Education Jan 27 What’s driving a special education teacher shortage and how schools are responding More than 7.5 million American students have disabilities that qualify them for individual education plans. But teachers trained in this critical area are in short supply. Special education teachers and administrators share how the shortage is affecting them, and John…
Health Jan 21 Lead-contaminated applesauce pouches expose issues with food safety oversight The effects of an Oct. 2023 recall of applesauce pouches with high concentrations of lead are widening, raising questions about how food reaches store shelves, who watches over it and how far that oversight extends. Helena Bottemiller Evich, founder and…
World Jan 13 What Taiwan’s presidential pick means for the region and U.S.-China relations The results of Saturday’s Taiwanese presidential election has big implications for both Beijing and Washington. President-elect Lai Ching-te, who is also known as William Lai, rejects China’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan. Ali Rogin speaks with Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, the China…
Nation Jan 06 How Minnesota redesigned its state flag to remove insensitive imagery State flags have become part of the national reckoning over cultural sensitivity and the historical treatment of Native Americans by white settlers. Ali Rogin reports on how Minnesota is poised to get a new flag in May, redesigned to get…
Arts Dec 30 Critics look back at 2023’s epic year in music 2023 had it all when it came to music: record-breaking tours, unique songwriting and new artists on the rise. The Root’s senior writer Candace McDuffie and freelance music writer and critic Maura Johnston join Stephanie Sy to discuss the music…
Arts Dec 24 The business of Christmas music and why some songs become classics Christmas music is a big part of the music industry. John Yang speaks with Nate Sloan, an assistant professor of musicology at the USC Thornton School of Music and co-host of the podcast Switched On Pop, about what makes Christmas…
Nation Dec 17 How Arizona is responding to a record surge of migrant crossings at the border White House officials and Senate Republicans resumed talks Sunday aimed at a deal on new border security measures. A record number of migrants on the southern border could push President Biden to consider restrictions he’s previously denounced. John Yang speaks…
Science Dec 10 How the black-footed ferret is making a comeback from the brink of extinction When President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law 50 years ago, one of the first on the endangered list was the black-footed ferret, North America’s rarest animal. Once thought to be extinct, they are making their way back…
Health Dec 09 Why the FDA’s approval of revolutionary sickle cell gene therapy is a ‘big deal’ Sickle cell disease is a chronic, debilitating condition that affects nearly 100,000 Americans, most of them with African ancestry. Now, the FDA has approved a groundbreaking treatment for it that uses the gene-editing tool CRISPR. John Yang speaks with Yale…
World Dec 09 What to know about escalations in Venezuela and Guyana’s territorial dispute Tensions are rising in South America as Venezuela threatens to take over a large region of Guyana that’s rich in resources. Venezuela on Saturday signaled openness to “high-level” talks to resolve the standoff, but Guyana has yet to respond. Ali…