Into America

Prisons are hotbeds of infection. People live in close quarters, where they often struggle to have access to soap and hot water. As COVID-19 sweeps the country, these men and women are doing everything they can to avoid getting sick. As many prisons reduce visitation rights, families that are already separated are struggling to remain in contact.

This week, host Trymaine Lee talks to a Colorado woman who is struggling to stay in touch with her incarcerated husband as the outbreak intensifies. We hear from corrections officials in New York and Colorado about the steps being taken to reduce the risk of coronavirus behind bars. And Dateline NBC producer Dan Slepian takes us inside Sing Sing Correctional Facility to meet JJ Velazquez. Velazquez describes how social dynamics inside prison are changing as fears of an outbreak grow.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

• Fear of coronavirus reaching Mississippi prisons worries advocates
• Inmates in Washington, D.C., sue over coronavirus fears, claim staff not taking precautions
• 1st prison inmate to die of coronavirus wrote heartbreaking letter to judge

Prisons are hotbeds of infection. People live in close quarters, where they often struggle to have access to soap and hot water. As COVID-19 sweeps the country, these men and women are doing everything they can to avoid getting sick. As many prisons reduce visitation rights, families that are already separated are struggling to remain in contact.

This week, host Trymaine Lee talks to a Colorado woman who is struggling to stay in touch with her incarcerated husband as the outbreak intensifies. We hear from corrections officials in New York and Colorado about the steps being taken to reduce the risk of coronavirus behind bars. And Dateline NBC producer Dan Slepian takes us inside Sing Sing Correctional Facility to meet JJ Velazquez. Velazquez describes how social dynamics inside prison are changing as fears of an outbreak grow.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

• Fear of coronavirus reaching Mississippi prisons worries advocates
• Inmates in Washington, D.C., sue over coronavirus fears, claim staff not taking precautions
• 1st prison inmate to die of coronavirus wrote heartbreaking letter to judge

There are moments in life that call for celebration and communion. When a baby is born and when a loved one dies, we cook meals, share stories and help out where we can. These moments of life and death are the moments that pull us together.

But in the age of COVID-19, we are told to keep our distance. To prevent the spread of the virus, hospitals around the country are placing restrictions on who can be present in the delivery room. And there are limits on who can remain by the side of someone who is dying.

In this episode of Into America, Trymaine Lee speaks with a first-time expecting mom about how the coronavirus outbreak is changing her birth plan. And MSNBC contributor Eric Deggans talks about the death of his mother and having to coordinate a funeral that many could only attend online. These are stories of life and loss in a pandemic.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

• Adding insult to injury': Couples struggle with IVF cancellations amid coronavirus pandemic
• Funeral workers provide critical service but are at high risk of exposure to the coronavirus
• Our coronavirus confessions special

There are moments in life that call for celebration and communion. When a baby is born and when a loved one dies, we cook meals, share stories and help out where we can. These moments of life and death are the moments that pull us together.

But in the age of COVID-19, we are told to keep our distance. To prevent the spread of the virus, hospitals around the country are placing restrictions on who can be present in the delivery room. And there are limits on who can remain by the side of someone who is dying.

In this episode of Into America, Trymaine Lee speaks with a first-time expecting mom about how the coronavirus outbreak is changing her birth plan. And MSNBC contributor Eric Deggans talks about the death of his mother and having to coordinate a funeral that many could only attend online. These are stories of life and loss in a pandemic.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

• Adding insult to injury': Couples struggle with IVF cancellations amid coronavirus pandemic
• Funeral workers provide critical service but are at high risk of exposure to the coronavirus
• Our coronavirus confessions special

Coronavirus is continuing to spread and Americans are relying on the healthcare system to save them if they get sick. But what if you’re one of the 30 million Americans who are uninsured?

Penny Wingard is one of them. As a breast cancer survivor, she’s immunocompromised and facing uncertainty about how to get proper care without coverage. In Charlotte, North Carolina, where Penny is from, federally funded community health centers are on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic for the uninsured. The toll that coronavirus is taking, both on the patients and the centers’ operations, may be irreversible.

Host Trymaine Lee talks with Phil McCausland, national reporter for NBC News, about his reporting on the healthcare gap in North Carolina and the patients and providers hoping the system can survive this outbreak.

If you or someone you know is living without health insurance, find a Community Health Center in your area on the website.

