After the Fact

Stat: 60%: The share of Americans who say they’re very concerned about the cost of housing.

 Story:  In just a few years, from 2019 to 2022, the national median sale price for a single-family home increased by 25%. And the rising costs of buying and maintaining a house has 60% of Americans concerned. Is the American Dream of homeownership out of reach for many?

In this episode of “Housing in America,” Richard Fry, an expert at the Pew Research Center, talks about the current trends in housing, like where people live, housing availability, and homeownership rates, as well as other factors that contribute to the complex housing landscape that Americans face today.

Rising rents, escalating home prices, and limited housing supply. They are some of the forces pushing the American Dream of homeownership out of reach for many.

Increasingly, there is bipartisan support to find a way forward. In this season, After the Fact explores these trends and the challenges individuals and families face in finding housing that’s affordable and accessible . We also speak with experts and policymakers who are trying to help more people find a place to call home.

Story: Over most of last year, “After the Fact” looked at how people are restoring and building community at a time when the nation is divided and exhausted. From faith leaders to community activists, and from academics to policymakers, we found rich voices who offered stories of people coming together. At a time of division, they showed that unity is possible—and, in fact, is happening in many places, probably even near you. As the new year begins, this special episode shares reflections from these change-makers and maybe even offers you a chance to become one of them.

Stat: 57%: The percentage of Americans who believe that partisan conflicts receive too much attention these days.

Story: A majority of Americans say partisan fighting gets too much attention while important issues facing the country get too little. In the final episode of our season on polarization, Utah Governor Spencer Cox says elected officials can do better at bridging our political divides. He is chair of the National Governors Association and leads an initiative called Disagree Better* that is aimed not at ending disagreements, but in improving dialogue, building understanding, and respectfully listening to others. We also hear from Columbia University’s Peter T. Coleman about how we arrived at this level of polarization.

*The Pew Charitable Trusts is a funder of the Disagree Better initiative.

Stat: 79%: The share of Americans who believe access to the internet and social media has made people more divided in their political opinions.  Story: Social media plays a significant role in society, but data shows that most Americans believe it negatively affects our democracy and contributes to polarization. In this episode of “Beyond Polarization,” we hear how high school senior Eli Tillemann is helping his classmates learn how to embrace diversity of opinions. We also speak with Heidi Hernandez Gatty from Dialectic, an organization that is working with students and others to help promote respectful dialogue.  

Stat: 65%: The share of Americans who say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics.

Story: Political polarization has become overwhelming for the majority of Americans, with most agreeing that more attention is being paid to partisan fighting than solving the nation’s problems. But there is hope. In this episode of “Beyond Polarization,” we speak with experts from Pew Research Center about how Americans view politics and opportunities to find common ground. We also talk to Mónica Guzmán about how her organization, Braver Angels, is teaching people how to dismantle divisions and disagree better.

Stat: An inaccurate “double”: Both Democrats and Republicans imagine that almost twice as many of their political opponents hold more extreme views than they really do, according to a study by More in Common.

Story: During times of increased polarization and increasing stresses on democracy, researchers are studying how to break down partisan divides and address misconceptions among members of the public. In the first episode of “Beyond Polarization,” Columbia University professor and author Peter T. Coleman shares what he has learned from his career spent fostering civil dialogue among people with conflicting viewpoints. He discusses how, despite heightened feelings of disagreement across the country, the current conditions are ideal for setting a new course toward better dialogue and understanding.

If discussing politics feels different today, that’s because it is. Pew Research Center reports that 65% of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics because of the country’s deep partisan divisions. As polarization increases and trust declines, how can we move forward together?

We speak with researchers and bridge builders from across the political and generational spectrum in a new season of “After the Fact.” They share how they are facilitating civil dialogue, bridging divides, and protecting our democracy in the process. 

Stat: 65%:  The percentage of Philadelphians who said the city is “pretty seriously off on the wrong track” in 2023.

Story: Philadelphia is a thriving city with a deep history as the birthplace of American democracy. But Philadelphians, like residents of other large cities, are also grappling with issues such as gun violence, deep poverty, and accessing affordable housing. In a recent survey, 65% of Philadelphians said the city is on the wrong track.

Philadelphia is Pew’s hometown and in this episode, Donna Frisby-Greenwood, who directs the organization’s work in the city, talks about Pew’s legacy and commitment to the residents of Philadelphia—and efforts to make government more responsive to the people. We also hear from Trooper Sanders, CEO of Benefits Data Trust, about the work his organization does to connect people to government benefits they’re eligible for.

Stat: 60% - The share of U.S. adults who have at least some confidence in the future of the U.S.

Story: A vibrant democracy requires a government responsive to the people it serves. And although polls show strong dissatisfaction with American democracy, Pew Research Center also found that 60% of Americans have at least some confidence in the future of the country. Seeking to build on that confidence, Pew experts in this episode discuss innovative, bipartisan policy approaches that help make government more responsive to the people, including investments in broadband access and early childhood education programs.

Stat: 6 in 10: The share of Americans who are dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in the United States.

Story: Increased political polarization, shifting societal values, and growing distrust in institutions threatens the public’s confidence in our democratic system. And a recent Pew Research Center survey shows that almost 60% of Americans are dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in the United States. In this episode, we speak to experts from Pew Research Center about the importance of studying public opinion and Americans’ outlook on democracy today. We also speak to Michael Caudell-Feagan of The Pew Charitable Trusts about the ways government is working effectively for people, and about Pew’s historic role in furthering evidence-based policymaking. 

Story: The Pew Charitable Trusts has worked to strengthen democracy in America for 75 years. But today, at a time of growing polarization and waning trust in institutions, those efforts have never been more important. Pew’s nonpartisan, data-driven approach provides facts that offer a shared language about the challenges facing society—and helps disparate parties find common ground. In this episode, Pew’s president and CEO, Susan K. Urahn, talks about Pew’s history and the organization’s efforts to make government more effective. And Jeffrey Rosen of the National Constitution Center discusses how the Constitution is a foundation for resolving disagreement, and why he feels hopeful about America’s future.

A vibrant democracy depends upon an effective government that listens to and acts on the will of the people. Even in these polarized times, with many Americans lacking confidence in the nation’s future, there’s reason for optimism about democracy.

In a new season of “After the Fact,” we explore how The Pew Charitable Trusts is using data to make a difference and make government more effective—building trust and helping communities thrive. We also speak to some of the people who are working every day to solve problems, strengthen democracy, and create a better future.

Only 19% of Americans are satisfied with the current state of the nation and 58% say that life for people like them is worse today than it was 50 years ago, according to an April  survey from Pew Research Center. During an event on “Strengthening Democracy in America,” part of Pew’s 75th anniversary celebration, filmmaker Ken Burns, Pew Research Center president Michael Dimock, and Syracuse University professor Beverly Kirk discussed those findings before a live and online audience. The panel highlighted the challenges Americans have faced throughout history, how public opinion and civic engagement influence the perception of our democracy, and how lessons learned from the past can help inform the present and future.

In celebration of Pew’s 75th anniversary, we hosted a special live event titled “Strengthening Democracy in America,” featuring a conversation between Pew’s president and CEO, Sue Urahn, and Carla Hayden, the current librarian of Congress. They discussed how libraries serve as a “bastion of equal opportunity,” providing access to unbiased information, and why an informed citizenry is essential to a strong democracy.

Belonging to a religious community is linked with higher levels of civic engagement, according to data from Pew Research Center. In the U.S., for example, 69% of people who are religiously active say they also vote in national elections. In this final episode of “Restoring Community,” we travel to Bowie, Maryland, to speak with Tameeka Washington and Stephen Weisman, leaders of the Interfaith Coalition of Bowie, to learn how they’re uniting people across faiths and backgrounds amid the social unrest and other divisions in society today.

At a time when many people lament divisions in society, some interfaith organizations are showing that seemingly disparate religious groups can bring people together and build community. In this episode of our “Restoring Community” season, we speak to Pew Research Center’s Alan Cooperman about Americans’ generally positive views on religious faiths. We also hear from members of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, including its executive director, Tahija Vikalo. The organization, with chapters throughout the U.S., encourages Muslim and Jewish women to learn more about each other’s lives and religion—building understanding and community. 

Religious diversity is a characteristic that defines American society, and today, more people are embracing interfaith connections. Seventy-two percent of Americans say they have built a relationship with someone from a different religion than their own, according to a survey from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and Interfaith America (formerly Interfaith Youth Core, IFYC). In this episode of “Restoring Community,” we speak with Eboo Patel and Jeff Pinzino from Interfaith America, as well as Bahá’í leader Syda Segovia Taylor, to learn how religious pluralism can build and strengthen community bonds.

In this episode, part of our season on “Restoring Community,” we travel to Philadelphia, Pew’s hometown, to learn how Project HOME has created a supportive gathering place for people experiencing homelessness. Although Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate of any big city in America, it has the fewest number of people experiencing street homelessness. We hear from Project HOME’s co-founder Sister Mary Scullion, residents and staff of the nonprofit, and Kristin Romens, who leads the Pew Fund for Health and Human Services, about how Project HOME builds a sense of community as it seeks to end homelessness.

