Ukrainian seafarers stuck at US ports face tight restrictions, legal hurdles

The World | April 2022 || Many of the tens of thousands of Ukrainian seafarers who boarded ships before the war started are now struggling to get off: either in the hopes of staying in the countries they land in — or flying back to Europe. In the US, the shipping industry is asking Customs and Border Protection to revisit decisions in these cases.

US Amazon workers’ union push draws global attention

Al Jazeera | March 2021 || A warehouse in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama could become the first unionised Amazon facility in the United States.

Some Southern US towns weigh reopening; others brace for worst

Al Jazeera | April 2020 || Many small towns did not wait for a surge in coronavirus cases to put in strict measures to prevent the virus's spread.

Race to translate COVID-19 info as some US communities left out

Al Jazeera | March 2020 || Language barriers and mixed responses leave some US communities without vital coronavirus information.

Mike Bloomberg may win Arkansas while everyone else looks away

The Independent | March 2020 || Presidential hopefuls rarely visit the state that contributes among the fewest delegates — but the billionaire has been focusing his efforts here, with seemingly positive results

'Felt like a train hit': Tornadoes kill at least 25 in Tennessee

Al Jazeera | March 2020 || Tennessee residents survey damage after deadly tornadoes ripped through the US state.

After Iowa chaos, 2020 candidates charge ahead in New Hampshire

Al Jazeera | February 2020 || What effect will the 'Iowa caucus disaster' have on Tuesday's New Hampshire primary?

After 'Iowa caucus disaster', should the US state still go first?

Al Jazeera | February 2020 || State's mishaps are re-energising the debate over whether the US should look elsewhere to kick off the primary season.

Iowa caucus results delayed due to 'reporting issue'

Al Jazeera | February 2020 || Results from first voting contest of 2020 presidential election season delayed due to 'quality checks', officials say.

No love for Trump: Trade war stings some Iowa farmers

Al Jazeera | February 2020 || While polling data shows support for Trump among US farmers is high, one group of Iowa farmers bucks trend.

For many young evangelicals in Iowa, climate is front and centre

Al Jazeera | February 2020 || As Iowa kicks off 2020 US presidential primary and caucus season, young evangelicals are demanding climate action.

The Elaine Massacre: 100 Years Later

Arkansas Life | October 2019 || Even a century after the bloody events of the Elaine Massacre, there’s still so much we don’t know. Dr. Brian Mitchell’s trying to change that

South Sudanese Refugees Transform a Camp Into a City in Uganda

Voice of America | September 2019 || Bidi Bidi refugee camp is home to nearly a quarter-million South Sudanese who fled the violence of civil war in their home country. Its progressive policies allow refugees to live, farm and work together while they wait to return to their home country. But, as conditions are slow to improve in South Sudan, many refugees are opting to stay.

In Uganda, US Senators Call for Ebola Action, Praise Refugee Resettlement Efforts

Voice of America | August 2019 || Democratic U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Chris Van Hollen last week endorsed taking action to head off a possible Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lauded an innovative Ugandan approach to resettling war refugees, and called for greater political openness in Uganda.

A rural town confronts its buried history of mass killings of black Americans

The Guardian | August 2019 || 100 years after hundreds of African Americans were reportedly killed in Elaine, Arkansas, a memorial is set to bring details of the tragedy to light

The battle to turn Arkansas's dry counties wet – with Walmart's help

The Guardian | July 2019 || Many Arkansas counties are forbidden from selling alcohol, but campaigners, including the Walton family, want that to change

For Rural Broadband, Sometimes Cities Must Step In

Voice of America | June 2019 || A few years ago, the Oklahoma town of Tuttle suddenly found itself without cable or internet service after a local broadband provider went bankrupt, leaving behind unpaid bills to the power company.

'A lot of us lose sleep': US farmers reel as trade war drags on

Al Jazeera | June 2019 || As the US-China trade war approaches the one-year mark, farmers question how much longer they can hang on

States OK Cannabis, Push Feds to Catch Up

Voice of America | June 2019 || In May, Arkansas became the latest state to cash in on the sale of medical marijuana. Lines of people wrapped around a newly opened dispensary, drawing in customers from all four corners of the Southern U.S. state.

‘I try to spread the joy’: the trans pastor battling intolerance in the deep south

The Guardian | May 2019 || Elijah Walker is seeking to carve out his ministry in Arkansas while gay culture, he says, is going back underground locally

Some Conservative States Easing Access to Birth Control

Voice of America | March 2019 || Several Republican-led state legislatures are advocating for women to gain over-the-counter access to birth control in what they say is an effort to reduce unplanned pregnancies and abortions.

Iowans Prepare for Surge in Presidential Hopeful Visits

Voice of America | January 2019 || The race to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump in November 2020 kicked off in earnest Saturday, when the first major Democratic Party hopeful to announce her candidacy visited with voters across Iowa.

Pistol-Packing Teachers Becoming More Common in Arkansas

Voice of America | December 2018 || Dale Cresswell keeps his gun on his hip at all times: in his classroom, at sporting events, whenever he's at school.

Lowest-Wage Arkansans Will See More Money in 2019

Voice of America | December 2018 || Hustle. That’s the word Christina Jones uses to describe the way she lives.

Many in Rural US Find Fewer Maternity Care Options

Voice of America | November 2018 || For decades, Americans have migrated toward urban areas seeking opportunities, emptying out large swaths of countryside. In their wake, they have left shrinking communities that struggle to support multiple businesses, schools and hospitals.

Iowa Transgender Community Sees Progress Despite Setbacks

Voice of America | November 2018 || LGBTQ activists in Iowa say they are encouraged by the progress in their fight for equality despite occasional setbacks in the Midwestern state.

Rural Americans Struggle with Poor Broadband Access

Voice of America | October 2018 || Even in the country that invented the internet, access has remained painfully slow for many rural residents in places like the central state of Arkansas, far from the big cities of the East and West coasts. That may be about to change.

Iowa Supreme Court to Hear Controversial Pipeline Case

Voice of America | September 2018 || Oil has been flowing through the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline — which cuts across four Midwestern states — for more than a year. But some residents in the state of Iowa believe it's not too late to stop it.