit Ratings Agency
July 24, 2018
It’s the highest the ratings agency Moody’s has been on the state since the Dot Com crash.
Professional Wedding Hair-Styling Is Illegal In California. A New Permit Would Change This — Thanks To Tech Companies.
July 23, 2018
Debate over the permit involves beauty schools, Supercuts, and Silicon Valley.
A Wonky Electricity Plan Could Help California Meet Its Climate Goals — Or Doom Them?
July 17, 2018
A proposal for the state to jointly plan its energy use with other Western states is moving through the state Legislature but faces opposition from some Democrats.