Arts Dec 23 Filmmaker chronicles impact of opioids on his hometown An ongoing opioid epidemic in the U.S. killed 42,249 people in 2016 and has lowered national life expectancy. Journalist and filmmaker Alex Hogan has lost many of his childhood friends to opioid misuse in Somerville, Massachusetts, and in the new…
Health Dec 10 Cancer treatment progress stunted by lack of volunteers As recent years have seen great progress in treating cancer, the country’s second leading cause of death with almost 600,000 people dying from it last year, American researchers are struggling to keep the momentum. While they have developed more than…
Arts Dec 03 Documentary gives new glimpse at Jane Goodall’s early research The 1965 film “Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees” documented the early months of Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Africa. Now, unseen footage from the making of that film will appear in the documentary “Jane,” which revisits Goodall’s…
Arts Nov 25 This filmmaker followed 45 years of change in Cuban life In 1972, intrigued by the promises of communism, then-24-year-old Jon Alpert sailed illegally to Cuba. For the next 45 years, the New York City filmmaker made regular trips to the island, documenting post-revolution Cuba through the daily lives of three…
Segment Oct 22 Should states rely on nuclear power to combat climate change? As older nuclear energy plants approach retirement or are threatened by closure, states worried about climate change are figuring out whether to keep them running. While they are cleaner for the environment, they are radioactive and significantly more expensive than…
Economy Jul 30 Can some corporations become forces for good? While publicly-held American corporations are responsible to shareholders to maximize profits, a growing group of businesses say they’re approaching their enterprises differently, with an eye toward environmental sustainability and workers’ rights. NewsHour Weekend's Christopher Booker reports on B Corps, a…
Nation Jun 17 Alabama residents left with one insurance option under ACA The Affordable Care Act mandated that all Americans obtain health insurance and created marketplaces, also known as exchanges, to facilitate coverage for the uninsured. But now, enrollees in five states, including Alabama, have only one option for insurance. PBS NewsHour…
Economy Jun 04 For millions, underemployment is a new normal At 4.3 percent, the unemployment rate is at its lowest level since 2001. But left out of this figure are people who are working part time or fewer hours than they desire -- - the underemployed. NewsHour Weekend’s Christopher Booker…
Economy May 27 Economist Tyler Cowen says Americans have lost their drive American economist and author Tyler Cowen says in his new book, “The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream,” that every available measure of productivity in this country shows that innovation is slowing down. Cowen says the book…
Nation Apr 16 Can Rhode Island’s paid family leave be a national model? In 1993, former President Bill Clinton signed into law the Family and Medical Leave Act, granting unpaid family leave to millions in the U.S. Decades later, the country has yet to implement a paid family leave policy -- but some…