Chitra Ragavan is a columnist at SWAAY and a former award winning journalist at NPR and U.S. News
Before launching her second career in tech startups, Chitra was an investigative reporter and national correspondent at major news outlets for two decades. She served as a Correspondent at National Public Radio (NPR), Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent at U.S. News and World Report magazine (U.S. News), and On-Air Correspondent at Chicago public television (WTTW).
Read a selection of her featured works.
"Chitra is one of the most informed, insightful, fair, and trustworthy journalists with whom I have worked. Her stories always were accurate and balanced and she has some of the best sources throughout the government of any national security reporter."
– Bryan Cunningham, Principal, Bryan Cunningham, Law
U.S. News Cover Articles
FBI Inc.
June 18, 2001 (Not available in PDF)
Final Arguments
Dec. 4, 2000 (Not available in PDF)
Read a selection of some of Chitra's NPR & U.S. News Stories
Profiles by Subject
David Addington, May 29, 2006
James Cavanaugh, March 6, 2006
Patrick Fitzgerald, July 4, 2005
Frances Fragos Townsend, Dec. 6, 2004
Maureen Baginski, Sept. 27, 2004
Getting in Deeper (PDF)
May 28, 2007
Putting the Squeeze On (PDF)
May 14, 2007
The Embattled Attorney General (PDF)
April 30, 2007
A General Rebellion (PDF)
April 9, 2007
A Different Brand of Warfare (PDF)
March 19, 2007
Guys in Suits: On a Mission (PDF)
February 26, 2007
Who Lost Iraq? (PDF)
November 27, 2006
Capitol Crime (PDF)
September 25, 2006
Unraveling a Scary Plot (PDF)
August 28, 2006
A Troubling Sense of Deja Vu (PDF)
July 24, 2006
Suicide Bomb Scare (PDF)
July 3-10, 2006
Cheney’s Guy (PDF)
May 29, 2006
High Tech’s High Stakes at the FBI (PDF)
April 17, 2006
The Letter of the Law (PDF)
March 27, 2006
Packing Heat (PDF)
March 13, 2006
More Fires to Extinguish (PDF)
March 6, 2006
One Mighty-Determined Plumber (PDF)
July 4, 2005
FBI Case Mismanagement (PDF)
June 20, 2005
Screwy Terror Tales (PDF)
June 13, 2005
Africa’s Most Wanted (PDF)
May 16, 2005
Fixing the FBI
March 28, 2005 (PDF)
2004
Terror on the Streets (PDF)
Dec. 13, 2004
A Skillful Survivor (PDF)
Dec. 6, 2004
The FBI’s Vision Lady (PDF)
Sep. 27, 2004
Unraveling the Plot (PDF)
June 28, 2004
The Imam’s Very Curious Story (PDF)
June 21, 2004
Sniffing Out Trouble (PDF)
May 31, 2004
A Big Legal Mess, Too (PDF)
May 24, 2004
Law in a New Sort of War (PDF)
Apr. 26, 2004
Another Mess in Motown (PDF)
Apr. 19, 2004
On-Again, Off-Again Terrorist (PDF)
Apr. 12, 2004
A Battle in the Brig (PDF)
Apr. 5, 2004
A Real Case of Snakebite (PDF)
Mar. 22/29, 2004
Troubled 9/11 Tales (PDF)
Feb. 9, 2004
Ashcroft’s Way (PDF)
Jan. 26, 2004
China Doll (PDF)
Nov. 10, 2003
Pieces of the Puzzle (PDF)
Sep. 8, 2003
In Search of Answers (PDF)
July 14, 2003
Inside the FBI (PDF)
May 26, 2003
All in the Family (PDF)
Apr. 21, 2003
A Hunt for ‘The Pilot’ (PDF)
April 7, 2003
Alert — And Anxious (PDF)
March 31, 2003
Tracing Terror’s Routes (PDF)
Feb. 24, 2003
The Traitors (PDF)
Jan. 27, 2003
Under Cloudy Skies (PDF)
Dec. 9, 2002
Finding the Holes in the Net (PDF)
Oct. 21, 2002
Safety First (PDF)
Sep. 9, 2002
Secrets of the Service (PDF)
June 17, 2002
In the Line of Fire (PDF)
May 27, 2002
Who Ya Gonna Call? (PDF)
May 20, 2002
Coming to America (PDF)
Feb. 18, 2002
The Case of a ’20th Hijacker’? (PDF)
Dec. 24, 2001
Lost and Found (PDF)
Aug. 13, 2001
Alien Alarm: Out of Jail (PDF)
July 30, 2001
Gunning for Gumshoes (PDF)
July 30, 2001
FBI Inc. (PDF)
June 18, 2001
2000
USN&WR stories prior to 2001 are not available in PDF, but can be read at www.usnews.com.
And Now, Sound And Fury (with Marianne Lavelle)
Dec 25, 2000
Decision Time
Dec 11, 2000
Final Arguments
Dec 4, 2000
At the Sound of the Bell . . .
Dec 4, 2000
Federally Speaking, a Fine Kettle of Fish
Oct 16, 2000
The Lee Debacle Starts Biting Back
Sept 25, 2000
That Quiet Hissing Sound
Sept 18, 2000
The Curious Lee Case
Sept 11, 2000
Was He Sloppy or Sly?
Dec 27, 1999
A Curious Conspiracy
Dec 20, 1999
The U.S. Targets Gun Makers
Dec 20, 1999
A Safe Haven, But for Whom?
Nov 15, 1999
Seeking Answers in the Ashes
Nov 8, 1999
The Toll in Texas
Aug 16, 1999
The Frantic Hunt for an Alien Killer
July 5, 1999
Once Again, a Quick-Draw Debate in the Gun Wars
May 10, 1999
The Son of Don Tries His Luck
April 12, 1999
Ready, Aim, Fire
Mar 1, 1999
In Other Scandal News . . .
