Sona Patel
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Program Director for @nytimes's Local Investigations Fellowship.
Articles by Sona Patel
The New York Times introduces 2025-2026 Local Investigations Fellows - Editor and Publisher
The fellowship will continue to work with fellows and newsrooms from previous classes on their groundbreaking investigations. As the program expands its journalistic scope, we look forward to adding to this cohort in the months to come. One fellowship position in this year’s class is funded by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, an Illinois-based nonprofit that supports investigative reporting at the state or local level. The fellow will be announced later this year.
Seton Hall Celebrates Progress of Academies at Innovative Ideas Networking Brunch
Faculty and administrators gathered together to celebrate the progress and achievements of the University’s Academies program at an Innovative Ideas Networking Brunch held on Thursday, May 23, 2024. The Academies program is an initiative aimed at increasing collaboration among the various disciplines across campus. Led by the Office of the Provost, each Academy was awarded funding to be allocated over one to three years.
The New York Times: New editor joins Local Investigations Fellowship Program - Editor and Publisher
Kathleen McGrory Dean Baquet, Chris Davis and Sona Patel | The New York Times We are pleased to announce that Kathleen McGrory, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, will be joining our Local Investigations Fellowship program as an editor. Most recently a national reporter for ProPublica, Kat comes to us with a deep passion for uncovering abuses in powerful local institutions. She started her career at the Miami Herald, where she covered breaking news and city and state government.
Your Thoughts on Mask Mandates
Your Thoughts on Mask Mandates Your Thoughts on Mask Mandates Sona PatelSharing your mask mandate reactions �� Aileen Son for The New York Times In hundreds of comments submitted to The New York Times after some states announced lifting mask mandates, readers were both relieved and frustrated by the decisions.
Face of Foothills Latest Announcement
EXTRA EXTRA! It's no secret, our Face of Foothills contest is bigger than ever this year and we have the prizes to prove it! The Face of Foothills and Future Face of Foothills winners will each walk away with a Kate Spade handbag! Another new development is the announcment of a round three celebratory event to take place in September. Kate Spade at Scottsdale Fashion Square will hold the event on a TBD date. Have you voted for your favorite Face of Foothills contestant? Click here to vote!
California Recall Live Updates: Voters Determine Their Governor’s Fate
Sept. 14, 2021, 10:04 a.m. ET Sept. 14, 2021, 10:04 a.m. ET Cleaning election equipment at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Pasadena, Calif., one day before Tuesday’s vote.Credit...Ryan Young for The New York Times Polling places opened across California on Tuesday morning, marking the final opportunity for voters to declare whether they want to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom.
What is a recall and how does it work?
Sept. 14, 2021, 7:14 p.m. ET Sept. 14, 2021, 7:14 p.m. ET By Sona Patel Larry Elder campaigning in Monterey Park on Monday.Credit...Alex Welsh for The New York Times Besides this effort to recall Gov. Newsom, only one other attempted recall of a California governor, Gray Davis, has ever reached an election. And California is the only place where a recall of a governor has made the ballot twice. So how does the process work?
How do you vote in the recall? Here’s what you need to know.
Voters at a polling center in San Clemente, Calif., last week.Credit...Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register, via Getty Images Sept. 13, 2021Updated 1:35 p.m. ET More than 35 percent of California’s active, registered voters have already cast their ballots, and early voting is underway in several counties. If you missed the deadline to register to vote in the recall election, don’t worry. You can still register on Sept. 14.
Ballot Drop-Off and In-Person Voting for the Recall: What You Need to Know
Sept. 13, 2021, 12:53 p.m. ET Sept. 13, 2021, 12:53 p.m. ET By Sona Patel Casting a ballot at Beverly Hills City Hall on Monday.Credit...Allison Zaucha for The New York Times If you missed the deadline to register to vote in the recall election, don’t worry. You can still register on Tuesday. Our Voter Guide has everything you need to know about where to vote, how to turn in your ballot and when we can expect to know the results. Where is my ballot?
How Reader Comments Build Connections at The Times
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. In a recent interview with the late-night TV host James Corden, the singer-songwriter Lorde described how a self-imposed break from social media prompted her to find company in a popular comments section of The New York Times. “The first little while of not being on social media, I was so crabby, I felt so disconnected,” she said.
