Jason’s Recent Stories
Education Jan 26
How the pandemic is propelling demand for short-term college programsIt’s been a brutal academic year for higher education, with enrollment down in the fall more than 560,000 undergraduate students compared to 2019. But there has been at least one area of growth at many schools: short-term programs that help…
Education Jan 19
How the pandemic is impacting college students’ mental healthCollege students have long been prone to stress, anxiety and depression. And three out of four Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 report poor mental health tied to the pandemic, according to the CDC. Hari Sreenivasan reports as…
Nation Jan 12
How the pandemic highlights racial disparities in higher educationTypically during a recession, community college enrollment goes up as unemployed workers start looking for new skills. But that’s not happening this time around, signaling trouble for the economy and individual families going forward, particularly for lower-income students and students…
Education Jan 05
As pandemic wears on, colleges and universities grapple with how to surviveMore than 397,000 people at American colleges and universities have contracted the coronavirus since March. As campuses nationwide look to start the third pandemic semester in coming weeks, the grim toll on higher education is mounting with the basic survival…
Nation Dec 11
Frontline workers, communities of color bear the brunt of California’s coronavirus surgeCalifornia broke new records this week with the coronavirus, prompting officials to order restrictions in more than 90 percent of that state. Stephanie Sy reports on the situation in Los Angeles County, where frontline workers and communities of color are…
Nation Nov 10
Why the Affordable Care Act is back before the Supreme Court, amid a pandemicHealth care policy was a major topic during the presidential campaign, and President Trump’s administration has long sought to invalidate the Affordable Care Act. But Obamacare, as it is popularly known, is now deeply woven into American health. With health…
Arts Oct 16
Leaving Dixie behind, the Chicks get even more personal — and politicalThe Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, are the best-selling female band of all time in the U.S. But they may be known just as much for a comment lead singer Natalie Maines made during the lead-up to the…
Arts Oct 16
How Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s words wound up in this Chicks music videoWhen the Chicks sat down earlier this year to hear the latest cut of songs for their upcoming album -- their first in 14 years -- a fourth voice appeared in the background of one track.
Health Sep 04
What universal health care means during a pandemicOur series on universal health care, The Best Health Care? America and the World, was filmed before the novel coronavirus pandemic exploded. How have the three countries we explored -- the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Australia -- responded to this…
Health Sep 03
What the U.S. can learn from Australia’s hybrid health care systemThe U.S. has the world's most expensive health care system, but it leaves roughly 30 million people uninsured. As policymakers consider making changes, some are looking to Australia as a model. That nation has achieved universal health coverage at a…