PRI: Latest Stories

The government of Japan estimates that there are a half million people there who are "hikikomori" — shut-ins who've barely left their homes for six months. But the number could be much higher.

Public health experts now say loneliness is a growing health threat. Amsterdam is taking the subject seriously.

The Russian government is moving to block the messaging app after the company refused to comply with a court order demanding access to user data. But so far, the ban hasn’t gone as smoothly as Russian authorities had hoped.

A small corner of the city is becoming a gathering spot for Mexicans who lived in the United States for years and now find themselves back in Mexico, by force or choice.

Italian actress and activist Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse, came under a lot of backlash in her native Italy. Still, Argento says she doesn’t regret her action and hopes she can change some of Italy’s misogynist culture.

The CIA Director's views on climate change would be more in line with President Trump’s than those of his predecessor.

Unlike Western nations, China doesn't demand democratic reform or human rights standards when engaging with states with weak or failing governments. Syria is a case in point.

Teklit Michael dreamed of competing in the Olympics. But the Eritrean runner had to flee his country. He's now among the estimated 20,000 African migrants living without papers in Israel. And Israel has announced plans to deport them.

Abe is due to arrive Tuesday at Trump's Mar-a-Lago retreat in Palm Beach, Florida, for two days of talks dominated by North Korea but also expected to cover trade, relations with China and other issues. Both leaders could use a successful summit to give themselves a political boost at home.

In 2015, 40-year-old Ronna Stone was looking at another prison sentence until she was offered a way out and a new life.

Conditions in crowded camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh have deteriorated for nearly 700,000 Rohingya as aid workers race to strengthen shelters ahead of monsoon season, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said.

The right to life of the unborn is protected by Ireland's constitution. The Eighth Amendment was passed by national referendum in 1983. In May, Irish voters will take part in another referendum. This time, they're being asked whether they want to repeal the abortion ban.

The Trump administration recently slashed the size of Bears Ears National Monument, leaving paleontologists worried about the fate of the area's rare fossils.

In January, the Trump administration announced plans to open nearly all US coastal waters to offshore oil and gas drilling. Since then, governors and legislators of both parties have strongly opposed drilling near their coasts.

Conches are ubiquitous across the Caribbean. The decorative shells are exported and made into jewelry, and the huge gastropod inside is a staple food. But new research suggests that the conch is possibly being loved to death.

A federal appeals court recently rejected a bid by the Trump Administration to block a youth climate lawsuit filed in Oregon from moving to trial.

How a whimsical advertising mascot became part of a really dark story.

Some foodies have cited "hiya," literally shame, as one reason balut and sisig aren't more common in US restaurants. But in Philippine culture, "hiya" has a much deeper meaning.

Palestinians are protesting in the Gaza Strip, with demonstrations planned for several more weeks. One Palestinian man says people just want a better future. An Israeli who lives on the other side of the border fence says he just wants to live in peace with his neighbors.

During Congressional hearings this week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledged to dedicate more resources to moderate hate speech and other content. But some digital rights activists in Myanmar, where the platform has been used to incite ethnic violence, say Facebook is not doing enough.

A couple in California crosses the border on a regular basis to give greyhounds a second chance at life.

In devastatingly raw songs, Phil Elverum of Mount Eerie chronicles his grief after his wife’s death.

The writer for “The Simpsons,” “Late Night with David Letterman” and “Newhart” on being the only woman in the writers’ room.

Around 85 percent of women in a British Columbia prison come out homeless. "There are very few places for women to go when they get released," says one advocate.

Rituals and spring go hand-in-hand.

Somali-Norwegian teenagers Ayan and her younger sister Leila leave their affluent neighborhood outside of Oslo to travel to Syria and marry ISIS fighters. Author Asne Seierstad's latest book, "Two Sisters: A Father, His Daughters and Their Journey into the Syrian Jihad", shares the family's story including the father's efforts to bring his daughters home.

Oklahoma has had the highest female incarceration rate in the nation. It's been that way for the last 25 years. The state imprisons 151 out of every 100,000 women, according to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics — more than double the national rate. Cherise Greer is out of the system but is now faced with the challenges of life on the outside.

The more time elapses from his presidency, Carter says, the more he's interested in exploring the spiritual side of life.

"People really had compassion, affection, understanding and patience — something that you don't get in regular court." That's how one Indigenous woman describes her day in First Nations Court.

Alabama’s run of success has brought a lot of national attention to the university. Has it been able to leverage the team’s winning ways into success overseas?

The Canes were able to move back to their home after a stint in Australia because no one would buy it.

Rescue workers and doctors said more than 42 people were killed in the chemical attack, but that there were likely many more victims yet to be found.

For many of the Syrians in Turkey who fought in, or rooted for the opposition, the bloodshed is ending in death and destruction with no freedom.

With all the extreme weather the US has experienced lately, it seems important to know if one's area will flood when hard rains fall and rivers rise. But Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps contain inaccurate information.

Abby Bolt loves her job as a Battalion Chief for the US Forest Service, leading forest fire prevention efforts and commanding teams of hundreds of people in a disaster. But Bolt has also been a victim of the “good ol’ boy” culture in an agency that for years has cast a blind eye over hazing, harassment and sexual misconduct.

After years of a migrant's life, Daniel Vega, from Guatemala, is ready to put down roots in Mexico. But being "undocumented anywhere is never easy."

The government says it can’t protect every home from the sea. One family says they’ll hold tight to their memories when it’s time to leave their house.

"Why is this kid in here?" one man says of the girl he adopted, who lived with her mom in prison until several years ago.

Terrance Hayes may be the only poet to be named a MacArthur fellow, a National Book Award winner and one of People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive.”

How the U.S. poet laureate found inspiration in the sci-fi visions of David Bowie.

Tracy K. Smith announces the winner of our listener poetry challenge: poems inspired by pop stars.

This is the poem that taught America to sing itself.

There are more than 20 portals in about 15 different countries. At designated times they connect.

Cheyenne Sharma admitted transporting more than 4 pounds of cocaine into Canada. But her lawyers put the country's colonial history on trial.

From X-rated to Gen X to Latinx, the meaning of "X" has shifted while retaining an edgy, transgressive quality.

The number of women going to jail in Mexico is on the rise. Many are single moms trying to support their families.

Just 25 years ago, Alabama used to be a place for textiles. Now it's a place to build cars.

In Taiwan, even men they have dual nationality, they have to serve in the military. And if they don't, they risk jail time. Dean Huang knew he would never see his family again if he didn't go back home to serve.

A natural spring in the shadow of Cape Town's Table Mountain provides a measure of relief — and a new pop-up community — for drought-strapped residents.

"We cannot arrest our way out of the problem," some advocates say.