Nation Jan 21 Why Alabama’s plan to execute a prisoner using nitrogen gas is raising concerns Unless the courts intervene, a death-row inmate in Alabama is scheduled on Thursday to become the first person in the U.S. to be executed using an untested method: nitrogen hypoxia. Alabama’s solicitor general has called it “painless and humane,” but…
Politics Jan 20 What to know as the battle over abortion rights shifts to state ballots in 2024 Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, attempts to use the ballot box to enshrine the right to access abortion services into state constitutions have proliferated. This November, the issue could be on the ballot in…
Nation Jan 19 After Supreme Court ruling, Biden cancels student loan debt for millions of borrowers President Biden on Friday announced another $5 billion in student loan forgiveness for 74,000 borrowers. It’s the latest batch of student debt cancellations after the Supreme Court struck down his larger forgiveness plan last year. John Yang reports on Biden's…
Politics Jan 14 What Iowa Republican voters are thinking on frigid eve of 2024 caucuses On the eve of the 2024 presidential election’s first contest, GOP candidates are making last-minute appeals in a bitterly cold Iowa. The National Weather Service warns of wind chills as low as 45 below zero Monday night, when Iowa Republicans…
Politics Jan 13 Expert analyzes the rise of impeachment as a weapon of partisan politics House Republicans are pressing ahead with efforts to impeach both President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas. Only one cabinet official has ever been impeached, in 1876. Sarah Binder, a professor of political science at George Washington University, joins John…
Science Jan 13 Why you may be eating and drinking more microplastics than you thought From takeout containers to water bottles, plastic seems unavoidable in our daily lives. Now, two new studies have found that we’re eating and drinking more plastic than we might have realized. George Leonard, a co-author of one of the studies…
Health Jan 12 Why experts are concerned about the JN.1 variant responsible for latest COVID wave The U.S. and other parts of the world are in the midst of another COVID-19 wave. Infections and hospitalizations are on the rise this winter and a new variant is responsible for most of those cases. John Yang discussed these…
Nation Jan 10 Defense secretary’s diagnosis highlights stigma surrounding prostate cancer The diagnosis of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s prostate cancer, and his initial decision not to disclose it, has put that cancer back at the center of some attention. It’s one of the most treatable cancers, but for many men there's…
World Jan 07 ‘This year is a nightmare’: Gaza’s children face starvation amid dire conditions Three months ago, Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping roughly 240 more. Ever since, Israel has bombarded Gaza with the goal of eliminating Hamas. The United Nations estimates that as many as 40 percent of Palestinians…
Health Jan 06 COVID is surging again. Here’s what to know and why experts encourage caution The U.S. is experiencing another uptick in COVID infections after the holidays, with hospitalizations rising for the eighth week in a row. A new dominant variant, JN.1, has quickly spread to account for more than 60 percent of cases. John…