After the Fact

America has a milestone birthday coming up: This July, the nation will turn 250. As many pause to reflect on the past 250 years, there's also an opportunity to think about our shared future. While political polarization remains one of the greatest challenges to our democracy, with 65% of Americans saying that they feel exhausted when thinking about politics because of deep partisan divisions, we h...

The U.S. housing shortage has rapidly increased rents in lower-income neighborhoods—making secure housing hard to find. But how does building high-end apartments address availability across income brackets? This episode of "After the Fact" explores new housing's ripple effects and its impact on affordability. The podcast team traces a chain of vacancies, starting with a new luxury apartment unit i...

With the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, the youngest generation of lawmakers is demonstrating how they're working together more effectively and rebuilding trust in U.S. democracy.  Layla Zaidane, who leads Future Caucus, shares how the organization supports millennial and Gen Z elected leaders in Congress and state legislatures who are collaborating on bipartisan policy solutions...

Meet the "barbie pig," "gummy squirrel," and "headless chicken monster": These fantastical-sounding nicknames belong to real creatures living in the deep sea—one of the most extreme environments on Earth. And taxonomists, the scientists who discover and name new species, are finding new life in the ocean with every expedition to its depths. In fact, the deep sea makes up 90% of the marine environm...

At Gallaudet University, one of the world's only universities designed to serve deaf and hard of hearing students, a groundbreaking project is underway: a campus-wide microgrid designed to power the entire school with sustainable energy. Gallaudet's microgrid can generate about 1.7 megawatts of electricity, putting its system on par with what it takes to power hundreds of homes in the United State...

One of the most powerful natural tools we have to protect our environment lives out of sight, just beneath the ocean surface: seagrass. It exists on every continent except Antarctica, serves as an essential habitat for fish, and defends coastlines from erosion while sequestering carbon that would otherwise contribute to a warming climate. In fact, scientists estimate that seagrass meadows are resp...

How much does it cost to protect a forest, an ocean, or an entire ecosystem? And where does that money come from? This special crossover episode between "After the Fact" and the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF's) "Nature Breaking" podcast dives into the topic of nature finance. And with an estimated $1.2 trillion needed annually by 2030 to halt biodiversity loss, this funding needs to be secured quickl...

Text message reminders help many of us manage our busy, day-to-day lives—especially for important appointments. But what happens when that appointment is a court date? These systems are often not digital and not set up to help people who forget or are missing information about their hearing. And the consequences for people missing their court date, even by accident, can escalate quickly. Pew's Mic...

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Americans are growing more concerned about the state of the nation's democracy. According to Pew Research Center, 80% of U.S. adults say that when it comes to major issues facing the country, Republican and Democratic voters don't just disagree on policies—they can't even agree on basic facts. So, what does it take to bridge divides during a t...

Getting a first smartphone has become a modern rite of passage for many children and teens. And with the rise of social media and the constant need to stay connected, today's kids are spending more time online than any other generation.  But parents are often just as glued to screens as their children, and many are concerned that their own tech habits are straining family relationships and affecti...

A cancer diagnosis can be devastating. And the chemotherapy that often follows can be particularly rigorous. The American Cancer Society projects that 2.1 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2026—but researchers are making major advances in cancer treatment and patient survival. Ziyang Zhang is a chemist and 2023 Pew-Stewart Scholar for Cancer Research who leads cu...

Last year, a devastating and deadly fire in Milwaukee forced residents to confront a painful reality: The places where many people can afford to live are often the least safe. As the United States faces a shortage of millions of homes, new research shows that the path to safer, more affordable housing may lie in modern multifamily buildings that are constructed with fire-resistant materials like s...

Each January brings legislators back to their statehouses, where budget decisions once again take center stage. In the past few years, state budgets have been bolstered by leftover pandemic-era federal aid. In fact, in 2023, federal dollars made up about 36% of state revenue. But in 2026, new federal policy changes are in play that will leave lawmakers with tough choices about how to balance their...

