Above the Noise

We’ve all heard that violent video games make you violent, but is it true? Myles and PBS NewsHour Student Reporters from Etiwanda High School in Southern California dive deep into the research to get a better understanding of the debate.

Pretty much every rich, developed nation on the planet has universal healthcare, EXCEPT for the U.S. Should we join them, or does our current healthcare system have advantages that we don’t want to lose?

The driver’s license is often a symbol of freedom, especially if you’re a teen getting one for the first time. So PBS NewsHour student reporters from Northview High School in Southern California decided to investigate the debate happening around the country over whether people living in the U.S. illegally should be allowed to get driver’s licenses.

College is often presented as THE best path to success. But it’s not the only path. Is college really the best option?

To slow the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, public health experts are telling us to stay home and practice “social distancing.” Think social distancing doesn’t matter if you’re young and healthy? Think again. It’s not about you-- it’s about protecting the community. And in this Above the Noise video, we get into why it’s so important, even if you’re not in a high risk category.

This whole coronavirus thing is messing up every aspect of society. School is no exception, with millions of students now stuck at home dealing with a bunch of new stress. How do you deal with so much uncertainty in the time of coronavirus?

With new information about COVID-19, comes misinformation too! False claims and rumors about everything from treatments and remedies to how the virus is spread are popping up everywhere-- it’s hard to keep track of what’s accurate and what’s not. Myles not only sets the record straight by speaking to a public health expert to answer some of your most burning COVID-19 questions, but also gives you some quick tips on how to vet if what you’re coming across online is accurate or not.

InThisTogether is the new coronavirus mantra. But at the same time, hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise and black people are dying from COVID-related causes at alarming rates. We talked to comedian and CNN show host W. Kamau Bell to ask him if we're really "all in this together."

Our host, Myles Bess, talks with comedian and CNN-host W. Kamau Bell about why so many communities of color are being hit so hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Family really getting to you? You’re not alone. Even as stay-at-home orders are loosening, you’re probably spending way more time at home than you’d like to be. This can lead to some family tension—especially between teens and parents. Myles Bess talks to some experts about how to keep the peace with your family.

If you’re in high school and plan on going off to college at some point in the next couple years, the coronavirus has put YOU in UNCHARTED territory. Pass-fail grades, delayed SATs, and cancelled extra curriculars can put a GIANT question mark on your college application. How will the coronavirus impact going to college?

As protesters around the country demand racial justice and a re-examination of policing in communities, the conversation has also spread to schools -- with many asking if police should be on campuses.

In the earlier days of the coronavirus pandemic, there was a lot more confusion about whether people should wear masks to protect themselves and others from the virus. Here’s why recommendations have changed – even for kids and teens – and how they help keep COVID-19 in check.

With gun violence making headlines in Wisconsin, Myles turns to high school students in Black River Falls, Wisconsin to share their investigation of Red Flag Gun Laws — a bipartisan and little known part of the gun control debate.

The debate over the best way to teach sex ed in America continues to rage on, but student voice is often left out of the conversation when schools are deciding on what to teach. So Myles and PBS NewsHour Student Reporters from Oakland Military Institute investigate the pros and cons of the various approaches to sex ed and talk to students to find out how they feel about their sexual health education.

Protests can be peaceful one minute. Chaotic the next. And can even turn violent a minute after that. This episode looks at not WHY people protest, but HOW. Is there a right way to protest?

Americans face many obstacles when it comes to voting and it reflects in our voter turnout numbers. The process of getting registered and getting to the polls isn’t the same for everyone and depending on where you are it can make voting really hard and these hurdles can discourage people from voting all together. So...is voting too hard in the U.S?

If you’re a citizen and at least 18, you can vote in elections, right? Well, no. If you’ve been convicted of a crime, it’s possible that you could have that right taken away. It’s called felony disenfranchisement.

The ramp up to the 2020 presidential election has been, well...stressful. The political divide was in full effect, and America is on edge. Our host, Myles Bess, reflects on the year leading up to the big day -- and asks our audience how they are dealing with this historic moment.

Despite schools being the safest they’ve been in over 30 years, more and more schools have turned to surveillance--facial recognition cameras, apps that track movements, and software that monitors email and social media accounts--in the name of safety. And the tug of war between student privacy and surveillance wages on while tech companies make a lot of money off this new industry.

Living with catastrophic wildfires has become an unfortunate reality for many residents of the United States, particularly in the West. And climate change has made the fire season even longer and more intense than previous years. Deliberately setting “good fires,” or prescribed burns, could help prevent future fires by clearing away unwanted brush and debris. But organizing controlled burns is a lot of work, and it has its risks, too.

When politicians like AOC and Trump hop on social media, are they forming real connections with young people who might vote for them...or are they just being awkward?