About Laura
Laura Fong shoots and produces stories for PBS NewsHour Weekend on a wide range of topics, including U.S. politics, education, the arts and urban transit. She also covers breaking news for the Saturday and Sunday broadcasts. Before joining NewsHour Weekend, Laura worked on the first three seasons of the CNN documentary series "Inside Man" with Morgan Spurlock. Through Teach for America, Laura taught first grade for two years in Houston. She has a B.A. in electronic media from the University of Oregon.
Laura’s Recent Stories
Arts Jul 04
Arab-Israeli orchestra celebrates 20 years of harmonyThe Divan Orchestra founded by an Israeli and a Palestinian as a humanist project for friendship and dialogue is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Today, its young members are both Israeli and Arab. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent David Tereshchuk…
Science Jun 28
Samoa searching for plant-based alternatives to single-use plasticsLike many other places around the world, the South Pacific island-nation of Samoa has begun phasing out single-use plastic products, and styrofoam will be next. Businesses and research organizations there are finding creative uses of local resources to fill in…
Nation Jun 07
How a break in the nation’s food supply caused regional food companies to soarDuring the first months of the pandemic, as industrial meat plants closed and grocery stores experienced shortages, some mid-sized local food companies saw an unexpected boom in business. As people across the country sheltered in place, they turned to these…
Education May 31
Kentucky high school seniors graduate at a drive-in theaterFor many schools, the month of May is a time when high school seniors graduate and move on to the next stages of life. But as the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted in-person graduation ceremonies, one Kentucky high school used a…
Science May 16
Climate change threatens Rose Atoll National Wildlife RefugeOne of the biggest impacts of climate change will be on islands and coastal regions. That includes Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, an uninhabited island and protected sanctuary for dozens of wildlife species in the equatorial Pacific’s U.S. territory of…
World May 16
Samoan Islands: Shifting TidesTo see how one of the most remote places on earth is being impacted by climate change, NewsHour Weekend traveled last fall to Rose Atoll, an uninhabited wildlife refuge in American Samoa. We had to get a special permit from…
Nation May 16
360 video: Visiting the ‘island of seabirds,’ an uninhabited remote wildlife refuge in American Samoa“Island of Seabirds” to the Samoan people, Rose Atoll Marine National Monument is a major nesting site to a dozen bird species, as well as green sea turtles and other wildlife. Experience the island's wildlife, sounds and natural beauty in…
Economy May 03
Meat plant closures trickle down to grain productionIowa is the largest producer of pork and corn in the U.S. As many meat processing plants shut their doors due to COVID-19, demand for pigs plummeted. The effects have trickled down the supply chain to the farmers who raise…
Health Apr 19
Fostering pets is helping some better cope with the pandemicThousands of New Yorkers have responded to pleas from animal shelters looking to find homes for pets amid the COVID-19 crisis. And it turns out, fostering animals also has emotional and physical health benefits for the humans taking care of…
Nation Apr 11
Family holiday traditions go virtual during the pandemicThis Holy Week, celebrated by Christians worldwide, coincides with the Jewish holiday Passover, when people often join family for religious gatherings. But these aren’t normal times. NewsHour Weekend’s Melanie Saltzman recently met a neighbor who is finding ways to cope…
