NATIVE AMERICANS - And the American Rescue Plan

"Why Native Americans are excited about the American Rescue Plan, and their future" PBS NewsHour 4/23/2021

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SUMMARY:  Last month, Congress approved a record amount of money for Native American tribes in the American Rescue Plan.  On Friday, First Lady Jill Biden spent the second of two days meeting with Navajo officials and hearing about their needs, after a devastating COVID-19 outbreak on the Navajo Nation last year.  Stephanie Sy reports on what the future could look like for indigenous Americans.

COVID-19 - Ripple Effects

"Why getting the U.S. back to normal in the next couple months is a ‘fantasy’" PBS NewsHour 4/20/2020

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SUMMARY:  As the novel coronavirus pandemic wears on, debate is brewing over how long the associated shutdowns should last.  The New York Times’ Donald McNeil has covered epidemics for close to two decades and reported recently on why American society could continue to be disrupted by COVID-19 for the next two years.  He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the epidemiological and medical realities of COVID-19.

"A sanitation worker’s fears about collecting trash during the pandemic" PBS NewsHour 4/20/2020

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SUMMARY:  During the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase “essential workers” tends to bring to mind first responders and hospital staff.  But a key function of American society is collecting garbage to keep our communities clean.  PBS station WTTW in Chicago is producing a series of conversations about individuals’ pandemic experiences, and they share the story of sanitation worker Sammy Dattulo.

"Why doctors are worried about severe kidney damage in some COVID-19 patients" PBS NewsHour 4/21/2020

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SUMMARY:  Although the novel coronavirus is known for causing respiratory symptoms, there are new questions about its impact on other parts of the body.  COVID-19 may be linked in some patients with increases in inflammation of the heart as well as injury to other organs and tissues.  William Brangham talks to Yale University's Dr. Alan Kliger about one of the concerning trends: serious kidney damage.

"How Uganda’s history of epidemics has prepared it for COVID-19" PBS NewsHour 4/21/2020

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SUMMARY:  Poor health care infrastructure in some African countries is making them particularly susceptible to the novel coronavirus.  But the nation of Uganda has only 58 confirmed cases so far, and experts say its experience with previous viral outbreaks, such as Ebola, meant it was already prepared for this pandemic.  Special correspondent Michael Baleke reports from the capital city of Kampala.

"We need a vaccine to vanquish COVID-19.  Here’s how scientists are trying to find it" PBS NewsHour 4/21/2020

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SUMMARY:  Science correspondent Miles O’Brien has spent the past few weeks in Seattle, reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic and producing a film for FRONTLINE about how things unfolded in the city where the disease made its U.S. debut.  He joins William Brangham to discuss the global push to find an effective vaccine and therapeutic treatments, plus shares a preview of the FRONTLINE special on the pandemic.

"Contact tracing may be ‘old-fashioned public health,’ but it works" PBS NewsHour 4/22/2020

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SUMMARY:  Officials in Northern California’s Santa Clara County now say two residents there died of COVID-19 in early and mid-February -- weeks before what were believed to be the first U.S. fatalities.  Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and now CEO of health initiative Resolve to Save Lives, joins John Yang to discuss how we can contain the virus’ spread.

"Pandemic could mean 260 million people worldwide ‘marching toward starvation’" PBS NewsHour 4/22/2020

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SUMMARY:  The United Nations World Food Program warned this week that as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the number of people facing food crisis could double -- to 260 million worldwide.  David Beasley, the organization’s executive director, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss how the developing world, already suffering due to climate change and conflict, is faring amid this new disaster of COVID-19.

"Why New York’s health care system is still ‘in a state of shock’" PBS NewsHour 4/22/2020

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SUMMARY:  New York state is seeing signs of improvement in its COVID-19 outbreak, including a reduced hospitalization rate.  But in New York City alone, an estimated 35,000 people are hospitalized with the virus -- meaning front-line health care staff still face an enormous challenge.  William Brangham talks to Susan Mangicaro of International Medical Corps, a group assisting city hospitals during the crisis.

"The U.S.-China battle to control COVID-19 narrative — and blame" PBS NewsHour 4/22/2020

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SUMMARY:  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused China of a cover-up during the early days of COVID-19, the latest in the U.S. rhetorical pressure campaign.  China has pushed back, launching an information war that included conspiracy theories and highly publicized sales of medical equipment to other countries -- including the U.S.  Nick Schifrin reports on the roiling confrontation.

