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The U.S. is in the midst of a drug crisis, with opioid overdose deaths climbing to epidemic proportions. And overdose deaths among young people, between the ages of 10 and 19, have been on the rise with sharp increases in recent years. Across the country, cities and states are looking for strategies to help kids survive the opioid crisis. At a school in Virginia, students are learning how to obtai...

For more than a year the PGA, the world's leading pro golf league, has basically been at war with the upstart Saudi-funded LIV Golf league. Lawsuits and countersuits were filed as the the leagues competed for marquee golfers and control of the narrative around the game. Some PGA players resisted big paydays to join LIV because they were critical of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the source of t...

Federal Indian boarding schools left a decades long legacy of abuse, neglect and forced assimilation of Indigenous children. Last year, when the federal government finally acknowledged its role — that painful history drew attention to a few schools that remain open. NPR's Sequoia Carrillo and KOSU's Allison Herrera visited Riverside Indian School in southwest Oklahoma to find out how a school that...

Every year about 600,000 thousand people are reported missing in the United States per the National Missing and Unidentified Persons database. In 2022, about 34,000 people reported as actively missing were people of color. But people of color who disappear seldom get the same amount of media attention devoted to white people who go missing - especially white women and children. The late journalist...

Being Black and an immigrant is an increasingly common phenomenon in the South, where 1 in 10 Black people are immigrants. Still, despite growing numbers of Black immigrants in the region, their experience is fraught with worries over discrimination and assimilation. NPR's Leah Donnella reports on hurdles Black immigrants face in order to drive in Tennessee, a state with one of the fastest growing...

When people speak about God in various religions, the deity is typically referred to using the masculine pronoun "He." In Islam, Allah is not depicted as male or female — Allah has no gender. Yet Allah has traditionally been referred to, and imagined by many, as a man. Some Muslim women have begun to refer to Allah with feminine or gender neutral pronouns. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Hafsa Lodi,...

Wars are expensive. And Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had an impact on the economies of both countries. NPR's Julian Hayda, in Kyiv, reports that international assistance is allowing Ukraine to stabilize its economy and avoid collapse. The Russian economy seems to have remained resilient in the face of sanctions and other trade and financial restrictions. But NPR's Stacey Vanek Smith reports on...

While it may seem like Black-focused media is at a high these days, the reality is only 4% of all media in the U.S. is Black-owned. Moreover, experts say that biased practices from advertisers make it harder for Black-owned media companies to be profitable. NPR's Eric Deggans talks to Byron Allen, about his ambitions to grow his media empire, hold advertisers to account, and control the narrative...

Lullabies. We all know one. Whether we were sung one as a baby or now sing one to our own children. Often, they're used to help babies gently fall asleep. But lullabies can be more than that. They can be used to soothe, to comfort, and to make children feels closer to their parents and vice versa. We hear from Tiffany Ortiz, director of early-childhood programs at Carnegie Hall, about their Lullab...

In the months ahead of the election, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faced criticism for his government's response to devastating earthquakes and for crushing inflation. Yet, he still managed to come out ahead in this week's runoff election, extending his two-decade tenure leading Turkey by another five years. His victory was a case study in how to use populism, intimidation and division to...

The right to repair movement scored a big victory last week in Minnesota, where it got legislation signed into law that requires manufacturers to let independent shops and consumers buy the parts and tools necessary to repair their own equipment. The new law could make fixing your own devices, gadgets and appliances a lot easier in states across the country. NPR's Eric Deggans speaks with Gay Gord...

It's been five years since the U.S. pulled out of the nuclear deal. What followed: the U-S re-imposed crushing sanctions, over time, Iran stopped adhering to the limits the deal had set and day-by-day its nuclear program crept forward. So how close is Iran to a bomb? What can the U.S. do to stop Iran, if it chooses to pursue one? And how are regional and global shifts changing the equation? NPR's...

