In 2011, a 17-year-old named Mishka told readers of his Facebook post that his Salem, Ore., high school was "asking for a f***ing shooting." That post and other furious outbursts triggered a quick, but deep evaluation by the school district's threat assessment unit. Beth Nakamura for NPR hide caption
Around the globe, people are searching for ways to reduce plastic waste. Above: Dampalit, a fishing community in Manila Bay, can't keep up with a constant influx of trash. Jes Aznar for NPR hide caption
Aaron Reid, 20, rests in an exam room in the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md. Rebecca Davis/NPR hide caption
Kelly Zimmerman holds her son Jaxton Wright at a parenting session at the Children's Health Center in Reading, Pa. The free program provides resources and social support to new parents in recovery from addiction, or who are otherwise vulnerable. Natalie Piserchio for NPR hide caption
A poster put out by the U.S. Children's Bureau in 1918. Francis Luis Mora/Library of Congress hide caption
Samantha Pierce of Cleveland has a 7-year-old daughter, Camryn. In 2009, Pierce gave premature birth to twins. The babies did not survive. Scientists say black women lead more stressful lives, which makes them more likely to give birth prematurely and puts their babies at risk of dying. Dustin Franz for NPR hide caption
Flooded houses near Lake Houston on Aug. 30, after the storm called Harvey swept through. Sociologist Clare Cooper Marcus says our homes hold our emotional history — our memories, our hopes, our dreams and pain. In some ways our homes are who we are. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
Nedal Said risked everything to rejoin the scientific community. Erik Nelson Rodriguez for NPR hide caption
Carmen Bachmann founded "Chance for Science," a website that connects refugee academics with scientists working in Germany. Thomas Victor for NPR hide caption
Jim Allison in his lab at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Scott Dalton for NPR hide caption
Lea Hatouni is a Christian living in the predominantly Muslim Middle East. Like so many other Lebanese, she expects to have to leave Lebanon to start her career after college. Jason Beaubien/NPR hide caption