InvestigateTV+: An in-depth look at solutions to help raise literacy rates
(InvestigateTV) — InvestigateTV+ takes an in-depth look at the solutions to help raise literacy rates and how learning to read can change a person’s life.
Then, it’s been 20 years since one of the country’s worst natural disasters, Hurricane Katrina. We explore how flaws dating back to the 1800s led to an engineering failure and the massive upgrades now protecting New Orleans.
Plus, we uncover how a pregnancy complication can alter a woman’s life decades later.
More than half of American adults read below a sixth-grade level
The number of American adults who read below a sixth-grade level is at its highest point ever, creating what experts call a “silent crisis” that affects the economy, health care and communities nationwide.
More than 50% of American adults read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade reading level, according to Andrew Roberts, president of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
“We call it a silent crisis because it’s not talked about that much,” Roberts said.
The problem extends beyond individual struggles.
In the Kansas City, Missouri, area alone, 680,000 adults have low literacy, ranging from a very basic understanding of words and phrases to no understanding at all.
Billions spent to upgrade New Orleans’ hurricane defenses in 20 years since Katrina
Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in southeast Louisiana as a Category 3 storm, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has spent billions of dollars to upgrade the safeguards that failed catastrophically in 2005.
The National Weather Service reported that nearly 1,400 people died in Katrina, making it one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the United States. It was also the costliest hurricane in history, with $125 billion in damage.
Floodwater inundated 80 percent of the city after the levees failed.
North Carolina mom’s battle highlights rare but serious heart condition during pregnancy
Developing heart disease during pregnancy is a serious risk women face. One rare form of heart failure that occurs during pregnancy or shortly after is called peripartum or postpartum cardiomyopathy.
The condition affects about one in 2,000 pregnant women. Black women have up to a 16-fold risk of developing the condition compared to white women.
For Joedie Hall-Holit, a mother in North Carolina, a pregnancy complication almost prevented her from having a life with her son.
Vermont horseshoe pitching champions keep ancient sport alive
On a hot afternoon in Bristol, Vermont, Debra Brown warms up for another round of horseshoe pitching at the Sodbusters Horseshoe Club, now in its 59th year of competition.
Brown is preparing the clay pit, a necessary step before play begins.
“You got to turn the clay, because it gets hard and you have to water it,” Misty Baird, president of the club, said.
Brown takes the sport seriously. She has earned recognition as one of the world’s best horseshoe pitchers.
“I am 24-time state champion,” Brown said. “I’m nine-time New England champion. I’m one-time world champion.”
Despite her achievements, Brown remains humble about her success.
“Not a celebrity. I just love the game,” she said.
The sport remains a family affair at the Sodbusters club.
Brown’s husband, Mike, introduced her to horseshoe pitching in 1980.
“She’s more serious than I am,” Mike Brown said with a laugh.
When asked about his wife’s superior skills, Mike Brown expressed pride in her accomplishments.
“Yes, and I’m proud of it,” he said.
Mike Brown focuses on helping other players improve their game.
“I’m here to help people out, if I can help ‘em,” he said.
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