Nation Aug 10 California prison inmates become a critical resource for fighting wildfires The Dixie Fire, now the second-largest in California history, continues to burn northern parts of the state. It comes as California faces a shortage of firefighters, a scenario that's bringing new attention to a critical firefighting resource: prison inmates. William…
Nation Aug 03 Worsening wildfires in California’s wine country threaten low-wage farm workers Wildfire season is here and in California alone, this year's fires have already burned more acres than at this time in 2020. In recent years, Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, where wine vineyards dot the landscape and tourism is…
Nation Jul 20 Californians scramble for fresh water as taps, wells run dry The severe drought across the Western U.S. is already causing long term problems, exacerbated by the warming atmosphere driven by climate change. As William Brangham reports from California’s San Joaquin Valley, the demand for water has threatened the drinking supply…
Arts Jul 05 Artists reimagine monuments through augmented reality In a time of much reckoning over American history, there are questions raised anew about what a monument is and who should be honored. A new exhibition in Los Angeles explores that, in what is known as “augmented reality." Jeffrey…
Nation Jul 02 Americans who lost homes to devastating wildfires brace for an even worse season In the middle of an unprecedented heat wave and a worsening drought, western U.S. states are bracing for what could be an even harsher wildfire season than last year's — potentially the worst on record. With many residents still picking…
Arts Jun 23 Schools tried to forcibly assimilate Indigenous kids. Can the U.S. make amends? A mass grave with the remains of 215 children was recently found near the now-closed Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, Canada, exposing a dark history of forcibly assimilating Indigenous people. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland announced a federal…
Education Jun 22 COVID ‘knocked the wind out of’ Navajo Nation, its colleges. Here’s how they’re recovering Many tribal colleges and universities are located in remote areas and often serve older and low-income American Indian students. Many lack access to basic necessities like internet and running water, making learning during the pandemic especially difficult. As Stephanie Sy…
Nation Jun 04 U.S. Border Patrol is increasingly dropping off migrants in rural areas lacking resources A surge in crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months has led U.S. Border agents to drop some migrants off at sites in rural American towns, to begin their wait for court hearings. But these towns often lack the…
Arts May 24 Houston museum highlights contributions of Latin American artists to 20th century art In the midst of the pandemic and a nationwide reckoning on race, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston opened a new building that highlights its growing collection of Latin American and Latino works. Jeffrey Brown visited recently and reports for…
World Apr 26 Why asylum seekers on either side of the southern border still face an uncertain future In February, President Joe Biden announced plans to wind down "Remain in Mexico" - the Trump administration policy that forced tens of thousands of asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while immigration courts considered their cases. But thousands are still…