In this episode of “Restoring Community,” we travel to the Kinship Community Food Center, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We hear from the center’s executive director, Vincent Noth, about how he transformed a former community pantry into a gathering place, and residents share their experiences finding fellowship, belonging, and connection through food.

Recent data from the Pew Research Center shows many Americans believe that trust in each other is eroding. But a greater amount—86%—of U.S. adults believe that it is possible to improve people’s confidence in one another. In this episode of “Restoring Community,” we travel to Baltimore’s Cherry Hill neighborhood to learn how Michael and Danielle Battle, co-founders of the nonprofit Restoring Inner City Hope (RICH), are showing up in authentic and vulnerable ways to empower residents and make their community stronger.

Americans’ distrust of government—and of each other—hovers at record high levels. And while communities continue to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing signs of civic renewal. In a new season of “After the Fact,” we travel to cities throughout the country to witness ways that people are gathering across divides to solve complex problems, restore community, and renew the principles of democracy.

In this bonus episode of our “Mental Health in America” season, Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, talks about the intersection of mental health and substance use issues. Gupta, the first physician to lead the office, also explains how evidence-based treatments are curbing overdoses and discusses the importance of removing barriers such as stigma for those seeking treatment.

Access to mental health care is a rising concern in communities throughout the country—especially for groups already experiencing challenges connecting with primary care providers. In this episode, Mimi Narayan from Pew’s Health Impact Project outlines the factors that contribute to health disparities and how to make care more equitable. We also hear how immigrant and Indigenous community leaders—Orfelina Feliz Payne from Puentes de Salud and Tahlia Natachu from the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project—are addressing the growing demand for behavioral health services and educating their communities about healthy lifestyles.

Personnel from America’s emergency response systems are on the front lines answering calls from individuals experiencing mental health crises. In this episode of “Mental Health in America,” Julie Wertheimer, project director for Pew’s work on mental health and justice partnerships, discusses the current state of these response systems and their impact on our criminal justice system. Joseph Getch, CEO of PRS, a Virginia nonprofit that provides behavioral health services, and B.J. Wagner, senior vice president of health and public safety with the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute share how 988 and local 911 efforts are working to protect public safety while connecting people to the care they need.

The conversation on acknowledging, identifying, and treating mental health challenges has shifted during the pandemic as a growing number of Americans experience high levels of psychological distress. In this episode we speak to Alec Tyson from The Pew Research Center about how Americans are managing their mental health during difficult times. We’ll also hear from Laura Marques Brown, an ecotherapist, and Chelsey Luger, wellness advocate and author, about their work breaking down stigmas associated with therapy and prioritizing wellness. Luger will also speak about what indigenous knowledge can teach us about maintaining good mental health.

Stigma surrounds two growing public health problems in the United States: substance use disorder and suicide. In this episode of “Mental Health in America,” Sheri Doyle, who leads Pew’s substance use prevention and treatment initiative, and Allison Corr, from Pew’s suicide risk reduction project, discuss the rise in these disorders. We also hear from Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, who explains how stigma limits access to treatment, and from Abby Coulter, who shares her personal journey to receive methadone treatment. And Dr. Kimberly Roaten, a clinical psychologist at Parkland Health in Dallas, describes how the hospital is expanding access to care through universal suicide screening.

The pandemic increased concerns about mental health in America and exposed a lack of access to treatment and a growing demand for services—all issues that existed before the COVID-19 outbreak. In this episode of “Mental Health in America,” NPR health correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee and Catherine Ettman, a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explore challenges facing the mental health care system. They’ll also explain the factors that contribute to poor mental health and how investments in the mental health care system can improve access to care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a considerable toll on the nation’s mental health: The percentage of Americans experiencing symptoms of depression has tripled since 2020, and many of these people lack access to mental health care. In a new season, we speak with experts about how the national conversation on mental health is changing, and with people working in communities to find meaningful solutions to this burgeoning crisis.

Stat: $2.5 trillion—The estimated GDP of the ocean, according to a 2015 report by the World Wildlife Fund, making it the seventh-largest economy in the world.

Story: In this episode, we speak with Ashlan Cousteau and Philippe Cousteau Jr., who, inspired by the legacy of Philippe’s grandfather, undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau, have dedicated their careers to ocean conservation. They discuss how they’re continuing that legacy through their work with EarthEcho International and educating the next generation about the vital role that the ocean plays in our planet’s health and the global economy. We also hear from a member of EarthEcho’s OceanEcho 30x30 fellowship, Salma Macías Torres, from Bahía de Los Ángeles, Mexico, about her efforts to engage youth to build a sustainable future for our ocean.

Stat: 680 million—According to the United Nations, about 680 million people live in low-lying coastal zones around the world, a number expected to increase to 1 billion by 2050. 

Story: In this episode, we explore how communities that rely on a healthy ocean are working to create marine protected areas (MPAs) to preserve biodiversity—and their livelihoods. In addition to hearing from Ludovic Burns Tuki, a community leader on Easter Island, home to the Rapa Nui MPA, we speak with Johnny Briggs from the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy about the role of MPAs in restoring the ocean and safeguarding cultural traditions tied to the seas.

Stat: 2.1 feet—Scientists have forecast an increase of as much as 2.1 feet in the Chesapeake Bay by 2050.

Story: In this episode, we travel to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, where the refuge is losing ground to climate change and rising sea levels. Through interviews with experts—including Joseph Gordon, who directs Pew’s work on coastal marine life in the U.S.; Marcia Pradines Long, manager of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge; Kristin Thomasgard,  program director with the Department of Defense; Julie M. Schablitsky, chief archaeologist at the Maryland Department of Transportation; and Kate Larson, a historian and author—we explore the threats facing this refuge because of the changing climate, and the path ahead for its environmental, cultural, and economic future.

Stat: 51% of Americans say the U.S. is doing a very bad or somewhat bad job of addressing climate change.

Story: Amid growing public concern about rising seas, extreme weather, and disappearing biodiversity, we speak with Michael Oppenheimer, the Albert G. Milbank professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University and a longtime participant in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. He explains the science behind the planet’s changing environment, its effects on the ocean, and possible solutions to avoid “the climate danger zone.”

Stat: 11 million metric tons—the amount of plastic that enters the ocean each year.

Story: We continue our “Ocean, People, Planet” season with a discussion of one of the largest threats facing the ocean: plastic pollution. Winnie Lau, who is the project director of Pew’s preventing ocean plastics project, and Richard Bailey, professor of environmental systems at Oxford University, discuss ways to reduce the amount of plastic entering the ocean and highlight a new analytical tool that nations can use to take action.

Story: “Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders” is produced in partnership by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Stanford Social Innovation Review. In the series, leaders from across the social sector share insights about how they are innovating during challenging times.

The COVID-19 pandemic shook the world, challenging public health systems and communities. In this final episode of this special series, Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, and Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, share how they’re redefining the role of philanthropy in addressing public health crises and preparing for future pandemics.  

Story: “Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders” is produced in partnership by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Stanford Social Innovation Review. In the series, leaders from across the social sector share insights about how they are innovating during challenging times.

The increasing wealth gap is a symptom of larger inequities facing Americans today. And 61% of Americans say there’s too much economic inequality in the U.S., according to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey. In this episode, Larry Kramer, president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, discuss the origins of wealth inequality and its impact on American democracy. They also share how their institutions are creating new pathways for all communities to access secure and vibrant futures.

Story: “Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders” is produced in partnership by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Stanford Social Innovation Review. In the series, leaders from across the social sector share insights about how they are innovating during challenging times.

In this episode, Tonya Allen, president of the McKnight Foundation, and John Palfrey, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, address the growing threat of a changing climate. They discuss how they’re answering the global call for solutions that promote equity and protect vulnerable communities, and encourage others in the philanthropic sector to act at this critical time.   

Stat: 3 times: The Arctic is warming three times faster than the planet as a whole.

Story: The ocean is important for the health of the planet, and coastal communities around the world rely on it for their way of life. In Part II of “The State of Our Ocean,” we speak with Sheila (Siila) Watt-Cloutier, an environmental, cultural, and human rights advocate, about the value of the ocean to the Inuit in the Arctic and how challenges such as climate change and rising tides affect her community and its traditional ways of life. “What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic,” says Watt-Cloutier. Many of the threats emerging in her people’s culture from climate change are reflected across the world in other coastal towns.

Stat: 30%—More than 70 countries support the call to protect and conserve at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030.

Story: The ocean is central to all life, providing oxygen, nutrition, and recreation, and supporting economic livelihoods for coastal communities around the globe. But this essential resource is facing multiple threats, including climate change, overfishing and illegal fishing, and plastics pollution.

In this new series, “Ocean, People, Planet,” we focus on the connection between the health of the ocean and the health of the planet. We’ll examine the state of the ocean, the challenges it faces, and offer potential solutions based on data, science, and traditional ways of knowing. In this first episode, we speak with Callum Roberts, marine biologist and oceanographer, about our human history with these waters and how we might chart a better course for our collective future.

