Category: International

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.

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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 Californians are fine with that for now. State residents Derika Denell Gibson, Taiwo Kujichagulia-Seitu, and Kaelyn Sabal-Wilson discuss what reparations would mean to them.

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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 have an outsized role in global food production: combined, they are responsible for about 30% of the wheat in the world, about two-thirds of sunflower seed oil, large amounts of barley and corn, and more.

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 step from famine.

NPR global health and development correspondent Nurith Aizenman reports on how the war is driving up prices.

David Beasley, executive director of the UN World Food Programme, talks about how food insecurity looks inside of Ukraine, and what is to come for the rest of the world.

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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.

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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 the company.

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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 managed to get a school for Ukrainian refugees up and running. With more than 600 Ukrainian children on a waitlist to attend, Konovalova is now thinking about what a future in Romania could look like for these refugee children.

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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: Reverend Marshall Hatch of the New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Senior Rabbi Ruth Zlotnick of Temple Beth Am in Seattle, and Imam Mohamed Herbert from The Islamic Society of Tulsa.

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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 decision has come with some unintended consequences, including a bitter divide among the defendants.

Tom Dreisbach of NPR’s Investigations team spoke to some of the defendants.

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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 Rott and Greg Myre.

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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 Correspondent Kelsey Snell and Chief Economics Correspondent Scott Horsley break down the stakes for those hit hardest by inflation and for the government.

Scott Horsley also speaks to economists who explain why they believe the U.S. might be in another recession soon.

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