For the first time in history, the world has formally agreed to protect nearly half the planet. In September 2025, the United Nations ratified the high seas treaty, officially known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement—a landmark global pact to safeguard the parts of the ocean that lie beyond any one country's national jurisdiction. These vast waters—the high seas— cov...

In the heart of South America, the Chaco-Pantanal region holds the planet's largest tropical wetland. It's a place that's teeming with colorful birds, capybaras, anteaters, and even jaguars. Unlike the Amazon, this region has largely resisted deforestation, so conservation here is about preservation, not restoration. Take a trip with us in this episode of "After the Fact," in which Amelia Moura an...

As America approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, Ken Burns offers the nation his latest documentary, "The American Revolution." In a conversation with "After the Fact," the acclaimed documentarian discusses the making of the six-part film, which premieres on PBS on Nov. 16. He explains that the Revolution required the bringing together of people of all stripes, from farmers and shopkee...

Millions of Americans are behind on their retirement savings goals, and nearly 70% of those already retired wish they had started saving earlier. But Gen Z, the latest generation to enter the workforce, is an outlier, with the data showing that they are saving more than millennials and putting new emphasis on planning for the future. What gives? In this episode of "After the Fact," John Scott, who...

While opioid use disorder dominates headlines, alcohol quietly remains America's most problematic—and overlooked—drug. Nearly 30 million people are estimated to have alcohol use disorder. In this episode of "After the Fact," Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, an addiction medicine specialist, and Pew's Frances McGaffey discuss the latest trends related to alcohol use, its normalization in American cu...

The ocean's coral reefs support an estimated 25% of all known marine life yet are threatened by rising ocean temperatures and bleaching. In this "After the Fact" episode from our recurring "From Lab to Life" series, we look at ways scientists are pioneering efforts to save corals. Phillip Cleves is a marine scientist who researches ways to restore and protect these important ecosystems. From his l...

As home prices continue to climb, many Americans are seeking more affordable options. And manufactured homes could be the solution. A new manufactured home installed on a foundation costs 35% to 73% as much as a similar site-built home. In this episode, Rachel Siegel from Pew's housing policy initiative explains the advantages of buying a manufactured home and debunks old stereotypes that inform t...

The way Americans consume information is evolving fast, and younger Americans are increasingly turning to nontraditional sources for their news. According to Pew Research Center, 39% of adults under 30 regularly get their news from influencers rather than traditional outlets. In this episode of "After the Fact," we explore what this shift means for trust in journalism, the role of social media in...

Take a road trip with us this summer as we revisit one of America's most iconic landscapes: the Grand Canyon. This episode originally aired in 2019 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Grand Canyon's designation as a national park. In this episode, host Dan LeDuc explores the beauty and geological history of this natural wonder with  Wayne Ranney , a geologist who has spent his career study...

In this episode, acclaimed documentarian Ken Burns offers us a look into his dynamic creative process and shares what inspires him to create powerful, enduring narratives of iconic historical figures and periods. Since this episode originally aired in 2020, Burns has captivated audiences with documentaries on Ernest Hemingway, Muhammad Ali, Benjamin Franklin, the U.S. and the Holocaust, and the Am...

This summer, we're taking another look at one of the peskiest and deadliest insects on the planet: the mosquito. Millions of people are infected each year by diseases transmitted through mosquito bites, such as dengue fever, yellow fever, and malaria. In this episode, which originally aired in 2019, mosquito expert Carolyn "Lindy" McBride , a 2015 Pew biomedical scholar , shares the science behind...

As artificial intelligence grows in popularity, new data centers must accommodate the systems' enormous need for energy. At the same time, household energy usage is rising throughout the United States. These increasing demands for electricity are stressing our nation's aging electric grid. In this episode of "After the Fact," we travel to Houston—the epicenter of the U.S. power industry—to talk wi...