New York City has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country. In the South Bronx, it’s even worse — more than three times that of other neighborhoods in the city. Soledad O’Brien speaks with a mom about her son’s asthma, and with scientists who are studying how heat and humidity in polluted areas are making respiratory problems so much worse.
Following the attack on Black residents in Buffalo, NY, by a white supremacist, Matter of Fact checks in with another family member still grieving from 2015’s targeted attack on Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. Soledad O’Brien speaks with Malcolm Graham, brother of victim and librarian Cynthia Graham Hurd, about racism in the U.S. and who needs to be held accountable for the growing rhetoric and violence.
Traumatic Grief. This week, Matter of Fact looks backs on another community impacted by the violence from racism and white supremacy: Charleston, South Carolina. Plus, a look at why children in one New York neighborhood are at higher risk of asthma. Then, how gun violence is now the leading cause of American youth deaths.
Louisiana has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, especially for women. With few resources available to help them secure jobs and find affordable, stable housing, many return to prison. Soledad O’Brien meets with the women behind Hope House NOLA, whose wrap-around services are starting to change this.
For many American families, paying for child care is expensive, but necessary. On the other end, child care providers struggle with thin margins after paying staff, food and facility costs. Laura Chavez visits Clinton, Mississippi to see how one family and and a day care owner are working to close those gaps.
Formerly incarcerated women are far more likely to be homeless than the general public. With few resources available to help them meet their basic needs, many eventually return to prison. Soledad O’Brien speaks with Topeka Sam, who founded The Ladies of Hope Ministries in order to help women re-entering community.
Child care is expensive. This week, Matter of Fact looks at how both parents and child care providers are struggling to keep up with the costs. Plus, innovative safe homes are helping women return to community instead of prison and an update on an “unlikely friendship.”
As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to release verdicts on a number of cases, Matter of Fact takes a closer look at the leaked draft majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Soledad O’Brien speaks with Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, about how this case will shape the future of abortion rights in the U.S.
As more and more states are turning to third party facial recognition companies for unemployment and veterans’ benefits, applicants say they are running into bias, confusion and privacy concerns. Matter of Fact spoke with one of these applicants, Tameka Green – a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, who was laid off from her job when the pandemic hit.
As federal resources and bans cease, a large number of Americans are facing evictions — more than before the pandemic began. Soledad O’Brien speaks with Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, about what’s driving the evictions and whether there’s any relief on the horizon.