United States
Camping, biking and hiking are on the rise, as Americans head outdoors and hit the road in search of some semblance of a normal summer-vacation season during the COVID-19 pandemic. But surging infection rates and shifting, inconsistent government policies are putting a damper on ambitious plans to re-open tourist economies. Hawaii and Puerto Rico: Islands […]
> Read More
TYRONE, Pa. — The massive pickup truck slows down for the obligatory four-way stop out front of the Tyrone, Pa., municipal building, as the Black Lives Matter protestors stand expectant. It’s Friday, June 5, and they are clutching signs with slogans in black magic marker — “I understand that I will never understand, but I […]
> Read More
Public libraries are community institutions essential to the free flow of information in American society — and they were shuttered abruptly at the beginning of the pandemic. Now, however, libraries across the country have become more essential than ever thanks to the multitude of online services they offer. Yet in most cases, they’re struggling. In […]
> Read More
The complex supply chains of our food system have been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers and consumers alike have been caught off-guard by price collapses and shifting demand; by government food policies that are less than helpful; and by hunger and malnutrition already extant across the country. It all adds up to a […]
> Read More
The story is the same across the United States. Millions of households — one third of renters nationwide — have been unable to make rent payments in April, due to the pandemic lockdowns that have swept the country. Real estate prognosticators fear this could lead to a catastrophic “domino effect” of missed rent, late mortgage, and […]
> Read More
Americans who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, or who are in recovery, are grappling with a new kind of struggle in the age of pandemic. One key question: Where to turn for fellowship and support when lockdowns and social isolation are the de facto law of the land? Another challenge for public health officials: […]
> Read More