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Debbie Elliott to host 'Morning Edition' while Steve Inskeep is on a reporting trip

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

For the next several days, I'll be off the air here on MORNING EDITION, off reporting on immigration in Arizona.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

And I'll be here in Studio 31 collaborating with a guest host in Alabama who you know well. NPR's Debbie Elliott will fill in. Debbie, I'm so excited to host with you.

DEBBIE ELLIOTT, HOST:

Good morning. Me, too.

FADEL: So people know you, of course, as a national correspondent bringing us stories mainly from the South, but really across the country. Weren't you recently in Hawaii?

ELLIOTT: I was. Producer Marisa Penaloza and I spent some time in Maui following up on the cleanup after the deadly wildfires there last summer.

FADEL: Yeah.

INSKEEP: Yeah.

ELLIOTT: In particular, we looked at, like, the cultural and historical implications for the recovery there. It was really interesting. And they've got a long road ahead. And then on my usual southern beat, I'm working on a story right now out of Louisiana, where The Descendants Project has recently bought the plantation house where one of the largest slave revolts in U.S. history began.

INSKEEP: Wow.

ELLIOTT: And it's the first time the property has been in Black ownership. And they're hoping to tell that story the right way.

INSKEEP: OK, we've got a few seconds here. I know you're working on an interview with Sheryl Crow for us this week.

FADEL: Oh, wow.

ELLIOTT: I'm so excited. I hate to be a fangirl, but I love the music interviews when I get to sit in the host seat.

FADEL: Yeah.

ELLIOTT: And I am looking forward to that so much.

INSKEEP: Are you...

ELLIOTT: She's been the soundtrack of my life, really.

FADEL: (Laughter).

INSKEEP: Awesome. You got any questions for us, since hosts ask questions?

ELLIOTT: I do. You two morning pros, I'm wondering if you have advice for me, especially, like, how to get up in the middle of the night and sound like I'm awake.

FADEL: I set five alarms, so you could try that.

(LAUGHTER)

FADEL: And that usually gets me up. I'm, like, shocked awake.

ELLIOTT: OK.

INSKEEP: Drink lots of fluids. I think that's the key. Whether you're a...

ELLIOTT: Coffee, coffee.

INSKEEP: You're a coffee drinker. That is awesome. I went off coffee for a while, didn't help. Coffee is better.

ELLIOTT: Well, Steve, have a productive reporting trip and I can't wait to see you tomorrow, Leila.

FADEL: Talk to you tomorrow.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALL I WANNA DO")

SHERYL CROW: (Singing) I got a feeling. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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