Blake Farmer
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Southern Baptists are meeting in Nashville for their annual gathering. A contentious year, they're addressing the denomination's response to sexual abuse in the church and broader cultural issues.
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Congregations are figuring out how to safely meet in person now that the COVID-19 vaccine is more widely available. But vaccination remains divisive even as it allows them to come together again.
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Some immigrant groups are closing the ethnic gap on COVID-19 shots. For many Kurdish Americans, their fears about vaccination are entangled with their experiences in refugee camps after fleeing Iraq.
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People who work in the music industry need more than economic bailouts. An aid group based in Nashville is now providing money for mental health assistance to people who haven't had work for a year.
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A majority of white, rural conservatives in Tennessee are open to getting the vaccine at some point, but at least 45% won't consider it. Rates in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi are also lagging.
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An NPR/Marist poll found that rural, white Republicans — especially supporters of former President Trump — are among the least likely to get a vaccine. In rural Tennessee, we hear from some of them.
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Hospitalizations are down 62% for childhood respiratory illnesses, a study shows. Masking and physical distancing are keeping a variety of viruses in check, but will these behaviors last?
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As the pace of vaccination picks up, so do reports of spoiled doses. In Tennessee, close to 5,000 doses have been lost, prompting more oversight from state and federal officials.
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Black Americans are getting vaccinated at lower rates than whites. A new push to send vaccines to community health centers is intended to help quickly bridge that gap.
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In many states, white residents are getting vaccinated at higher rates than Black residents. These inequities have spurred new strategies, such as sending doses to community-based clinics.