Investigations

Cayti Kane was diagnosed with placenta accreta, a dangerous complication. But Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center was prepared and two weeks later, Kane delivered a healthy boy via C-section.

To Keep Women From Dying In Childbirth, Look To California

10:14pm July 29, 2018

by Renee Montagne

The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world, but California is leading the charge to reverse that trend. Since 2006, the state has cut its rate by more than half.

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In central Appalachia, the black lung rate for working coal miners with at least 25 years experience underground is the highest it's been in a quarter century.

Black Lung Rate Hits 25-Year High In Appalachian Coal Mining States

4:01pm July 19, 2018

by Howard Berkes

In central Appalachia, one in five working coal miners with at least 25 years experience underground now suffers from the deadly disease black lung, according to a new study.

U.S. Army soldiers pass out water, provided by FEMA, to residents in a neighborhood without grid electricity or running water in San Isidro, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 17, 2017.

National

FEMA Report Acknowledges Failures In Puerto Rico Disaster Response

3:45pm July 13, 2018

Problems included a lack of key supplies on Puerto Rico before the storm, unqualified staff and challenges with delivering emergency supplies, according to the internal report.

A roof bolter secures the roof of a newly mined section of a coal mine. Studies show roof bolters sometimes have high exposure to the silica dust that is especially toxic to lungs.

'Fundamental Shift' Needed To Protect Miners From Deadly Black Lung

6:05pm June 28, 2018

by Howard Berkes

Coal mines comply with new dust control regulations at a near perfect rate, but that may not lead to lower rates of the deadly disease black lung, according to a new report.

James Meadours delivers the keynote address at a summit in New Jersey to propose reforms to prevent sexual abuse of people with intellectual disabilities. Meadours, a rape survivor with an intellectual disability, travels the country to raise awareness.

States Aim To Halt Sexual Abuse Of People With Intellectual Disabilities

7:50pm June 25, 2018

by Joseph Shapiro

An NPR investigation found people with intellectual disabilities have one of the nation's highest rates of sexual assault. Now states, communities and advocates are proposing changes to prevent abuse.

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Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan (left) talks to a U.S. Army helicopter crew member in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, after a supply delivery mission for residents affected by Hurricane Maria, Oct. 23, 2017.

National

FEMA Blamed Delays In Puerto Rico On Maria; Agency Records Tell Another Story

5:00am June 14, 2018

by Laura Sullivan

Internal documents shed light on the federal government's slow response to Hurricane Maria: FEMA failed to get enough supplies to Puerto Rico before the storm and then scrambled to supply them after.

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Sheralin Greene, 57, mined coal for 20 years. She now suffers paralyzing coughing fits from black lung and receives payments and medical care from the federal trust fund.

Coal Miners' Fund Set For Deep Cuts As Black Lung Epidemic Grows

11:49am June 04, 2018

by Howard Berkes

A federal trust fund for coal miners who have the deadly disease black lung could run up a $15 billion deficit if a planned funding cut happens at the end of the year.

The rate of the advanced stage of the deadly disease black lung is growing in central Appalachia, according to a new study.

New Studies Confirm A Surge In Coal Miners' Disease

6:45pm May 22, 2018

by Howard Berkes

Confirming what NPR reported in 2016, new studies show the rate of the advanced stage of the deadly disease black lung growing in central Appalachia, including more demand for lung transplants.

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Alicia Nichols holds her daughter Diana in her home in February. After the birth of Diana, Nichols suffered unusual postpartum blood loss that she feels was not taken seriously by her doctor.

For Every Woman Who Dies In Childbirth In The U.S., 70 More Come Close

10:47am May 10, 2018

by Renee Montagne

More than 50,000 American women nearly die from childbirth every year, according to a CDC estimate. These catastrophic complications can come at a terrible cost emotionally, financially and medically.

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Jaime Degraff sits outside on Sept. 23, 2017, as he waits for the Puerto Rican electrical grid to be fixed after Hurricane Maria. The island is still struggling with power outages.

National

How Puerto Rico's Debt Created A Perfect Storm Before The Storm

12:13pm May 02, 2018

by Laura Sullivan

For years, the nation's largest banks made millions off Puerto Rican debt as the island approached financial ruin. Then, with its infrastructure crumbling, a Category 4 hurricane barreled in.

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