As certain industries face labor shortages, some states are rolling back labor laws to allow younger teenagers to work longer hours and in more dangerous occupations. Iowa’s new law expands the hours a young person can work, and the industries that can employ them, putting state rules at odds with federal law. Dan Lieberman speaks with an employer, a labor expert and a migrant child who was trafficked into labor.
A young person’s world. This week Matter of Fact explores the youth most at risk as states roll back child labor laws in hopes of closing labor shortages. Plus, composting in America’s biggest city. And you’re never too old to travel: A septuagenarian explorer is inspiring a new generation.
In 1866, the Senate passed the 14th Amendment, which was ratified two years later. It granted citizenship to all persons “born or naturalized” in the United States and followed the end of the Civil War and high-profile mob attacks on African Americans. One of them, known as the Memphis Massacre, left many Black residents dead, but no one accountable. That history has rarely been shared, even with Tennessee students. Correspondent Joie Chen meets with students and educators working to change that.
At the moment, very little government regulation exists around the use of artificial intelligence (AI), meaning that companies are being expected to self-regulate. As generative AI programs like ChatGPT become more widespread and pioneers sound the alarm about the need for guardrails, Matter of Fact takes a look at the debate over what degree – and by whom – it should be regulated. Soledad O’Brien speaks with Dennis Hirsch, faculty director of OSU Program on Data and Governance and faculty member in the OSU Moritz College of Law, Department of Computer Science and Translational Data Analytics Institute (TDAI).
Gender-affirming care for youth is a politicized, hot-button issue in the U.S, but much of the conversation revolves around misconceptions and assumptions. Just under half of states have either banned or are considering legislation to ban care up until the age of 18. Correspondent Jessica Gomez visited with doctors and teenagers in Minnesota – one of the few states protecting the care – to shed light on the process.
Seeking support. This week Matter of Fact explores how medical providers guide young people and their families through gender-affirming care. Plus, the 19th century massacre that led to the 14th Amendment. And, who should be responsible for making sure companies approach AI-use ethically?
This week Matter of Fact takes a closer look at the post–traumatic stress that many former U.S. soldiers experience. Soledad O’Brien meets with veterans and researchers hoping to change the narrative on mental health and how members of the military are diagnosed and treated.
Americans have legally bet more than $220 billion on sports since the Supreme Court decision allowing commercial sports betting five years ago. Since then, gambling apps have focused their advertising strategy on college-age students, hoping to cash in on decades of future betting. Soledad O’Brien speaks with Victor Matheson, professor of economics at College of the Holy Cross, about who is benefiting.
Black land ownership has shrunk over the last century, due in large part to the difficulty of obtaining loans and subsidies. But it hasn’t stopped one family from holding onto it – and making sure it remains around for generations to come. Joie Chen meets with a family in North Carolina, to see how they’re keeping an ancestor’s legacy alive.
This week Matter of Fact looks at how one North Carolina family of farmers have kept land ownership alive in their family despite generations of discriminatory loan practices. Plus, sports gambling apps are targeting college students. And Charleston homeowners are taking drastic – and expensive – measures to safeguard against mounting hurricanes and flooding.