Marisa Peñaloza

"The smoke is so dense," one agricultural worker in Oregon told NPR. "I feel dizzy, my throat hurts and my head feels like it's going to explode." Their employers are also faced with tough choices.

The Russian opposition leader plans to return to Russia, according to his spokesperson. "It's puzzling to me why anyone should think otherwise," the spokesperson said.

The air quality in Portland, Ore., ranks among the world's worst. The Environmental Protection Agency forecasts "very unhealthy" air quality.

The Army is working with private industry to create a coronavirus vaccine, but also working on its own. The military service has a history of creating vaccines and making medical breakthroughs.

The NPR/Ipsos poll also finds wide gaps in support for demands that racial justice advocates are making.

A Latinx neighborhood in a wealthy California county hard-hit by COVID-19 reflects on the complex challenges and policy failures affecting vulnerable communities across the U.S. during the pandemic.

The children are held at hotels, instead of shelters, until they can be put on planes to their home countries. This bypasses the normal process that gives children a chance to ask for asylum.

Protests across the country in the wake of the killing of George Floyd amplified racial divisiveness and prejudice, but that pushed some to try and have hard conversations.

Disaster recovery workers cleaning up after major flooding in Michigan tested positive for the coronavirus. The outbreak shined a light on working conditions in the fast-growing industry.

In the wake of protests calling for racial equality and other reforms after the killing of George Floyd, there's a growing movement to make June 19 a federal holiday.

Response far outstrips resources as the state partners with nonprofits and foundations in a one-time program that aids undocumented workers and their families during the pandemic.

Many immigrants and people with low incomes already saw preventive care as a luxury. Now, the coronavirus pandemic has created another barrier to their seeking and receiving health care.

Advocates say denying these children benefits provided in the federal coronavirus relief package is akin to them being "treated as second-class citizens."

Caravan protests around the nation are pushing officials to provide safer working environments. Many undocumented workers don't have access to protective equipment, paid sick time or health care.

Housing activists are enlisting renters who can and can't pay rent starting May 1 to sign a pledge with the goal of putting pressure on landlords and policymakers.

A growing number of health care workers in the U.S. are immigrants. Some states are issuing emergency orders authorizing licensing waivers for internationally trained health care providers.

Dozens of Kurdish families fled to the northeast Syrian village of Tal Tamr last fall, escaping a Turkish invasion. U.S. forces help provide some security, but the families face an uncertain future.

When Rumi wandered onto a military base in Syria, 1st Lt. Shelby Koontz took her in. She didn't want to abandon Rumi when her deployment ended, so Koontz used social media to find her a forever home.

The federal relief package won't benefit some taxpaying undocumented people, such as nannies who care for children, the home aides who care for the elderly and the mostly women who clean homes.

The FDA has sent warning letters to seven marketers of products including essential oils, nasal sprays and herbal concoctions. No treatments or vaccines for COVID-19 have been approved.