Politics Sep 20 Georgia election board passes rule requiring hand count of ballots The 2024 voting season is officially underway as polling stations opened Friday for early in-person voting in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia. Meantime, the state election board in Georgia passed a new vote-counting rule that has sparked heated debate. Stephanie…
Nation Sep 12 Francine lashes Gulf Coast, leaving neighborhoods flooded and many without power Francine dumped heavy rain across the Southeast Thursday after flooding New Orleans and coastal communities throughout Louisiana. Francine peaked as a Category 2 hurricane and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people. There have been no reports of…
World Sep 08 ‘Enormous’ profits from avocado exports drive deforestation, water shortages in Mexico Demand in the United States for one popular food is driving deforestation in Mexico. Daniel Wilkinson, senior policy adviser at Climate Rights International, joins Stephanie Sy to discuss the environmental and human costs of skyrocketing avocado sales and what can…
Nation Aug 30 How the U.S. insurance system makes finding mental health care difficult More than one in five adults in the U.S. live with a mental illness, but only about half receive treatment. Many struggle to find a therapist that will accept their insurance. An NPR/ProPublica investigation found that therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists…
World Aug 29 Charges against Telegram CEO sparks debate over balance of free speech and responsibility The arrest of Telegram's CEO and founder has reignited concerns about the balance of free speech and responsibility that comes with running social platforms. Telegram has more than 900 million users, making it among the most popular messaging services in…
World Aug 28 The inspiring stories to follow during the Paralympic Games in Paris The 2024 Paralympic Games kicked off with an opening ceremony in the heart of Paris that featured aerial displays, dancers and a major spectacle attended by more than 60,000 people. Thousands of athletes with disabilities are preparing for what promises…
World Aug 27 Israel rescues hostage from Hamas tunnel in Gaza After 326 days in captivity, a hostage was found in the Hamas tunnels underneath Gaza and brought to safety by the Israeli military. Qaid Farhan Alkadi is the eighth hostage to be rescued from Gaza, but dozens more wait to…
Nation Aug 25 Wildland firefighters feel increasing strain amid funding and staffing shortages As climate change causes wildfires to become more frequent and devastating, wildland firefighters are often the last line of defense protecting homes and communities. But these crucial public servants are stretched thin and underpaid, and a temporary pay raise for…
Nation Aug 11 Exploring the history of gender equity at the Olympics and where things stand today When Paris last hosted the Olympic Games in 1924, just over 4 percent of the competitors were women. A century later, the International Olympic Committee dubbed the 2024 Games the “gender-equal Olympics.” But that’s not the whole story. Stephanie Sy…
Health Aug 10 How a free, anonymous texting program may help teens quit vaping More than 2 million American middle and high school students now use e-cigarettes, also known as “vaping." A clinical trial found that teens enrolled in the “This is Quitting” anonymous text message program were 35 percent more likely to report…