Nation May 13 As states grapple with age limits for buying guns, what’s the potential effect? It’s been a week of ups and downs for both advocates and opponents of laws that raise the minimum age for purchasing firearms. Lisa Geller, director of state affairs at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, joins John…
Health May 06 What to know about the COVID pandemic as public health emergencies end This week, the World Health Organization ended the global public health emergency it declared three years ago as COVID-19 spread around the world. Meanwhile, the U.S. public health emergency is set to end on Thursday, May 11. Katelyn Jetelina, an…
Health Apr 29 Study finds Black people live longer in places with more Black doctors Life expectancy in the U.S. is at its lowest point in nearly two decades, and the projected life spans of Black and Native Americans are shorter than white Americans. According to new research, Black people live longer in areas with…
Health Apr 16 Why mortality for young Americans is increasing at an alarming rate Life expectancy for the average American is now 76 years, hitting the lowest point in nearly two decades after declining for the second year in a row. Dr. Steven Woolf, director emeritus of the Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society…
Nation Apr 16 Schools, families feel the pinch after end of federal free meal program A federal pandemic-era program that provided free meals for all public school students ended last September. A recent survey by a group that advocates for universal free school lunch found that 847 school districts have racked up more than $19…
Health Apr 10 Uninsured patients say North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion is a life-changing development North Carolina is now the 40th state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The bipartisan expansion, signed into law last month, comes after a decade of Republican resistance in the state. As John Yang reports, it will be…
Health Apr 02 How algorithms are being used to deny health insurance claims in bulk Federal data shows that health insurance companies denied more than 49 millions claims in 2021, but customers appealed less than 0.2 percent of them. Investigative journalists at ProPublica found that the insurance company Cigna is using an automated system…
Nation Apr 02 Biden’s complex relationship with oil and gas, despite campaign promises In 2020, Joe Biden promised to move the U.S. away from fossil fuels. But the Biden administration has a complicated relationship with the oil and gas industry — it has moved forward on plans to drill federally owned lands, auctioned…
Education Mar 26 Why so few Black men teach in American classrooms More than half of public schools report being understaffed, and bringing diversity into the classroom is a big part of the challenge. In the 2020-2021 school year, less than 2 percent of teachers were Black men. Mark Joseph of “Call…
World Mar 19 Expert analyzes new account of GOP deal that used Iran hostage crisis for gain The Iran hostage crisis consumed the last year of the Carter presidency, contributing to a perception of weakness. Saturday, a new allegation surfaced that Ronald Reagan's campaign worked to prevent the U.S. hostages from being freed before Election Day. Gary…