National

National

Why states are changing the laws that govern libraries serving communities

7:25am June 21, 2022

by Jim Zarroli

At a time of concern about book banning, states are passing laws to tighten control over public libraries. The laws address how libraries are managed and some laws may open librarians to legal action.

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Agriculture companies are desperate for workers

6:16am June 21, 2022

by Kate Grumke

Many of the jobs are in cities and aimed at scientists and data engineers. Some can even be filled by people who have gone through a technical training program without a bachelor's degree.

A visual representation of the digital Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. A new report says the technology's security is vulnerable.

Cryptocurrency tech is vulnerable to tampering, a DARPA analysis finds

5:01am June 21, 2022

by Martin Kaste

A new analysis commissioned by DARPA quantifies how the decentralized tech that runs the currency system could be compromised.

Medical debt can place a heavy burden on the lives of patients recovering from a health crisis.

North Carolina considers new laws to 'de-weaponize' medical debt and protect patients

5:00am June 21, 2022

by Aneri Pattani

Medical debt can ruin lives, and in many states patients have few financial protections. North Carolina is considering a new law that could lead the way in shielding patients from high medical bills.

Rhetoric around 'ghost flights' of migrant children is often at odds with the facts

7:01pm June 20, 2022

by Joel Rose

President Biden's critics accuse his administration of organizing "secret" migrant flights to communities around the country. But that rhetoric is often at odds with the facts.

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7 states must figure out how to conserve an unprecedented amount of water

5:08pm June 20, 2022

by Alex Hager

The Colorado River's reservoirs have declined so much that officials say major water cuts will be necessary as soon as 2023. This comes after years of unrelenting drought worsened by climate change.

How COVID exposed racial disparities in all aspects of the healthcare system

5:08pm June 20, 2022

by Karen Grigsby Bates

NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates from the podcast Code Switch talks with journalist Linda Villarosa about how COVID exposed racial disparities in all aspects of the healthcare system.

A group in Nebraska is celebrating Juneteenth with a steampunk twist

5:08pm June 20, 2022

by William Padmore

In Lincoln, Neb., organizers of a Juneteenth festival celebrated the holiday with a combination of history and modern steampunk.

The Texas GOP made extreme declarations while gathered to talk party priorities

4:53pm June 20, 2022

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with editor in chief of The Texas Tribune Sewell Chan about the Texas GOP's convention over the weekend, which was rife with anger and conspiracy theories.

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SCOTUS and Roe questions, asked and answered

4:53pm June 20, 2022

NPR's Sarah McCammon and Berkeley law professor Khiara Bridges talk with Mary Louise Kelly about what overturning Roe could mean for trigger bans — and more widely, marginalized people across the U.S.