Category: International

Jonathan Mitchell devised the legal strategy behind SB 8, a near-total ban on abortion in Texas. That legislation pioneered the idea of allowing private citizens to file lawsuits against people they suspected of helping provide access to abortion.

Mitchell is also involved in similar efforts by conservative activists in other states. NPR’S Sarah McCammon profiles the Austin, Texas-based attorney.

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A new advisory out this week from the US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has deemed loneliness a public health challenge that needs immediate attention. And some of those most severely affected are young people.

But it’s not just loneliness. Across the country, kids are struggling with challenges to their mental health – from social isolation to poor grades at school.

NPR’s Sarah McCammon speaks to Lisa Damour, a psychologist, and author of the book “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents”, about what’s going on with kids and how they can be helped.

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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has put the Supreme Court, again, under scrutiny. Reports show that conservative billionaire Harlan Crow paid boarding school tuition for Justice Thomas’ grand-nephew.

Revelations about the private dealings of other supreme court justices are shaking the already fragile public confidence in the institution.

NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with independent Sen. Angus King of Maine about what needs to be done in order to create a binding code of conduct for the Supreme Court.

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Union writers in Hollywood have put down their pens and reached for picket signs, after the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach an agreement on a new contract.

Some television shows and movies with finished scripts can continue filming, but other productions, like late-night talk shows, may soon be in reruns.

NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly speaks with TV writer and WGA captain Jeane Phan Wong about what union members want and what’s getting in the way.

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Eastwind Books in Berkeley, California, has closed its doors. It was one of the oldest Asian-American bookstores in the country.
For decades, the store functioned as a cultural hub, not only for the Asian-American community, but for a variety of marginalized groups.
NPR’s Ailsa Chang spoke with co-owner Harvey Dong about the bookstore’s history and legacy.
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Lots of colleges and universities have announced tuition hikes for the upcoming school year, just as inflation is taking a bite out of many families’ budgets.

Still, NPR’s Elissa Nadworny explains that the real cost of college for most students has actually been falling for the past few years, after decades of growth.

But college is still very expensive, and it can feel out of reach for some students. Two Washington, D.C. high school students explain how they’re trying to make the math work.

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Earlier this week, nobody was surprised when President Joe Biden officially announced he is running for re-election. Framing it as a battle for the soul of the country, Biden did not mention Republican frontrunner Donald Trump by name but he took aim at “MAGA extremists”.

At 80, Biden is already the oldest president in US history, and even among Democrats it’s become an issue. And while some hoped a younger candidate might emerge – and maybe that person would be Vice President Kamala Harris, she has faced doubts from within the party as well.

Host Sarah McCammon talks with NPR’s White House correspondent Scott Detrow about the potential hurdles facing Biden and Harris on the road to reelection. And Boston Globe columnist Renée Graham weighs in on why some people will criticize Kamala Harris no matter what she does.

Several U.S. states have passed bills restricting or banning gender-affirming care for trans youth, while other states have enacted measures to protect access to that care. What does that say about the future of trans rights in America?

NPR’s Melissa Block speaks with three trans Americans about the progress that’s been made in regards to trans rights, and how those same rights are currently under attack.

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The idea that social media use has helped fuel an increase in anxiety, depression and loneliness among teenagers was once controversial. But a series of studies are helping researchers understand how much of a correlation exists between the two.

NPR’s Michaeleen Doucleff tells us about Jean Twenge, a researcher who first raised the alarm in 2017, and about other researchers who have recently released studies on this topic.

And NPR’s Allison Aubrey shares some advice from another study looking into ways to minimize social media’s impact.

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Fox’s statement announcing the departure of Tucker Carlson, it’s most watched primetime host, was a terse four sentences. “FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” it read.

Carlson’s brand of divisive and conspiracy theory-laden rhetoric helped fuel Fox’s audience numbers. So what happens now that he is gone? And where will Carlson go?

Mary Louise Kelly discusses all of the above with correspondents Shannon Bond and David Folkenflik, who cover misinformation and media matters for NPR.

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