Extreme Drought Hits Farmers Hard In Central Oregon County
An historic drought is hitting the western U.S. Phil Chang, a commissioner for Deschutes County, Oregon tells NPR's Sarah McCammon about how his community is coping.
National
The Record Temperatures Enveloping The West Are Not Your Average Heat Wave
From the Great Plains to the California coast, a powerful "heat dome" is setting records. This one is stronger and bigger and is appearing earlier than normal.
Oregon's Pioneering Drug Decriminalization Experiment Is Now Facing The Hard Test
Oregon's bold move to decriminalize small amounts of all hard drugs and expand treatment is now meeting the reality of implementation as the treatment community is divided over the way forward.
Revisiting Two Cities At The Front Line Of The War On Drugs
American communities were devastated by addiction and the war on drugs. Now they're struggling for a future but the damage runs deep. Healing and hope often clash with overdose deaths and poverty.
How Front Line Workers Stayed Resilient During The Pandemic
Healthcare professionals, emergency responders, and other frontline workers faced extraordinary challenges during the pandemic. For our series on resilience, we hear how they persevered.
MacKenzie Scott's $10M Gift Makes A Big Impact For Dance Theatre of Harlem's Pandemic Recovery
NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Dance Theatre of Harlem's artistic director Virginia Johnson about a 10 million dollar gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and what it means for the company's future.
Opinion: Juneteenth As A National Holiday Is Symbolism Without Progress
There is a growing discontent in the African American community with symbolic gestures that are presented as progress without any accompanying economic or structural change.
He Lost Nearly Everything To Addiction. Then An Arrest Changed His Life
For years, people who used drugs were treated like criminals, often given long sentences. Now there's growing acceptance that addiction is a treatable disease, but shame and discrimination linger.
Afghan Interpreters Who Await Visas After Helping The U.S. Now Fear For Their Lives
"Every day, you can see an increase in the Taliban's presence," an Afghan who worked with the U.S. tells NPR. "What am I going to do after September? ... Am I going to even be alive by December?"
Overdose Deaths Rose During The War On Drugs, But Efforts To Reduce Them Face Backlash
Researchers know how to curb the risks of overdose and disease among drug users, but policymakers are reluctant to allow public health measures that include needle exchanges and access to safer drugs.