Spotlight Stories
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Thursday, 06.10.2021

Grassroots Efforts Lead the Way in Hollywood Representation

The murder of George Floyd shed a brighter light on the entertainment industry's struggles with diversity. Producer and TV executive Prince Baggett talks the launch of a new pipeline program and why he's confident this diversity movement will be the one that sticks.

The murder of George Floyd shed a brighter light on the entertainment industry's struggles with diversity. Producer and TV executive Prince Baggett talks the launch of a new pipeline program and why he's confident this diversity movement will be the one that sticks.
5:49
Thursday, 06.10.2021
Grassroots Efforts Lead the Way in Hollywood Representation
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The days of the DC and Marvel boys club could be coming to an end as directors like Cathy Yan, Chloé Zhao, and Nia DaCosta blaze a trail for women and minorities behind the camera.
2:58
Tuesday, 06.08.2021
Women of Color Make History Behind the Superhero Lens
The entertainment industry is making strides in diversity when it comes to the actors and directors leading films. But in some areas, representation efforts still fall short. One of the biggest problem areas? Hair and makeup.
3:30
Thursday, 06.03.2021
Hollywood's Black Hair Problem
After surviving a devastating pandemic, business owners face a new obstacle: a lack of workers. But amid this labor shortage, several small businesses in Pittsburgh are filling their open roles. Here’s how.
1:43
Monday, 05.17.2021
Pittsburgh Businesses Find Solution to Labor Shortage
Show your support for the Asian American Pacific Islander community's history, achievements, and influence this Heritage Month by shopping small.
1:52
Thursday, 05.13.2021
How To Support AAPI Small Businesses
The former mayor of Stockton, California, sits down for a conversation about the first-year results of the city's basic income program and why some of the findings even surprised him.
5:36
Wednesday, 05.12.2021
Michael Tubbs Talks Success of Stockton's Basic Income Pilot
The U.S. saw more startups launch in 2020 than it has in decades, a 24% increase from 2019. The news even shocked economists — and the trend shows no signs of slowing in 2021.
1:41
Tuesday, 05.11.2021
The Pandemic Startup Boom
You might vote a touring company in a pandemic “the least likely to succeed.” But Chicago Detours rose to the challenge — using its creative small business mindset to create a new revenue stream in a virtual world.
1:38
Thursday, 05.06.2021
Chicago Detours: Making Lemonade From Pandemic Lemons
President Biden made quite a few campaign promises to Native Americans, including returning valuable land to tribal communities. Here’s a look at where that stands.
3:09
Wednesday, 05.05.2021
The Future of Indigenous Land in America
Florida-based bakery Worthy Cakes was hit with cancellations at the start of the pandemic, but the family-owned business was able to bounce back ... with a little bit of courage and some help from the CARES Act.
1:30
Tuesday, 05.04.2021
How One Small Business' Leap of Faith Paid Off
President Biden's infrastructure plan stoked hopes of an American high-speed rail system finally becoming reality. But Amtrak has other plans.
3:21
Monday, 05.03.2021
High-Speed Rail Dreams Falter
The Recount talks cyber exploitation with former Congresswoman Katie Hill, American politics' first high-profile victim of revenge porn.
5:58
Friday, 04.30.2021
A One-on-One with Former CA Rep. Katie Hill
City officials in Tehachapi, California, made a small investment to help encourage the local economy and it paid off — in a big way.
1:36
Thursday, 04.29.2021
Local Loyalty Play Boosts Business
In the middle of a pandemic and a summer of racial unrest, two California women created Blk Girls Green House — a multipurpose space for Black joy, right in the heart of Oakland.
1:42
Tuesday, 04.27.2021
California Co-Founders Create Space for Black Joy
In 2019, Congresswoman Katie Hill was brought down by American politics' first high-profile revenge porn scandal. In 2021, she's at the center of a brewing battle to ban cyber exploitation in Congress.
3:53
Monday, 04.26.2021
Katie Hill's New Campaign: SHIELD Act
Less than a year after George Floyd's murder, cities across the U.S. have moved millions from police budgets and back into communities.
3:22
Sunday, 04.25.2021
Defunding the Police Is Starting In These Cities
Who says you can't change the world before age 10? Troy Maloy launched a clothing line to help kids afford camp. Zoe Oli created a line of dolls in hopes of inspiring little Black girls to love themselves.
2:17
Wednesday, 04.21.2021
Young Entrepreneurs Build Businesses to Make the World Better
More than one independent bookstore has closed each week since the pandemic began. Need 5 reasons to show up and support your local bookstore? Look no further.
1:59
Monday, 04.19.2021
Why You Should Support Local Bookstores
As congressional Democrats push redistricting reform, there are whispers within the party to punish Trump’s fiercest allies and counterbalance red states’ gerrymandering.
2:42
Sunday, 04.18.2021
Gerrymandering Battle Lines Begin to Emerge
When talking about climate change, we can’t glaze over one of the most glaring issues that has reared its head during the pandemic: environmental racism.
3:25
Friday, 04.16.2021
Why Fighting Environmental Racism Is a Priority
In the midst of the worst economic crisis in 90 years, the leaders of large corporations didn’t feel the hurt--in fact, they made out like bandits.
2:46
Wednesday, 04.14.2021
CEO Pay Surges in COVID Economy
With Democrats finally in control of the Senate, many want to kill the filibuster once and for all — but obstacles and myths remain in their way.
3:07
Wednesday, 04.14.2021
Democrats Face Filibuster Folklore
Tucked inside President Biden's $2.25 trillion infrastructure plan: a proposal to rectify past highway construction that led to a chain reaction of racial inequality.
2:45
Tuesday, 04.13.2021
Biden's Highway Plan Signals Sea Change
Evanston, Illinois, has launched a first-in-the-nation reparations program. The question now: Who should get to determine how reparation money is spent, the city or the recipients?
2:45
Monday, 04.12.2021
First-Ever U.S. Reparations Plan
The fight against COVID may just lead to a major technological breakthrough in HIV prevention. Here’s how it could work.
2:24
Sunday, 04.11.2021
HIV Vaccine Potential From COVID mRNA Tech
The U.S. Senate is split equally for the first time in 20 years, highlighting the growing representation gap — and structural flaws — in the body.
2:55
Friday, 04.09.2021
The Problem of the 50/50 Senate
This is not a drill: The recent surge in takeout dining has led to a shortage of ketchup packets in the U.S. Now the industry is struggling to … catch up.
1:30
Thursday, 04.08.2021
New COVID Shortage: Ketchup
Vaccine passports are not a real thing in the U.S. at the moment. They’re a concept, with zero mandates to actually require them. But they are worth a reasonable discussion. Let’s talk about it.
3:14
Wednesday, 04.07.2021
What's Up With Vaccine Passports?
Republican leaders are lining up against President Biden's proposed tax increases on corporations and the wealthy — but their voters aren't.
2:44
Wednesday, 04.07.2021
Biden Tax Push Highlights GOP-Voter Disconnect
California Governor Gavin Newsom could be removed from office in the middle of his 4-year term. Here's how it works and what's at stake.
2:07
Tuesday, 03.23.2021
How California’s Recall of Gov. Newsom Works
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