Feb 8, 1999
Let the Scandal Inquiries Begin
Jan 11, 1999
A Trial or A Deal?
Dec 28, 1998
with Marianne Lavelle, Angie Cannon and Kenneth T. Walsh
NPR Stories
1998
History of Impeachment Nov. 10, 1998, Morning Edition
Starr Expense Report Oct. 29, 1998, All Things Considered
Impeachment Inquiry Oct. 9, 1998, Morning Edition
Clinton: What’s at Stake All Things Considered, August 13, 1998
Issues in Weston Case Morning Edition, July 31, 1998
Investigation Capitol Shootings Morning Edition, July 29, 1998
Weston Unable to Attend Court Hearing All Things Considered, July 27, 1998
Capitol Shooting Details Unfold Weekend Edition, July 25, 1998
Two Die in Capitol Hill Shooting All Things Considered, July 24, 1998
Starr Investigation All Things Considered, July 23, 1998
Probing Martin Luther King’s Death June 26, 1998, Morning Edition
Brill and Starr-gate All Things Considered, June 18, 1998
Where Does This Leave Starr Politically? All Things Considered, April 2, 1998
FBI Settles with Whitehurst Morning Edition, February 27, 1998
DOJ to Protect Secret Service Agents from Testifying in Lewinsky Matter All Things Considered, February 27, 1998
Clinton Scandal Weekend Edition,Saturday, January 31, 1998
Starr’s Investigation Morning Edition, January 26, 1998
Update on Lewinsky Case All Things Considered, January 24, 1998
1997
Jones Versus Clinton All Things Considered, August 22, 1997
Ruby Ridge All Things Considered, August 15, 1997
Richard Jewell Testifies about FBI Treatment All Things Considered, July 30, 1997
FBI Internal Review of Jewell Case All Things Considered, July 28, 1997
How CIA Shooting Suspect Kansi Was Caught Morning Edition, June 19, 1997
CIA Shooting Suspect Kansi Arraigned All Things Considered, June 18, 1997
FBI Settles With Whistle Blower Feb 27, 1998, Morning Edition
FBI Aftermath All Things Considered, June 3, 1997
U.S. to Seek Death in Unabomber Case All Things Considered, May 15, 1997
FBI & CIA Poor Communication Examined All Things Considered, April 24, 1997
FBI Lab and Bush Assassination Attempt Morning Edition, April 22, 1997
WTC Case: Justice Department Says FBI Gave False Information All Things Considered, April 17, 1997
FBI Crime Lab Report Could Damage Cases Morning Edition, April 16, 1997
FBI Crime Lab Report Finds Some Flaws All Things Considered, April 15, 1997
FBI Crime Lab Credibility Questioned All Things Considered, March 26, 1997
How FBI Tracked Bomb Scare Morning Edition, February 26, 1997
Forensic Evidence in Oklahoma City Bombing Feb 19, 1997, Morning Edition.
Interview with Whistleblower Frederick Whitehurst Morning Edition, February 11, 1997
FBI Lab Methods Get Justice Department Scrutiny Morning Edition, January 31, 1997
FBI Crime Lab May Have Bungled Oklahoma City Bombing All Things Considered, January 30, 1997
Allegations from a Whistleblower about Forensic Fraud Morning Edition, January 29, 1997
Prisoners & Rape January 25, 1997
1996
How the FBI Caught Their Spy Morning Edition, December 20, 1996
Earl Edwin Pitts Faces Espionage Charges Morning Edition, December 19, 1996
FBI Arrests Agent on Espionage Charges All Things Considered, December 18, 1996.
Indian Elections Four part series, November 1996
Fragmented Parties in India Begin to Form Coalitions
Ethnic and Religions Issues Divide India
Hundreds of Millions Go to the Polls in India
Deep Cynicism Will Not Keep Indians from The Polls
All Things Considered, October 22, 1996
FAA Recommends Hi-Tech Airport Security Morning Edition, September 6, 1996
Gore Commission Releases Airline Safety Report All Things Considered, September 5, 1996
Commission Seeks Tighter Airline Security Measures All Things Considered, August 31, 1996
Airports May Need Pricey Equipment to Improve Security All Things Considered, August 23, 1996
No Sign Yet of Clinton’s Airport Security Commission Morning Edition, August 14, 1996
Farm Bill All Things Considered, February 29, 1996
Psychiatric Exams Causing Flap at Library of Congress All Things Considered, February 21, 1996
1995
Library of Congress Collections Decimated By Thieves All Things Considered, November 28, 1995
Follow up: AIDS Patient Ida Greathouse Dead At 42 June 20, 1995
Chicago Woman With AIDS Fights For A Home For Her Child All Things Considered, November 10, 1993 – 20 minute documentary.
1994
An Analysis of a Health Care Bill’s Failure All Things Considered, June 30, 1994 20 minute Documentary, part of Health care reform coverage
AIDS in India
Five part series, February, 1994
Indian Sex Practices Pose Problems for AIDS Researchers
AIDS Flourishes in the Underground Indian Gay Community
AIDS in Asia – India
India to Become Region’s Silent AIDS Volcano
AIDS Exploding in India
1993
AIDS in Bellgrade Florida
Five part series, August – September 1993
Not All Willing to Cooperate with AIDS Awareness
Suffer the Children whose Parents Are Dying of AIDS
Rural Southern Florida Has AIDS Rate Rivaling NYC
High Incidents of Heterosexual AIDS Linked to Syphilis
Florida Leading in Heterosexual Spread of AIDS
1991
Bhopal: 7 Years Past Union Carbide Gas Spill July 2, 1991 – 30 min documentary