NPR News: Virginia On Track To Be 1st Southern State To Abolish Death Penalty

Virginia On Track To Be 1st Southern State To Abolish Death Penalty
Lawmakers in Virginia have voted to repeal the death penalty in part because of its disproportionate effect on Black residents. Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam says he will sign the bill.

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NPR News: Winter Storm Delivers Another Blow To Communities Of Color

Winter Storm Delivers Another Blow To Communities Of Color
Last week's deep winter freeze exposed a series of inequities. Among them, communities of color in Houston face unique challenges recovering from the storm after already being hit hardest by COVID-19.

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NPR News: Arbery's Death Reveals Rifts That Ga. Community Still Grapples With

Arbery's Death Reveals Rifts That Ga. Community Still Grapples With
It's been a year since Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed in Georgia. It would be months before most of the world heard about his death, and before there were any arrests.

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NPR News: Young People Struggle To Keep Friends Close As Pandemic Pulls Them Apart

Young People Struggle To Keep Friends Close As Pandemic Pulls Them Apart
The pandemic has prolonged the post-graduation transition amid a tough economy. With the lack of in-person interaction, young professionals are trying to adjust to a diminishing social circle.

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NPR News: Wife Of 'El Chapo' Arrested In U.S. On Drug Charges

Wife Of 'El Chapo' Arrested In U.S. On Drug Charges
Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán faces several drug charges and is under investigation for allegedly helping her husband escape from a Mexican prison in 2015.

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NPR News: Illinois Becomes First State to Eliminate Cash Bail

Illinois Becomes First State to Eliminate Cash Bail
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed sweeping criminal justice legislation Monday that also requires police agencies to equip officers with body cameras and sets stricter rules for their use of force.

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NPR News: 'To Me He's Not A Number': Families Reflect As U.S. Nears 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths

'To Me He's Not A Number': Families Reflect As U.S. Nears 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths
Family members of those who've died from COVID-19 reflect on the milestone of 500,000 U.S. deaths, and how their individual loss fits within the magnitude of that number.

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NPR News: When Does COVID-19 Become A Disability? 'Long-Haulers' Push For Answers, and Benefits

When Does COVID-19 Become A Disability? 'Long-Haulers' Push For Answers, and Benefits
Many patients suffering from long-term effects can no longer work and want the Social Security Administration to provide guidance on who qualifies for disability benefits.

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NPR News: News Brief: Garland Hearings, COVID-19 Deaths, Texas Power Issues

News Brief: Garland Hearings, COVID-19 Deaths, Texas Power Issues
Confirmation hearings begin Monday for Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland. The U.S. will reach another grim COVID-19 record. For Texans who have electricity, that good fortune is costing them.

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NPR News: San Francisco Man Moves And Takes His House With Him

San Francisco Man Moves And Takes His House With Him
A truck moved Tim Brown's 139-year-old Victorian house six blocks at less than a mile an hour, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. It took years of planning, 15 permits and sawed off tree limbs.

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NPR News: West Virginia's Vaccination Rate Ranks Among Highest In World

West Virginia's Vaccination Rate Ranks Among Highest In World
How did West Virginia become one of the world's leaders in delivering COVID-19 vaccines? One piece of the story starts with a striking photograph in the local paper.

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NPR News: Transgender Woman Finds Acceptance Working As A Forest Ranger

Transgender Woman Finds Acceptance Working As A Forest Ranger
At a time when transgender men and women are becoming far more visible in many professions, one trans woman describes coming out while working as a forest ranger in rural upstate New York.

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NPR News: Despite Illinois' Promise, State Lacks Black-Owned Cannabis Dispensaries

Despite Illinois' Promise, State Lacks Black-Owned Cannabis Dispensaries
When Illinois legalized recreational marijuana, lawmakers promised those who were harmed by the war on drugs would be able to cash in. That is not what happened.

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NPR News: Why Some Texas Residents Now Face Huge Electricity Bills

Why Some Texas Residents Now Face Huge Electricity Bills
Texans who managed to keep the lights on during the winter storm are getting sky-high electric bills, the product of a deregulated industry that allows power companies to charge variable rates.

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NPR News: United Grounds 777 Jets After Engine Failure

United Grounds 777 Jets After Engine Failure
Federal aviation regulators have called for investigations into Boeing 777 jets equipped with certain Pratt & Whitney 4000 engines.

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NPR News: Where Government Fails, Local Leaders Work To Meet Texans' Basic Needs

Where Government Fails, Local Leaders Work To Meet Texans' Basic Needs
Coping with the devastating effects of extreme winter weather last week, four Texans are trying to help the state's most vulnerable residents.

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NPR News: The Complicated Procedure That Keeps Coronavirus Vaccines Safe At Vaccination Sites

The Complicated Procedure That Keeps Coronavirus Vaccines Safe At Vaccination Sites
At vaccination sites across the U.S., there's a protocol for how to handle COVID-19 vaccines considered more precious than gold. Medical volunteers at one site in DC explain how they do it.

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NPR News: Guards, Generosity, Patience: A Volunteer Effort To Vaccinate Public School Workers

Guards, Generosity, Patience: A Volunteer Effort To Vaccinate Public School Workers
In Washington, D.C., hospital staff vaccinated 1,750 public school workers in one day. It was a hard-won success amid a fragmented nationwide vaccination campaign fraught with challenges.

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NPR News: Natural Gas Companies Have Their Own Plans To Go Low-Carbon

Natural Gas Companies Have Their Own Plans To Go Low-Carbon
The companies face an existential threat as more governments and businesses move to tackle climate change. So a growing number have their own plans to decarbonize, by creating renewable gas.

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NPR News: 'Ropeless' Lobster Fishing Could Save The Whales. Could It Kill The Industry?

'Ropeless' Lobster Fishing Could Save The Whales. Could It Kill The Industry?
One of the main threats to the endangered North Atlantic right whale is lobster-fishing rope, but there is hope in new ropeless technology.

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