Mormon church leaders use what's called a help line to report known child sex abuse within its membership. However, a recent lawsuit agains the church reveals that this elaborate system may be easily misused, leaving victims in harms's way. (Aug. 4) (AP Video/Jessie Wardarski, Marshall Ritzel)
Ayahuasca has become a global trend as people turn to the psychedelic brew to treat health problems after conventional medications and therapy failed them. Hundreds of psychedelic churches have formed across the U.S. to meet demands. (Feb. 2) (AP Video: Jessie Wardarski)
Climate change is threatening the way of life in Shishmaref and the existence of the Alaska Native village. But the dire situation is only part of the story. Its resilient residents are carrying on, celebrating milestones and honoring traditions. (AP Video/Jessie Wardarski)
El Salvador has one of the world’s strictest abortion laws, banning the procedure in all circumstances. Activists and previously imprisoned Salvadoran women caution about what could happen in the U.S. if Roe v. Wade is overturned. (June 10)
The Columbia River has sustained Indigenous people for millennia through the harvesting of salmon, roots and berries, which are used in ceremonies and rituals. But today, dams, climate change, and population growth threaten this way of life. (AP video Jessie Wardarski)
For a year, Michelle Pepe awoke every day, recited the Kaddish, the mourner’s prayer, and kissed a photo of her father. And coped with her guilt.
In March 2020, just as the pandemic bloomed in the United States, Pepe traveled from Boston to Florida for her mother’s 80th birthday. She believes she gave the coronavirus to her father; Bernie Rubin died weeks later.
The best team in Yeshiva University's men's basketball history has qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament. (March 1)
Wild rice is sacred to Indigenous peoples in Minnesota because it’s part of their creation story. But changing climate, invasive species, and pollution are threatening the plant, making it crucial to teach young tribe members how to harvest it. (Sept. 10)(AP Video/Jessie Wardarski)
Struggling to feed her children, pay bills and keep her family safe during the pandemic, Sharawn Vinson an unemployed mother of six, had to make tough decisions the past several months--but she's managed to turn each challenge into a triumph and still find time to give back to her community. (Sept. 14)
In the 23 states with some form of legal marijuana, caregivers have the ability to grow or handle the substance for medical patients. Many patients who are unable to grow themselves or are physically unable to drive to a dispensary to pick up their marijuana designate a caregiver who can complete these tasks for them. However, caregivers function under a part of the system, the “gray market,” which is relatively unregulated.