Nation Nov 06 In Missouri, why relying on a public defender can mean you slip through the cracks A new podcast from the NewsHour examines the public defender system in the United States — and the enormous gaps and problems that undermine its effectiveness. Amna Nawaz and producer Frank Carlson reported from Missouri for this five-part series, and…
Nation Nov 05 Episode 1: Triage Can an attorney handle more than 100 criminal cases at a time? That’s the reality for a public defender like Jeff Esparza, who represents defendants unable to afford their own lawyers in Kansas City. The public defender system in Missouri—and…
Nation Oct 29 Broken Justice Trailer In 1997, Ricky Kidd was sentenced to life without parole for a double homicide he says he didn’t commit. And he says his court-appointed lawyer is the reason. In the U.S. justice system, everyone has the right to an attorney,…
Nation Oct 29 Broken Justice In 1997, Ricky Kidd was sentenced to life without parole for a double homicide he says he didn’t commit. And he says his court-appointed lawyer is the reason. In the U.S. justice system, everyone has the right to an attorney,…
Arts Oct 03 Lee Fields used to be ‘Little James Brown,’ but these days, he’s all himself Now touring on his new album, “It Rains Love,” soul singer Lee Fields spoke with the PBS NewsHour on how he forged his own path, why he left the music business for several years, and what it was like meeting…
Arts Jun 14 With the Juke Joint Festival, a Mississippi city aims to lose its economic blues In Mississippi’s Clarksdale, the heart of the rural Delta, a celebration of the blues has been drawing thousands of fans to the area for the past 16 years. The Juke Joint Festival, named for bars and informal music venues scattered…
Arts May 13 For these refugees, theater plays a ‘vital role’ in healing In the aftermath of the Syrian conflict, millions of people fled their country, joining migrants and refugees from across the Middle East and Africa seeking better lives in Europe and the United States. Many gathered at an informal French refugee…
Arts Apr 10 Meet J.S. Ondara, the Kenyan folk singer hoping to revive the ‘American Dream’ J.S. Ondara grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, listening to American rock and roll. When he was 17, he stumbled upon Bob Dylan -- and his life’s ambitions. Nearly a decade later, Ondara lives in the U.S. and just released his…
Health Apr 09 The hidden risks of suicide and depression for seniors living in long-term care By 2030, 20 percent of Americans will be senior citizens. Many will eventually enter long-term care, a move that presents tough choices and challenges for seniors and their families -- including risks of depression and suicide. In partnership with Kaiser…
Arts Mar 18 Shunned by country radio, female artists in Nashville are looking to break through The proportion of female voices on country radio has been dropping in recent years, amid “long-held beliefs” that male singers drive larger audiences and greater ad revenue. But not everyone in Nashville buys into that theory. Jeffrey Brown reports on…