Michael de Yoanna
Reporter, Investigative and Veterans’ IssuesEmail: michael@kunc.org
As investigative reporter for KUNC, I take tips from our audience and, well, investigate them. I strive to go beyond the obvious, to reveal new facts, to go in-depth and to bring new perspectives and personalities to light.
KUNC's newsroom has always stood out for asking critical questions while striving for fairness and accuracy while promoting conversation. Colorado deserves nothing less. My stories sometimes air on NPR or programs like "Reveal," but my starting point is always right here, with real people from our community.
I got my first job as a print reporter for publications in Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Denver. Later, I freelanced for local and national media organizations, including "60 Minutes." I even directed an indie documentary in the two years I worked as an investigative producer in local television. Finally, I settled in at public radio.
I've been honored with two national Edward R. Murrow Awards for my reporting with KUNC, most recently in 2019. As an editor, I shared in a national Sigma Delta Chi investigative award in 2018 from the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2017, I won the Columbia-duPont Award for my co-reporting with NPR’s Investigations Desk. I have received numerous other regional and statewide awards.
When I'm not at work, I play a loud and ferocious electric guitar with my band, enjoy epic weekend road bicycle trek that begin with coffee and end with beer and laughs or watch soccer with my mates, especially if they're supporters of Manchester United or the Colorado Rapids.
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Mahmod Shamsi has found a two-room apartment in Poland after being evacuated from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, those who met him when he studied at Colorado State University are fighting to bring him and his family here. -
After hitting a spike in September, coronavirus cases across the country have been on the decline. Yet Colorado is among several states bucking the trend. Armed with a range of trend charts, state health officials point to a "stubborn plateau.” -
Janitor Luis Gonzalez smiled a little on Friday when asked how it felt to go on strike. “It feels great,” he said, as his fellow janitors at Denver International Airport rallied around him. -
Massive wildfires across the West have worsened the air in Colorado, contributing to roughly double the number of days residents are exposed to dangerous fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5 versus a decade ago. Researchers say the air can be hazardous even if you don't see or smell smoke. -
An Indian-American doctor was sitting in his car outside the building he owned in Aurora. He honked at a police cruiser blocking his way. An Aurora police officer responded by drawing a gun on the doctor, questioning him as if he was a criminal suspect. -
Reports of active coronavirus outbreaks at Colorado K-12 schools have accelerated in September compared to cases through all of August. Raw public health data released by the state this week and analyzed by KUNC shows outbreaks at 80 schools with 886 cases among students and staff. -
As the Taliban marched into town after town in Afghanistan, Mahmod Shamsi expressed fear online. He posted that he and his family were likely targets because of connections to the Afghan government. -
Donald Trump's remarks late last week to Alabama's syndicated Rick & Bubba radio show should figure into two ongoing investigations, Sen. Michael Bennet said, calling them an admission that showed that the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command wasn't one made on merits.
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In the two days since the Taliban has taken control of Kabul, Congressman Jason Crow’s office has been inundated with pleas for assistance.“I'm non-stop at this point, receiving texts, phone calls, emails of people with friends in Afghanistan,” Rep. Crow said in an interview on Wednesday with KUNC.
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As the Taliban sweeps Afghanistan, filling the void left by withdrawing U.S. troops, Rep. Jason Crow and other members of Congress who served in the military are warning of a humanitarian crisis. They say the Biden administration should work quickly to get military interpreters and other Afghans who helped Americans out of the country before they face retribution.
