Gone to Pot

Wherever you stand on legalized marijuana, the idea has been gaining ground across the nation. America’s most populous state, California, approved recreational pot starting in 2018, with the promise that a Shangri La would emerge, generating a wealth of taxes, and all but eliminating the shady, criminal element. So far, that hasn’t happened. The country's largest marijuana market is struggling in almost every category. Today, we investigate why. Sharyl: Hello, Jerred Kiloh: Hey.

Betsy DeVos

Across the U. S. students have gone back to school in a lot of different ways. Whether it’s distance learning, hybrid models or shared tutors and it just may be that the coronavirus response has forever altered American education, perhaps sparking more support for what’s called “School Choice. ” Today I talk about that with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Sharyl Attkisson: What has it been like leading the Department of Education during a really unprecedented time that came with no playbook?

California Wildfires

This year, California’s wildfires are being called the worst in state’s history. The governor and others claim climate change is the chief culprit. But Lisa Fletcher has been tracking the golden state’s fires for several years and finds the real problem might be something else. Lisa Fletcher: There is no debate that this California fire season is historic in devastation, in size and in costs.

Return of Sports

After a dry spell caused by the coronavirus response, sports are back sort of. Stadiums are far from filled and sports bars aren't getting the numbers they normally do. Scott Thuman heads to the field to look at the unusual return of sports. Game audio: “Mayfield, a little stumble, toss, back of the endzone, wide open. ” Touchdown. ” Scott Thuman: In Cleveland, Browns football fans welcomed the NFL back from a sports bar, not the bleachers.

The Internet Divide

In the age of coronavirus, the internet has become more crucial than ever for working families, but many of our communities can't get high speed internet at all. Next month the FCC begins phase one of a $16 Billion dollar plan to wire up more rural areas but today we find out what happened to the billions of tax dollars already spent for that purpose. Sharyl: Life in the Virginia countryside comes with beauty, serenity and for some, a big drawback. No high-speed internet.

Full Measure Extra: The Internet Divide

Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Co-op Association explains why so many people in rural America still need broadband service and how they can get it. We think it's at least 21 million people in rural America don't have broadband. That's a number from the FCC. And then there are those who have it, but it's really not broadband. They have internet service, but the speeds are so low that it's, it's really not adequate.

Fear of Flying

Air travel is not what it was used to be. In January, passenger numbers and airline profits reached record highs, but since the COVID-19 outbreak, the industry has suffered devastating losses. And, as Scott Thuman reports, many Americans have come down with a serious case of: Fear of Flying. Scott Thuman: It has become a defining image of the pandemic, once bustling airport taxiways suddenly quiet. Packed concourses around the world, at times, practically empty.