Health Jan 14 How rural communities are tackling a suicide and depression crisis among farmers More than 50,000 Americans took their own lives in 2023, the nation’s highest yearly rate of suicide on record. Farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, according to the National Rural Health Association.
Nation Nov 12 Historically low water levels on the Mississippi River cause shipping woes The Mississippi River is a superhighway for American agricultural products, but a warm fall and extreme drought conditions have contributed to its water levels dropping to record lows. Special correspondent Megan Thompson reports from Missouri on what conditions along this…
Nation May 20 Native communities in Louisiana fight to save their land from rising seas In Louisiana, coastal erosion is claiming an average amount of land equivalent to a football field every hour. Some Native American communities in the southeastern part of the state are the hardest hit. Special correspondent Megan Thompson brings us the…
Nation Apr 15 Native tribe in Louisiana highlights challenges of climate-driven relocation In 2022, the Biden administration announced it would pay to help several Native American tribes move away from coastlines and rivers, where waters are rising due to climate change. Special correspondent Megan Thompson reports on an earlier relocation effort in…
Arts Oct 03 Broadway’s Tina Turner musical returns as theaters reopen After more than a year on hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic, the Broadway show ‘Tina - The Tina Turner Musical’ about the pop icon's life is set to reopen this Friday. Special correspondent Karla Murthy sits down with the show's…
Nation Jun 07 How a break in the nation’s food supply caused regional food companies to soar During 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…
Economy May 03 Meat plant closures trickle down to grain production Iowa 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 pandemic Thousands 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 pandemic This 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…
Nation Mar 07 How women in Iowa are leading farmland conservation efforts Each year, produce like corn and soybeans are grown on millions of acres of Iowa farmland. While the bulk of the farming is conducted by men, roughly half of the state's farmland is owned, or co-owned, by women. Mark Bittman…