Above the Noise

Check out this blooper special of Myles over the last few years. Can you believe his beard was once that short?

The founding principle of the U.S. justice system is fairness, right? Well, maybe not when it comes to the U.S. bail system. What do you think? Is America’s bail system fair?

When you turn 18, our society generally considers you an adult. You can join the military. You’re eligible for jury duty. And, of course, you gain the right to vote. However, you can get a job, pay taxes, and even be tried as an adult for some crimes at 16. Clearly, laws have an impact on nearly everyone well before they can cast their vote. Maybe we need to rethink the voting age. Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote?

As active shooter drills become more common in schools, there’s debate over what type of drill is best. Do hyper realistic drills better prepare students, or are they unnecessarily traumatizing? Join students from PBS NewsHour’s student reporting labs as they investigate which kind of drills are most effective.

Suspensions have some unintended consequences. They disproportionately target minorities, and some students who get suspended are more likely to repeat a grade, drop out of school, and become involved in the criminal justice system. But suspensions are viewed by some as a necessary tool to keep schools safe. It may not be great for the suspended student, but they say it’s more important to keep everyone ELSE at the school safe. Should suspensions be suspended?

No one wants to talk about it, but suicide is a leading cause of death among teens. The good news is, schools are uniquely positioned to help. Student reporters from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs investigate what schools can do.

College costs are insane these days. It’s getting to the point where unless your last name is Bezos or Zuckerberg, a college education kinda feels like a pipe dream. One answer is FREE COLLEGE paid for by the government, which many liberals and even some conservatives are getting behind. But, “free” college really isn’t free. That money has to come from somewhere. Is free college really as good as it sounds?

In late 2018, a Chinese researcher revealed that he created the first ever genetically edited babies. He altered the DNA of twin girls before they were born. In response, the world kind of went nuts, raising a HUGE bioethical question. When is gene editing OK? How far is too far when altering life itself?

With #dresscoded and #Imnotadistraction, school dress codes are coming under fire from students who say these policies can be sexist and racist. But many argue strict dress codes are necessary for a safe learning environment. So, how should schools decide on dress code policies?

It’s not hard to find a high school student who is stressed about homework. Many are stressed to the max--juggling extracurricular activities, jobs, and family responsibilities. It can be hard for many students, particularly low-income students, to find the time to dedicate to homework. So students in the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs program at YouthBeat in Oakland, California are asking what’s a fair amount of homework for high school students?

What do you get when you mix car stunts, youth culture, and Oakland? Sideshows! Sideshows have become big in Oakland, where drivers will block major intersections to perform car stunts like donuts and figure eights, while large crowds gather to watch. But here’s the catch-- they can be real dangerous and because of that they are totally illegal. And chances are in some way or another there’s a clash between youth and car culture and cops near you too. In Oakland, they are creating a huge divide in the community, where many supporters say sideshows are part of Oakland culture and are calling for legal safe venues. While many opponents view sideshows as a dangerous public nuisance and are calling for harsher legal penalties. So students in the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs program at Oakland Military Institute in Oakland, California are asking: what should Oakland do about sideshows? And chances are there’s a clash between youth, car culture and cops near you too.

Myles breaks down why deepfakes can cause so much damage, and talks to Jabril, the host of YouTube channel Jabrils, about how to spot them.

False equivalence: what does it mean, and why is it helping to spread misinformation online?

We all know how easy it is to spend hours watching videos on YouTube. Why do we go down that rabbit hole? Mostly because of a combination of computer programming and marketing know-how called ALGORITHMS.

Even by conservative estimates, the average American spends over 6 hours per day staring at a screen. That’s a lot of time. What does the scientific research say about it? Is it good or bad for us?

If the Internet's making you feel meaner, you're not imagining it. People really do act differently online than they do in person. Here’s why.

Plastic bottles are EVERYWHERE and are a big source of pollution. But banning them might create another problem for the environment. Here’s why.

Zoos are great, right? You get to be up close and personal with some amazing animals that you’d pretty much never get to see in the wild. Clearly, zoos are a win for people. But when it comes to the animals, zoos might cause more harm than good. Should zoos exist?

There’s been 5 times in U.S. history where the guy who became president lost the popular vote, but won the electoral vote. And two of those times were just in the last 20 years. And with a new presidential election coming up, there’s lots of chatter about the value of the electoral college with critics asking is it time to get rid of the electoral college?

Climate change is THE existential question that humanity is facing. But are we too late? Has climate change reached the point of no return? Are we doomed?

Traditionally thought of as gun-free zones, some schools are now allowing teachers to carry guns in classrooms— an effort that is meant to increase school safety, particularly when it comes to stopping school shootings. But this move is sparking controversy nationwide, as many opponents question whether arming teachers with guns would actually make schools safer.

Minimum wage in the U.S. has been $7.25 an hour for the last 10 years. Raising it could lift low-income workers out of poverty, but it might also kill jobs and potentially hurt the economy. Should it be raised or should it stay the same?