Jennifer Ludden

In 1971, the United States came very close to having universal, federally subsidized child care. How did Congress come to pass the legislation? And why President Nixon vetoed it?

The growth in paid parental leave has largely left out hourly employees. But the Hilton hotel chain this year extended it to all its workers. Demand by millennial employees helped drive the decision.

Tricia Olson gave birth to her son and was back on the job three weeks later. Like most Americans, she doesn't get paid family leave, and she's among the 40 percent who don't qualify for unpaid leave.

Carfentanil, a powerful opioid used to sedate elephants, is being blamed for a record spike in drug overdoses in the Midwest. It's much stronger, and riskier, than heroin or fentanyl.

Georgetown University is taking steps to atone for its ownership of slaves in the 1830s. Among other things, the elite school will make it easier for descendants of those slaves to gain admission.

Given the increasingly dire predictions about the future, being a climate activist is stressful. Some say it's making them stress over something else — whether or not to have children.

Arkansas, a Bible Belt state that emphasizes abstinence-only in high school, is launching a mandatory program in its colleges and universities on strategies to prevent unplanned pregnancy.

For some climate activists, the personal decision to have a child is also fraught with moral consequences: the negative impact on the environment, and on the quality of life for those children.

Prosecutors have dropped all the remaining charges against Baltimore police officers in the 2015 death of Freddie Gray. While the four trials so far returned no convictions, the three more scheduled trials have now also been dropped.

Baltimore prosecutors have dropped all charges against the three officers who still faced trial in the death of Freddie Gray. Previous trials all ended in acquittals.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown has been at the forefront of efforts to make police work more transparent and to train officers in de-escalation tactics.

Despite the Supreme Court's striking down of a controversial Texas law, the battle over abortion rights is far from over. Advocates are planning new laws and challenges around the country.

After last week's acquittal of another police officer charged in Freddie Gray's death, many say they will press even harder for systemic police reforms. NPR looks at the many obstacles to police accountability and efforts to address them.

The Supreme Court's decision striking down Texas laws limiting abortion access could have significant impacts in other states.

The police officer facing the most serious charges in the death of Freddie Gray has been acquitted on all counts. That's prompting calls for prosecutors to reconsider charges against other officers.

The city of Baltimore is reacting to the judge's decision to not convict officer Caesar Goodson in the death of Freddie Gray in April 2015. Goodson drove the van that transported Gray after his arrest, and prosecutors said his actions caused the young black man to suffer a fatal spinal injury.

A Baltimore judge has rendered a verdict in the case against the officer who faced the most serious counts of six officers charged in connection with Gray's death in April of 2015.

A Baltimore judge heard closing arguments Monday in the trial of police officer Caesar Goodson. Goodson faces the most serious charge of six officers being tried in the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray.

Caesar Goodson drove the van in which prosecutors say Freddie Gray was fatally injured. Witnesses from the two previous trials have testified that he bore ultimate responsibility for Gray's safety. Goodson faces the most serious charge in the case — second degree murder — and legal analysts see his trial as make-or-break for prosecutors, who have yet to get a conviction.

The Baltimore officer facing the most serious charges in the death of Freddie Gray goes on trial on Thursday. Caesar Goodson drove the van in which Gray apparently suffered a fatal spinal injury.