The 5G network has promised to make accessing the internet faster and more reliable, but not everyone is on board. Major airlines have pushed back, citing safety concerns, including possible interference for airplane operations both in the air and on the ground. As the federal government, cell phone companies and airlines look for a compromise, Soledad O’Brien talks with CNET Senior Reporter Maggie Reardon about how concerned the rest of us should be.
Inflation is up across the country. This week, Matter of Fact looks at how skyrocketing housing costs are making it difficult for first-time buyers. Plus, the 5G rollout delayed at major airports is creating confusion.
Across the board, it’s getting harder to find affordable housing. For wannabe homeowners, average prices went up about 20 percent last year. And in some cities, like New York and Austin, rental prices have jumped as much as 35 to 40 percent. Soledad O’Brien sits down with Frank Nothaft, chief economist at Core-Logic, to discuss what’s driving these prices and whether they’ll stabilize in the near future.
Early in the pandemic, immigration numbers were intentionally decreased. But as jobs go unfilled, many employers say the only thing keeping their businesses afloat is immigrant labor. Soledad O’Brien speaks with CUNY Urban Studies Distinguished Lecturer Deepak Bhargava.
Life is dire for millions of Afghans, whose lives have been upturned since the Taliban returned to power. More than 22 million are facing starvation and women have been pushed out of the workforce. Diane Roberts spoke with Mary-Ellen McGroarty, Afghanistan country director for the World Food Programme, about what she’s witnessed and how she’s navigating Afghanistan’s new reality as a woman.
The majority of Americans own their homes, one of the surest ways to build generational wealth. But among Detroit residents, homeowners are in the minority. A hit HGTV show, Bargain Block, is seeking to change that – while making a profit. Correspondent Jessica Gomez visited with remodelers and new hosts, Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas, to see how decades of discriminatory policies are making home purchases harder for first time buyers.
More than half of Americans have medical debt, making it now the largest source of debt in collections. The reasons are myriad. An example – surprise bills for things like tests sent to out-of-network labs. Starting this year, the No Surprises Act, seeks to mitigate many of these surprise expenses. Soledad O’Brien speaks with Katie Keith, a researcher at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University.