How well do police forces represent racial makeup of their communities?

Nearly three quarters of more than 100 law enforcement agencies across much of the U.S. don't reflect the racial makeup of their communities, data supplied by the departments to Lee Enterprises shows. As part of an investigation by Lee and Type Investigations, agencies were ranked based on the gap…

Will the Cherokee Nation send a delegate to the U.S. House?

(Originally published Feb. 7 as part of the Hot off the Wire podcast.) An 1835 treaty between the Cherokee Nation and United States that led to the death of thousands on the Trail of Tears included a provision that would allow the Cherokee to seat a delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. …

Rooting for Twitter to fail? We could lose valuable data if that happens

In October, billionaire business magnate and investor Elon Musk completed his purchase of the social media platform Twitter. Since that time a variety of moves to cut costs as well as try and generate more revenue for the platform have led some to wonder whether Musk’s acquisition was the beginning…

Fighting unfair 'sexist' school dress codes

Our host Teri Barr is talking with Sydney Brown (twitter), Education Reporter for The Daily News in Longview, Washington, about the issue of dress codes in some schools. Sydney learned why the dress codes are not consistent across one school district, how it's leading to a disruption in education,…

Investigating the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo

Our host Teri Barr is talking this week with Jay Tokasz, a journalist with the Buffalo News, who has been reporting on the ongoing revelations of sexual abuse, coverups, resignations and lawsuits related to the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. It's very much a continuing story, so you can get caught u…

Are hurricanes and global warming putting the Florida retirement dream at risk?

Over the past century Florida has seen rapid growth, with less than one million residents in 1920 and more than 22 million today. Many new residents were retirees who relocated to the state either full time or as seasonal snowbirds – residents who flock south for the warmer winter weather and then …

Cancer screening advice: Avoid the confusing colonoscopy headlines

If you're 45 or older, you may have had a colonoscopy or have had a conversation with your physician about being screened for colorectal cancer. However, recent headlines began calling into question the effectiveness of colonoscopies. Dr. Franklin Berger, director of research & outreach for the Co…

Weather in the headlines, and what it means for you

host Teri Barr is talking with Meteorologist Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey and Meteorologist Sean Sublette with the Richmond Times Dispatch in Richmond, Virginia. Their discussion revolves around weather as a headline, starting with Hurricane Ian. What ha…

A fentanyl epidemic and what one city is doing to save lives

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 100,000 people died last year due to a drug overdose. And that was and increase of 15% compared to 2020. What's to blame for this continuing rise in drug use and overdose deaths? Synthetic opioids, specifically fentanyl. Host Teri B…

Title IX at 50: Nebraska college's softball champions who paid the price for equity

John F. Kennedy College, in Wahoo, Nebraska embraced women's sports early, recruiting and even offering scholarships to athletes years before Title IX . Arguably as a result, they won not only the first ever Women's College Softball World Series in 1969 but successfully defended the title in 1970 a…