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The 2019 Hollywood Diversity Report from UCLA further supports previous findings that increasingly diverse audiences seek diverse television and movie content.

Hollywood Diversity Report Finds Progress, But Much Left To Gain

The annual UCLA study tallies box office numbers and ratings alongside diversity both on and off screen. Today's "increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse film and television content," it finds.

Millions Of Students Are Vaping

More than 6 million middle school and high school students used tobacco products this year, according to a new federal report. Most are now using these addictive products by vaping.

A Malaysia Airlines crew member inspects an airplane at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Thursday. The carrier announced it was laying off a third of its workforce amid steep financial losses.

Malaysia Airlines Cuts A Third Of Its Workforce After Steep Losses

The disappearance of MH370 and the shooting down of MH17 in recent months have compounded the hit to the carrier's already shaky bottom line.

GOP Senators Block Democrats' Student Loan Bill

GOP Senators hope for a hearing on their plan after Democrats couldn't get the votes necessary to move the bill to debate.

Workers harvest autumn flush teas on a tea estate in Darjeeling, India. Autumn is the personal favorite flush of many of India's most discerning tea tasters, though these teas remain largely unknown and nearly impossible to find.

Autumn Flush: The Best Darjeeling Tea You'll (Likely Never) Taste

Darjeeling is the "Champagne of teas," sold by distinct harvest season, or flush. But while many of India's top tea experts point to the autumn flush as their favorite, those teas are largely unknown.

Once a poet and an English teacher, Jim McCormick has become a powerhouse Nashville songwriter.

A Tenacious Wordsmith Hits It Big In Nashville

In the 1990s, Jim McCormick was teaching at the University of New Orleans and looking ahead to a future in academia. Today, he's one of the hottest lyricists in country music, having hit the top of the Billboard Country Music charts twice in the past six months.

Axel Hirschfeld looks at the remains of dead birds while holding a Levant sparrowhawk. The bird was found locked in a small enclosure without food or water in a field used by poachers in the town of Ras Baalbek, Lebanon, in September.

For Migratory Birds, Lebanon Is A 'Black Hole' Where They Are Hunted, Trapped, Killed

Every year, some 2.6 million birds are shot or die after being trapped in illegal nets in Lebanon. "This country is a black hole in terms of protection," says a conservationist.

A vendor at Tokyo's famed Tsukiji Fish Market butchers a Pacific bluefin tuna caught in waters off Mexico.

Bluefin Blues: Valuing A Tuna Species Before It's Too Late

Our appetite for the Pacific bluefin — prized for its tender, flavorful flesh — has reduced stocks to just 2.6 percent of original levels. The incentive to save bluefin is ecological — and financial.

Ben de la Cruz

Ben de la Cruz is an award-winning documentary video producer and multimedia journalist. He is currently a senior visuals editor. In addition to overseeing the multimedia coverage of NPR's global health and development, his responsibilities include working on news products for emerging platforms including Amazon's and Google's smart screens. He is also part of a team developing a new way of thinking about how NPR can collaborate and engage with our audience as well as photographers, filmmakers, illustrators, animators, and graphic designers to build new visual storytelling avenues on NPR's website, social media platforms, and through live events.

Debbie Elliott

NPR National Correspondent Debbie Elliott can be heard telling stories from her native South and occasionally guest-hosting NPR news programs. She covers the latest news and politics and is attuned to the region's rich culture and history.

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