For years, most states have reported a shortage of special education teachers. Now, according to federal data, nearly every state is struggling to hire qualified educators. And when schools can't find a licensed teacher, they hire people who are willing to do the job, but lack the training. From member station WFYI in Indianapolis, Lee Gaines reports on what that means for students, and Dylan Peers McCoy reports on one approach — in Hawaii — that's helped to fill shortages. In participating regi...
Apr 22, 2022•14 min
California's Reparations Task Force is preparing to release its first report on the impact of racism on African Americans in June. It's the next step for the Task Force, following a narrow vote late last month to exclude some Black residents from being eligible if and when a reparations plan becomes law. Under the current proposal, only those who can trace their lineage to enslaved or freed Black people before the end of the 19th century will qualify for reparations from the state. Some Black Ca...
Apr 21, 2022•15 min
The pains of every war ripple out beyond the borders of the conflict zone. And as the war between Russia and Ukraine drags on, the disruptions in the global food supply chain are beginning to deepen the already dire hunger crisis around the world. Ukraine and Russia combined export 30% of the world's wheat, in addition to other food supplies. Now, because of the ongoing war, the price of food worldwide is skyrocketing and 38 countries are facing acute food insecurity, meaning they are just one s...
Apr 20, 2022•11 min
A federal judge struck down the CDC's mask mandate for public transportation on Monday, clearing the way for airlines and ride hailing companies to eliminate mask requirements for passengers. What might the change mean for travelers — especially those most vulnerable to infection or too young to be vaccinated? NPR science correspondents Selena Simmons-Duffin and Maria Godoy explain. NPR's Tamara Keith outlines the political implications for the Biden administration. In participating regions, you...
Apr 19, 2022•12 min
Elon Musk wants to buy Twitter. His vision of the future may not pan out for the platform, but that vision represents what historian Jill Lepore calls 'extreme capitalism.' Lepore, a Harvard professor and New Yorker writer, is host of the podcast The Evening Rocket , where she examines what she calls Musk's extravagant, "extreme" capitalism — where stock prices are driven by earnings, and also by fantasies. NPR's Bobby Allyn also explains Twitter's effort to prevent Musk from gaining control of ...
Apr 18, 2022•14 min
More than 4.5 million Ukrainians have left their country since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. While many hope to return to Ukraine, they don't know when it will be safe to do so. As the war shows no sign of stopping, some refugees are beginning to integrate into life in their adoptive countries. One of those people is Anastasiia Konovalova. She used to be the head teacher at a primary school in Odesa, Ukraine, but fled to Bucharest, Romania after the war began. In a matter of weeks, she's...
Apr 16, 2022•15 min
This weekend, followers of three major religions are observing some of their most sacred holidays. Many will do so together, in person, for the first time in years. Easter, Passover, and Ramadan all have their own symbolism and themes. And it's not a stretch to tie any of those themes to world events; from the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine. We invited three faith leaders to tell us about the messages they're bringing to their congregations during a difficult time – and a holy time: Rev...
Apr 15, 2022•12 min
A U.S. House investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is entering its final phase before lawmakers' findings become public later this spring. As that probe continues, prosecutions are running on a parallel track. Dozens of defendants are now awaiting trial and being held in together in a single unit at a Washington, D.C. jail. While corrections officials have said the accused insurrectionists are being kept from the jail's general population "for their own safety and security," that d...
Apr 14, 2022•11 min
This past week, the world's attention has been focused on the death and destruction that's been discovered in Ukranian towns north of Kyiv after Russian forces withdrew. One of those towns — vistied by NPR — is Borodyanka. The carnage left behind by Russians is also a sign of what may be to come in the country's east, where a new offensive looms. NPR's Scott Detrow reported from Boyodyanka with producers Noah Caldwell and Kat Lonsdorf. Additional reporting this episode from correspondents Nathan...
Apr 13, 2022•14 min
Prices are up on everything from groceries, to rent, to gas, and consumer price inflation hit a new 40-year high in March: Up 8.5% over a year ago. This increase impacts everyone across the economic spectrum, but inflation poses a particular hardship for low-income families. And while the Biden administration has announced new steps to bring down gas prices and other visible signs of inflation, there's mounting political pressure to do more during this midterm election year. NPR Congressional Co...
