Health Dec 09 Despite strong vaccination rate, Vermont sees COVID spike amid booster shot lag As the country braces for the unknowns of the new omicron variant, the delta variant is still overwhelming parts of the United States. Some states in the Northeast and Midwest have seen sustained record-breaking case numbers. William Brangham reports on…
Health Dec 02 Does South Africa's COVID uptick signal greater threat from omicron? Here's what we know While we don't know whether the omicron variant will lead to more severe cases of COVID-19, its ability to spread is becoming clearer. Cases in South Africa are spiking at the fastest rate since the pandemic began, and European officials…
Health Dec 01 U.S. to release new rules for foreign travelers amid growing concerns over omicron variant The first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus was detected in the U.S. Wednesday — a discovery most health officials had said was inevitable. A case was confirmed in San Francisco, California, on the eve of new requirements…
Health Dec 01 What early evidence tells us about omicron, and how it may affect need for booster shots The first case of COVID-19 from the omicron variant in the U.S. was in a person who had been vaccinated, but hadn’t received a booster. Dr. Fauci said it was a mild infection, and none of the traveler’s close contacts…
Economy Nov 23 How tapping strategic oil reserve will affect U.S. gas prices, OPEC+ President Joe Biden is tapping an emergency stockpile of oil to stem a rising tide of energy prices. His order Tuesday draws 50 million barrels of crude oil from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. William Brangham begins the report, and…
Nation Nov 22 How the self-defense argument played out in Rittenhouse, Arbery trials Even as many are still assessing the Kyle Rittenhouse trial verdict, another closely watched case went to the jury Monday in the trial of three men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. The homicide trials are different…
Health Nov 18 How the pandemic is contributing to alarming rise in opioid overdose deaths The nation’s opioid epidemic has never been deadlier. The Centers for Disease Control Prevention says 100,000 people died of drug overdoses over the last year — a 30 percent increase from the year before and an all-time high. As William…
Nation Nov 17 Georgia's murder statute and how the Ahmaud Arbery trial may play out One of three men on trial for fatally shooting Ahmaud Arbery — who was Black — took the stand today in his own defense. Travis McMichael — who is white — testified a day after the prosecution rested in a…
Health Nov 17 How the COVAX vaccine program is faring, and what challenges developing nations still face The Biden administration is ramping up plans for vaccine manufacturing for the coming year. But developing nations have been struggling with delays and short supplies for months and will not meet their vaccination goals for this year. Drug maker Moderna…
Nation Nov 15 After decades in prison, finding new life mentoring at-risk youth Michael Plummer, a Washington, D.C. man, works with at-risk youth to pass on the lessons he learned from more than two decades behind bars. William Brangham and producer Mike Fritz have been following Plummer's story for more than a year…