2020 California Labor & Employment Year-End Update
To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. Los Angeles, Calif. (December 30, 2020) - In addition to bringing a global pandemic, 2020 was an unprecedented year filled with important judicial rulings and legislative changes throughout the Golden State. Below is a summary of the most critical legal updates affecting employers and employment litigation in California.
How Californians Are Adapting Thanksgiving
Wednesday: Readers share how they’re staying safe and celebrating this year. By Jill Cowan and Sona Patel Nov. 25, 2020, 8:40 a.m. ET A worker prepared a takeout order on Tuesday at Rudford's Restaurant in San Diego. Good morning. Traveling is fraught with danger this Thanksgiving. So is being inside with too many, or vulnerable loved ones. And reckonings over racial inequity this year have prompted reflection on the myth of the first Thanksgiving.
Memories of Big Basin Redwoods State Park
California Today Friday: The park has been a tradition for generations of families. By Jill Cowan, Sona Patel and Shawn Hubler Aug. 28, 2020, 8:50 a.m. ET The 118-year-old state park, California’s oldest, has been devastated. Good Friday morning. Today, we’re starting with something a little different — melancholy in some ways, but also comforting, we hope: a sampling from the recent outpouring of memories of Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
When Is California Reopening?
California was the first state to order all residents to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. On May 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that state health officials would relax their criteria for counties that wanted to reopen their economies faster, provided that they met public health guidelines.
What Makes A Successful Entrepreneur?
The Small Business Administration says that 50 percent of all new businesses will fail in the first year. Other research shows over a three to five year period, up to 90 percent of new businesses fail. Know why? It’s either an issue of motivation or information. Girlfriend University is committed to making sure its students are part of that successful 50 percent by providing education, information and inspiration.
How to Apply for Unemployment Benefits in California (Published 2020)
U.S.|How to Apply for Unemployment Benefits in California https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/us/coronavirus-file-unemployment-ca.html California Today Wednesday: If you’ve lost work as a result of the coronavirus outbreak in California, here’s what to know. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.
Coronavirus in California: School Districts Closed
California today Saturday: California’s largest school districts have shut down, affecting more than 1,000,000 students across the state. By Jill Cowan and Sona Patel March 14, 2020, 9:15 a.m. ET Palms Middle School in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest in California, announced on Friday that it was closing. Good morning. We know you don’t normally hear from us on Saturdays.
Your First Dance Songs
Wedding Album Dec. 19, 2013 For many couples, a first-dance song has the power to evoke memories of their steadfast relationship. As part of our occasional series, Wedding Album, we invited New York Times readers to share the name of the song they selected for their first dance and why it is meaningful to them.
Notre Dame fire causes heartbreak and despair around the world
April 15, 2019 at 2:00 pm Updated April 15, 2019 at 2:34 pm By and The New York Times The fire that tore through the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris on Monday, collapsing its central spire and caving in much of its roof, generated an outpouring of grief in France and around the world as a symbol of the country’s culture and history burned.
Notre-Dame Fire Causes Heartbreak and Despair Around the World
Image People watched as flames and smoke rose from Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday. By Sona Patel and Alan Yuhas April 15, 2019 The fire that tore through the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris on Monday, collapsing its central spire and caving in much of its roof, generated an outpouring of grief in France and around the world as a symbol of the country’s culture and history burned.
Notre-Dame Fire Causes Heartbreak and Despair Around the World
By Sona Patel and Alan Yuhas April 15, 2019 The fire that tore through the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris on Monday, collapsing its central spire and caving in much of its roof, generated an outpouring of grief in France and around the world as a symbol of the country’s culture and history burned.
For Thousands of ‘Dreamers,’ It Has Been a Wild Ride. And It’s Not Over Yet.
For many of the young undocumented immigrants whose futures have seemed to be hitched to a roller-coaster in recent months, Wednesday was a day of unusual hopefulness: The night before, a federal judge had signaled his readiness to open applications once again for a program that protects some young undocumented immigrants, known as Dreamers, from deportation and allows them to work. “First thing this morning, I opened up my email to find inquiries from potential applicants.
For Thousands of ‘Dreamers,’ It Has Been a Wild Ride. And It’s Not Over Yet
© Erin Schaff for The New York Times Listening to lawmakers speak in support of a DACA solution outside the United States Capitol in January.
For Thousands of ‘Dreamers,’ It Has Been a Wild Ride. And It’s Not Over Yet
© Erin Schaff for The New York Times Listening to lawmakers speak in support of a DACA solution outside the United States Capitol in January.
