Nation Mar 04 Exploring America’s social safety net and the political fights around it Our new series, "America’s Safety Net," is focused on the complex web of programs meant to help Americans in need. Over the coming weeks, we’ll take an in-depth look at the different forms of welfare in the U.S. Up first,…
Nation Feb 08 St. Paul makes history as 1st major U.S. city to elect all-female city council In the last election, the city of St. Paul, Minnesota, did something it had never done before: elect an all-female city council. The state’s capital became one of the largest American cities to hold that distinction. Special correspondent Fred de…
Nation Feb 01 What is Christian nationalism and why it raises concerns about threats to democracy White Christian nationalism has been in the headlines quite a lot as of late. Brad Onishi is a former evangelical minister who once identified as a Christian nationalist himself. He left the church in 2005 and began studying religion and…
Nation Jan 29 Psychiatrist advocates for reforming U.S. approach to gun safety Already this year, there have been more than 3,000 firearm deaths in the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive. Dr. Jonathan Metzl, director of Medicine, Health and Society at Vanderbilt University and author of the new book, “What We’ve…
Nation Jan 17 Why a growing number of American men say they are in a ‘friendship recession’ American men are stuck in what’s been dubbed a friendship recession, with 20 percent of single men now saying they don’t have any close friends. More than half of all men report feeling unsatisfied with the size of their friend…
Politics Jan 15 Iowans face freezing temperatures to caucus in 1st contest of 2024 campaign Republicans are enduring frigid weather to participate in the Iowa caucuses. An Arctic blast brought record-setting snowfall, powerful gusts and wind chill readings 40 degrees below zero. It choked campaigns to a near-halt at one point. When candidates did return,…
Politics Jan 12 Iowa caucus ‘kingmaker’ on the GOP race and critical white evangelical vote The Iowa caucuses are now just three days away, which means the candidates are making their final pitches to a coveted group of voters: white evangelicals. Bob Vander Plaats is perhaps Iowa’s most recognizable and influential evangelical leader and is…
World Jan 10 How mental health experts are handling the Israel-Hamas war’s lasting impact on children The fallout from the Israel-Hamas war is far-reaching and the damage from the conflict will be felt for years. The Hamas attack on Oct. 7 and Israel’s counteroffensive have left thousands dead and caused immense physical destruction. It’s also left…
Nation Dec 29 Why reports of a surge in retail theft may be overblown Most Americans think there’s more crime in the U.S. than there was a year ago, according to a recent Gallup poll. That’s despite clear data showing violent crime has actually dropped sharply in 2023. So why the misperception? Economics correspondent…
Nation Dec 14 How some evangelical leaders are combating political radicalization in their congregations Evangelical Christian leaders have sounded the alarm in recent years about problems of polarization and radicalization in their churches. Laura Barrón-López spoke to one pastor trying to shift the conversation.