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After Ida: Power outages, calls for aid ... and sighs of reliefHurricane Ida left residents of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward grateful that levees held firm. But the region has big humanitarian needs to meet.
First LookEnd of the 'forever war': Last U.S. troops exit AfghanistanThe last U.S. military planes departed one minute before midnight in Kabul on Aug. 30. Some American citizens remain in Afghanistan but should be able to depart. The State Department has left open the possibility of resuming conditional diplomacy with the Taliban.
First LookThe levees held, but Ida leaves a million people without powerHurricane Ida, one of the strongest storms to hit the U.S. mainland, has left over a million people without electricity. The disaster response team includes 4,900 National Guard personnel, 195 high-water vehicles, 73 rescue boats, and 34 helicopters.
First LookCitizens work to prevent gerrymandering in state redistrictingAs state legislatures begin redistricting based on the 2020 U.S. census results, voters are joining bipartisan commissions to help reduce gerrymandering. With a tightly divided House, redistricting can have significant consequences for election results.
First LookOn Katrina anniversary, Hurricane Ida hits Louisiana as Cat. 4 stormHurricane Ida arrived Sunday (16 years after Katrina) with 150-mph winds, tying it for the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the U.S. mainland.
First LookBiden pays respects to US troops killed in Afghanistan attackPresident Joe Biden stood with grieving families Sunday as the remains of 13 U.S. troops killed in the Kabul suicide bombing arrived on U.S. soil.
First LookIn party line vote, Texas GOP advances bill to tighten voting lawsThe Republican-controlled Texas House advanced a voting bill Thursday after Democratic legislators spent 38 days away from the state to try to prevent its passage. Now, Democratic legislators look to Washington for federal voting protection.
First LookSupreme Court rolls back eviction protection. What's the fallout?The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lacked the authority to reinstate the eviction moratorium through Oct. 2. Without action from state legislatures or Congress, 3.5 million people could soon face eviction.
Community on campus: As college students return, a focus on well-beingAs colleges prepare for a new academic year, they’re finding that the pandemic has given them a new focus: rebuilding campus community.
First LookLawyers who challenged Michigan's 2020 election results penalizedOn Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Linda Parker charged nine lawyers allied with Donald Trump who filed a lawsuit to contest Michigan's presidential ballots with abusing the court system. Judge Parker ordered 12 hours of legal education for each attorney.
First LookWhy US appeals court upheld Dylann Roof's death sentenceDespite federal executions under review by the Department of Justice, an appeals court Wednesday upheld the death sentence for Dylann Roof, who killed nine people in a South Carolina church in 2015. The Trump administration carried out 13 federal execution in its last six months.
First LookAsian American bakeries spread a sweet cultural awarenessFood has long served as a cultural crossroad. For some Asian American bakers, hybrid sweets like hojicha chocolate croissants and dim sum cookies provide a way to celebrate their dual heritages and introduce new customers to flavors unique to their childhoods.
FocusDigital Dunkirk: With clock ticking, veterans race to save comradesWith the Aug. 31 deadline looming, America’s veterans are working round the clock to save their Afghan comrades from the Taliban.
First LookHow US infrastructure bill aims to cool 'urban heat islands'The $1.2-trillion infrastructure bill contains a new “Healthy Streets” grant program to help communities fund initiatives such as installing “cool” pavement and boosting tree canopies to lower temperatures in urban environments, especially in lower income neighborhoods.
First LookHouse narrowly passes Biden's $3.5T 'human infrastructure' budgetThe political drama over passing President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint emphasizes the stark divisions between moderate and progressive House Democrats, signaling challenges ahead for approving the president’s agenda.
First LookHouse passes bill Dems say would bolster landmark voting lawThe U.S. House has passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill that proponents say would restore voting protections that have been dismantled in recent years. With no Republican support, the legislation faces dim prospects in the Senate.
Digital divide: Gap is narrowing, but how will schools maintain progress?With more technology and hot spots in student hands, schools face new questions about uneven access and the best way to incorporate devices in class.
First LookKabul pullout: Amid threats, deadline still Aug. 31, US saysConsidering the risks of keeping forces on the ground, President Biden wants to complete the U.S. mission in Afghanistan by month’s end. It is unclear whether all American citizens and at-risk Afghans who fear for their lives can be lifted out of Kabul by then.
FocusTrump wants 10 GOP lawmakers gone. This one may prove tricky.Michigan GOP Rep. Fred Upton is one of the 10 Republican members of Congress Donald Trump wants to topple because they voted to impeach him.
First LookA new school year begins with driver shortage. Can kids get there?School districts across the United States are reporting trouble in finding enough school bus drivers. A range of factors – disagreements over mask-wearing, increased demand for commercial drivers, and low wages – are fueling the shortage.