Apr 12, 2022•13 min
After taking control of Afghanistan last summer, the Taliban made promises for more inclusive and less repressive leadership in Afghanistan. Many of those promises involved maintaining women's rights. But now, education for girls has become more limited, and other restrictions have been placed on women. NPR's Diaa Hadid reports on what the uneven implementation of those policies suggests about Taliban leadership. And Kathy Gannon of The Associated Press reports on how the Taliban backtracking on...
Apr 11, 2022•12 min
More than 400,000 Ukrainian refugees have poured across the border into the small country of Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe. Wedged between Ukraine and Romania, Moldova is a little bigger than Maryland, but it has received the most refugees per capita of any country in this crisis. Now Moldova is providing assistance and support to those who are choosing to stay in the country. Even as they open their doors to Ukrainian refugees, many in the small country fear they may be next i...
Apr 09, 2022•13 min
Michelle Yeoh has been a star for decades. American audiences will know her as a warrior in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or an icy matriarch in Crazy Rich Asians . Now, in Everything Everywhere All At Once , she's playing Chinese immigrant Evelyn Wang who is both a failure and possibly the key to saving the multiverse from a great chaos-spreading evil. Michelle Yeoh talks with NPR's Ailsa Chang about her journey through the multiverse, with all its wackiness, wonder and wisdom. In participatin...
Apr 08, 2022•14 min
Reports of civilians being tortured and killed — and the accompanying images that have surfaced this week in the city of Bucha — have raised questions about potential war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. The Biden administration is assisting international investigators in looking into potential war crimes. And some experts say the evidence of such crimes is clear in this highly-documented conflict. But history shows that drawing a straight line between war crimes and heads of state...
Apr 07, 2022•11 min
Many Americans haven't gotten an initial COVID-19 booster. A second one is authorized for some. Others are waiting to see if they can get one soon. Will everyone need them eventually? An FDA advisory committee met Wednesday to discuss what's next in America's booster strategy. Dr. Anthony Fauci tells NPR the path forward is paved with uncertainties — about whether more variants will arise, how long booster protection lasts, and what kind of funding will be available for research. Fauci spoke to ...
Apr 06, 2022•13 min
Florida's Parental Rights in Education law, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade, was signed into law at the end of March by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Critics have dubbed this it the 'Don't Say Gay' law. A lawsuit has been filed against Gov. DeSantis by several LGBTQ rights advocates in an effort to block the law. NPR's Melissa Block spoke with a number of teachers across the state of Florida who are ...
Apr 05, 2022•11 min
Thousands of people who claim Johnson & Johnson baby powder caused them to develop cancer cannot sue the company, which used a controversial legal maneuver in bankruptcy court to freeze lawsuits against it. NPR's Brian Mann explains. More from his reporting here . Additional reporting this episode from NPR's Scott Horsley . In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org . See pcm.ad...
Apr 04, 2022•12 min
Roger Latimer says he was beaten by guards in a security camera blind spot at Western Illinois Correctional Center. He complained at the prison. He complained to local officials. He asked medical staff to take pictures. Nothing happened. Then another prisoner, Larry Earvin, died after an altercation with guards in the same blind spot. In this episode of WBEZ Chicago's Motive podcast , host Shannon Heffernan tracks the pattern of beatings in that blind spot, surfacing nine additional cases, somet...
Apr 03, 2022•42 min
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, there has been intense focus on Russian oligarchs - elites with enormous wealth and close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The United States and international allies have imposed travel bans and economic sanctions on the billionaires, freezing accounts and impounding yachts and private jets. The goal is to disrupt the covert money funneled to Putin and his regime and to make the oligarch's lives difficult enough that they might pressure Putin to loosen his ...
Apr 02, 2022•12 min
Binge watching a show you love is enjoyable, but not always productive. But artists Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear turned their binge into a Grammy nomination. They were inspired by Season 1 of Netflix's series Bridgerton , and used that inspiration to write a full musical theater album. They didn't intend to write a full album, but as they workshopped the songs on social media, fans everywhere watched as Barlow & Bear wrote the songs live — offering followers a front row seat to the music ma...
