Politics Oct 19 Sec. Cardona on combating COVID's impact on student mental health, forgiving student loans Leading child health care groups — including the American Academy of Pediatrics — said Tuesday the pandemic has triggered a “national state of emergency” in mental health among U.S. youth, and policy makers need to act. The Education Department issued…
Economy Oct 18 'Striketober' : Growing number of U.S. workers are pushing back against employers The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union reached an agreement on a new film and TV contract this weekend, averting a strike that would have ground productions around the country to a halt. But it’s not the only showdown…
Health Oct 05 New book shows how failure to implement quick, accurate testing compounded COVID's spread The United States has now passed yet another tragic pandemic milestone. COVID-19 has now claimed the lives of more than 700,000 Americans. William Brangham talks to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner and author of new book "Uncontrolled Spread:…
Science Sep 30 Why discovery of DNA's double helix was based on 'rip-off' of female scientist's data It is the famous lightbulb-going-off story every school kid learns: How James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA, cementing their place in scientific history. But as William Brangham explains, a new book titled "The Secret of Life"…
Health Sep 29 Vaccine mandates can become a 'political battleground,' former FDA commissioner says YouTube on Wednesday announced it will remove videos that spread false information about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and any other commonly used vaccines. Accounts associated with several prominent figures — such as Robert Kennedy Jr. —…
Nation Sep 27 How prejudice affects official search for missing Indigenous women, other women of color While Gabby Petito's death has captured national attention, tens of thousands of people are reported missing or murdered every year in the U.S. Native women are murdered at rates 10 times the national average. In Wyoming alone, 710 indigenous people…
Health Jun 10 After 40 years of AIDS, progress has been made but major problems remain Four decades ago this past week, the first ever cases of the HIV/AIDS epidemic were publicly noted, and hardly noticed. But soon after, cases exploded around the world. It's estimated that roughly 35 million people have died from AIDS in…
World Jun 09 States pull out all the stops in push to increase vaccinations With the pace of vaccination in the U.S. slowing, the Biden administration’s goal of getting 70 percent of adults inoculated with at least one shot by July 4 is looking harder. Given that, a month-long campaign has begun with incentives…
Health Jun 07 Why the FDA approved a controversial Alzheimer's drug The FDA on Monday approved the first new drug to treat Alzheimer's disease in nearly two decades. Federal health officials said it may help slow the brain-destroying disease's progression, but the approval goes against the agency's independent advisers who said…
World May 19 'Vaccine passports' may be critical for equity, but polarization could undermine efforts Despite good progress on vaccinations in the U.S., the Biden administration and most officials are weary of requiring "vaccine passports" to prove inoculation. William Brangham discusses the related concerns with Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public…