It’s been exactly one year since a massive explosion in Beirut’s port killed over 200 people, injured thousands and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Eviction Protection Extended, But Millions Of Renters Still Face Uncertainty
At the stroke of midnight last Saturday, a federal moratorium that had been in place for nearly eleven months expired.
After the Supreme Court ruled that the CDC could not extend that moratorium, the Biden administration asked Congress to take action. But Congress failed to maintain protections for renters before the House went into August recess.
Now, many renters fear eviction could coming knocking at their doors.
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., told NPR that she is urging local governments to institute any protections possible to prevent a wave of mass evictions across the country.
The Virginia Poverty Law Center’s Christine Marra explains where the national situation leaves renters in her state and across the country.
In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
New Phase Of Pandemic Met With Confusion And Exhaustion
The United States has reached yet another turning point in this pandemic—one that may feel particularly unrelenting and confusing.
On Our Watch: 20-20 Hindsight
In episode three of On Our Watch, we examine the records that were unsealed by this transparency law to piece together what exactly happened on September 14, 2014 when Pedie Perez was shot and killed outside a liquor store by a police officer, Wallace Jensen.
Vaccine Mandates Are Spreading Alongside Dangerous Delta Variant
The Delta variant is more dangerous and contagious than many experts initially realized. In response to the uptick in cases and hospitalizations countrywide, some government leaders are implementing mask mandates.
President Biden announced on Thursday that federal government employees will be asked to attest to their vaccination status. White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients explains what the new requirement will look like.
And NPR Correspondent Brian Naylor reports on how federal employees are feeling about this change.
Black Olympians Often Have ‘The Weight Of The World’ On Their Shoulders
When Simone Biles dropped out of her Olympic competitions this week, the whole world took notice. At 24 years old Biles is the most decorated gymnast ever, she’s won 36 medals—27 of those are gold. And she said via Instagram that it can feel like she “has the weight of the world,” on her shoulders at times.
When an athlete performs on a stage as hallowed and renowned as the Olympics, it’s not surprising to see that this can have a negative psychological effect. University of Denver professor Mark Aoyagi explains that in many ways, elite competitions are inherently unhealthy.
The stress can be even more acute for Black athletes like Biles. Sociologist Harry Edwards wrote about this over 50 years ago and says these young Olympians are forced to deal with both the aspiration and fear of “Black excellence.”
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
Justice Department Struggles To Bring Jan. 6th Cases To Trial
Four police officers offered harrowing testimony of their experiences protecting the U.S. Capitol on January 6th during the first hearing for a new Democrat-led House Select Committee investigating the attacks.
The committee was proposed as a bi-partisan effort by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi but after she rejected two nominees from Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the hearings have begun without support from Republican leaders.
Since January 6th the Justice Department has arrested hundreds of people who were at the Capitol. NPR Investigations Correspondent Dina Temple-Raston reports that while those cases initially seemed like they’d be a slam dunk, the process of bringing them to trial has proved more difficult than anyone could have imagined.