Story: “Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders” is produced in partnership by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Stanford Social Innovation Review. In the series, leaders from across the social sector share insights about how they are innovating during challenging times.

In this episode, Crystal Hayling, executive director of The Libra Foundation, and Sonal Shah, founding president of The Asian American Foundation, discuss their organizations’ work toward transforming the way race is discussed in America and how to improve understanding about racial concerns to lead to a more inclusive society.

Story: “Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders” is produced in partnership by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Stanford Social Innovation Review. In the series, leaders from across the social sector share insights about how they contend with challenging times and societal division.

In this episode, Susan Urahn, Pew’s president and CEO, and Sarah Rosen Wartell, president of the Urban Institute, discuss the deepening political polarization, increasing misinformation, and growing mistrust that has affected public debate—and how they find common ground to forge meaningful change for the good.

Political polarization. Climate change. Racial reckoning. Income inequality. A global pandemic. Since 2020, all five of these immense challenges have emerged or deepened, commanding our attention and prompting major societal and cultural shifts. In this special series produced in partnership by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Stanford Social Innovation Review, we talk with leaders from across the social sector. They take us behind the scenes, sharing approaches and case studies of innovation and resilience during these unprecedented times. 

Stat: 4 in 10: U.S. Census data from 2020 shows that 4 in 10 Americans identify with a race other than White.

Story: The demographic landscape in the United States is changing rapidly. In this virtual event rebroadcast, guests from our “Race and Research” season discuss how the country’s growing diversity is driving a new national conversation about race and ethnicity. The event panelists also highlight the challenges and opportunities researchers face when applying a racial and equity lens to data.

Stat: 93%—93% of new COVID-19 cases were caused by the delta variant in the United States by the end of July 2021.

Story: The battle against the COVID-19 virus seemed almost won, but the delta variant is now responsible for a new surge of cases. In this episode, we turn again to infectious disease physician Dr. Rebecca Wurtz to learn more about this new variant and what it means for both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations.

Charita Castro, a social science researcher and ambassador for the American Association for the Advancement of Science IF/THEN Ambassadors program, speaks about how to recruit more women and people of color to the STEM fields¾science, technology, engineering, and math¾to strengthen innovation

In this conversation with Fanta Traore, we hear about her work to support and empower Black women in economics, finance, and data science fields through The Sadie Collective. She shares the latest data on how increasing diversity in the economic workforce can help encourage innovative problem solving for society. 

In this bonus episode of our “Race and Research” season, we share an extended talk with Dr. Marie Bernard, chief officer for scientific workforce diversity at the National Institutes of Health, on her experience as a Black female physician and efforts to improve diversity within health care, from at a patient’s bedside to medical research.

Stat: 68%: The percentage of technology experts who express doubt about ethical standards in artificial intelligence systems.

Story: Technology driven by artificial intelligence and other data science will lead to life-changing innovation in the coming years. But much of the historical data those innovations will rely on could be biased. In this episode, Lee Rainie, director of internet and technology research at the Pew Research Center, reports on the growing ethical concerns of technology experts about the use of artificial intelligence. And Jeannette Wing, who leads the Data Science Institute at Columbia University, discusses ways scientists are confronting bias and how to use “data for good.”

Stat: 33%—The percentage of people of color who make up America’s STEM workforce.

Story: In this episode, we consider the pipeline to the research workforce—higher education. In a conversation with Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and its vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Katharine Cole, we explore how the university supports undergraduate and graduate students from a range of backgrounds and prepares them for STEM careers.

Stat: 99%: The percentage of census tracts in the United States where young black men end up having lower incomes than their white counterparts even though they grew up with comparable family incomes and resources.

Story: In this episode of our season on race and research, our guests examine the impact of race on economic mobility. David Williams, of Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, describes research tools that can help communities improve economic outcomes for families and kids. And the Brookings Institution’s Andre Perry outlines research showing the systemic undervaluing of homes in black neighborhoods and its implications for family wealth, the health of minority-owned businesses, and the tax bases that fund community needs.  

Stat: 5%—The percentage of Black physicians and surgeons in America.

Story: Continuing our look at race and research, we turn to health care. We hear from Dr. Marie Bernard, who heads efforts to increase diversity in the research workforce at the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Stephanie Brown and Kristen Azar of Sutter Health, a nonprofit California health care provider. They discuss the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, how to build trust in the medical system among those communities, and other ways to improve patient care.

Stat: 46.8 million: The number of people in the United States who identify as Black.

Story: The census shows that the U.S. is growing more diverse racially and ethnically, and reflecting this evolution in research data has become even more essential. In this episode, Mike Dimock, president of the Pew Research Center, describes how the Center is addressing these changes in public opinion polling and why examining the nuances behind these demographic shifts helps us better understand society’s diversity. And Yolanda Lewis, who heads The Pew Charitable Trusts’ public safety and justice work, discusses why inclusive research is vital in informing how the criminal justice system handles mental health issues.

Stat: 40%: 4 in 10 Americans identify with a race other than White.

Story: In our first episode on race and research, we explore the diverse story of America. William Frey, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an internationally regarded demographer, highlights the latest census findings and what they say about the nation today. And we examine what these changes mean for society—and the evolving national conversation about race—with the Pew Research Center’s director of race and ethnicity research, Mark Hugo Lopez.

A new season of Pew’s “After the Fact” podcast explores diversity in America and how race intersects with research in a range of fields—from public opinion polling to medicine to economics. We talk with social scientists who are helping society better understand how the nuances of race can change the perspective of issues and other experts who are looking at how diverse viewpoints improve policy solutions. The episodes of this season are a contribution to the evolving national conversation about race and diversity, offering a timely look at the challenges, opportunities—and the work—ahead. 

Stat: 30 percent—According to the Pew Research Center, 30% of Americans don’t intend to get a coronavirus vaccination.

Story: There’s a light appearing at the end of a long tunnel in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic: the emergence of effective vaccines to prevent its spread. Yet, even with a solution in sight, public trust is still a hurdle—with an “infodemic” of misinformation occurring alongside the pandemic. In this episode, we discuss the facts about the science of the vaccines—and the importance of communicating accurate information to the public—with Dr. Rebecca Wurtz, infectious disease physician and associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s Division of Health Policy and Management.

Stat: 70%: The percentage of debt collection cases that result in default judgment, or automatic win, to plaintiffs.  

Story: Debt collection cases are the most common civil court cases today, but many Americans are navigating the civil legal system without legal representation and paying heavy consequences. In this episode we hear from Erika Rickard, who leads Pew’s work to modernize civil court systems, on the issues surrounding debt collection cases and how the pandemic is bringing some courtrooms online. We’ll also speak to Chief Justice Nathan Hecht from the Supreme Court of Texas about how data on debt collection cases is informing the state’s efforts to ensure the court process is open, fair, and transparent.

Stat: $1.24 trillion: The 50-state pension funding gap—the shortfall between what all the states have funded and what they actually owed public employee retirees—as of 2018.

Story: Public employees count on pensions when they retire, but most states haven’t adequately funded their obligations. As of 2018, the funding gap for all the states totaled $1.24 trillion. Without sustainable funding, the cost of retiree benefits can mean less money is available for schools, roads, or public safety. In this episode, we hear from Greg Mennis, who leads Pew’s efforts to help states find innovative solutions to close the funding gap and save taxpayer dollars. We also speak with Marcie Frost, who leads the California Public Employees' Retirement System—the country’s largest public pension system—on how stress testing that pension fund helps policymakers understand potential costs and liabilities as they make decisions to help secure retirement benefits for 2 million public employees, retirees, and their families.   

Stat: $8 billion: The cost of vehicle collisions with wildlife each year in the U.S.

Story: In America’s West, animal herds follow ancient migration routes that are bisected by roads and highways. In this episode, we hear from Matt Skroch, who leads Pew’s efforts to conserve wildlife corridors, and Jodi Hilty, of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, about innovative solutions that make roads safer for both people and animals.

Stat: 18%: The percentage of Americans with opioid use disorder who receive medication as part of their treatment.

Story: As the coronavirus pandemic grips the world, the opioid epidemic continues to affect millions of Americans. Several states are developing innovative ways to tackle this public health issue. In this episode, we speak with Beth Connolly, who leads Pew’s research on substance use disorders, and Louisiana Representative Paula Davis, who helped ensure effective treatment in her state.

Stat: $850 billion: The damage caused by flood-related disasters in the U.S. since 2000.

Story: Floods are the costliest natural disasters in the United States, but there are ways to prepare for the storms ahead. In this episode of our “States of Innovation” season, we hear from Laura Lightbody, who directs Pew’s work to better prepare communities for floods, about how states such as Texas and South Carolina are reducing their risks through innovative solutions. We also speak with South Carolina state Representative G. Murrell Smith Jr. and the Coastal Conservation League’s Laura Cantral about the state’s newly founded Office of Resilience and efforts to minimize the effect of flooding on taxpayers, communities, and the environment.

