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First LookFood companies reverse their pandemic strategies as consumer spending plummetsLow-income Americans are cutting household spending on fast food and groceries. Big food companies like Kraft Heinz are offering more deals and options 鈥� a reversal from pandemic-era strategies to justify climbing prices.
Sparrows Point helped build the Key Bridge. Its collapse left residents isolated.Sparrows Point was a company town that lost its iconic company but persevered. Now, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge has left residents feeling cut off on the north side of the harbor, wondering what the future may hold.
First LookRecord-setting crowds. Star players. Women鈥檚 college basketball has it all.
In US capital, rats thrive where civic trust is low. Here鈥檚 how to fix that.From the Rose Garden to the Capitol, in the rat battle in the nation鈥檚 capital, victory can be measured in civic cooperation, not total destruction.
First LookMath, English, and bright smiles. Traveling dental care in schools fills a gap.Nearly half of all U.S. children don鈥檛 receive regular dental care, according to a federal report. School-based traveling dental clinics are trying to change that, along with other community health programs and nonprofits.聽
First LookThe US is seeing a stadium construction boom. Who鈥檚 paying for it?A proposed sales tax hike to fund stadium projects in Kansas City failed this week聽at the ballot box. When pro sports teams don鈥檛 get the public funds they seek, some double down on a pitch to voters or go to legislators. Others threaten to move.
First LookKept on the sidelines, Black assistant basketball coaches want a shot to leadBlack head coaches are still a rarity in college basketball, despite a growing number of Black coaches rising to the level of assistant coach. Long seen as just recruiters, Black coaches are hoping to take up top posts that don鈥檛 change hands often.
First LookThese local newspapers were struggling. Then student journalists took charge.As news deserts grow across the U.S., college newspapers could offer a solution. The Daily Iowan, a student paper for the University of Iowa, bought two struggling local papers which student journalists will help run, in a first-of-its-kind deal.
First LookChaplains serve in hospitals and colleges. Should they be in public schools?Conservatives in more than a dozen states are hoping to reform public school cultures by installing chaplains. The initiatives are drawing concern from some chaplains and interfaith organizations.
Transportation spending surges to historic levels. Will US get historic results?The U.S. has never spent so much on transportation, water systems, and other networks. Whether it will get once-in-a-generation results is unclear.
The new story of old age in rural America: Neighbors and community lend a handAging in rural areas is increasingly viable, as communities and neighbors create support networks for older adults who want to stay where they are.
First LookFull heart. Empty stomach. Can鈥檛 lose. BYU鈥檚 star combines March Madness and Ramadan.BYU basketball star Aly Khalifa is heading into the March Madness tournament without food or water, observing the strictures of Ramadan. Mr. Khalifa鈥檚 sacrifice epitomizes his career as a college athlete and a devout Muslim.
First LookRed, white, and feeling blue: Why young Americans are in a 鈥榤id-life crisis鈥�The United States and western Europe lost ground in the annual World Happiness Report, a change driven by young people鈥檚 dejection around social issues, social media, and economic inequality. But some U.S. legislators are looking to turn the tide.
First LookMarch Madness fans dream of a perfect bracket. Can AI give them a shot?Will advancements in AI give some fans a leg up for March Madness? Machine learning isn鈥檛 new to the art of crafting brackets. But experts say the amount of randomness in the tournament still gives basketball obsessives a fighting chance over big data.
First LookThe fastest growing girls鈥� high school sport? It鈥檚 not what you think.Girls鈥� high school wrestling has seen a surge in support with Kentucky, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania hosting state championships. About 50,000 athletes are estimated to be on teams聽鈥� a 60% spike in participation in the past year alone.
Cover StoryHow people like Brenda Glass help violent crime survivors rebuildTrauma recovery centers help clients break cycles of violence,聽while shining a light on the dignity and trust that propel progress.
Driven by Caitlin Clark mania, women鈥檚 basketball soars on sellout crowdsWith Iowa phenom Caitlin Clark, history is taking flight from center court tonight聽in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament.聽
First LookWhen a snow-coated horse pulls a guy through a course, that鈥檚 skijoringIn Leadville, Colorado, this winter, contestants skied over high jumps and tried to lance suspended hoops 鈥� all while being pulled by a horse. This is skijoring, a sport that started as a transportation method in Scandinavia.聽
Stars and strife: Who gets to decide what appears on state flags?The recent wave of flag redesigns reflects awareness that a strong visual identity can bring residents together. The challenge states face, though, is how to agree on symbols that represent everyone.
First LookWhen cellphone outages strike, landlines can help 鈥� if you have oneLandlines are handy to have when mobile networks go down 鈥� but they鈥檝e disappeared from nearly 3 in 4 American households. The shift is part of a broader evolution in our expectations around communication.
