Russia-Ukraine Crisis Thousands of Animals Left Behind in Ukraine Need Help The Russian invasion displaced more than 10 million Ukrainians — and many Ukrainians brought pets or even livestock with them when leaving home. But thousands of animals were left behind, in shelters that have had difficulty getting supplies amid the fighting. That’s why New Yorker Courtney Chandel recently flew to Ukraine and volunteered at an animal shelter. She joined LX...
taxes In Many Countries, the Government Files Your Taxes. Why Not in the US? In Denmark, the UK, Spain and elsewhere, the government fills out your tax return for you, and you only have to sign off on the information in it. But in the U.S. we often rely on private companies to help us file our taxes; according to IRS data, the average American spends 13 hours and $240 to file their taxes....
voting rights Amid Misguided Beliefs About Voter Fraud, These States Are Making Voting Easier Of the 301 bills related to elections that became law in 2021, 117 improved voter access, and 47 restricted it. (The rest were neutral or mixed.) NBCLX storyteller Jalyn Henderson breaks down why voter fraud in the U.S. is not actually a widespread problem and how many states are actually making it easier to vote.
Russia-Ukraine War Ukrainian Refugee in New York City Recalls Harrowing, Weeklong Journey to US Since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the U.S. has admitted few refugees despite almost 3 million people fleeing the country. One of them, 36-year-old Misha Pishak, successfully made it to New York City earlier this month, thanks to a work visa issued two years ago. He recalled his weeklong journey and what it was like to leave his parents...
Congress Without Shame, the Laws Holding DC Politicians Accountable Aren't Enough to Prevent Misdeeds We’re in the golden era for Washington politicians who don’t like to follow the rules, according to NBCLX political editor Noah Pransky. The laws and structures that kept politicians in line only worked previously because people were willing to go along with them, one expert told him. So if these laws don’t have steep penalties (most don’t) and politicians don’t...
New York City Green Spaces Fight Climate Change in Cities. This Brooklyn Neighborhood Has Been Left Behind The Southside of Williamsburg in New York City’s Brooklyn borough lacks green space, putting its residents at increased risk of the negative impacts of climate change, from flooding to air pollution. NBCLX contributor Meghan McDonough spoke with activists in the community fighting for environmental justice. (Mackenzie Behm helped film. Animation by Erin Panell.)
Russia-Ukraine Crisis Are Americans Ready to Welcome Refugees? It Depends on Where They're From A new NBCLX/YouGov poll on refugees shows stark contrasts in attitudes toward refugees from Ukraine compared to other war-torn areas of the world like Afghanistan and Syria. NBCLX Political Editor Noah Pransky joined LX News to talk about the data on Americans’ attitudes toward welcoming refugees.
renters LA Rent Is Among the Least Affordable in the US. How Did This Happen? In 2021, rent rose about 14% across the country, the biggest surge in over two years. Of the 10 U.S. cities with the highest average rent, six, including Los Angeles, are in California. NBCLX storyteller Cody Broadways talks to one couple, both artists, who were hit hard by the rent spike and explores potential solutions.
travel What's Next for the Couch Surfing Revolution? Casey Fenton founded CouchSurfing in 2004 after booking a cheap flight to Iceland and hacking into a local university’s student directory to ask for a place to crash. The idea of hosting and staying with strangers for free took off around the globe, and millions joined the community. But in the years since, the service has turned for-profit and started...
Elections Why Your Individual Vote Matters More Than You Think — Even in Federal Elections We’ve all been tempted to sit out an election by convincing ourselves one vote doesn’t matter that much. But the truth is a single-digit number of votes can have a big impact on federal and local policies. NBCLX political editor Noah Pransky looks back at several elections where only a few votes made a big difference.