Stat: 12 million: The number of Americans who use payday loans each year.

Story: Payday loans can help people facing an unexpected financial crunch—but can also bring unexpected problems. Ohio adopted an innovative new law to protect consumers who were being dragged into a cycle of debt by the very loans they thought would help them. We learn more from Nick Bourke, who directs Pew’s consumer finance work, and Pastor Carl Ruby, who saw the downside to the loans and helped lead the fight to change the law.

Stat: 67% of U.S. adults think local elected officials care about the people they represent, according to the Pew Research Center.

Story: In the first episode of our season “States of Innovation,” Sue Urahn, Pew’s new president and CEO, discusses the role of state governments as “laboratories of our democracy,” where innovative thinking can be paired with policies informed by data to address long-standing problems.

In a new season of Pew’s “After the Fact” podcast, we look at innovative solutions to some long-standing problems, including how small loans can be more affordable for consumers, how communities can better prepare for floods, and ways for migrating animals to cross highways that keep them—and drivers—safe. These innovations are possible thanks to state leaders around the country who are working together to make people’s lives better. Join us as we bring you five stories about states of innovation—and meet Pew’s new president and CEO, Sue Urahn, too. She tells us about how these sorts of innovations occur when data and evidence give policymakers from all backgrounds the common ground they need to truly collaborate.  

In this bonus episode of our “Conversations on Science” season, Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, discusses the important pathways connecting science and society. From the coronavirus pandemic to relationship building with faith leaders, Parikh reflects on his career in the lab and the halls of Congress, and the impact that the 172-year-old organization he leads has on the scientific community and the world.

In this extended conversation with France Córdova, we hear how her passion for science and public policy took her on a quest for scientific truth in leadership positions at NASA and the National Science Foundation. Córdova also discusses the importance of collaboration and inclusiveness to the future of scientific discovery and how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the larger scientific community.

In this bonus episode of our “Conversations on Science” season, we share an extended talk with Carlo Rovelli, a theoretical physicist and bestselling author who believes science is just as creative as it is logical. “Science starts,” says Rovelli, “in the life of each scientist with wonder and a mystery.”

Stat: 54%: The share of Americans who view scientists as good communicators.

Story: In the last episode of our science season, we explore how scientists communicate: What is the state of our national conversation on science, and who is doing the talking? Guests include Laura Lindenfeld, executive director of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and dean of the School of Journalism at Stony Brook University, and Shirley Malcom of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Stat: 60%: According to the Pew Research Center, 6 out of 10 Americans say scientists should take an active role in policy debates about scientific issues.

Story: As we continue our “Conversations on Science” season, we talk to Esther Krofah, executive director of FasterCures; Molly Irwin, vice president, research and science, at The Pew Charitable Trusts; and Mary Woolley, president and CEO of Research!America, about the intersections between scientific research, the public, and policymakers today.

Stat: 79%: Percentage of the U.S. population that agrees that science has made the world a better place.

Story: Scientific discovery shapes the world—from our medical care to how we live, learn, and work. In this episode, we explore the process of discovery and how it is playing out during the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll hear from leading experts on the science of the coronavirus, the pipeline for potential vaccines and treatment, and how these times are changing the way we conduct science.

Stat: 35%: The percentage of Americans  in 2019 who report a great deal of confidence in scientists to act in the public interest, up from 21% in 2016.

Story: Public trust in science is front and center today as researchers seek to learn more about the coronavirus. In this episode, France Córdova, former National Science Foundation director, discusses confidence in scientific research, and Cary Funk, the Pew Research Center’s director of science and society research, shares survey results on how the public perceives scientists. We’ll also hear from Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, on how speaking with precision and jargon creates separation between scientists and the public.   

Stat: 79%: The percentage of people who agree that science has made life easier for most of us.

Story: Science may sometimes seem abstract, but its benefits can be seen everywhere—from the technology in smartphones to the medicines we take. In this episode, we explore what science really is (and what it’s not) with Ira Flatow, host of the popular “Science Friday” radio program, and Carlo Rovelli, a world-renowned physicist and bestselling writer.

Stat: 78%: The percentage of Americans who say it makes sense that studies on the coronavirus may present conflicting advice because research is constantly improving.

Story: In the first episode of our new season “Conversations on Science,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, discusses the importance of science in our daily lives, especially amid the pandemic, and shares his own story about how he fell in love with science.

In a new season of Pew’s “After the Fact” podcast, we talk about science: what it is, how it’s conducted and explained to the public, and how it affects our lives. We speak with scientists and researchers—from Dr. Anthony Fauci and Pew biomedical scholar Pamela Bjorkman, who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, to “Science Friday” host Ira Flatow and physicist and bestselling author Carlo Rovelli, who speak about the scientific process and why it matters. Join us as we explore science and envision how what’s happening today may shape the future of our world.

Story: With summer heating up, we’re again sharing our conversation with Pew biomedical scholar and Princeton scientist Lindy McBride about one of the peskiest and deadliest insects on the planet: the mosquito. Listen in for the facts about mosquitoes and why they find some people tastier than others.

Stat: 78 percent: About 8 in 10 adults feel that libraries help them find information that is trustworthy and reliable.

Story: Everybody knows what happened on the Fourth of July, but what about the First of July? That’s the anniversary of America’s first free library. Established in 1731 by Ben Franklin, it marked the democratization of information. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden—the first woman and African American in that role—talks about how libraries and librarians continue that mission to this day.

Stat: 87 percent: Americans who say they are following news about the coronavirus outbreak fairly or very closely.

Story: According to the World Health Organization, people are not only living through an epidemic but also an “infodemic”—a surge of information about COVID-19 that has made it hard for people to know which news and guidance about the virus is accurate. In a conversation with Alan Miller, founder and CEO of the News Literacy Project, we discuss how to sort fact from fiction today.

Stat: 48% of U.S. adults have cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Story: What do zebrafish have to do with human health? As it turns out, they can help researchers understand how and why heart disease happens. We spoke to Pew biomedical scholar (2002) Steven Farber at the Carnegie Institution for Science to learn more about his work, which is revealing new strategies to combat heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Stat: 21 million: The number of Americans not connected to broadband internet, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

Story: While most Americans are managing remote work, learning, and even participating in social gatherings online during the pandemic, there are still millions of Americans who don’t have access to high-speed internet where they live. Kathryn de Wit, manager of Pew’s broadband research initiative, explains who’s not online and shares what some states and communities are doing to bridge connectivity gaps.

Story: With schools and universities closed and millions now learning and working from home because of the coronavirus, Pew’s latest edition of Trend magazine focuses on the topic of learning. In this rebroadcast featuring two Stanford University researchers with an essay in the magazine, you’ll hear about how breakthroughs in neuroscience and technology have given us insights into the human mind and how those findings are being applied in classrooms today.

Stat: $75 billion: The total amount of money that states had set aside in rainy day funds at the end of 2019 in case of an economic downturn.

Story: The short-term effects of the coronavirus pandemic on our health care systems and daily lives were immediately clear. But how will states weather the economic storm over the long term? In this episode, we hear from Josh Goodman of Pew’s state fiscal health team, who shares insights on the steps that states are taking to address looming budget shortfalls.

Stat: 44 percent: The percentage of Americans who say the COVID-19 outbreak has changed their lives in a major way.

Story: From how we work, socialize, and even pray, the coronavirus has upturned American life. The Pew Research Center’s Claudia Deane summarizes recent survey findings, including Americans’ views of the impact on their daily life, their concerns about the economy, and trust levels in government and the health system.

As the world copes with the COVID-19 pandemic, Pew’s “After the Fact” podcast is taking a pause. For all our listeners, stay safe and healthy, and we’ll be back with new content soon.

Stat: 47 percent: The percentage decline of newsroom employees at newspapers between 2008 and 2018.

Story: Newspapers are cutting staff or closing altogether, but in the final episode of our local news series we visit The Berkshire Eagle in western Massachusetts, which is bucking that trend. We speak to the publisher and editor who are adding reporters and to community leaders who value a local paper in their civic life.

Stat: 2000: More than 2,000 of the 3,143 counties in the United States have no daily local newspaper.

Story: What is a news desert? We explore the definition—a community with limited access to credible and comprehensive news and information—by traveling to southeast Georgia where the Waycross Journal-Herald abruptly closed in September 2019. We also interview expert Penny Abernathy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who has documented the spread of news deserts across the United States.

Stat: 71: The percentage of Americans who believe that their local news outlet is doing well financially.

Story: Local news outlets are struggling against declines in circulation and advertising, with 2,100 newspapers closing over the past 15 years. In the first installment of our three-part series on the changing landscape of local news in America, we hear from experts on what’s changed and how it may be affecting our communities.

Story: In this series, we explore the decline in local news coverage across America. Host Dan LeDuc interviews journalism experts, travels to a “news desert” where the daily newspaper recently printed its last edition, and visits the newsroom of a paper that is bucking the trend and doubling down on its investment in community coverage.

