Ayesha Rascoe

Ayesha Rascoe is a versatile and accomplished journalist with a focus on political reporting and hosting. She currently serves as the host of Weekend Edition Sunday and the weekend host of Up First at NPR. In this role, Rascoe interviews an array of newsmakers, entertainers, politicians, and other notable figures to discuss the stories that matter most. Her signature wit and southern roots have made her a mainstay on NPR's programs since she joined in 2018. Prior to this position, Rascoe was a White House correspondent for NPR, covering three presidential administrations. She gained recognition for her sharp questioning during White House briefings and reported on significant events such as President Trump's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, and President Obama's NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland in 2016. Rascoe also contributed to the NPR Politics Podcast during her time on the White House team. Before joining NPR, Ayesha spent a decade at Reuters where she progressed from a news assistant to an energy reporter and eventually covered the White House. During her tenure at Reuters, she reported on major energy and environmental stories including the 2010 BP oil spill and the U.S. response to the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011. She also spent a year covering energy legal issues and court cases. Ayesha Rascoe is an alumna of Howard University, an historically Black college and university (HBCU) in Washington, D.C., and has edited a book about the impact of HBCUs titled 'HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience'.