"What’s in the latest congressional pandemic relief package — and what’s not" PBS NewsHour 4/23/2020

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SUMMARY:  More help is on the way for American small businesses.  The House approved a $484 billion measure aimed specifically at aiding smaller employers and hospitals Thursday.  It comes as another 4.4 million Americans filed for unemployment.  Meanwhile, a New York study finds much greater levels of COVID-19 than lab tests have confirmed.  John Yang reports and Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

"Why the pandemic is making U.S. economic inequality even worse" PBS NewsHour 4/23/2020

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SUMMARY:  A new survey by the Pew Research Center finds 43 percent of U.S. adults say they or someone in their household has suffered a job loss or pay cut due to COVID-19.  With such widespread impact, it will likely take years for the economy to rebound.  But what will recovery even look like, as the pandemic exacerbates existing inequalities and vulnerabilities in American society?  Paul Solman reports.

"EU ambassador says bloc overcoming slow COVID-19 response with solidarity" PBS NewsHour 4/23/2020

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SUMMARY:  In Europe, leaders are discussing the same tough questions confronting the United States.  When should pandemic restrictions be lifted?  How hard will the road to recovery be?  The European Union has agreed to create a massive recovery fund to try to rebuild devastated economies.  Nick Schifrin reports and talks to the EU’s Ambassador to the U.S., Stavros Lambrinidis, about the group's "solidarity."

"An infectious disease expert on the dangers of Trump’s ‘non-scientific’ claims" PBS NewsHour 4/24/2020

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SUMMARY:  The White House spent part of Friday addressing concerns about President Trump’s apparent conflict with his medical advisors at Thursday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing.  Yamiche Alcindor reports, and Amna Nawaz talks to Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy about Trump’s tendency to make claims on a “non-scientific basis.”

"An ICU nurse on wavering between confidence and fear" PBS NewsHour 4/24/2020

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SUMMARY:  After a particularly brutal week caring for COVID-19 patients in New York City, ICU nurse K.P. Mendoza considered one final task: writing a will.  He's only 24, but working in the heart of a global pandemic, it felt as if death was stalking him.  William Brangham talks with Mendoza about the psychological impact of seeing so much death and health care workers' struggle to help patients survive.

"Navajo Nation, hit hard by COVID-19, comes together to protect its most vulnerable" PBS NewsHour 4/24/2020

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SUMMARY:  COVID-19 is ripping through the Navajo Nation, infecting and killing people at rates that are above U.S. averages.  Located across three states, the Navajo population is already vulnerable, with a high prevalence of underlying disease, a lack of infrastructure and limited access to care and supplies.  Stephanie Sy reports on how the Navajo community has taken on the challenge of caring for its own.

BRIEF BUT SPECTACULAR- Finding the Missing

"The struggle to find missing members of Navajo Nation" PBS NewsHour 5/30/2019

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SUMMARY:  The Brief But Spectacular team recently brought attention to the volume of sexual assault cases in the Navajo Nation.  Now, Meskee Yanabah Yatsayte, leader of an organization that looks for missing persons from the Navajo community, explains this silent epidemic.

OFF THE GRID - Navajo Nation

PART-1:  "How off-the-grid Navajo residents are getting running water" PBS NewsHour 6/20/2018

"Does solar power offer a brighter future for off-the-grid Navajo residents?" Part-2 PBS NewsHour 8/1/2018

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SUMMARY:  Bypassed in the ‘30s and '40s, one third of homes in Navajo Nation still have no access to grid electricity.  Yet ironically, it's a huge electricity exporter, with one of the biggest coal-fired plants churning out power sold to millions.  And now a plan to shut down the plant could sorely cost the reservation.  Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports that some are seeing a new opportunity.

NAVAJO NATION - Hopes and Dreams

"How off-the-grid Navajo residents are getting running water" PBS NewsHour 6/20/2018

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SUMMARY:  Lack of access to running water is an issue in many developing countries, but it is also a problem in the United States.  Nearly 40 percent of the homes in the Navajo Nation lack running water or sanitation, and many are in such remote areas that they will never be able to connect to a water line.  Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on new efforts to bring them basic amenities.

Dig Deep




"Utah’s Navajo residents hope redistricting brings needed resources" PBS NewsHour 6/21/2018

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SUMMARY:  There is a heated battle in one Utah county over voting district lines and the effect on Native American representation.  Last year, a federal judge ruled that the districts had been gerrymandered by lumping the Navajo into a single bloc, drawing angry reaction from some.  Special correspondent Tommy Brookbank from the University of Southern California's Annenberg Rural Reporting Initiative reports.