Stat: 800 million: The number of people in the world who live within the footprint, 62 miles, of a volcano.

Story: In the latest episode in our “Scientists at Work” series, we go behind the scenes at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where we meet geologist and volcanologist Ben Andrews, who works to answer three key questions about volcanoes around the world: When will an eruption happen, how big could the eruption be, and how fast?

Stat: 22.73: Ken Burns’ documentary Civil War was created from 22.73 miles of film.

Story: Ken Burns is known for his expansive documentaries on American history and culture. With 33 documentary films to his name, what is the secret to his creative process? We travel to the New Hampshire barn where he works for a conversation about how he tells old stories in a new way and what inspires him to create.

Stat: 59 percent: The percentage of Americans who say they have little to no confidence in the public’s political wisdom.

Story: As the new year—and an election year—begins, we turn to data on our democracy to learn more about how Americans view institutions and civic life today. Host Dan LeDuc speaks with Michael Dimock, president of the Pew Research Center, about the latest research on trust, facts, and democracy in America.

Story: “After the Fact” is sharing one more fan favorite before the end of the year with Paula Marincola, executive director of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. She selected an episode with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and 1999 Pew arts fellow Jennifer Higdon on how ideas become reality. Since that conversation, Jennifer has again been nominated for a Grammy Award. Host Dan LeDuc also speaks with Paula about the importance of the arts today.

Story: “After the Fact” is sharing a couple more fan favorites as we close out 2019. This week, Ray Suarez, guest host of our “Future of Learning” series and a former broadcaster, selected an episode (No. 46) that focuses on how location can affect an individual’s economic prospects.

Stat: 68 million: The number of Americans who say they have no religious affiliation as of , compared with 39 million in 2009.

Story: This episode focuses on Americans’ views of religion and the generational changes that are taking place. Greg Smith of the Pew Research Center shares an update on the changing religious landscape, and host Dan LeDuc talks to a mother and daughter about their evolving religious paths.

Stat: 100 feet: At nearly 100 feet in length, blue whales are the largest animal ever known to have existed on Earth. 

Story: Blue whales are big but they’re not invulnerable, often falling victim to strikes by ships in the northern India Ocean. Asha de Vos, a Pew marine fellow who founded Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education organization, tells us about the beauty of blue whales and their importance to the health of the ocean.

Stat:  94.7 million—It is estimated that the number of Americans ages 65 and older will nearly double from 49.2 million in 2016 to 94.7 million by 2060.

Story: In this final episode of the Future of Learning series, we explore the aging mind, including how brains change over the years, how to stimulate the mind, and which traits can be found in “superagers.”

Stat: 65 percent of all jobs in the American economy today will require postsecondary education and training.

Story: School may be over for most workers in America’s economy, but the need to learn continues. In the third part of our series “The Future of Learning,” we hear how some individuals are learning new skills for tomorrow’s workforce and talk with experts about what’s needed to stay ahead of the curve.

Stat: 30 percent. The amount of jobs worldwide that could become automated by 2030. Story: In part two of our series on learning, join guest host Ray Suarez as he interviews teachers and experts about the evolving classroom and how teachers are trying to prepare students to be flexible, motivated, and lifelong learners to prepare for jobs that haven’t been invented yet.

Stat: 86 billion. The human brain has at least 86 billion neurons.

Story: Breakthroughs in neuroscience and technology have given us a peek into the human mind, yet we have much to discover about how our brains actually learn new things. In the first part of our new series, you’ll travel with guest host Ray Suarez to the Brainwave Learning Center, a partnership with Stanford University, where scientists are measuring students’ brain waves to see what happens as they learn to read and gain other skills.

Story: In this special series on learning, guest host Ray Suarez will examine the latest developments in neuroscience and cognitive psychology, explore workforce trends, and share inspiring stories from people on the journey to becoming lifelong learners.

Stat: 1 million—the number of Americans who default on student loan payments each year.

Story: More Americans are seeking higher education, which means more people are taking on—and struggling with—student loan debt. For one first-generation college graduate, the complex repayment system proved overwhelming. We share her story and talk to Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Eric Kelderman and Pew researcher Sarah Sattelmeyer about key challenges and potential solutions to help keep borrowers on track.

Stat: 130. Opioid use disorder is responsible for approximately 130 overdose deaths a day in America.

Story:  One of the biggest health threats facing Americans today is opioid use disorder, with an overdose-related death occurring every 11 minutes. In this rebroadcast of a conversation at Pew with Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, learn more about this public health challenge and how we can save lives.

100 million—The number of people infected each year by a disease transmitted through a mosquito bite.

Story: In our latest “Scientists at Work” episode, 2015 Pew biomedical scholar Lindy McBride discusses her research on one of the peskiest and deadliest insects on the planet: the mosquito. Listen in as we learn the facts about mosquitoes and why you may be more susceptible than other people to their bites.

Story: Our final installment of “After the Fact” fan favorites comes via the West Coast. Steven Bliss of the Public Policy Institute of California selected our first podcast, on the state of the American Dream. Researcher Erin Currier describes the financial hardships facing many families at a time when most people are just happy to make ends meet rather than move up the economic ladder (Episode 1).

Story: “After the Fact” fan favorites continue in August with our second selection. This week, Fred Dews, host of “Brookings Cafeteria,” chose our episode on the plight of endangered sharks and some of their unlikely champions (Episode 32). South African Paralympian Achmat Hassiem and Pew’s Debbie Salamone were attacked by sharks but now are advocates for their conservation.

Story: “After the Fact” has asked a few special guests to share their favorite episodes of the podcast throughout August. This week, Elaine Bowman, vice president of human resources for The Pew Charitable Trusts, picked our conversation on deepfakes (Episode 47) with Berkeley Professor Hany Farid (formerly of Dartmouth College) as her favorite.

Story: This month, “After the Fact” has asked a few special guests to share their favorite episodes of the podcast. Tune in throughout August to hear some of these “fan favorites” from our archives.

Stat: 80,000. Chilean Patagonia has more than 80,000 kilometers of coastline, the longest in the world.

Story: In the latest installment of our “Scientists at Work” series, Pew marine fellow Vreni Häussermann talks about Chilean Patagonia’s diverse ecosystem. The region is a near-pristine wilderness like no other—but this mostly unexplored wilderness is at risk. Häussermann hopes her research will help support efforts to secure a sustainable future for Chilean Patagonia and the marine life in its fjords.

Stat: 96 percent. Nearly all of America’s hospitals used electronic health records as of 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Story: Your medical records have gone digital—a change that promises to make health care more efficient and accessible. But as with any technology, there are glitches. Files could be mismatched, and a typo could lead to a dosing error. In this episode, hear how doctors and experts are working to make electronic health records safer and easier to use.

Stat: 18. At least 18 British colonies existed in North America during the American Revolution—but, as we know, only 13 signed the Declaration of Independence.

Story: In honor of the Fourth of July, join “After the Fact” on an audio tour of key historic places in the city known as the Birthplace of America—Philadelphia. Temple University history professor Jessica Roney shares insights about America’s Founding Fathers and illuminates the lesser-known history behind the formation of the United States.

Mangrove forests are natural protectors, shielding coasts from storms, sheltering species, and soaking up carbon. Reversing the decline of these habitats isn’t just a science—it’s an art, says marine biologist Octavio Aburto. He uses his camera along with high-resolution satellite imagery to assess real-time changes in mangrove coverage—and to reveal the amazing hidden marine life of these critical ecosystems.

Mangrove forests are natural protectors, shielding coasts from storms, sheltering species, and soaking up carbon. Reversing the decline of these habitats isn’t just a science—it’s an art, says marine biologist Octavio Aburto. He uses his camera along with high-resolution satellite imagery to assess real-time changes in mangrove coverage—and to reveal the amazing hidden marine life of these critical ecosystems.

Stat: 93. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. estimates 93 percent of marine fisheries worldwide are fished at or beyond sustainable catch levels.

Story: A large part of overfishing is driven by subsidies—most of which go to large-scale fishing fleets from industrialized nations. We learn about how subsidies can alter the economics of fishing from Pew’s Isabel Jarrett and researcher Rashid Sumaila. And we travel to Senegal to hear from local fishers on the impact to their communities.

Stat: 46. The percentage of American adults who worry that they will not be able to live comfortably in retirement.

Story: After all the hard work and child rearing, do Americans get to finally relax and retire with some financial stability? Research shows the golden age of retirement doesn’t always shine. Hear why in the final episode of our series on the American family, which features two retirees’ stories, and expert analysis from John Scott, who directs retirement savings work at Pew.

Stat: $233,610. The cost of raising a child through age 17 for a middle-class American family, not including a college education.

Story: From diapers to day care and beyond, it’s getting more expensive to raise a family in the U.S. And just keeping up with daily costs makes saving for a rainy day or retirement all the harder. We speak with three families about what it takes to make it work—and what keeps them up at night.

