World Jun 25 Fighting for freshwater amid climate change President Donald Trump has said he is withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate accords, rejecting that wealthier nations, which have the biggest carbon footprints, should help poorer nations vulnerable to climate changes. One such place is the Marshall Islands,…
Nation Jun 11 New film follows the only bank charged after financial crisis A new documentary, "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," tells the story of Abacus Federal Savings Bank, a small, family-run bank in New York City. Abacus was the only bank in the U.S. to face criminal charges after the 2008 financial…
World May 20 Kenya races toward goal of electrifying every household Kenya has made rapid gains in connecting households across the country to the electrical grid, as part of a goal to achieve universal access to power by 2020. Over the past three years the East African country has connected 12.4…
World Apr 30 Drones keep elephants away from people in Tanzania In the Serengeti region in Tanzania, conflict can arise between humans and the elephants that graze on their crops. The U.S.-based nonprofit RESOLVE is testing a new way to reduce these clashes while protecting both elephants and humans: drones. NewsHour…
World Apr 08 Group gives cash aid to rural Kenyans, then studies its effects Since it was founded in 2011, U.S.-based nonprofit GiveDirectly has given cash unconditionally to villagers in eastern Africa, particularly Kenya and Uganda. The nonprofit’s most recent project involves providing a basic income consisting of cash payments to every adult in…
Health Feb 12 Cohousing communities help prevent social isolation Groups in Denmark and the U.S. are choosing to live in intentionally intergenerational communities, which emerged to strengthen social ties between aging seniors and their younger counterparts who are balancing work and family. People living in them say the model…
Nation Jan 15 If kratom helps opioid addicts, why might DEA outlaw it? The national epidemic of opioid abuse has claimed more than 300,000 lives in the U.S. over the last 16 years -- and some researchers claim that kratom, an herbal psychoactive drug that is currently unregulated, could help people struggling with…
Nation Dec 11 U.S. builds first offshore wind farm In the U.S. today, wind power accounts for about five percent of all electricity generation, but a new project aims to change that. A $300 million installation off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island, takes the renewable energy technology…
Arts Dec 11 ‘Not That Jewish’ is a comic roadmap to Jewish-American life Monica Piper has worked in nearly every corner of comedy, including stand-up and television. Now, she’s lent her comedic pen to “Not That Jewish,” a one-woman Off-Broadway show, starring Piper as herself. It chronicles the origins of her life in…
Politics Dec 10 How similar are Trump and Reagan? Donald Trump often invoked Ronald Reagan on the campaign trail this year, and did so again as President-elect last week at a North Carolina rally as he described his plans for the military. But just how similar are the two…