After The Fact

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 >>> pew

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