Apr 01, 2022•11 min
Researchers say the intersection between far-right movements and environmentalism is bigger than many people realize — and it's growing. Blair Taylor , researcher at the Institute for Social Ecology, explains. Alex Amend , who researches eco-fascism, says climate change will only fuel the link between the far-right and environmentalism. Dorceta Taylor of Yale University traces the rise of the American conversation movement, which was partly motivated by a backlash against the racial mixing of Am...
Mar 31, 2022•11 min
Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is a longtime conservative activist who has been public about her views and support of former President Donald Trump. And text messages that surfaced last week showed that she went as far as peddling falsehoods about the 2020 election directly to former White House staff and urging them to overturn President Joe Biden's victory. Earlier this year, Clarence Thomas was the sole dissenter as the Supreme Court ruled to give a House sel...
Mar 30, 2022•10 min
An omicron subvariant known as BA.2 could soon become the dominant form of the coronavirus in the United States. It's not more deadly, but it is more transmissible. At the same time, the Biden administration has authorized a second booster shot for people over 50 and other people vulnerable to infection. But against that backdrop, Congress has so far refused to authorize more COVID spending measures, which would fund the stockpiling of more vaccine doses and public health surveillance for emergi...
Mar 29, 2022•10 min
In 2008, Russia invaded another former Soviet republic: Georgia, a small country on the southeast edge of Europe. Today, Georgia is seeing an influx of Russians who are fleeing their home country in opposition to its invasion of Ukraine. Mary Louise Kelly traveled to Georgia to hear how people who live with Russian troops on their doorsteps are feeling as they watch the war in Ukraine play out. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going...
Mar 28, 2022•11 min
Even if you're not a fan of celebrity gossip, you've probably heard that there's something going on with the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. He's exhibited increasingly erratic behavior, including relentless online harassment of his ex-wife, reality TV queen Kim Kardashian and her current boyfriend, comedian Pete Davidson. Now he's been banned from performing at the Grammys, and was recently suspended from Instagram for a day. For years Ye's behavior has been puzzling to observe - rangi...
Mar 26, 2022•14 min
The film Flee has already made Oscars history: it's the first to be nominated for best documentary, animated feature and international film. Flee tells the story of a boy whose family left Afghanistan in the 1990s. Now an adult and identified by an alias to protect him and his family, Amin Nawabi reveals a painful secret about his childhood journey to Denmark—a secret he has told almost no one. The film opens with the question: "What does the word 'home' mean to you?" Nawabi gives NPR his first ...
Mar 25, 2022•10 min
This week, the average price for a gallon of gas in L.A. County crested six dollars — the highest in the country. The national average is up around 70 cents in the last month. The are a lot of complicated reasons why gas is more expensive — and a lot of ideas for how to make this easier on consumers. But none of them are quick or easy. NPR's Scott Horsley explains why drivers who are newly interested in purchasing an electric vehicle might not have a lot of options. NPR's Brittany Cronin reports...
Mar 24, 2022•12 min
The NCAA's March Madness Tournament is upon us, and after over two years of pandemic restrictions at sporting events, stands are packed to full capacity with fans. Transformative changes are happening off of the court too: for the first time in March Madness history, college athletes can cash in on endorsement deals because of changes to the NCAA's Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) policies, which are a result of a Supreme Court ruling last summer. While the new arena in college sports has been luc...
Mar 23, 2022•11 min
Tuesday was the second day of Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearings. She would be the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice, and the first Democratic nominee to be confirmed since Elena Kagan in 2010. A vote on her nomination could come in weeks, and Democrats have the votes to confirm her without Republican support. NPR political correspondent Juana Summers spoke to black women working to support Jackson's historic nomination. In participating regions, you'...
Mar 22, 2022•13 min
Inside Ukraine, millions of people have been displaced, with millions more living in increasingly dire conditions. In the city of Maruipol, hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped — with dwindling supplies of food and water and no electricity. Mariupol has been bombarded by the Russians for weeks now. Petro Andrushchenko, an adviser to Mariupol's mayor, told NPR civilians in bomb shelters are running out of food. Millions of others have fled Ukraine without knowing if or when they'll b...
Mar 21, 2022•15 min
