Frank Morris

It's been a challenging year for the National Guard — responding to a large number of natural disasters in the middle of a global pandemic.

The political divide between rural and urban America has become more obvious this year. But people living in cities and those in rural towns may have more in common than they realize.

Some older voters have limited options for getting to the polls — there are lots of work-arounds though. But in some cities, funeral homes are making sure they get there.

A smaller student body and shared sense of purpose make it easier to gain compliance with university policies on things such as mask usage and social distancing.

The pandemic has sparked a sustained, unprecedented tidal wave of home and backyard projects. The demand outstrips the supply of materials and labor to do the work, leaving homeowners to get creative.

Americans have launched a surge of DIY projects during the pandemic, transforming their homes and yards — and causing shortages of treated lumber and other supplies.

The U.S. Postal Service has been dismantling letter sorting machines, and some say the lost capacity could hamper mail-in voting. But some workers say the machines are obsolete and won't be missed.

Many of those institutions hung on year-to-year even before the pandemic. Now COVID-19 threatens to cut off the oxygen sustaining these schools, and the sports programs that drive enrollment.

Hundreds of small universities across the country may need to be shuttered due to COVID-19, and that means many tiny college towns across the country are also at risk.

The effort to quell violent crime has been marred by misinformation, and local activists say it's wrong-headed but others applaud the help from Washington, D.C., to fight a desperate homicide problem.

Federal agents are headed to Kansas City, Mo., to help with the spike in violent crime. Some locals embrace the move, but others worry agents' presence may lead to confrontations.

In the wake of George Floyd's killing, Confederate monuments have fallen, food companies have scrubbed racist imagery from labels, and now, pro sports teams names are under fresh review.

As racial justice reckoning occurs across the country, a number of professional sports teams are feeling pressure to change their names that are viewed by some as deeply offensive.

The boom of U.S. craft breweries, more than doubling in the past five years, could soon be turning to bust. Without throngs of customers jamming their bars, many struggle to pivot to a new model.

Missouri is the first state to sue China for spreading the coronavirus. But China is protected by the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. Missouri claims there are exceptions.

Missouri's attorney general alleges that China "engaged in misrepresentations, concealment, and retaliation to conceal the gravity and seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak from the rest of the world."

While most states have blanket lockdowns, some are a patchwork, with cities and counties mandating their own rules.

Some shippers can't meet unprecedented demand for basic goods. Others are starved for goods from Asia and are facing a drop-off in U.S. factory production.

The coronavirus will likely take longer to reach remote rural communities but may be more devastating. Though there may not be public transit or big crowds, rural areas are vulnerable in other ways.

Kansas City Chiefs fans basked in the glory of their first Super Bowl win in half a century with a parade and victory rally.