This Week on Americas Now: Why More Americans Are Struggling to Pay Bills?
Americas Now
•
55m
$18 Trillion in Debt: Why More Americans Are Struggling to Pay Bills?
U.S. household debt has reached an unprecedented level. According to the Federal Reserve, the average indebted American household now owes more than $100,000, pushing total U.S. household debt past $18 trillion. From rising billing disputes to aggressive collection practices and increased bankruptcy filings, many Americans are facing growing financial pressure. Mike Kirsch reports from Atlanta on why debt is soaring—and what it means for families across the country.
Preserving a Vanishing Tradition: Training the Next Generation of Voladores
In Mexico, an ancestral ritual known as the “dance of the flying men” is at risk of disappearing. To keep the tradition alive, descendants of ancient cultures are opening academies to teach the dangerous ceremonial practice to a new generation. Alasdair Baverstock visits one of these training sites to see how Mexico’s young voladores are preserving their cultural identity—one dizzying descent at a time.
Ecuador’s most violent city finds hope in boxing and music
Guayaquil, Ecuador, is one of South America’s most violent cities, with criminal groups influencing everyday life.
But inside one tough neighborhood, a former professional boxer, Yecson Preciado, is using discipline and respect to pull kids away from the streets and into the ring.
Dan Collyns reports on how this local gym is offering young people a fighting chance at a safer future.
UN Art Treasures: Latin America’s Gifts to the World
The United Nations Headquarters in New York houses a vast and often overlooked collection of art, artifacts, and historical exhibits accessible to the public. Many pieces—donated by Latin American member states—reflect global issues, cultural identity, and international cooperation.
This brief overview highlights some of the most significant contributions housed inside one of the world’s most important institutions.
Up Next in Americas Now
-
This Week on Americas Now: What Patag...
What Patagonia Reveals About Our Climate Future
Patagonia’s iconic glaciers—including the world-famous Perito Moreno—are melting at unprecedented rates. With the United Nations declaring 2025 the International Year of Glacier Preservation, this year’s COP30 summit is spotlighting glacier loss and... -
This Week on Americas Now: A Special ...
In the Sierra Nevada of Colombia, an Indigenous community is taking back land once controlled by drug traffickers. The Arahuaco tribe combines ancestral ecological knowledge with modern science to reforest areas of their territory that have been damaged by illegal crops and deforestation. With su...
-
This Week on Americas Now: The Deadly...
It began as a prison gang in Venezuela — but “Tren de Aragua” has become one of Latin America’s most feared criminal organizations. Operating across Colombia and beyond, the group controls smuggling, extortion, and trafficking networks across the continent. Americas Now correspondent Toby Muse in...