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Loss of life among the most vulnerable members of a broadly prosperous culture is hard to accept. The context that helps: Fatal fires are becoming much less common. But the complications around 鈥渃lustering鈥� still need addressing.聽

There鈥檚 technology that delights us and eases life around the edges. And then there鈥檚 technology that transforms. The Netherlands now outproduces all other nations on a per-square-mile basis, not just in tulips but also in some key food crops. That鈥檚 precision farming, digital and data-based. And it鈥檚 just one tech trend to watch.

When our reporter visited Wyoming to report this next piece, signs on the interstate warned of gusts topping 70 miles per hour. Politicians there are seeing practical signs, too 鈥� of an emerging power source that鈥檚 stronger than even staked-down ideology.

It took a societal shift in thought to veer from a hard-drinking youth culture to one in which widespread youth substance abuse is almost a nonissue.

Peter Rainer watched about 275 movies on your behalf, roughly his annual average, before distilling this 10-best list. Many 鈥渂est of鈥� lists are framed as preludes to the Academy Awards, he notes, so he really tries to reach 鈥渂eyond the borders of Oscarmania鈥� for his picks. 鈥淚f you haven't seen or even heard about some of my choices,鈥� says Peter, 鈥渟o much the better.鈥�

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculates that 91 Americans die each day from opioid drug overdoses. As 2017 draws to a close it now seems likely that average life expectancy in the United States will drop for the second year in a row 鈥� with opioid overdoses a big factor.

Drug overdoses accounted for more than 63,000 deaths in 2016, with more than 42,000 of them opioids, such as fentanyl, often prescribed by physicians to relieve pain. Opioid deaths have doubled since 2010.

But in some New England states there are hopeful signs that suggest a corner may be turning as 2018 rings in. Little by little, states and communities across the country are finding out what can help and taking action.

In Massachusetts and Rhode Island partial year estimates for 2017 show drops of 10 percent and 9 percent respectively in overdose deaths. Vermont and New Hampshire may see slight decreases as well.

Massachusetts was the first of what are now many states that limit the number of opioid pills doctors can prescribe per prescription. And more people who overdose in the state are surviving as first responders widely use naloxone, an overdose-reversing drug.聽

Michigan has seen heroin and prescription opioid overdose deaths double over the past five years. In response a package of new laws now includes a seven-day limit on opioid prescriptions and establishes an online database to ensure those addicted don鈥檛 jump from doctor to doctor to get quick refills.聽

In Colorado, Kaiser Permanente offers a $100 eight-week course to help patients recognize the dangers of opioid use. Participants learn that higher doses and longer periods of use increase the possibility of addiction. The program also offers alternatives to drugs, such as physical therapy, exercise, and meditation. The program has seen opioid use by patients drop significantly.

Americans take opioids at four times the rate that Britons do and six times more often than people in France or Portugal. One reason: Writing a prescription provides a quicker and simpler form of treatment than non-drug therapies.聽

鈥淢ost insurance, especially for poor people, won鈥檛 pay for anything but a pill,鈥� says Judith Feinberg, professor in the Department of Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry at the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

鈥淪ay you have a patient that [has] lower back pain,鈥� she said in a BBC interview. 鈥淩eally the best thing is physical therapy, but no one will pay for that. So doctors get very ready to pull out the prescription pad....鈥�

鈥淥ther countries deal with pain in much healthier ways,鈥� Dr. Feinberg adds.

In October, President Trump declared opioids a public health emergency, but he failed to ask for any substantial new funding to deal with the crisis. More recently he made a personal gesture of support by offering $100,000 from his presidential salary to address the problem.聽

In 2018 the federal government may yet decide to play a more robust role. In the meantime states and communities are beginning to find and implement programs that show promise of helping.