Stat: 86. The percentage of women ages 40-44 who are mothers, compared with 80 percent in 2006, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. Story: American women are waiting longer to have children—but are more likely to have kids than they were a decade ago. Also, 1 in 4 parents living with a child is not married. In this episode, a Pew researcher explains the data behind this change in the American family, and we meet two moms who share why they waited.

Stat: 7. On average, Americans are waiting nearly seven years longer to get married than they did in 1968, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Story: Does putting off marriage mean people no longer want to say “I do?” To learn more about this trend, we spoke to couples who are waiting to wed—in the first installment of our four-part series on today’s American family. Marriage historian Stephanie Coontz also offers insights.

Story: The American family is changing. We explore how over the next four episodes, taking you into the lives of American families through conversations at kitchen tables, in workplaces, and even in the family car on the way to after-school pickup. Host Dan LeDuc also speaks with researchers about the data and trends on these informative and inspiring stories.

Stat: 20 percent. The share of Americans who find the concept of machines doing most human jobs in the future extremely realistic.

Story: Will robots take our jobs? They’ll need a key human skill first—the ability to think. To find out just how near such a future is, we visited Ashley J. Llorens, chief of the Intelligent Systems Center at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. There, researchers are bridging the gap between machines programmed by humans and those that can teach themselves.

Stat: 48%—Almost half the members of Generation Z—age 22 or younger—are racial or ethnic minorities.

Story: Step aside, Millennials. There’s a new, younger group out there: Generation Z, which includes anyone born after 1996. To learn more about this generation, we sat down with Kim Parker, director of social trends research at the Pew Research Center. Listen in to hear about Gen Z’s social, cultural, and political inclinations, and what this might mean for the future.

Stat: 844 million. The amount of people worldwide who lack even a basic drinking-water service, according to the World Health Organization.

Story: For many of us, it can be easy to take water for granted. Turn on the tap and it’s there. But today, the world faces a tipping point, with water security—having sufficient access to safe water for our daily lives—at risk. Listen in as our guest, Sandra Postel, discusses the challenges and shares options for fixing our broken water cycle.

Stat: 40%—Across Africa, the number of giraffes has declined by 40 percent since 1979.

Story: Giraffes are dying, and experts are trying to figure out why. Host Dan LeDuc speaks to two giraffe experts, ecologist David O’Connor and researcher Jenna Stacy-Dawes of the San Diego Zoo, who are trying to learn more about these mysterious animals and help giraffes rebound.

Stat: 1919—the year President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill establishing the Grand Canyon as a national park.

Story: The Grand Canyon was dedicated as a national park 100 years ago. This anniversary commemorates the canyon’s legacy, but it has been around longer than that—at least 6 million years. Our host explores the beauty of this natural wonder with Wayne Ranney, a geologist who has spent his career studying the canyon. Listen in for a historical journey through this iconic landscape.

Stat: 100. More than half of children born in developed countries today will reach the age of 100.

Story: If you knew you would live to 100, what would you do differently? Increasing longevity will expand and shift the traditional phases of life, according to London Business School professor Andrew Scott. In his conversation with host Dan LeDuc, he describes the challenges and opportunities facing individuals and society as life expectancy continues to rise.

Stat: 57 percent of social media news consumers expect what they see there to be largely inaccurate.

Story: The rise of deepfakes—realistic fake videos made with artificial intelligence software—is beginning to make sorting fact from fiction even harder. In an interview with Dartmouth Professor Hany Farid, a digital forensics expert who advises governments and the media on how to meet this growing threat, we discuss the implications for people and societies when we can’t necessarily believe what we see.

Stat: 50. The percentage of American children today who will grow up to earn more than their parents did.

Story: That’s down from over 90 percent for children born in the 1940s and its says a lot about the current state of the American Dream. John Friedman, who’s a leader of Opportunity Insights which is working to help people get out of poverty, says the opportunity to move up the economic ladder depends a lot on where you live and even who your kindergarten teacher was. He speaks with host Dan LeDuc about what factors can improve kids’ chances of success.

Stat: Four in 10 Americans say technology has improved their lives most in the past 50 years.

Story: To end 2018, we look ahead at the promise of new technologies, which also bring challenges for societies. To understand the issues, we speak to Arati Prabhakar, former director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. From artificial intelligence to neurotechnology, she notes the “dazzling” new capabilities emerging and the thorny considerations they bring.

Stat: 21. The number of African countries where manatees live.

Story: If you’ve ever seen a manatee, chances are you were in Florida, where these aquatic relatives of the elephant may have poked their faces above the water’s surface to get a look at you. But this episode’s guest studies manatees few have ever seen—the African species that live in remote, murky waters. Host Dan LeDuc talks to 2017 Pew marine fellow Lucy Keith-Diagne about what makes these creatures so fascinating—and the threats facing them.

Stat: 39 percent. That’s how many Americans say they are highly religious. Story: When asked about their religion, most Americans identify with a traditional faith: Christianity, Judaism, Islam. But the Pew Research Center recently looked beyond familiar classifications and analyzed patterns of American beliefs and behaviors across many faiths. Host Dan LeDuc talks with one of the authors of this analysis, Rich Morin, about how the researchers created this religious typology and what each of the seven types means.

Stat: $764 billion. That’s how much the arts contribute to the U.S. economy each year. Story: The creative process for artists can seem mysterious—what sparks an artist’s initial idea and how does that idea become reality? Host Dan LeDuc talks to Pew Arts Fellow, and Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy Award-winning classical composer Jennifer Higdon about her creative process, and also interviews Paula Marincola from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage about supporting the arts.

Stat: 61 percent. That’s how many voters say they’re enthusiastic about voting in November. Story: Traditionally, voters don’t flock to the polls for the midterm elections. But this year, the Pew Research Center has found that voters are more enthusiastic about voting than at any point during midterms in the past two decades. Why is that and what’s on voters’ minds? In this episode, Dan LeDuc talks with the center’s director of political research, Carroll Doherty, who will share his insights from the polling data.

Stat: 7 out of 10 babies born in London have at least one parent who wasn’t. Story: London is on track to exceed 9 million people in three years and most of the new babies there have at least one foreign-born parent. One area in particular is emblematic of these changing world demographics: Brixton. Host Dan LeDuc went for a walk there with Ben Rogers and Denean Rowe from the Centre for London to see up close how it’s evolving from a quintessential South London neighborhood into a dense, multicultural hub.

Stat: 70 percent. That’s how many children now born in London have at least one foreign-born parent.

Story: In many ways, the metropolis of London is a microcosm of what’s happening around the globe. People move across borders and flock to urban centers, causing their newfound homes to evolve and adapt. How are global demographic trends affecting and changing our world? To learn, host Dan LeDuc talks with Mark Hugo Lopez, director of global migration and demography research at the Pew Research Center.

Stat: 7 in 10. That’s how many Americans say that debt is a necessity, even though they prefer not to have it.

Story: Ten years after the global financial crisis, we explore Americans’ relationship with debt, and interview Dave Ramsey, the host of his own syndicated radio show, who talks to some 13 million listeners each week about how they can overcome financial setbacks and build wealth. Ramsey shares his thoughts about why so many Americans are in debt today, why they’re not stuck, and the key to breaking the cycle.

Stat: Four. That’s how many letters in the DNA alphabet make up every living thing.

Story: How does genetic information transmit across generations? While trying to find out, scientists Craig Mello and Andrew Fire quite by accident made a discovery in 1998 that would earn them a Nobel Prize—and pave the way for the first drug to take on harmful genes. Pew’s Dan LeDuc talks with Mello about science’s surprises.

Additional audio licensed for use by the Nobel Foundation. All rights reserved. © Nobel Media 2006

Stat: North Atlantic cod have nearly tripled since 2006 to 118,000 tons. Summary: Overfishing has strained most global fish stocks. But the European Union has made progress bringing back one popular species: North Atlantic cod. The flaky white fish—a British staple when battered and served with chips—has rebounded after plummeting to critically low levels in the late 2000s. In this episode, we go to one of London’s oldest fish and chips restaurants and learn how quotas can be used to help other stocks recover.

Stat: 44 percent. The percentage of Americans who think the public doesn’t know enough about science to understand new findings in the news. Story: Ira Flatow, the host of “Science Friday,” has been with National Public Radio since it went on the air in 1970. Although he knows the public loves science, he’s worried that most people don’t know how the scientific process works. Pew’s Dan LeDuc talks to him about why critical thinking is crucial, who asks the best questions, and how science can be addictive.

Stat: At least 2 million Americans get antibiotic-resistant infections each year. Story: Nearly a century after Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, bacteria continue to develop the ability to defeat antibiotics. Doctors worldwide are concerned about the spread of superbugs that are resistant to all antibiotics. Host Dan LeDuc visits Fleming’s London lab for some history and talks with Pew’s Allan Coukell about current efforts to reduce unnecessary use of these drugs and encourage development of new ones.

Stat: $477 billion. That’s the amount spent on prescription drugs in the United States last year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Story: Skyrocketing prescription drug prices have long troubled U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who has championed bipartisan legislation to give consumers more affordable choices. In this rebroadcast of a Pew event, she discusses what can be done to manage drug costs and ensure that Americans get the medicine they need.

