New Texas trigger law makes abortion a felony
Scott Simon talks with Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin about the legal landscape of abortion access in the state.
National
A year after the war ended, some Afghans in the U.S. find the transition difficult
Tens of thousands of Afghans are trying to establish new lives in the United States. Many were at-risk and granted special immigration status because of the help they provided the American military.
Brooklyn Public Library makes banned books available to teens for free
Scott Simon gets an update from Nick Higgins, chief librarian of the Brooklyn Public Library, on the Books Unbanned initiative. It makes e-books and audiobooks available to teens nationwide.
Blind state Supreme Court judge drives for first time
A Michigan Supreme Court justice, who is blind, fulfills one of his lifelong ambitions.
Madam C.J. Walker, the first U.S. self-made female millionaire, gets her own Barbie
Businesswoman Madam C.J. Walker is the latest to join Barbie's line of Inspiring Women dolls. Walker's great-great-granddaughter said she hopes the doll will show kids they too can be entrepreneurs.
Why suppressing wildfires may be making the Western fire crisis worse
The U.S. is spending record money suppressing wildfires that are only getting more deadly and severe with climate change. But there are signs the needle is moving toward more upfront prevention work.
7 states and federal government lack direction on cutbacks from the Colorado River
With drought conditions lowering water levels, some local leaders are calling on the federal government to take charge. The seven states rely on the Colorado River for agriculture and electricity.
A Missouri school district reinstated spanking if parents give their OK
The policy says corporal punishment will be used only when other forms of discipline have failed and then only with the superintendent's permission. The district had dropped the practice in 2001.
Children's hospitals are the latest target of anti-LGBTQ harassment
The harassment campaigns are organized online, raising questions about what role social media platforms should play in preventing abuse.
Drought threatens coal plant operations — and electricity — across the West
The Western drought and shrinking Colorado River basin threaten operations at the region's coal plants. With a looming risk of blackouts, it's unclear who is overseeing this threat on the ground.