Iowans desperate for assistance after devastating summer storm
In August 2020, severe thunderstorms ripped through 700 miles of the American Midwest demolishing farms, homes and buildings. Cedar Rapids, Iowa became the epicenter of the storm. Reporter Alana Schreiber describes how the community struggled to rebuild without federal assistance.
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Impassioned letters show artists' and community leaders' hope and defiance
Ever since the 2016 presidential election, America has been barreling headfirst toward a crossroads. Conflicting political, racial and social perspectives reflect a need to collectively define our moral imperatives, clarify cultural values, inspire meaningful change, and seek common ground. In that patriotic spirit, hundreds of writers, poets, artists, scientists, and political and community leaders are sharing their impassioned letters to America. The Reporters Inc. is pleased to present five excerpts from the anthology, Dear America: Letters of Hope, Habitat, Defiance and Democracy.
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Trump continues to spread COVID-19 misinformation
Writer Tim Munkeby has something to say about the White House's daily briefings regarding the pandemic. "They've become increasingly less informative and far more confusing, irritating, and misleading," he writes.
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American foreign policy scrutinized in new novel
Robert Ritzenthaler was born on a U.S. Marine Corps base in Hawaii four months before his father was sent to Vietnam in 1965. Recently, he began to explore and write about his father's war experiences and their impact on his family. Since the late '80s, he's traveled across the world, documenting the effects of U.S. intervention and civil war on indigenous ethnic groups. Jungles and Deserts is his first novel, weaving historical events with riveting fiction. The Reporters Inc. is pleased to present exclusive excerpts.
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Teenagers share their political insights and concerns for 2020
The Reporters Inc.'s Kim Whiting interviews nine teenagers from the Tulsa, Oklahoma area to find out how aware and affected they are by the current state of America's politics. They come from different backgrounds and households with parents who have both liberal and conservative political viewpoints. Whiting concludes, "If their responses are indicative of teens nationwide, then the general consensus of our youth is that we adults need to chill out, grow up and do what's right."
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Discriminatory policies have intensified racism
Nearly four decades after government policies were enacted to crack down on illegal drug trade and usage, the "War on Drugs" continues to negatively impact marginalized communities. Reporter Jessica Siegel claims it was never a war on drugs to begin with, but a war on race.
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Community radio stations give indigenous Guatemalans a voice
Radio San Jose is one of Guatemala's so-called "pirate radio" stations, offering its poor Mayan population one of the few ways to get their voices heard on the airwaves. However, the government refuses to legalize it, and similar radio stations.
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Public education is rapidly crumbling. How do we fix it?
"How do we not see why a kid who can't read or has learning disabilities or is told he's dumb, then drops out of school, lives in poverty, joins a gang, commits a crime, maybe injures or kills someone, and is incarcerated? Why do we look past it?" writer Tim Munkeby asks. He argues that if kids had a stable base and a good, solid foundation to begin with, we would spend less time and money trying to fix resulting problems. That foundation, he says, is education.
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Millennials are entering politics to be the change they want to see
Nicole Johnson didn't like what she was seeing in her Chicago neighborhood, a community burdened by few grocery stores, high unemployment and crime rates, under-resourced schools, and a lack of affordable housing. She tells reporter Rashanah Baldwin that she believes she could be the change her community needs--but Johnson isn't the only Millennial vying for Chicago's 20th Ward Alderman seat.
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Reasons to stay home on midterm election day
Everyone talks about the importance of voting, but what if you don't want to? Writer Tim Munkeby offers more than 20 reasons why you should NOT vote at the next midterms.
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Voices around the globe once again reflect on Trump's presidency
Last year, The Reporters Inc. compiled the responses of 14 people form 13 different countries on four continents, discussing Donald Trump's election as president. We've decided to reach out again. This time, we offer the observations of 16 people from around the world, and their thoughts on how Trump's presidency has changed the U.S., its international impact, and how it's affecting their lives.
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A history lesson for future action against gun violence
In March 2018 an estimated one million Americans protested against gun violence in March for Our Lives events held across the U.S. Former U.S. Naval Air officer Kent Greene offers a quick history lesson to help those leading this new revolution.
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An email exchange dissects the Trump presidency
In an era when social media drives news and information consumption, our feeds are constantly filled with sharp but short commentary on Donald Trump's administration and the state of our nation. Often times, thoughtfulness, perspective and context are lost in the exchange. The Reporters Inc.'s board members and advisory committee members were recently invited to start a conversation about the Trump era, as the one-year anniversary of his election approached in November.
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Is authoritarian-style governance becoming the American way?
Journalist Carol Larson and her husband lived, traveled and worked in the former USSR for several years before returning to the United States. Recently, they've noticed some worrying parallels between today's increasingly authoritarian-style governance and classic Soviet thinking. One example: carrying on a political plan regardless of the inconvenient reality.
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Five stage blueprint offers education system a facelift
Former high school teacher Tim Munkeby thinks the United States' education system needs a complete re-shaping. So, he's formulated his thoughts and ideas about change and improvement into a five stage blueprint. You might call it idyllic, or utopian--maybe unfeasible. Regardless, you should definitely take note.
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