Read Phil McCausland’s piece here.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Coronavirus is continuing to spread and Americans are relying on the healthcare system to save them if they get sick. But what if you’re one of the 30 million Americans who are uninsured?

Penny Wingard is one of them. As a breast cancer survivor, she’s immunocompromised and facing uncertainty about how to get proper care without coverage. In Charlotte, North Carolina, where Penny is from, federally funded community health centers are on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic for the uninsured. The toll that coronavirus is taking, both on the patients and the centers’ operations, may be irreversible.

Host Trymaine Lee talks with Phil McCausland, national reporter for NBC News, about his reporting on the healthcare gap in North Carolina and the patients and providers hoping the system can survive this outbreak.

If you or someone you know is living without health insurance, find a Community Health Center in your area on the website.

Read Phil McCausland’s piece here.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

This week, the coronavirus outbreak reached all 50 states and is now responsible for more than 140 deaths. Doctors and government officials are scrambling to address the problem.

As schools close, employers send their workers home, and entertainment venues go dark, Americans are also wondering how the spread of the coronavirus will impact the 2020 election. This week’s primary states saw an increase in absentee ballots, as people heeded the guidance of the CDC to avoid crowded spaces. And Louisiana became the first state to postpone its primary, with several others following suit.

This week, Into America goes into the intersection of politics and a pandemic. Host Trymaine Lee speaks with the Louisiana Secretary of State about the state’s decision to delay its Democratic primary. And we hear from a Georgia voter who worries how the delays in her state could impact voter turnout.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

• Coronavirus in the US: Map of where cases have been confirmed in the U.S.
• Louisiana postpones Democratic Primary over coronavirus, the first state to do so

This week, the coronavirus outbreak reached all 50 states and is now responsible for more than 140 deaths. Doctors and government officials are scrambling to address the problem.

As schools close, employers send their workers home, and entertainment venues go dark, Americans are also wondering how the spread of the coronavirus will impact the 2020 election. This week’s primary states saw an increase in absentee ballots, as people heeded the guidance of the CDC to avoid crowded spaces. And Louisiana became the first state to postpone its primary, with several others following suit.

This week, Into America goes into the intersection of politics and a pandemic. Host Trymaine Lee speaks with the Louisiana Secretary of State about the state’s decision to delay its Democratic primary. And we hear from a Georgia voter who worries how the delays in her state could impact voter turnout.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

• Coronavirus in the US: Map of where cases have been confirmed in the U.S.
• Louisiana postpones Democratic Primary over coronavirus, the first state to do so

The Mahoning Valley in northeast Ohio is in the middle of an economic transition.

Manufacturing jobs have been leaving the region for decades, but the closure of the General Motors Lordstown factory last year was a major blow to the community. Some families were split apart as GM employees took transfers to other plants. Others are still mourning the departure of steady union jobs. But new opportunities in technology and warehouse distribution are coming to the area.

Residents near Lordstown are no stranger to promises. In 2017, President Trump came to the region, saying he would bring jobs back. Now, voters in this swing district must choose whether to back the President or one of his Democratic challengers.

What will these changes mean for the future of the region? Host Trymaine Lee talks with National Digital Reporter Erin Einhorn about her reporting in the Mahoning Valley, why voters in the area are divided on their pick for 2020, and how the local community is working to carve out a new economy after significant economic loss.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

• In Ohio town grieving lost jobs, voters are deeply divided on President Trump

The Mahoning Valley in northeast Ohio is in the middle of an economic transition.

Manufacturing jobs have been leaving the region for decades, but the closure of the General Motors Lordstown factory last year was a major blow to the community. Some families were split apart as GM employees took transfers to other plants. Others are still mourning the departure of steady union jobs. But new opportunities in technology and warehouse distribution are coming to the area.

Residents near Lordstown are no stranger to promises. In 2017, President Trump came to the region, saying he would bring jobs back. Now, voters in this swing district must choose whether to back the President or one of his Democratic challengers.

What will these changes mean for the future of the region? Host Trymaine Lee talks with National Digital Reporter Erin Einhorn about her reporting in the Mahoning Valley, why voters in the area are divided on their pick for 2020, and how the local community is working to carve out a new economy after significant economic loss.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

• In Ohio town grieving lost jobs, voters are deeply divided on President Trump