STATES OF AMERICA
States of America is USA TODAY's flagship, longform news and documentary show. Each episode follows local and investigative reporters from across the USA TODAY Network as they uncover some of the country’s most pressing issues.
SEASON 2
EPISODE 2
The Post-Roe Baby Boom
In partnership with The Tennessean
It's projected that five thousand more babies will be born in Mississippi this year as a result of the state's restrictive abortion ban. Many of these babies will be born in rural areas of Mississippi where the maternal healthcare system is already stretched to the limit. We travel to the Mississippi Delta to understand how a surge in births is playing out in a state that is already one of the riskiest places in the country for pregnant women and babies.
EPISODE 1
What Went Wrong in Memphis?
In partnership with the The Commercial Appeal
We investigate the brutal police beating of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols and what went wrong on the night he was pulled over. In Memphis, Tennessee there’s a fraught relationship between police and communities of color that dates back to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
SEASON 1
EPISODE 6
America's Homeless & Chef Marcus Samuelsson
In partnership with the USA TODAY Humankind and Entertainment teams
More than half a million people are homeless in the US, and this year the crisis has reached a tipping point. We follow one street medicine team in Los Angeles, that believes they can help end homelessness one patient at a time. And we sit down with world-renowned celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. He explains how he is using his privilege to promote diversity.
EPISODE 5
The Border Buses
In partnership with the El Paso Times
New York City has received tens of thousands of migrants arriving by bus from border states. While the narrative in the media focused on the Republican governors, the Democratic mayor of El Paso sent more buses to New York than Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott. With a camera in hand, a Venezuelan family documents the 2,200-mile journey from El Paso, Texas to an uncertain future in New York City.
EPISODE 4
The Education Fight
In partnership with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and USA TODAY Politics team
It started with the mask wars and continued with debates about how to discuss race and gender identity in public schools. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has been leading the fight against what he calls “woke ideology” – firing up parents on all sides and turning school board meetings across the country into partisan free-for-alls.
EPISODE 3
Farmers in Crisis
In partnership with the Indianapolis Star and the USA TODAY Money Team
In the eastern Corn Belt region of the United States, grain and cattle farmers faced 40 percent inflation, making 2022 one of the worst years for farmers in recent history. And Georgetown University Professor and Economist Nada Eissa answers a question millions of Americans are asking: Is a recession inevitable?
EPISODE 2
Missing Children
In partnership with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the USA TODAY Investigations Team
We dig into the story of seven-year-old Alexis Patterson, who went missing in 2002, one month before Elizabeth Smart. While Elizabeth’s disappearance dominated national news headlines, few people had ever heard of Alexis Patterson. We explore how racial bias affects the way the police and media handle cases of missing children. We also look at how the Covid pandemic has impacted young children and their development.
EPISODE 1
The Abortion Battleground
In partnership with the Austin American-Statesman
In the weeks before Roe v Wade was overturned, we traveled to Texas to understand what post-Roe America would look like, and follow 15 women who fly from Texas to New Mexico in the dark of the morning to have legal abortions. And in Athens, Texas we interview Mark Lee Dickson, one of the most influential anti-abortion activists in the country, on his mission to make cities, “Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn.”
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The States of America Team
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: States of America is USA TODAY'S Flagship documentary show