Stat: At least 63 million sharks are taken from the ocean every year. Story: And that’s the low estimate; others range as high was 273 million. That worldwide catch—for shark fins and increasingly for their meat—is threatening some species with extinction. In this episode, host Dan LeDuc talks with two unlikely advocates for protecting sharks: South African Paralympian Achmat Hassiem and Pew’s Debbie Salamone. Both have been bitten by sharks but have turned their experiences into something positive: becoming shark attack survivors supporting shark conservation.

Stat: The ocean generates $2.5 trillion of economic benefits around the world each year. Story: Fisheries, tourism, and shipping are some of the ways we quantify the monetary value of the ocean—but it also drives weather patterns and provides more than 1 billion people with their primary source of protein. As the ocean faces increasing environmental stresses, what would an economic approach mean for conservation efforts? We explore the issue with a fishing family in Florida and Pew’s Tom Dillon.

Stat: The flag that inspired our national anthem has 15 stars and stripes.

Story: It flew over Fort McHenry in the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. And after the fight, it was what Francis Scott Key was looking for when he asked, “Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave.” It was, and it continues to inspire Americans today in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington. Host Dan LeDuc went there to talk to curator Jennifer Jones about the history of perhaps our most famous flag.

Stat: Antarctica is home to more than 9,000 species found nowhere else on Earth. Story: They include Adélie and emperor penguins that depend on the nutrient-rich waters that surround the continent. In 2016, 24 countries and the European Union created the world’s largest marine protected area—encompassing 1.9 million square miles—in the Ross Sea. In this rebroadcast of a Pew event, the former president of Costa Rica and other ocean conservationists discuss the need to give other Antarctic waters this same protection.

Stat: The penguin population in Punta Tombo, Argentina, has declined by 43 percent since 1987. Story: Not all of those birds are dying: Many are relocating to areas with more prey—a move aided by their ability to swim 170 kilometers a day—and 200,000 breeding pairs remain in Punta Tombo. But expert Dee Boersma, known as the Jane Goodall of penguins, says the decline may foretell worrying trends in the ecosystem. Host Dan LeDuc sits down with Boersma, and hears from a few of the penguins, to learn more.

Stat: By midcentury, there will be 2 billion elderly people in the world—and 2 billion young

Story: For the first time there will be as many of each group —and together they’ll account for more than 40 percent of the world’s population. This will have deep implications for the labor supply, family structures and finances, demands on health and welfare services, housing, and more. In this episode, we hear a rebroadcast of a Pew event in London: “How Today’s Generations Are Changing the World.”

Stat: 63 million Americans, many of them children, live in areas with a shortage of dental care.

Story: To help alleviate this, a new kind of dental provider is being created: dental therapists, who are much like physician assistants in a medical office. In this episode host Dan LeDuc heads to Minnesota to join one of them, Christy Jo Fogarty, as she travels the state to bring dental care to children, many of whom have never been to a dentist before.

Stat: 64 percent of Americans say fake news is causing confusion over basic facts, according to the Pew Research Center.

Story: It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to sort fact from fiction in this digital age. In this episode, we talk to Alan Miller, who founded the News Literacy Project—an educational, nonpartisan nonprofit organization that is helping people determine what information to trust and share.

More than a third of America’s national parks are battlefields, cemeteries, and other sites that honor our military veterans. But those 156 landmarks are awaiting $6 billion in needed repairs—accounting for nearly half of the National Park Service’s $11.6 billion maintenance backlog. Host Dan LeDuc talks with two former service members about the peace, pride, and purpose they find at their favorite NPS sites, and why more funding is needed to restore America’s national parks.

With political discourse at a stalemate, we traveled to Middle America to find some middle ground. Former Representative Lee Hamilton (D) and former Senator Richard Lugar (R) represented Indiana for a combined 70 years and always kept talking to each other. They say the rest of us can keep it civil, too. We also talk with Pew President and CEO Rebecca Rimel about how civility and a reliance on facts have underpinned Pew’s work for the past 70 years. Hear the full episode at pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

How can states use data to make government work better? Known as a national leader for his efforts to make state government more efficient, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam shares what he’s learned over two terms about tripling the state’s rainy day fund, creating jobs, reforming the state’s juvenile justice system, and more. In this episode, we hear from the governor on how he relies on evidence-based policymaking to ensure that state government is effective. To learn more, visit pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

Americans have become less religious but more spiritual over time, with 59 percent saying they regularly feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being. Host Dan LeDuc interviews the Pew Research Center’s Greg Smith about these trends. We also turn to Patty Van Cappellen of Duke University to discuss why people turn to religion and spirituality. To learn more, visit pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

Move aside, baby boomers. Millennials are one of the largest living generations, and they are not kids anymore. The oldest millennials are now 37, and they are making their mark on the workplace, politics, and America’s public opinion landscape. We discuss this changing demographic with Alec Tyson, a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center, who digs into the data on who millennials are, what they care about, and the implications for us all. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

Money makes policy. As states plan for the future, tax revenue helps them decide what it can be. And nearly half the states still don’t have the revenue they did before the Great Recession. Host Dan LeDuc interviews Pew’s Kil Huh about this and then goes deep with Chris Hoene of the California Budget & Policy Center about how one of the nation’s most populous states is dealing with fiscal uncertainty. To learn more, visit pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

While millennials have dominated news headlines, there is a new generation on the scene. Our guest— Jean Twenge, author and psychology professor at San Diego State University—calls this group “iGen,” a nod to the impact that mobile phones and the internet have had on their lives. According to Twenge, this generation—people born after 1995—is profoundly different from the five older generations living today, including millennials, Gen Xers, baby boomers, the silent generation, and the greatest generation. Host Dan LeDuc and Jean Twenge discuss the significance of the six living generations and the unique issues that teens today are dealing with, including increased rates of depression and loneliness. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

The deepest, darkest parts of the world’s ocean are filled with abundant marine life and rich mineral deposits. But a newly forming seabed mining industry is setting its sights on exploiting these valuable minerals in these fragile ecosystems. Fortunately, the international community can minimize environmental damage by creating science-based rules to oversee the industry. In this episode, we hear from Michael Lodge, secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority, which governs the ocean floor that lies beyond national jurisdiction. He spoke at Pew about the challenges and opportunities ahead on this issue. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

As 2017 draws to a close, 88 percent of Americans are connected online—more than ever before—and nearly half of adults use voice assistants. This growing connectivity makes our world safer, more efficient, and more convenient, but it also leaves us vulnerable to security and privacy threats. In this episode, we hear from Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center’s internet and technology research, about trends in technology and data, and how digital advances will continue to shape our lives. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

While the national poverty rate has been declining, Philadelphia’s has remained stubbornly high. At 25.7 percent, it is the highest among the nation’s 10 largest cities. That means 400,000 city residents, including more than one-third of the city’s children, live in a household with an annual income of $19,337 or less. In this episode, host Dan LeDuc talks with Larry Eichel, director of Pew’s Philadelphia research initiative, about the faces behind these numbers. We also hear from Matt Bergheiser of University City District about its West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, an innovative program that provides job training to local residents and helps match them with employers. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

Up to 1 in 5 fish taken from the sea is caught illegally, costing as much as $23.5 billion globally each year and harming ocean health and fishing communities. Through technology and coordination between governments, law enforcement, industry, and nongovernmental organizations, the tide is slowly starting to turn, however. Host Dan LeDuc talks with Peter Horn, who leads Pew’s work from London with Oversea Ocean Monitor—satellite technology that helps countries detect illegal fishing. We also hear from Sandy Davies, who works with FISH-i Africa, a network of African nations committed to ending illegal fishing. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. If you appreciate the nonpartisan data and stories our podcast provides, please write a review.

What happens when the medicine we rely on to fight infections stops working? It’s been 30 years since a new type of antibiotic has made it to market. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 2 million Americans fall ill with antibiotic-resistant infections each year—and 23,000 of them die. These superbugs can yield tragic outcomes, as it did for our guests in this episode. U.S. Army veteran Carl Romm was 27 when he died because of drug-resistant bacteria. His parents, Chris and Joyce Romm, are working to teach others about the threat of antibiotic resistance, and in this episode they tell Carl’s story to Pew’s Laura Margison. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. If you appreciate the nonpartisan data and stories our podcast provides, please write a review!

President Donald Trump recently declared the nation’s opioid epidemic a public health emergency—but what will it take to connect patients with effective treatment? Our previous episode explored the scope of the crisis and proven solutions. In this bonus edition, you’ll hear more from Shawn Ryan, chief medical officer at BrightView Health in Cincinnati, and Cindy Reilly, who directs Pew’s efforts to expand access to medication-assisted treatment. They discuss what’s at stake with host Dan LeDuc, as well as the potential solutions. To listen to our full episode on the opioid epidemic and hear from a patient on her journey to sobriety, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. If you appreciate the nonpartisan data and stories our podcast provides, please write a review and subscribe.

