All Society
FocusIn today's movement toward home abortions, echoes of past cultural battles'The cultural atmosphere [today is] way worse than the atmosphere that the underground service worked in during the ‘68 to ‘73 period,' says a former 'Jane,' who helped women obtain abortions before Roe v. Wade legalized abortion.
Cover StoryAmbassadors of smokeSouthern-style barbecue is spreading around the world, turning weekend grillers into would-be pitmasters. Meet a real baron of barbecue – ‘Big Moe.’
First LookTexan pastors hold church services for immigrants afraid to leave their homesFearing public harassment and deportation, undocumented immigrants are going to church in fewer numbers. To bridge this gap, pastors and ministers are reaching out – in person and via phone conference – to give them a sense of community.
[special project]How helping whistle-blowers could cut health-care costsWhistle-blowers have already helped the US government recover nearly $20 billion from health-care companies engaged in fraud. Some say encouraging even more whistle-blowing can help build a culture of integrity in the health-care industry.
First LookNew study links recreational marijuana to increase in car crashesIn a study released Thursday, the Highway Loss Data Institute showed that Oregon, Washington, and Colorado saw car crash incidents rise by 2.7 percent since recreational marijuana was legalized in those states.
- An epic case of medical fraud – and the agent who cracked it
This is the story of how a Miami psychiatrist managed to beat the system year after year, but finally met his match in a health-care fraud investigator named Alberico Crespo.
Why Michigan's Iraqi Christians thought Trump would spare their loved onesAfter more than 100 Iraqi Christians were rounded up for deportation in June, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a class action suit on behalf of the detainees. On Wednesday, a federal judge heard arguments on whether to grant an emergency stay.
FocusAfter the fire: Volunteers help Gatlinburg find hopeIn this time of hand-wringing over a divided country and boiling civic hostilities, the volunteers living on church cots and in campers in a fire-ravaged mountain town seem an affirmation of spirit.
First LookA big win for public health: teen vaping falls, study saysA new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found an overall decline for the first time in the use of vaping devices with teens since the agency began tracking their use in 2011.
First LookSouthern Baptists reach consensus, denouncing ‘alt-right’ movementAt their annual convention, Southern Baptists voted to formally denounce the 'alt-right' political movement. The resolution comes after a day-long disagreement over the wording of the statement, but resulted in a standing ovation from the convention’s 5,000 members.
First LookDigital burnout leads to a resurgence of vintage typewriters, and it isn't just a fadOver the past decade, vintage typewriters have attracted a new generation of fans. Organized public events contribute to the growing craze, where typewriter aficionados come together and try different vintage machines.
Shakespeare in the Park: When all the world's a stage for outrageThe Public Theater’s 'Julius Caesar' adds kindling to the national shouting match that’s become characterized by anger and insults – so much so that three-quarters of Americans in a new poll say incivility has become a 'national crisis.'
Small town tries to put lid on power of Big TrashSouthbridge, the 10th-poorest town in Massachusetts, is set to vote June 13 on whether to allow Casella Waste Systems to expand what has already become the state's largest landfill.
First LookInterracial marriage in the US: 1 in 6 couples now racially mixedIn the 50 years since the landmark Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia, Americans have increasingly dated and married across racial and ethnic lines. But many interracial couples say they still face racism and violence.
Maine's most mysterious catchElver fishing was once a quirky pastime that gave Mainers a few extra bucks. As worldwide demand for eels grew, it has become a big-money business, with struggles over quotas, poaching, and a federal investigation dubbed Operation Broken Glass.
Can Memphis keep MLK's crusade for economic justice alive?In the decades since Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in Memphis, Tenn., public and private efforts to reduce poverty and boost wealth in the black community have taken hold. But poverty rates in the city are still among the nation's highest.
Cover StorySuburbia's new faceOnce the emblem of middle-class whites, suburbs are America’s new melting pot, creating diversity but also tensions.
Marriage can fight poverty – but how do you promote it?From Tennessee to New York, programs to promote more and stronger marriages have struggled to show results. Experts say other strategies might help, including a public-awareness campaign on the benefits of stable marriages.
Is there a doctor in the kitchen? How culinary medicine reenvisions food.Hospitals in the US are setting up food banks, and medical schools are putting cooking classes on the curriculum – part of a shift in focus away from simply treating disease toward caring for the whole person.
How data-crunching is cutting down on massive health-care fraudBig data is helping investigators unmask fraudsters as they try to hide in plain sight amid hundreds of millions of transactions.
