Nation Apr 23 Why Native Americans are excited about the American Rescue Plan, and their future Last month, Congress approved a record amount of money for Native American tribes in the American Rescue Plan. On Friday, First Lady Jill Biden spent the second of two days meeting with Navajo officials and hearing about their needs, after…
Economy Apr 07 The U.S. spends billions to lock people up, but very little to help them once they’re released “600,000 people are released from correctional facilities every year, but it’s a part of the criminal justice system that’s being funded at no guarantee,” said Jennifer Ortiz, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Indiana University Southeast who studies reentry…
Nation Apr 05 Could Oregon’s decision to decriminalize hard drugs provide a model for the country? With New York’s recent legalization of recreational cannabis, more than 40 percent of Americans now live in states that have embraced marijuana legalization. Oregon has been on the leading edge of drug reform and in November became the first to…
Nation Feb 26 How to help someone coming out of the criminal justice system When someone leaves prison, there is a high likelihood they will be either arrested or put back in detention. Non-profits, corrections offices and legal aid groups are trying to lower that high rate of recidivism by mitigating the struggle of…
Health Feb 23 Why Indigenous people in cities feel ‘invisible’ as pandemic wears on 14 states don’t publicly keep track of COVID-19 data for American Indians/Alaska Natives. “We know who we are, and these are our homelands, so to be rendered invisible is another incidence of historical trauma.”…
Nation Feb 18 After brutalizing much of the U.S., storm surge shines a spotlight on disparities The storms that have descended on much of the country, and their after-effects, have hit vulnerable groups the hardest, especially communities of color. Dr. Robert Bullard, a professor at Texas Southern University who focuses on wealth and racial disparities related…
Nation Nov 25 Navajo Nation’s health care system strained by COVID-19 The Navajo Nation, home to more than 170,000 Navajo, has been hit hard by COVID-19. More than 600 Navajo have died of COVID-19 in parts of three states, and daily positive cases are soaring. Stephanie Sy spoke with Dr. Daniel…
Economy Nov 11 Deemed essential, California farmworkers risk disease and deportation As the United States grapples with the latest surge in coronavirus, some workers are trying to cope with illness and economic hardship while also facing the threat of deportation. In California’s Coachella Valley, agricultural workers deemed essential to the U.S.
Politics Oct 30 Why Arizona’s Latino vote could be making a ‘big change’ this year Arizona has emerged as a surprising battleground state in this year’s presidential election, considering President Trump beat Hillary Clinton there by 3.5 percent in 2016. Latinos make up a quarter of the state’s eligible voters -- and while polls indicate…
Arts Oct 21 An Arizona mining town reinvents itself as an arts destination Ajo, Arizona, was once a robust mining community. Now it is seeking to cast off the image of a ghost town -- and reinvent itself as an arts destination of the Southwest. Stephanie Sy reports for our American Creators series…