For Thousands of ‘Dreamers,’ It Has Been a Wild Ride. And It’s Not Over Yet
© Erin Schaff for The New York Times Listening to lawmakers speak in support of a DACA solution outside the United States Capitol in January.
Your Designs: Olympic Logos for Russia and the Two Koreas
As punishment for an elaborate doping scheme, athletes from Russia competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics are wearing neutral uniforms. And for the first time, North and South Korea marched together at the opening ceremony, under a unified flag. Both could have used better designs, so we asked you, our readers, to come up with a new Russian logo and a united flag for the two Koreas. Here’s what you designed.
Rachel L. Swarns
Recent and archived work by Rachel L. Swarns for The New York Times
Readers Tell Us: Is a Gap Year Worth It?
It was a week that demonstrated the power I have over my own mind. If you are afraid of something, think about your fear. See if you can work through it. Don’t just listen to someone who says don’t be afraid to try new things. Contemplate why you are afraid of new things. I took a gap year between high school and college in 1989. I graduated from high school and was on a plane to basic training at Fort Benning for the Army National Guard a few days later.
Times Readers Share Their Zingers About Ronaldo’s Bust (Published 2017)
The bust of Portuguese soccer player Ronaldo was unveiled at Madeira’s airport on Wednesday.Credit...Gregorio Cunha/European Pressphoto Agency By Lela Moore and Sona Patel March 30, 2017 What happens when a bust is, well, a bust? Fans and foes alike of the soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo have set the internet aflame since an alleged likeness of the Real Madrid star, cast in bronze, was unveiled Wednesday at Madeira International Airport (now renamed for Ronaldo) in Portugal.
‘Realize One Day You’ll Be Old’ (Published 2017)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Some comments were edited for length and clarity. Advice on Retirement, From Those Who Have Lived It 1. Sweat the small stuff. Put energy into your loved ones, into the values which matter to you. Spend time in nature. Drink in the seasons. Enjoy the weather, every type of it. Yes, live frugally. Marry for love, not for money. Do work that carries meaning.
‘The Fact That You Exist Means Something Must Die’ (Published 2017)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. One of the most popular articles with readers on our site this week was this article about Donald J. Trump’s ties to Russia. We published a selection of the most notable comments here. Controversy at the Grammys Image Credit...Valerie Macon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images 1.
For Some, the Affordable Care Act Is a Lifesaver. For Others, a Burden.
“It Would Significantly Improve My Life” Photo Allison Maurer Credit Kalim Bhatti for The New York Times Allison Maurer, 31, Harrisburg, Pa.It would significantly improve my life: lower premiums, more quality care, and more choices. We paid $486 per month last year for my daughter and me, plus the $4000 for my son’s birth. We later switched to my husband’s employer plan and were able to pay $552 for all three of us.
‘He Really Is Beholden to No One — Not Even His Own Party’ (Published 2017)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Putin Ordered Hacking of U.S. Election Image Credit...Mikhail Klimentiev/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images 1. How is this election legitimate? How can we ever know how many people Putin influenced? Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania were decided by less people than could fill a football stadium....did Putin convince them?
‘I’m Not Celebrating the Death of a Human Being’
— Mike Thompson in New York, reacting to an article about the death last week of Fidel Castro at age 90. 2. One of Fidel’s greatest accomplishments is that he was a survivor. Despite America’s attempted invasion, multiple assassination attempts, he defied a superpower, his government survives successive American administrations, and, importantly, he died at 90 of natural causes. Love or hate him, we all wish we had a little piece of Fidel in us. 3.
‘They Broke It. America Bought It.’ (Published 2016)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Donald Trump Wins the Presidency Image Credit...Damon Winter/The New York Times 1. The G.O.P. obstructed progress for eight years and convinced people government is broken. They broke it. America bought it. — Meghan Y. in Charlotte, N.C. This comment received more than 1,400 reader recommendations. Credit...Andrew Burton/Getty Images 2.
Because I Was a Girl, I Was Told … (Published 2016)
By Mary Jo Murphy and Sona Patel Nov. 12, 2016 There will be no female president come January. But in the days leading up to the election, there was a distinct possibility that this 227-year-old gender barrier would be hurdled, and so we asked women to tell us about their own vividly recalled barriers. Almost 1,200 of you responded. Here are some of your stories.
