Odette Yousef
Odette Yousef is a National Security correspondent focusing on extremism.
In her reporting, Yousef aims to explore how extremist ideas break into the mainstream, how individuals are radicalized and efforts to counter that.
Before joining NPR in August of 2021, Yousef spent twelve years reporting for member station WBEZ in Chicago, where she was most recently part of the Race, Class and Identity team. While there, she was reporter and host for Season 3 of WBEZ's investigative podcast, Motive. The podcast, which won a 2021 national Edward R. Murrow award, explores the emergence and spread of the neo-Nazi skinhead movement in the U.S. and its connections to the far right extremism of today. Yousef was also part of a team that won a 2016 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Continuing Coverage, and she received a 2018 Studs Terkel Community Media Award. Prior to joining WBEZ, Yousef reported at WABE in Atlanta.
Born and raised in the Boston area, Yousef received a Bachelor of Arts in economics and East Asian studies from Harvard University. She is based in Chicago.
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The killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has unleashed a frenzy of recrimination — and finger-pointing. But the suspect's politics may be less clear than some say. -
Utah Governor Cox and others have labeled the accused shooter of Charlie Kirk a "leftist." But extremism analysts say the only clear indication so far is that he was deeply into online meme culture.
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Before his apprehension, speculation about the identity and motivations of Charlie Kirk's killer filled the void. A increasingly familiar pattern of political violence is taking shape in America. -
There's concern over the possibility that Charlie Kirk's killing may increase an already high level of political violence. Of particular concern is the language used by influencers and public figures.
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The Sept. 11 attacks of 24 years ago led to unprecedented investment in counterterrorism resources. Today, the terrorism landscape is more complex than ever, and some say the country is less prepared.
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The FBI is calling the attack at a Minnesota Catholic church an act of domestic terrorism driven by "hate-filled ideology." Extremism analysts say the picture may be more complex. -
FBI director Kash Patel says yesterday's mass shooting at a Minnesota church was domestic terrorism, driven by hate-filled ideology. But extremism analysts say their research points to something else.
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The FBI has stepped back its role in investigating a recent attack on the CDC campus in Atlanta. It's one data point in the picture of how the current administration thinks about domestic terrorism.
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When Dana's son was hospitalized last year, it led her to a path of discovery about predatory online networks that groom children into harming themselves and others. Their reach is global and growing. -
The suspect in the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband texted, "Dad went to war last night,' evoking the language of the far right, Christian anti-abortion movement.
