From the baseball fields to the farm fields. Professional player Dee Strange-Gordon is cultivating his passion for hydroponic farming into his community, bringing his friends and neighbors along for the journey. Jessica Gomez spoke with the 35-year-old Floridian, to learn what inspired him – and what he hopes to achieve.
Maine’s lobster farmers, who supply 90 percent of the country’s seafood, are in the middle of a growing climate change discussion. As part of the Biden administration’s goal to cut carbon emissions to net zero, federal agencies are developing offshore wind farms up and down the East Coast. Lobster(wo)men say that development is threatening their livelihoods – and their communities’. Dan Lieberman traveled to Maine to hear meet the individuals most affected.
New strategies. With the growing number of homeless around the country, Matter of Fact looks at housing affordability issues around this and the best ways to address the “state of emergency.” Plus, a closer look at how medical schools are scrambling to accommodate new abortion bans, and on its one year anniversary, we hear from suicide prevention advocates who hope the 988 lifeline will continue to save more lives.
Tradeoffs. This week Matter of Fact heads to Maine where an effort to stop climate change is raising other environmental and economic concerns. Offshore wind power could help move the country to cleaner energy but fishermen the Gulf of Maine worry the turbines could destroy the habitat for marine life and the seafood industry. Plus, one city’s effort to cutdown on traffic congestion in a popular business district raises concerns that it could cause higher air pollution for neighboring communities. And, a professional baseball player trades the ball field for the farm field in an effort to support his community.
Following the 2022 SCOTUS decision that overturned Roe v Wade, abortions have become banned or heavily restricted in at least 14 states. In response, women who want to terminate their pregnancies are traveling further distances, sometimes across several state lines. Jessica Gomez heads to Carbondale, Illinois to speak with women, abortion providers, and activists on both sides of the issue, about the city’s new role as a so-called abortion safe haven.
Americans hold over 1.7 trillion dollars in outstanding student loan debt, a number that rises every year. Especially troubling – women hold 2/3 of it. Soledad O’Brien speaks with Gloria Blackwell, CEO of AAUW, about which women are most impacted and what factors are driving the gap.
The writers strike in LA, which started in early May, is impacting the release of dozens of fan favorite shows – and shows no signs of ending soon. Worried about shorter work periods, less pay, fewer residuals and the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in an increasingly freelance industry, writers say they want more guarantees and job security. Dina Demetrius caught up with veteran writers who say that today’s working conditions mean they’re often barely getting by.
Ongoing struggles. This week Matter of Fact travels to a city in Illinois where abortion clinics are returning for the first time in decades, serving pregnant women traveling across several state lines to reach them. Plus, women hold 2/3 of Americans’ $1.7 trillion student debt. And, striking writers share their financial fears as residuals and wages shrink, and AI threatens their livelihoods.
Occupying new spaces. This week Matter of Fact looks at how Milwaukee county is partnering with a local non-profit to increase the stock of affordable housing for Black residents who have been locked out of the housing market for generations. Plus, the Cherokee Nation’s push for a congressional seat promised almost two centuries ago and the New York trail that was designed to attract neuro-divergent adventurers.
A septuagenarian explorer, who says “fear is part of the game,” is inspiring a new generation of youth to mirror what he did: get out and see the world. JR Harris, a board member and DEI Chairman for the Explorers Club, shares his story of what drives him to travel – and get others excited about expanding their horizons.