Back in March, roughly 80 people in Hong Kong marched in opposition to a land reclamation project that protesters say would increase pollution. Police were watching closely. Demonstrators had to wear numbered badges around their necks as they walked in the rain. It was a different image from the hundreds who protested in 2019. Back then, the people of Hong Kong showed up in unprecedented numbers....

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign announcement on Twitter did not go as planned. A series of awkward technical glitches delayed the event for about 20 minutes. Nevertheless, it was still a big moment, not just for DeSantis, but for Twitter, too. In fact, Desantis' announcement is just one example of how the social media platform has changed since Elon Musk took over the company....

Tina Turner, one of Rock and Roll's greatest stars, died this week in her home in Switzerland at the age of 83, after a long period of illness. In a career that spanned six decades, Turner left behind an indelible legacy in music, on the stage and on screen. Host Eric Deggans looks back on her tumultuous, and triumphant, life. Also we answer whether the "Queen of Rock and Roll" was somehow still u...

Since its relaunch in the 1980s, Jeopardy! has had thousands of contestants. For some of the its most memorable champions, the gameshow has been a launchpad for wider success. However, the disappearance of one of the earliest champions from the show left fans mystified for decades. NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Claire McNear, a staff writer with The Ringer, about the 40-year-long mystery behind...

It's been one year since an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 students and 2 teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The tragedy reignited debates around gun safety in America and has haunted a community still seeking to fully understand how law enforcement was so slow to take down the shooter. About a month after the shooting, Congress passed the most significant gun legislation since the F...

The United States has 27 years to reach its net-zero emissions goal. And among other initiatives to move towards that goal, the Biden administration is offering incentives for carbon capture and storage. Carbon capture is a way to suck up carbon dioxide pollution from ethanol plants, power plants and steel factories, and store it deep underground. While the companies that build the pipelines say t...

The Hollywood writers' strike has meant three weeks of late-night comedy and soap opera reruns for television fans. And for some fans, it might feel familiar. 15 years ago a Writers Guild strike lasted 100 days. And the effect of that strike was felt on shows from Saturday Night Live to Friday Night Lights . NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with veteran TV writer David Simon about the strike and the changi...

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently recommended allowing birth control pills to be sold without a prescription. While more than 100 countries currently allow access to birth control pills over the counter, the U.S. is not one of them. Washington Senator Patty Murray says it's important that the pill is easily available - but also affordable. When - and if - that day comes and th...

Across the country, members of the class of COVID are graduating: students who started high school before the pandemic, then spent the end of their freshman year and subsequent years navigating a new reality. And it was a very difficult path. According to many studies there has been considerable learning loss for K-12 students throughout the pandemic. And a recent study from researchers at Harvard...

Few stars shined brighter in the 80's than Michael J Fox, and when the '90s rolled around, he was still one of the top names in show biz. But in 1991, after a night of heavy drinking, Fox noticed a tremor developing in his right pinky, an early symptom symptom of Parkinson's Disease, a diagnosis that would change the course of his life. Fox speaks to NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer, about his new documentary...

At least fourteen states in the US have passed laws or policies that limit or restrict gender-affirming care for young people. Republican lawmakers claim the bills are meant to protect kids, but most medical groups say the treatment is safe, effective and potentially live-saving. Even so, Republican leaders like Texas governor Greg Abbot compare gender-affirming care to child abuse. Meanwhile tran...

The state of Israel turned 75 this week. For many Israeli Jews, it's a moment of celebration - the nation was established as a homeland and refuge from the persecution they have faced throughout history. But in the war surrounding Israel's founding, the majority of Palestinian Arabs were permanently displaced from their homeland. Palestinians call the anniversary of Israel's founding "The Nakba",...

Hospital emergency rooms saw some of the most painful scenes of the pandemic: beds filled to capacity, nurses and doctors risking sickness themselves, and patients dying without their loved ones. Today, ERs are still living with the consequences of the pandemic. They face staffing challenges, patients who delayed care and arrive sicker, and the lingering emotional strain. We visit an emergency roo...