NPR News, Author at Northwest Public Broadcasting

In this Feb. 11, 2014 photo a car drives by a pothole in Detroit. The relentless cycle of snow and bitter cold this winter is testing the skeletons of steel and cement on which communities are built. Pipes are bursting in towns that are not used to such things, and roads are turning into moonscapes of gaping potholes big enough to snap axles of passing vehicles. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Many of the country's roads, bridges, airports, dams, levees and water systems are aging and in poor to mediocre condition. And they're in need of a major federal investment to keep from getting worse and to withstand the harsh effects of a changing climate, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.Read More

Bunny Wailer, Iconic Reggae Singer And Wailers Co-Founder, Has Died At Age 73

Bunny Wailer photographed in London in 1988. CREDIT: David Corio/Redferns/Getty Images

Singer, songwriter and percussionist Bunny Wailer, an icon of reggae music, died in Kingston, Jamaica, on Tuesday morning. He was 73 years old. Wailer was a founding member of The Wailers, alongside Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.Read More

Dr. Seuss Enterprises Will Shelve 6 Books, Citing ‘Hurtful’ Portrayals

Dr. Seuss is seen here in his La Jolla, Calif., home in 1957. Gene Lester/Getty Images

Dr. Seuss Enterprises will cease publishing six of the author's books — including And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and If I Ran the Zoo — saying they "portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong." The books have been criticized for how they depict Asian and Black people.Read More

High Noon For The Future Of The Voting Rights Act At The Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court, where conservatives have a 6-3 majority, is to consider a case that could gut the Voting Rights Act of 1965. CREDIT: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday in a major voting rights case that could give state legislatures a green light to change voting laws, making it more difficult for some to vote.Read More

In Pope Francis, Biden Has A Potential Ally — Who Shares The Same Catholic Detractors

Pope Francis shakes hands with Joe Biden, then vice president, at the Vatican, in 2016. Andrew Medichini/AP

The second Roman Catholic president in American history is a devout man who makes no secret of the importance of faith in his life. President Joe Biden is a regular churchgoer, often quotes St. Augustine and carries a rosary that belonged to his late son Beau. In one of the first images released of him in the Oval Office, a photo was visible behind his desk showing him Read More

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Found Guilty Of Corruption, Sentenced To Jail

By NPR News March 1, 2021

French former President Nicolas Sarkozy (left) arrives to hear the verdict in a corruption trial at Porte de Clichy court house in Paris on Monday. CREDIT: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty on Monday by a court in Paris on charges of trying to bribe a judge and influence peddling dating from his time in office. He received a three-year jail sentence with two of the years suspended.Read More

Gospel Trailblazer Kirk Franklin Brings The Energy And Hope For A Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

By NPR News March 1, 2021

For nearly 30 years, Kirk Franklin has been widely regarded for revolutionizing gospel. He incorporated secular music, particularly hip-hop, while preserving the message and integrity of traditional gospel. Here, he and his powerhouse choir pace through a decades-long, sixteen Grammy award winning discography of faith, praise and encouragement while cracking plenty of Read More

In ‘Girlhood,’ Teens Across The Globe Write About Their Everyday Lives

By NPR News February 28, 2021

Masuma Ahuja, author of Girlhood: Teenagers Around The World In Their Own Voices, set out to document girls' ordinary lives. CREDIT: Kassy Cho

NPR talks to Ahuja about the inspiration and process behind capturing the girls' ordinary lives: their hopes, dreams, anxieties and frustrations.Read More

N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo Faces Sexual Harassment Allegations From 2nd Former Aide

By NPR News February 28, 2021

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during the daily media briefing on July 23, 2020 in New York City. A second former aide from his administration has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment from Cuomo. Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

A second former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment that took place last spring as the state was facing a surge in cases and deaths in its fight against the coronavirus. Cuomo says he will now ask New York's attorney general and the state's chief judge to pick an independent investigator to review the accusations against him.Read More

It’s Not Just Texas. The Energy Grid Needs An Upgrade – Including In The Northwest

By NPR News February 28, 2021

Electrical grid transmission towers in Pasadena, Calif. Major power outages from extreme weather have risen dramatically in the past two decades. CREDIT: John Antczak/AP

The Texas blackout is another reminder that more frequent, climate-driven extreme weather puts stress on the country's electricity grid. It came just months after outages in California aimed at preventing wildfires. Compounding this, electricity likely will be even more important in coming years amid a push to electrify cars and homes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Read More

