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Sarah Leeson

Latest Stories (131)

Farmworkers are making — and enforcing — the strongest heat protection rules in the country

by Amy Scott and Sarah Leeson
Feb 29, 2024
Farms that participate in the Fair Food Program ensure workers have access to things like shade and water. In return, they're first in line to sell to big buyers.
Farms participating in the Fair Food Program ensure farmworkers receive certain heat protections, including access to shaded areas and water.
Photo Courtesy of Eva Marie Uzcategui for The Washington Post
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Adventures in Housing

For a couple in Maine, calling a Grange Hall home means financial freedom

by Sarah Leeson
Feb 23, 2024
With the goal of living mortgage-free, "I really knew that I would go anywhere and I would live in anything," Kate Mill says.
After living in Nashville, Tennessee, for 23 years, Henry Pile and Kate Mills bought this Grange Hall in Livermore Falls, Maine.
Courtesy Henry Pile
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Adventures in Housing

Median home prices are down across the U.S., but location still drives valuation

by Sarah Leeson
Feb 15, 2024
When Caitlin LaClair and her family moved to Texas and then Massachusetts, they were hit with sticker shock.
The prices you'll encounter depend on where you're looking.
David McNew/Getty Images
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My Economy

For a performing arts teacher in Boise, work is steady, but it's a "constant hustle"

by Sarah Leeson
Feb 13, 2024
Spending on services is up, but Leta Harris Neustaedter says business at her Metamorphosis Performing Arts Studio has its ebbs and flows.
Leta Harris Neustaedter leads an acting camp, part of her Metamorphosis Performing Arts Studio.
Courtesy Leta Harris Neustaedter
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Amid a national housing shortage, Texas is an exception

by Amy Scott and Sarah Leeson
Feb 7, 2024
"This market is just really wacky right now," says Houston-based broker LaTisha Grant.
The number of homes for sale in Texas has more than doubled from its low during the pandemic.
Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images
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The "poison pill" that protects artists' work from AI scraping

by Sarah Leeson and Kai Ryssdal
Feb 5, 2024
"Everything is at stake," says Ben Zhao of the University of Chicago, who leads the development of two tools that support human creativity.
The goal of Nightshade "is to raise the price for unauthorized training on scraped data," says Ben Zhao at the University of Chicago.
Courtesy the Glaze Project
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Biking in cities can be complicated, and map apps can only help so much

by Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson
Jan 31, 2024
For cyclists, navigating town is a complex equation of infrastructure, hills, barriers and more. Apps like Google Maps are still figuring it out.
Navigating a city on a bike is more complicated than simply putting a destination in a map and following the suggested route.
Leon Neal/Getty Images
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Teens have "kept the economy going," and their workforce numbers show it

by Kai Ryssdal , Sarah Leeson and Sean McHenry
Jan 29, 2024
"About 37% of teens worked last year," says Abha Bhattarai of The Washington Post. "These teens are really excited," employers tell her.
Teen employment reached a 14-year high in 2023, according to the Labor Department.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
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The little black lines that could: The barcode and its staying power

by Sarah Leeson
Jan 23, 2024
"Part of the reason they've succeeded this long is that they work fine," says Jordan Frith, a Clemson professor and author of "Barcode."
Barcodes are scanned billions of times a day, says Jordan Frith, a Clemson University professor.
Michel Porro/Getty Images
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Why you'll have a hard time buying the "most American fruit"

by Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson
Jan 19, 2024
Pawpaws are native to North America, but you're not going to find them in your local grocery store. Yasmin Tayag of The Atlantic explains why.
Creamy pawpaws grow wild in North America and have a tropical flavor.
Courtesy Yasmin Tayag
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