Where cellphones help users save money, and pricey calls are now free -- Progress roundup: To better connect incarcerated New Yorkers with loved ones, the state is paying for phone calls. In Africa, mobile money helps people save.

12 days ago

Katrina holds lessons as US debates role of states and FEMA in disaster response -- Hurricane Katrina was a wake-up call for states as well as for federal disaster response. Lessons in resilience have born fruit, but a proposed scaling back of FEMA's role is stirring debate in an era of rising storm costs.

16 days ago

Ford is a bellwether: Electric vehicles are coming, despite Trump policy shifts -- Ford has a stunning goal: a small electric pickup priced below $30,000. The company seeks a new "Model T moment," responding to competition from China more than to Washington politics.

22 days ago

20 years after Hurricane Katrina, the heart of New Orleans beats on -- After Hurricane Katrina, the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, New Orleans has worked to rebuild and revive – a recovery achieved in part through music and culture.

17 days ago

How a city's hardship opened eyes to wider problem-solving -- Progress roundup: Flint, Michigan, completes pipe replacements for clean water; India's Gujarat state pilots pollution trading and lowers emissions.

23 days ago

Yes, AI is power-hungry. But there's more to surging electricity prices. -- Rising electricity bills are stinging consumers across the United States. Experts say the trend reflects rising demand for electricity – including from AI – but also the need for upgraded and more adaptable power grids.

25 days ago

Rise in extreme heat spurs efforts to keep workers safe -- Summers have been getting longer and hotter, with more days of extreme heat. A pending federal rule would create safety guidelines for outdoor workers regarding breaks, water access, and more.

1 month ago

Where a women's tax is canceled, and businesswomen's decisions valued -- Progress roundup: Malta brings free period products to schools, a study in Kenya and Senegal finds women's decision-making superior to men's, and more.

1 month ago

Where did your shrimp dinner really come from? This reporter surfaces hard details. -- From shrimp to squid, seafood's journey from ocean to table is often fraught with labor and environmental abuses. Journalist Ian Urbina's work is shedding light on a largely unpoliced realm.

1 month ago

With cruise ships comes pollution. European ports search for ways to clear the air. -- Europeans have been pushing back on overtourism. For many, especially in places like Barcelona, the issue is not just crowds but also pollution. Is there a way for port cities to have needed cruise dollars and cleaner air?

1 month ago

In California and in Poland, new laws for who belongs where -- Progress roundup: A $56 million purchase doubles the Yurok tribe's holdings along the Klamath River, and Shanghai bus riders create new routes.

1 month ago

Cities scramble to make up for cuts in flood-safety funding -- With climate change predicted to bring more severe weather, many U.S. communities used federal grants to help prepare. President Trump's funding cuts are kicking off a race to replace the money, or lose projects.

1 month ago

'Green time' over screen time: The Greenagers group gets youths to love the outdoors -- A transformative program in western Massachusetts helps young people learn the value of stewarding the land, while also taking joy in conservation.

1 month ago

Go, fish. How removing old New England dams is opening rivers to new wildlife. -- One Maine town, built on water-powered mills during the Industrial Revolution, is joining a dam-removal revolution moving across New England.

1 month ago