For the past ten months, we’ve all been asked to stay home and stay away from others, in an effort to fight the spread of COVID-19. And, as the nation faces another surge of the virus, health officials are still reminding everyone to practice safety measures during what is usually a time to gather and connect with our loved ones. With the help from photojournalists at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Houston Chronicle, The Times Union of Albany, New York and Hearst Connecticut Group Media (Connecticut Post), we bring you a look from the Viewfinder to see people are keeping the holiday spirit alive, while at a distance.
Hospitals across the U.S. are in danger of running out of ICU beds as we face another surge of COVID-19. For ten months now, health care workers have been fighting on the frontlines of the pandemic to save their patients, themselves, and their own families. Correspondent Jessica Gomez and photojournalist Scott Curty have been following an ER doctor and his family in the Milwaukee area since the beginning of the pandemic. Here’s a look at their journey.
When universities are struggling financially and students are saddled in debt, is college still the key to long term success for families? In partnership with the Gates Foundation and the Hechinger Report, Soledad O’Brien visited Stony Brook University, to see how the school helps create social mobility for low income students.
Doses of the first federally authorized COVID-19 vaccine are being rolled out across the country, fueling hopes for our nation’s health and economic recovery. But there are concerns that many could be left behind. Black and brown communities are suffering from higher infection rates and more job losses due to the pandemic. They’ve also had less access to health care and other job-related benefits. In fact, the Economic Policy Institute, says it may take up to a decade just for Latino workers to make up those losses. Correspondent Jessica Gomez travels to Chicago to show us the challenges facing Latino communities trying to get back on their feet.
This weekend on Matter of Fact, America is getting ready for its first shot at freedom. Within the next couple of days our health care workers will begin getting their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Stephanie Jackson’s in charge of the vital operation for Honor Health in Maricopa County, AZ. She takes us inside the hospital’s urgent preparations to immunize 1500 health care workers a day. Then, how do you know if your social media feed is telling you the truth? Whitney Phillips, an assistant professor who teaches media literacy at Syracuse University, tells Soledad it’s time we “reimagine our relationship with facts.” Plus, do churches have a higher calling to help more than just its congregation? Soledad takes us to Louisville, KY to see the role churches play in creating jobs and economic opportunity within the community.
For the last two years, Matter of Fact has been following an ambitious billion-dollar revitalization project in the heart of Louisville’s Black community. The goal was to redevelop the historic neighborhood without displacing the current residents. As part of our Russell Rising series, we look at the role churches play in driving change within the community.
As the nation prepares to vaccinate vulnerable populations, just half of U.S. adults say they plan to take the vaccine. That’s according to a recent AP-NORC poll. A quarter say they don’t plan to get vaccinated at all. Now, the head of the world’s largest humanitarian network is urging governments to fight “fake news” about the vaccine. Whitney Phillips is an assistant professor at Syracuse University and teaches media literacy, disinformation, and political communication. Soledad O’Brien talks with her about how people can distinguish fact from fiction.
The U.S. says about 40 million doses of coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will be available within days. The first of those shots will go to our 18 million health care workers. HonorHealth operates six hospitals in Maricopa County, AZ and is responsible for vaccinating health care works and at-risk first responders. Dr. Stephanie Jackson is leading the charge of their vaccination operation. She talks with Soledad O’Brien about the vital mission to protect those on the front lines.
The United States continues to break deadly records as the nation faces a resurgence of COVID-19. More than 290,000 people have died, thousands more are getting sick each day and hospitals are running out of ICU beds. Staring down this latest surge of the pandemic are our health care workers, who have already lost hundreds of their colleagues to the virus. Bob Owen and Lisa Krantz from the San Antonio Express-News captured health care workers fighting on the frontlines during two overnight shifts at a COVID-19 intensive care unit.
Every major U.S. city faces the same challenge: how do you ease poverty and create mobility for communities of color. For the past two years, Matter of Fact has been following a billion-dollar project in Louisville, Kentucky that strives to revitalize the community without pushing out the current residents. But after the police killing of Breonna Taylor coupled with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the community is on edge. We return to Russell to speak with residents who are concerned all this development could lead to displacement.