Melissa Block

Melissa Block appears in the following:

In Chicago, The Obamas' Civic Engagement Programs Are In Action

Friday, September 07, 2018

The Obama Foundation has raised more than a quarter of a billion dollars so far to build the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago's South Side. Key to the Foundation's mission are programs to train the next generation of civic leaders.

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Where Has Barack Obama Been?

Thursday, September 06, 2018

Since he left the White House, former President Obama had stayed quiet, declining to directly challenge his successor. But that's starting to change.

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In 'Minding The Gap,' Skateboarding Is The Least Of The Pain

Sunday, September 02, 2018

Bing Liu's documentary tracks two fellow skaters on and off the streets of Rockford, Ill. As it turns out, all three men are grappling with the lasting trauma of parental abuse.

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'Rush': The Other Founding Father From Philadelphia Named Benjamin

Sunday, September 02, 2018

Stephen Fried's biography argues that Benjamin Rush — a pioneering physician, writer and a signatory to the Declaration of Independence — belongs on the historical tier of Benjamin Franklin.

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'Ninety-Nine Glimpses Of Princess Margaret': A Woman Who Watched The Throne

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Craig Brown's new biography of Queen Elizabeth's glamorous and scandalous younger sister documents "a life which sort of went off the rails," he says.

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Amid A Hispanic Boom, Conflicting Feelings On Immigration

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

In southwest Virginia, Galax was once a traditional small-town mountain community. It now has one of the fastest-growing Hispanic populations in the state.

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A Look At Immigration From A Virginia Town With A Fast-Growing Hispanic Population

Monday, July 16, 2018

Galax, Va., is a small rural city that has one of the fastest-growing Hispanic populations in the state. Residents talk about their attitudes toward immigration and President Trump's policies.

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Casting Aside Shame And Stigma, Adults Tackle Struggles With Literacy

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Over the past 25 years, U.S. adult literacy rates have not improved. Learning how to read, one adult learner says, is like "opening up a Christmas present every day."

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After Daughter's 'Unimaginable' Death, Parkland Family Moved To Action

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Carmen Schentrup was a senior, one week away from her 17th birthday, when she was killed. Her family reflects on her life, death and why "missing her doesn't feel like enough anymore."

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From 'Bonk' To 'Bombs' And 'Fly Swat': A Guide To Olympic Slang

Friday, February 23, 2018

Olympic sports have their own vernacular — terms that make no sense to outsiders. Much of it has to do with when things go wrong. And some of it has to do with Seinfeld.

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Lindsey Vonn Wins Bronze In Downhill At Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

The U.S. skiing star won a bronze medal in what was likely the last Olympic downhill of her career. Italy took gold and Norway silver. Vonn, 33, is the oldest female Alpine medalist at an Olympics.

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Speedskating Primer: Long Track Vs. Short Track

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

When it comes to speedskating, South Koreans love short track. The Dutch are masters of long track. Two previous Olympic medalists talk about the thrill and pain of speedskating.

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The Experts Known As 'Ice Meisters' Create Perfect Olympic Skating Surfaces

Monday, February 19, 2018

They're not the Zamboni drivers. These skilled technicians know how to make ice for figure skating, speedskating, hockey and curling — each requiring different temperatures, textures and hardness.

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News Brief: Florida School Shooting, Immigration Plans Stall, Olympics

Friday, February 16, 2018

The 19-year-old shooter at a Florida high school has confessed to investigators. Also, the Senate failed to pass any immigration plan before a self-imposed deadline and we have an Olympics update.

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Olympics: U.S. Falls Behind In Skiing, Figure Skating

Friday, February 16, 2018

American skier Mikaela Shiffrin narrowly missed out on winning her third gold medal Friday. And in men's figure skating, top U.S. medal hope Nathan Chen had a disappointing performance.

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For Some, Competing At The Olympics Runs In The Family

Thursday, February 15, 2018

For many parents at the Olympics, watching their children compete is nerve-wracking. Beth Heiden Reid has a special perspective: she won a bronze medal in speedskating at the 1980 Games, and was in Korea to watch her daughter Joanne compete in biathlon.

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Aerials Skier Ashley Caldwell's 'Bold Move': A Quadruple-Twisting Triple Flip

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

"Why are these people so crazy?" Caldwell wondered when she first watched aerials skiing at age 12. Now she's the women's world champion, spinning and somersaulting some 60 feet high in the air.

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Maame Biney Came To The U.S. From Ghana At 5. Now 18, She's A Team USA Speedskater

Monday, February 12, 2018

Born in Ghana and raised in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, Biney is the first African-American woman to qualify for a U.S. Olympic speedskating team. Her father is her biggest fan.

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South Korea Celebrates The Official Start Of The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

Friday, February 09, 2018

The Winter Olympics officially began Friday with opening ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Athletes from 92 countries marched into an open-air stadium to mark the start of the Olympiad.

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With Few Fans And Little Funding, U.S. Biathlon Team Hopes For First Olympic Medals

Monday, February 05, 2018

Biathlon is the only winter sport in which the U.S. has never won an Olympic medal. But hopes are high for Pyeongchang. "I've never seen our team in such high spirits," says biathlete Lowell Bailey.

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