Elaine Rivera

Elaine Rivera joined the WNYC staff as the politics/economic development reporter in August. Prior to her arrival, Elaine had worked as a staff reporter at the Washington Post. From 1995 to 2001, she was a correspondent in the New York bureau for Time magazine. There, she worked on a variety of major stories that included the crash of TWA Flight 800, the police shooting of Amadou Diallo, and the Mexico border crossings. After she left Time, she worked as a reporter on a number of Sept. 11 projects which included the award-winning Frontline documentary, “Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero” and the Life Magazine photo project, “Faces of Ground Zero.” She also covered the 2002 Winter Olympics for NBC’s web site. Rivera was also a staff reporter for nine years at New York Newsday where she focused on immigration and urban issues. Other publications she has worked for included El Diario La Prensa, The Washington Times, Hispanic Link News Service, and the Akron Beacon Journal. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Rivera received her B.A. in journalism from Kent State University.

Elaine Rivera appears in the following:

5-Borough Reaction to The State of the City

Thursday, January 20, 2011

A roundtable discussion with reporters from across New York City on Mayor Bloomberg's State of the City address, with analysis from:  

→ Read More and Join the Discussion at It's A Free Country

Parent Groups Happy for Oversight Committee on Mayoral Control

Friday, August 07, 2009

Some parents' advocacy groups are not happy with the passage of the mayoral control bill in the state Senate. But they say there's a silver lining with an oversight committee that lawmakers established to monitor city officials. Lainie Haimson, of Class Size Matters, says she's ...

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City & State Officials: NYC Recovery May Be Slow

Monday, July 27, 2009

Top city and state officials are painting a constrained picture of the city's future economy. At the annual State Financial Control Review Board, they reiterated that the recovery will continue to be difficult and slow. Mayor Bloomberg testified that a decline in employment, and a ...

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On the Senate Docket Today: Mayoral Control and Rules Reform

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

After weeks of deadlock, the New York State Senate will hold another regular session today.

The agenda is expected to include legislation that would renew mayoral control of New York City schools, and rules reform. But Blair Horner, of the New York Public Interest Research Group, ...

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Senator Diaz Meets With Religious Leaders

Thursday, June 25, 2009

While New York State Senators were in Albany not holding a special session again today, Bronx Senator Ruben Diaz was meeting with new Archbishop Timothy Dolan and other religious leaders in Manhattan.

DIAZ: This is important. What's happening in Albany is a mockery, what's happening in ...

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Digesting Politics: Capitol Punishment

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The Digesting Politics podcast goes live as WNYC reporters Andrea Bernstein and Elaine Rivera talk with Brian Lehrer about the mess in Albany and other local politics over breakfast.

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Paterson Calls Special Session, Plans to Address Gay Marriage

Monday, June 22, 2009

Governor David Paterson is calling a special session of the state Senate for tomorrow, and he says he plans to bring the gay marriage bill to the floor.

PATERSON: Interesting ideas or controversial pieces of legislation have always come to Albany to die. We're changing the ...

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Albany Power Struggle Creates Legislative Gridlock

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Albany remains at a standstill as Republican and Democratic state senators engage in a power struggle to control their chamber. The gridlock has many Albany observers - and New Yorkers - scratching their heads over how this can happen. WNYC's Elaine Rivera reports:

REPORTER: The day ...

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Main Street NYC: 161 Street Revisited

Friday, June 19, 2009

Selling wine
Manuel Mercedes was confident that his store would withstand an ailing economy and the new stadium. However, now he's not so sure. Mercedes says he wants to sell the store but with proposed new rezoning laws, potential buyers may ...

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NY Senate Dems Drop Latest Court Challenge; Impasse Continues

Friday, June 19, 2009

In the ongoing dispute over who's in charge of the New York State Senate, Democrats have backed down from seeking a second restraining order from a judge. It would've prevented dissident Democratic Senator Pedro Espada from exercising his duties as the senate's president pro tem. ...

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Main Streets, NYC: 161st Street Revisited

Friday, June 19, 2009

As the economic waves began to hit hard against Wall Street, WNYC started to watch Main streets in the area to see how small businesses were faring.

In February, merchants on 161st Street in the Bronx were watching with anticipation as the finishing touches were put ...

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Teen Abuse Iniative Launched in the Bronx

Monday, June 15, 2009

City officials have announced a Bronx initiative to address teen dating abuse. Borough President Ruben Diaz Junior says the Start Strong Bronx program will be the largest ever that targets 11 to 14 year olds to promote safer and healthy relationships. Diaz says the city ...

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Side by Side: Senators Monserrate and Malcolm Smith

Friday, June 12, 2009

Senators Hiram Monserrate (2nd from R) and Malcolm Smith (far right)

Senators Hiram Monserrate (2nd from R) and Malcolm Smith (far right)

State Senate business remains at a standstill as senators await a ruling on whether the GOP's surprise takeover earlier this ...

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An Unlikely Power Broker

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

For two decades Pedro Espada Junior has been in and out of political office. Once again he regained a state senate seat last year defeating incumbent Efrain Gonzalez Junior in the Bronx's 33rd district. And now he's become an unlikely power broker turning Albany on ...

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Breaking: SCOTUS Pick

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Live coverage of President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court -- federal appeals judge (and Bronx native) Sonia Sotomayor. Then, analysis with Jami Floyd, host of Best Defense on Tru TV; Emily Bazelon, senior editor at Slate and founding editor of Double X; ...

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Diaz Sworn in as Bronx Borough President

Friday, May 22, 2009

Former Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Junior has been sworn in as the 13th Bronx Borough president after winning in a special election last month with only five percent of Bronxites voting. WNYC's Elaine Rivera reports on yesterday's ceremony.

REPORTER: A who's who of state and city politics ...

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A John Jay Professor Experiences Criminal Justice Firsthand

Monday, May 18, 2009

The Metropolitan Correctional Center, in Lower Manhattan, houses federal prisoners of all security levels. Bernard Madoff, accused of defrauding investors of more than $50 billion, is there, awaiting sentencing. Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind Egyptian shiek convicted in connection with the 1993 World Trade Center ...

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Gay Marriage Supporters and Opponents Rally in Manhattan

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Pro- and anti-gay marriage demonstrators are holding two separate rallies in Manhattan Saturday afternoon. WNYC's Elaine Rivera reports.

REPORTER: State Senator Ruben Diaz Senior, an evangelical minister, is holding a rally along with dozens of other ministers and hundreds of their congregants to protest the state's ...

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Latino Opposition a Barrier to Gay Marriage Bill

Saturday, May 16, 2009

The state Assembly has passed a bill to make New York the sixth state to legalize gay marriage. The measure's prospects in the state senate are uncertain, in part, because of opposition from a Bronx lawmaker, who's also an evangelical minister. State Senator Ruben Diaz ...

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Main Street NYC

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Main Streets NYCThe WNYC news team's Main Streets project is spending a year looking closely at six blocks around the region. Karen Frillmann, Brigid Bergin, and Elaine Rivera discuss the goals of the project, what ...

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