All Society
FocusIn Flint, a future built on schools as well as safe waterThe Flint water crisis may have faded from national headlines, but for locals the story is lifelong. The city's holistic approach to recovery may hold lessons for other struggling communities.
‘Plogging’ picks up steam – and trash – worldwideIt is perhaps a diversion for the inveterate multitasker. Enthusiasts of a Swedish-coined term, “plogging,” marry running with picking up trash along the way.
To bring refugees west, Americans look north – to CanadaThe US may be admitting fewer refugees in recent years, but Americans are still finding ways to bring families from the Middle East to safety in the West. The trick: They’re helping them reach Canada, not the US.
‘It’s like we don’t exist’: California’s invisible rural housing crisisThe precarious state of low-income housing in rural America threatens to deteriorate over the next decade – and from there descend into a full-blown crisis.
America’s Christmas tree: The hunt for the iconic Rockefeller treeLike hanging treasured ornaments and decorating gingerbread, for millions of Americans the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a beloved tradition and a comforting symbol of the holidays.
No room at the inn: Mexican Posada tradition inspires US migrantsInternational traditions are commonly adapted to new environments via migration and globalization. In California, the ritual of La Posada, which reenacts Joseph and Mary's search for shelter, has taken on new meaning in a time of increased anti-migrant rhetoric.
Yes, you can discuss politics at the holiday table. Here’s how.During polarized times, we often avoid discussing politics at holiday gatherings to keep the peace. But engaging wisely can help build bridges, promote understanding, and enrich relationships.
First LookMajor cities saw homeless numbers decline, though US count slightly upLos Angeles and San Diego – both cities with large homeless populations – saw small declines in total homelessness. In other parts of the West Coast, however, the number of homeless continues to rise in tandem with lack of affordable housing.
First LookWith e-cigarettes on the rise, surgeon general issues warning for kidsIn high schools across the US, 1 in 5 high students and 1 in 20 middle schoolers are using e-cigarettes, according to federal data. Though there is little research on long-term effects, US Surgeon General Jerome Adams warns that vaping can lead to addiction.
First LookMerriam-Webster chooses 'justice' as word of the yearSearch data for 2018 shows "justice" as a recurring theme spurred by the news cycle. To be word of the year worthy, an entry has to show both a high volume of traffic and a significant year-over-year increase in lookups.
Oakland’s plan to battle homelessness: Stop it before it startsAs rising rents push low-income tenants out of Oakland, the city is responding with a program that’s fighting homelessness and gentrification before they take root. The program's approach may be a model for California and the country.
Giving back: After winning asylum himself, he helps new refugees get settledWhere does the motivation come from to help? For one caseworker, his own hardship has given him the grit and generosity to pave the way to opportunity for others.
First Look'Misinformation' chosen by Dictionary.com as word of the yearWith the rise of social media, 2018 has seen the spread of conspiracy theories, half-baked insults, and sensationalist media. The choice of "misinformation" highlights this turbulence, says Dictionary.com's linguist Jane Solomon, while also inspiring self-reflection.
How Texas wants to save football from concussionsSafety concerns have made high school football controversial. The view from Texas shows those challenges but also how the drive to make football safer has focused on saving the good the sport does.
Are mass shootings doomed to be America’s ‘new normal’? ‘That is a myth.’There are lots of headlines about the numbing of the American psyche to mass shootings. Researchers suggest that a desire to retreat emotionally when news of another shooting emerges doesn’t mean Americans accept gun violence as inevitable.
Cover StorySelf-driving trucks in US offer window into where machines may replace humansWith advances in artificial intelligence, machines are poised to invade workplaces that once seemed immune to automation. Transportation is one of the key areas where machines are on the march.
In Florida Panhandle, resilience battles uncertain ability to rebuildPoor rural communities inland were caught off guard by hurricane Michael, and lapses in long-term recovery efforts can exacerbate existing inequality, experts say. But there is a strain of resilience that does not lie far beneath the surface.
Why a global village thrives in this small Georgia townDecades of refugee arrivals have reshaped Clarkston, a town on Atlanta’s outskirts. Amid a heated national debate over immigration and asylum, Clarkston’s churches are playing a key role in the integration of newcomers.
FocusFor love of strangers: Behind the Jewish legacy of welcoming refugeesFor many, the question of whether to accept refugees into the United States comes down to politics. For many Jews – as well as Muslims and Christians – it is “a matter of moral commitment.”
It’s alive! On Halloween, Frankenreads celebrate 200th anniversary of classicLive readings of Mary Shelley’s Gothic classic around the world are offering a treat and a fresh sense of community for many of the book’s fans this Halloween.