The nation’s opioid epidemic has been making headlines, and much is required to curtail this public health crisis. In this episode, we learn more about increasing public awareness and expanding treatment opportunities from those on the front lines. Cindy Reilly directs Pew’s work to expand access to proven treatment, and Dr. Shawn Ryan, president and chief medical officer at BrightView Health in Cincinnati, guides patients through treatment. We also speak with a nurse in Minnesota who struggled with substance use disorder and is now on the path to recovery. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. If you appreciate the nonpartisan data and stories our podcast provides, please write a review and subscribe. 

The digital revolution is transforming innovation, providing access to information in ways unheard of even a generation ago. Putting this knowledge to purpose is changing how we live, communicate, and govern—and raising new issues about equality and fairness. This new age of invention was the subject of the latest edition of Trend, The Pew Charitable Trusts’ journal of ideas. And this episode is a rebroadcast of a conversation on the topic held not long ago in Philadelphia by several contributors to Trend. With questions from moderator Frazierita Klasen, Pew’s vice president for Philadelphia programs, Susan Urahn, Pew’s executive vice president and chief program officer; Lee Rainie, director of internet and technology research at the Pew Research Center; and Jody Roberts, director of the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s Institute for Research and managing director of CHF West, discussed the possibilities and the dilemmas of technical change and the opportunities for invention today. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. If you appreciate the nonpartisan data and stories our podcast provides, please write a review >>> http://pew.org/pdcstrvw.

Although Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other sites weren’t designed as places to get news, that’s what they’ve become. Today, 67 percent of Americans report that they get at least some of their news on social media. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center’s latest data, the share of Americans who get at least some of their news online is fast approaching the share who rely on television, which has long been the main source for many Americans. In this episode, host Dan LeDuc talks with Amy Mitchell, who directs journalism research at the center, about this trend and what it means for the way news and information are shared. To listen, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. If you appreciate the nonpartisan data and stories our podcast provides, please write a review >>> http://pew.org/pdcstrvw.

Louisiana holds the No. 1 spot on an unenviable list: state imprisonment rates. The state has put more people behind bars per capita than any other, but Louisiana leaders intend to change that with new, comprehensive criminal justice reform passed this summer. It was a tremendous bipartisan effort that aims to reduce crime and incarceration through innovative means backed by data. Terry Schuster of Pew's public safety performance project speaks with host Dan LeDuc about why this change was important and what its impact could be. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. If you appreciate the nonpartisan data and stories our podcast provides, please write a review >>> http://pew.org/pdcstrvw.

The devastating floods from Hurricane Harvey have left thousands of Texas residents homeless. The scenes of water spilling onto highways and rushing through neighborhoods have raised attention to the impacts of flooding. Fortunately, there are ways to combat rising waters. We’re rebroadcasting a conversation between Joseph Riley, the former mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, who’s now a Pew distinguished fellow, and Jim Brainard, six-term mayor of Carmel, Indiana. Both came to Pew in May to discuss their experiences after major storms in their cities. To learn more, visit >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. If you appreciate the nonpartisan data and stories our podcast provides, please write a review >>> http://pew.org/pdcstrvw.

We’ve all seen the devastating photos in news coverage following a big storm, but what happens after the flood? Pew’s Fred Baldassaro travels to Norfolk, Virginia, a coastal U.S. city that has endured rising waters, to find out. Listen as he and Skip Stiles, founder and executive director of Wetlands Watch, tour neighborhoods in the flood plain and discuss sea level rise, the recovery process, and how the city is building resilience against future flooding through innovative solutions. To learn more >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. Like what we’re doing? Please leave us a quick review >>> http://pew.org/pdcstrvw

It’s hurricane season—and extreme weather events are on the rise. Along with the catastrophic losses that families face after the flood is the economic burden on taxpayers through the National Flood Insurance Program. It’s the financial lifeline for those who carry flood insurance and an essential funding source for both disaster preparation and recovery efforts. However, the program is also $25 billion in debt, and more than a quarter of that total is from properties that flood repeatedly. It’s a growing issue affecting more than just coastal cities. Host Dan LeDuc discusses the flood that devastated Nashville, Tennessee, in 2010 with Roger Lindsey, chairman of the Tennessee Association of Floodplain Management and practice leader for Stormwater and Floodplain Management for Nashville’s Metro Water Services, and Laura Lightbody, who directs Pew’s flood-prepared communities work. To learn more >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. Like what we’re doing? Please leave us a quick review >>> http://pew.org/pdcstrvw

The planet is facing increased environmental pressures—from warming oceans to species loss. At the same time, new tools such as satellite monitoring and forensic science continue to support conservation gains around the world. But will technology help save the Earth? In this episode, you’ll hear leading experts discuss and debate this issue. Featuring: Tony Juniper, special advisor to The Prince of Wales’ International Sustainability Unit, president of The Wildlife Trusts, and fellow with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership; Rear Adm. Nick Lambert, ambassador to Satellite Applications Catapult’s Blue Economy Initiative; and Callum Roberts, professor of marine conservation at the University of York’s Environment Department. Pew speakers include Rebecca Rimel, president and CEO; Susan Urahn, executive vice president and chief program officer; and Kerri-Ann Jones, vice president of research and science.

Event video is also available >>> pewtrusts.org/afterthefact

Like what we’re doing? Please leave us a quick review >>> http://pew.org/pdcstrvw

Three-quarters of our planet is covered with water—and it’s this water that sustains life as we know it. But our liquid planet, home to half of the world’s known creatures, isn’t getting the care it needs. That’s why leading scientists say that 30 percent of our oceans should be protected—that is, free from overfishing and commercial development. Host Dan LeDuc explores why this 30 percent data point is important with two people devoted to safeguarding the oceans: native Hawaiian Sol Kaho’ohalahala, whose culture and livelihood depend on sustainable seas; and Matt Rand, who directs the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project and has been working with people like Kaho’ohalahala since 2006 to keep our oceans healthy. To learn more, visit pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. 

Technology is transforming our world and our workplaces. With the quick pace of change, the future can be as unsettling as it is exciting. However, in this episode, Brian David Johnson says we can invent the future. As a futurist for major corporations who now teaches at Arizona State University, Johnson talks with host Dan LeDuc about how we can envision our futures and find paths to reach them. It’s a conversation with resonance—especially when considering this data point: 47 percent—that’s the share of jobs that researchers at Oxford University say are at risk of being overtaken by robots in the next two decades. To learn more, visit pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

More than 331 million visits were made to America’s national parks last year—to hike stunning trails, drive scenic roads, and climb stairs in historic structures. But as the number of visitors has been growing, so have the maintenance needs for those trails, roads, and buildings. In this episode, The Pew Charitable Trusts explores that backlog of maintenance, which now totals more than $11.9 billion. Host Dan LeDuc speaks with Marcia Argust, director of Pew’s campaign to restore America’s parks; Phil Francis, a retired Blue Ridge Parkway superintendent who spent 40 years with the National Park Service (NPS); and Bryan Atchley, mayor of Sevierville, Tennessee, a gateway community to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To learn more, visit pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. (Sounds of nature recorded by the NPS’ Jennifer Jerrett and Montana State University’s Acoustic Atlas.)

While concern about childhood immunization stirs debate, Pew Research Center finds that the vast majority of Americans—88 percent—believe that the benefits of vaccines outweigh the risks. In this episode, host Dan LeDuc discusses that data point and more on the study with Cary Funk, associate director of research on science and society at Pew Research Center. She is currently studying public attitudes about various scientific topics at the nonpartisan research organization, a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. To listen and to learn more, visit pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

States are finding new ways to get smart on crime and, in the process, changing how America views crime and punishment. After decades of rising prison populations, reforms in 33 states have helped cut the national incarceration rate by 13 percent since 2007. That data point drives this episode’s conversation about the new approaches, informed by research-based sentencing and corrections policies, that are slowing prison growth and helping communities become safer. Host Dan LeDuc speaks with Adam Gelb, director of Pew’s public safety performance project, as well as two leaders in South Carolina—state Senator Gerald Malloy (D), who has led his state’s reform efforts; and Bryan Stirling, state corrections director, who is implementing these transformative changes.

To listen and to learn more, visit pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.

Struggling to pay bills and set aside savings? You’re in good company: 92 percent of Americans say financial stability is more important to them than moving up the economic ladder. That’s just about everybody, and it makes for a new version of the American Dream.  In this episode, Erin Currier, who researches family financial security for The Pew Charitable Trusts, explains why, even during this time of economic recovery, so many people are still feeling uneasy.  To listen and to learn more about that research, visit pewtrusts.org/afterthefact. It’s about the data and trends shaping your world.

Join experts from The Pew Charitable Trusts and other special guests for the story behind the numbers and trends shaping some of society’s biggest challenges. Whether it’s data on the financial plight of American families or research on how to protect the environment, you’ll hear evidence-based—and nonpartisan—conversations as we go after the facts that can inform, enlighten, and expand your worldview.