FDA Authorizes Johnson & Johnson’s One-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine

A health care worker holds a vial of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at Klerksdorp Hospital in Klerksdorp, South Africa, on Feb. 18. CREDIT: Phill Magakoe via Getty Images

A third COVID-19 vaccine is on the way, and this one requires only one shot for immunization. The Food and Drug Administration authorized Johnson & Johnson's vaccine for emergency use Saturday, a day after a panel of advisers to the agency voted unanimously (22-0) in its favor.Read More

Why We’re Drawn To Billie Holliday’s Story

Singer Billie Holiday records her penultimate album "Lady in Satin" at the Columbia Records studio in New York City, in 1957. CREDIT: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

All the lights in the house would go dark. The wait staff would turn still. The audience, often largely white, would either wait, in discomfort, or leave, knowing what was to come. On stage, a single spotlight illuminated the jazz artist’s face. And then Holiday, the glamorous jazz singer, would end her set with “Strange Fruit,” a song of protest against lynchings. There Read More

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Dropped Dramatically Since January, But Can We Keep Them Down?

pedestrians walk pas an outdoor dining outside patio

With coronavirus infections on a steady, six weeks long descent in the U.S., it's clear the worst days of the brutal winter surge have waned. Yet researchers are still not sure how sustainable the decline is. And a small but concerning uptick in cases in the last three days has health officials on edge.Read More

Happy Birthday To The Phillips Collection, America’s First Museum Of Modern Art

After the deaths of his father and brother in 1917 and 1918, Duncan Phillips found solace in art. His wife, Marjorie Phillips, was a painter. They opened The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., in 1921. They are pictured in the Main Gallery, circa 1920. CREDIT: The Phillips Collection

One hundred years ago, America's first museum of modern art opened in a private mansion in Washington, D.C. Founder Duncan Phillips was an early collector of Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh. The Phillips was the first to buy a Georgia O'Keeffe. Decades ago, in this city of museums, it became my favorite one.Read More

Energy Secretary Granholm: Texas Outages Show Need For Changes To U.S. Power Systems

By NPR News February 26, 2021

Jennifer Granholm is sworn in as energy secretary Thursday. Granholm told NPR that pivoting to a clean energy economy could ensure a dependable grid and help create jobs. Andrew Harnik/AP

Newly confirmed Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm seized on the bruising winter weather that left millions of Texans without heat and electricity last week to press for reform of the state's power systems, arguing that pivoting to a clean energy economy can ensure a dependable grid and help create jobs.Read More

N.Y. Gov. Cuomo Accused Of Sexual Harassment By Former Adviser In His Administration

By NPR News February 26, 2021

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, seen here in July, denies allegations that he sexually harassed former adviser Lindsey Boylan. CREDIT: Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

A former adviser to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has shared details of alleged sexual harassment by the governor, including an unwanted kiss and touching. A spokeswoman for Cuomo denied the allegations.Read More

U.S. Launches Military Airstrikes Against Iranian-Backed Militants In Syria

By NPR News February 26, 2021

Shattered glass is on the ground following a rocket attack in Irbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region, on Feb. 15. On Thursday, the U.S. launched airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed groups in eastern Syria in response to recent attacks against Americans in Iraq. Safin Hamed/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday targeting Iranian-backed militia groups in the first known offensive military operation carried out by the Biden administration.Read More

Cherokee Nation Strikes Down Language That Limits Citizenship Rights ‘By Blood’

By NPR News February 25, 2021

Rena Logan, a member of a Cherokee Freedmen family, shows her identification card as a member of the Cherokee tribe at her home in Muskogee, Okla., in this photo from October 2011. She is among the some 8,500 people whose ancestors were enslaved by the Cherokee Nation in the 1800s. CREDIT: David Crenshaw/AP

The Cherokee Nation's Supreme Court ruled this week to remove the words "by blood" from its constitution and other legal doctrines. The words, added to the constitution in 2007, have been used to exclude Black people whose ancestors were enslaved by the tribe from obtaining full Cherokee Nation citizenship rights.Read More

Washington-Based Costco To Raise Minimum Wage To $16 An Hour: ‘This Isn’t Altruism,’ CEO Says

By NPR News February 25, 2021

People wait to shop at the Costco Wholesale in Austin on Feb. 20.