‘Who Is Left to Counterbalance the Extreme Partisanship?’ (Published 2016)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Hillary Clinton’s Email Image Credit...T.J. Kirkpatrick for The New York Times 1. Comey’s 11th-hour letter to Congress is perfectly in line with the chaotic, aggressive and truth-free tone of this dispiriting election. That he was under duress is clear, although it’s not clear from whom.
Navigating the Path to College
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‘Trump’s Going to Bake an Inauguration Cake Out of This’
Hillary has bad judgment, look who works for her, and who knows what info Weiner had access to through his wife. OMG, this looks bad, is bad, regardless of whether there’s no fire. 3. I suspect that these constant email exposés will, for millions of people, put an end to all use of email for most purposes with any significance beyond reminders to pick up bread on the way home. For myself, I will never put anything of significance in my workplace in an email.
‘Heal the Painful Divide in Our Country’ (Published 2016)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Trump’s Allegations of Vote-Rigging Image Credit...Matt Rourke/Associated Press 1. I have worked as an election official in four previous elections. Where I live, there are four officials — two from each party.
‘I Regret Not Standing Up to Him for That’ (Published 2016)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Women Say Donald Trump Groped Them Image Credit...George Etheredge for The New York Times 1. I’m an 18-year-old college freshman, and in February I attended the Republican debate at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire with my AP Government and Politics class. I went up to the stage during a commercial break and shook hands with several candidates.
‘Don’t Try to Use It or You Will Be Called Un-American’ (Published 2016)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Protests and the National Anthem Image Credit...Denis Poroy/Associated Press 1. The very thing that makes America great is our right to free expression, but don’t try to use it or you will be called un-American.
‘Isn’t It Also Against Her Freedom of Choice?’ (Published 2016)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. ‘Burkini’ Bans 1. If forcing a girl to wear hijab is against her freedom and “feminism,” what about forcing her not to wear hijab when she wants to? Isn’t it also against her freedom of choice?
‘What Is Best About America’ (Published 2016)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Image Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times The Rio Olympics 1. Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and the rest of the USA gymnastics team represent what is best about America: a place where talent, hard work, diversity, and mutual respect lead to the kind of achievement that all of can proudly share with each other.
‘Is This the Spokesperson in Chief You Want?’
“Trump doesn’t seem to have a grasp on what comes out of his mouth. In his attempts to look strong, and always be talking over others, he seems to be totally unable to control his outbursts and totally ridiculous statements.” “The man’s lack of impulse control regarding what comes out of his mouth is the most worrisome aspect of his potential presidency.
Don’t Go to a Woman’s Wedding and Give a Toast to the Groom’s Ex (Published 2016)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. The Republican National Convention Image Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times 1. In reading and listening to commentary this morning, I am struck by how Melania Trump is portrayed as a victim of her speechwriters — some commentators going so far as to say she was “betrayed.” This is demeaning to women — that is, she is a victim? Hardly.
‘We Are a World Awash in Weapons and Grievances’ (Published 2016)
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Image Credit...Yasin Akgul/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Attempted Coup in Turkey 1. The Turkish military has a history of overthrowing regimes that are not to its liking.
Remembering Bill Cunningham
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Whether you were photographed just once by Bill Cunningham, or hundreds of times like favored subjects Anna Wintour, Iris Apfel and Alexandra Lebenthal, it was an experience not to be forgotten. Here, some memories from people who found themselves of the other side of the lens from Mr. Cunningham.
By Katherine Rosman Verified, Joanna Nikas Verified, Valeriya Safronova, Jacob Bernstein Verified, Bill Cunningham, Sara Aridi Verified, Bonnie Wertheim Verified, Sona Patel Verified, Vanessa Friedman Verified, Cathy Horyn Verified, Steven Kurutz Verified
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The New York Times
Verified
Bill Cunningham Looked for Subjects. And They Looked for Him. (Published 2016)
Style|Bill Cunningham Looked for Subjects. And They Looked for Him. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/style/bill-cunningham-looked-for-subjects-and-they-looked-for-him.html Steven Lane, a New York Times reader, took a photo of Bill Cunningham on the streets of New York City.
‘Ordinary British People Refused to Be Cowed’
Here are the top 10 comments of the week on our digital platforms, as selected by our readers and the journalists who moderate nearly every comment. Today, the sun is shining and I am bursting with pride that so many decent, ordinary British people refused to be cowed by the bullying tactics and politics of the bloated globalists and the liberal elitists. The “remain” zealots’ main “weapon of fear” was the economy.
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