Costco plans to edge up its starting wage to $16 an hour starting next week, CEO W. Craig Jelinek said on Thursday, revealing plans that would propel his company ahead of most of its retail competitors.Read More

Watchdog Faults FAA For ‘Significant Misunderstanding’ Of Flight System

By NPR News February 25, 2021

The Federal Aviation Administration must fix oversight weaknesses found following the Boeing 737 Max crashes, according to a new report from the Transportation Department's inspector general. CREDIT: Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images

An inspector general's report from the Department of Transportation said U.S. aviation regulators do not understand the plane's flight control software that caused two devastating crashes in 2018 and 2019.Read More

The Supreme Court Wrestles With ‘Police Chase’ That Wasn’t

The Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving an officer who pursued a misdemeanor suspect into his home without a warrant. CREDIT: Jose Luis Magana/AP

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a major case testing whether police can enter a home without a warrant when pursuing someone for a minor crime. The case arises at a time when there are increased questions about police tactics in handling minor crimes that can escalate into major confrontations with Black and brown suspects.Read More

‘Minari’ Follows A Family’s Immigration With Humor, Humanity And Hope

Jacob (Steven Yeun) moves his family from California to farm in rural Arkansas in Minari. A24

The travails of immigrant life take a quietly beguiling form in Minari, a semi-autobiographical film by Lee Isaac Chung that brims with humor, humanity and hope. Showing us characters new to American screens, the story centers on a South Korean family named Yi who hope to make a go of farming in rural Arkansas during the Reagan years. Minari takes its title from the name Read More

‘It’s a Minefield’: President Biden’s Pick For Health Secretary Faces Abortion Politics

Xavier Becerra, President Biden's nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, contended with critics of abortion rights on the first day of his confirmation hearings Tuesday. Sarah Silbiger/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Physicians, clinics and women's health advocates are looking to Xavier Becerra, Biden's nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services, to help swiftly unwind Trump-era funding cuts and rules that have decimated the nation's network of reproductive health providers over the past four years.Read More

High-End Medical Provider In Washington Let Ineligible People Skip COVID-19 Vaccine Line

The problems have occurred in numerous company locations across several states. The Washington State Department of Health, citing a complaint it received this month, told NPR it had halted COVID-19 vaccine distribution to the company. Other regulators have also received complaints or stopped providing the vaccine.Read More

In An Awkward Virtual Visit, Biden Welcomed Canada’s Trudeau To The White House

The White House tried to simulate some of the pomp of an official visit during a virtual meeting between President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday. CREDIT: Evan Vucci/AP

President Biden welcomed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a delegation of Canadian officials to the White House virtually on Tuesday – saying the U.S. has "no closer friend" than its neighbor to the north.Read More

Metropolitan Opera Backstage Workers: ‘Without People, The Opera Is Nothing’

Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York City remains closed following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on Jan. 16, 2021. CREDIT: Cindy Ord/Getty Images

The Met is the largest performing arts organization in the United States, employing close to 3,000 people, with an annual budget of over $300 million. When it shut down because of COVID last March, the company cited the force majeure provision of its agreements, and made the decision to furlough all its union artists and craftspeople.Read More

Ousted Capitol Security Officials Say They Didn’t Have Intel To Plan For Riot

Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Rules joint hearing on Monday about the insurrection on Jan. 6. Erin Scott/Pool/Getty Images

Former U.S. Capitol security officials told Congress during a joint hearing on Tuesday that they did not have sufficient information ahead of Jan. 6 to accurately predict the scale of the attack.Read More

Interior Nominee Deb Haaland Faces Tough Questions On Climate Goals

Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., during her Senate hearing Tuesday to be Interior Secretary. If confirmed, she would be the first Native American to hold the post. CREDIT: Jim Watson/AP

Congresswoman Deb Haaland would be not just the first Native American Interior Secretary, but also the first in a presidential cabinet. She faced tough — and, at times, misguided — questioning from Republican lawmakers worried about the president's climate goals.Read More

Why The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Has Gotten A Bad Rap — And Why That’s Not Fair

Kurtis Smith gives the Moderna coronavirus vaccine to a resident at Red Hook Neighborhood Senior Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Monday. CREDIT: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

In clinical trials, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine appears to be 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 — compared to about 95% for Moderna and Pfizer. That has some people wondering if they should avoid the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Absolutely not, says Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.Read More

‘A Loss To The Whole Society’: U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Reaches 500,000

On Jan. 19, the incoming Biden administration hosted memorial to lives lost to COVID-19 at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Since then another 100,000 Americans have died. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This week President Biden is asking Americans to mark the 500,000 deaths with a moment of silence at sunset Monday. He's also ordered flags on all federal buildings lowered to half-staff for five days.Read More

Now We Sob, Forever He Sings: Jazz Great Chick Corea Remembered

Chick Corea, prolific musician and composer, is remembered and celebrated. CREDIT: Chick Corea Productions/Courtesy of Chart Room Media

In 1968, Chick Corea entered our lives with two albums under his name: Tones for Joan's Bones and Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. And on Feb. 9, the pianist, composer and bandleader departed from this realm after a fast-moving cancer.Read More

United Grounds Some Boeing 777 Jets After Engine Failure

Pieces of an engine from United Airlines Flight 328 sit scattered in a neighborhood after the jet's engine failure on Saturday after takeoff from Denver. CREDIT: Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

Boeing recommended that the airplanes remain out of the sky until the Federal Aviation Administration "identifies the appropriate inspection protocol." There are 69 such planes currently in service and 59 others in storage, the company said in a statement.Read More

BOOK REVIEW: In ‘Nubia: Real One,’ Trying To Be A Hero When Society Thinks You’re A Threat

Nubia: Real One doesn't take place on Wonder Woman's home island Themyscira, but somewhere in modern-day America — though a modern-day America in which superheroes are a real thing. And Nubia is not an adult woman warrior who knows who and what she is (as she did when she first appeared in 1973's Wonder Woman Vol. 1 #204), no. This is McKinney's take on Nubia for real.Read More

When Does COVID-19 Become A Disability? ‘Long-Haulers’ Push For Answers, And Benefits

Jodee Pineau-Chaisson sits in her office in Springfield, Mass. on January 12, 2021. Pineau-Chaisson, a social worker, contracted the coronavirus last May and continues to have symptoms even months after testing negative for the virus. Meredith Nierman/GBH News

So-called long-haulers are people who survive COVID-19 but have symptoms – sometimes debilitating symptoms – many months later. As scientists scramble to explain what is going on and figure out how to help, disability advocates are also scrambling: They are trying to figure out whether long-haulers will qualify for disability benefits.Read More

Supreme Court Paves Way For N.Y. Grand Jury To Get Trump Financial Records

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, before leaving for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then onto Ohio for rallies. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a one-sentence unsigned order, declined former President Donald Trump's request to further delay the enforcement of a subpoena from the Manhattan district attorney for Trump's financial records. Monday's order paves the way for a New York grand jury to obtain the records and review them.Read More

White House: China And WHO Need To ‘Step Up’ On Investigation Into Origin Of Pandemic

By NPR News February 21, 2021

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, seen here during a press briefing on Feb. 4, told CBS the World Health Organization has more work to do to get to the bottom of where the coronavirus emerged. CREDIT: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Biden's national security adviser said Sunday that the administration has concerns over the data China has provided to the World Health Organization regarding the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.Read More

Spacecraft Named For ‘Hidden Figures’ Mathematician Launches From Virginia

By NPR News February 21, 2021

Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket lifts off the launch pad at NASA's Wallops Island flight facility in Wallops Island, Va., on Saturday. The rocket is delivering cargo to the International Space Station. CREDIT: Steve Helber/AP

A space supply ship carrying some four tons of cargo bound for the International Space Station launched from Virginia on Saturday. The capsule is named for a Black mathematician whose contributions were featured in the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures.Read More

If Schools Follow CDC Guidance, President Biden’s Reopening Goals Could Be Hard To Reach

By NPR News February 21, 2021

A first-grade student sits on the bus after a day of classes in Woodland, Wash., on Thursday. Nathan Howard/Getty Images

President Biden has said many times that he wants most schools to be open by his 100th day in office, April 30. And on Friday, Feb. 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines intended to help schools operate in person safely. But some argue these guidelines will do little to promote school openings.Read More

Debris Falls From The Sky Near Denver After Flight Suffers Engine Failure

Debris is scattered in the front yard of a house in Broomfield, Colo., Saturday. A commercial airliner dropped debris in Colorado neighborhoods during an emergency landing Saturday. Broomfield Police Department via AP

A United Airlines flight bound for Honolulu, Hawaii was forced to make an emergency landing at Denver's international airport on Saturday afternoon after experiencing an engine failure shortly after takeoff.Read More

U.S. Deports Nazi Concentration Camp Guard To Germany

Friedrich Karl Berger, in a 1959 photo. A court found that he helped guard prisoners when they were forced to evacuate a Nazi concentration camp in a nearly two-week trip under "inhumane conditions," the Justice Department said. Courtesy Department of Justice

Friedrich Karl Berger was sent to Germany because he participated in Nazi-sponsored acts of persecution while serving as an armed guard at the Neuengamme concentration camp system near Meppen, Germany, in 1945, according to the announcement.Read More

Where Are They Now? We Check In With Broadway Workers, Now Off Broadway Nearly A Year

Every year, as a set-up for the Tony Awards, we take you backstage to meet people who aren't even eligible. These are Broadway's essential workers – ushers, stage managers, costumers. But this year, the Tonys seem like a faraway dream; even though nominations for the shortened season were announced in October, no date has been set. So, I decided to check in with some of Read More

How Native Tribes Are Working To Get Members COVID-19 Vaccine Faster

Amanda Bordeaux, 36, gets her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine during a weekly mass vaccination clinic at the Rosebud hospital in South Dakota. Kirk Siegler/NPR

So far the vaccine supply pipeline is expected to remain relatively steady, unlike in many other jurisdictions in the country. Tribal leaders say they plan to keep holding the Biden administration accountable to the U.S. government's treaty obligations to deliver health care. There's an obvious legacy of mistrust toward the federal government throughout Indian Country. Read More

U.S. Officially Rejoins Paris Agreement On Climate Change

By NPR News February 19, 2021

Smokestacks at the Jeffrey Energy Center coal-fired power plant are silhouetted against the sky at sunset in September near Emmet, Kan. CREDIT: Charlie Riedel/AP

The United States on Friday officially rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change designed to limit global warming and avoid its potentially catastrophic impacts.Read More

Capitol Police Suspends 6 Officers, Investigates Dozens More Following Jan. 6 Capitol Attack

By NPR News February 19, 2021

Supporters of former President Donald Trump protest as U.S. Capitol Police officers shoot tear gas outside of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. CREDIT: Jose Luis Magana/AP

The U.S. Capitol Police has suspended six officers with pay for their actions on Jan. 6, when a pro-Trump mob attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of President Biden's Electoral College victory, according to a department statement.Read More

Extreme Winter Weather Creates Backlog Of 6 Million Vaccine Doses, Closing Sites

By NPR News February 19, 2021

A sign at a vaccination site in Los Angeles reflects the holdup in vaccine distribution as a result of this week's storms. White House officials said Friday that the extreme weather delayed the shipment of some 6 million doses across the country. CREDIT: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

White House officials on Friday confirmed the extent of the weather's chilling effect on COVID-19 vaccine distribution, saying this week's storms created a backlog of some 6 million doses affecting all 50 states.Read More

Congressional Democrats Unveil Sweeping U.S. Immigration Bill

Democrats on Thursday unveiled Biden-backed legislation to overhaul the immigration system, which includes setting up a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Jemal Countess/Getty Images for UndocuBlack Net

Congressional Democrats unveiled a sweeping the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, an immigration bill that includes setting up a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.Read More

No, Texas Blackouts Weren’t Caused By Wind And Solar Energy Failure. Here’s What Really Happened

Snow covers the ground in Waco, Texas, on Feb. 17. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has blamed renewable energy sources for the blackouts that have hit the state. In fact, they were caused by a systemwide failure across all energy sources. Matthew Busch/AFP via Getty Images

The focus on windmills ignores the evident fact that — as Abbott acknowledged on local TV — every kind of power generation fell short in this storm. In fact, significantly more natural gas and coal went offline than renewables. But that doesn't suggest fossil fuels were uniquely to blame either — they were responsible for more production, so it's no surprise they were the Read More

‘A Disaster Within A Disaster’: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Cases Are Surging In Texas

People in Houston wait in line to fill their propane tanks on Wednesday amidst widespread power outages related to the winter storm. Cases of carbon monoxide poisoning in the state have increased in recent days, with officials attributing most to the improper use of heating devices like charcoal grills and portable generators. CREDIT: Mark Felix/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Texas is seeing a surge in carbon monoxide poisonings this week, as plunging temperatures and persistent power outages send residents searching for warmth increasingly from dangerous sources.Read More

Report: American Life Expectancy Dropped By A Full Year In 1st Half Of 2020