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PODCAST

After the Fact

The Pew Charitable Trusts

After the Fact is a podcast from The Pew Charitable Trusts that brings you data and analysis on the issues that matter to you—from our environment and the sciences, to larger economic trends and public health. Experts from Pew and other special guests discuss the numbers and trends shaping some of society"s biggest challenges with host Dan LeDuc, then go behind the facts with nonpartisan analysis and stories.

government politics

All Episodes

20:19

Gen Z Vibes on Retirement

After the Fact ·

2025/10/31

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 directs Pew's retirement savings project, explains new ways people can save more and earlier. And

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23:12

America’s Most Problematic Drug Is Alcohol

After the Fact ·

2025/10/17

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 culture, and the evolving science behind its risks.

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13:27

From Lab to Life: How to Heat-Proof Coral Reefs

After the Fact ·

2025/10/03

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 lab at the Carnegie Institution for Science at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, he describes

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12:54

The Case for Manufactured Housing

After the Fact ·

2025/09/19

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 the outdated zoning and titling laws that limit access to these types of houses.

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18:32

From Headlines to Hashtags: How Americans Are...

After the Fact ·

2025/09/05

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 shaping public opinion, and how news organizations are responding to this changing landscape. Drawing

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14:59

The Grand Canyon National Park Turns 100

After the Fact ·

2025/08/15

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 studying the canyon.

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26:31

Ken Burns: ‘America’s Storyteller’ on His Creative...

After the Fact ·

2025/08/01

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 American buffalo as well as Burns’ first non-American figure and topic: Leonardo da Vinci. This fall, he

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14:45

Scientists at Work: Why Do Mosquitoes Bite You?

After the Fact ·

2025/07/18

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 why you may be more susceptible than other people to their bites.

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25:44

Keeping the Lights on in the Age of AI

After the Fact ·

2025/07/11

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 with experts, journalists, and electricity providers about why investments in modernizing the grid are

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19:33

Scientists at Work: The Wonder of Blue Whales

After the Fact ·

2025/06/20

Because of their massive size, blue whales are known as the ocean’s “gentle giants.” They are vital to the ocean ecosystem, but their numbers are declining. In this episode, 2016 Pew marine fellow Dr. Asha de Vos unpacks the significance of blue whales to our ocean’s health and how effects from human activity, such as increased shipping and the whale-watching industry, influence the blue whale’s population and migratory pattern. Since this episode first aired in 2019, de Vos has continued

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21:25

From Lab to Life: We Need to Talk About Fish

After the Fact ·

2025/06/06

Have you tried to figure out whether the fish you eat is sustainably sourced? At least 1 in 5 fish caught in the global ocean is a product of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing—one of the main threats to the health of the ocean. In this episode, part of our “From Lab to Life” series, we hear from Grantly Galland, who supports The Pew Charitable Trusts’ work on fisheries around the world. Grant tells us about his previous career as a fish biologist and researcher and how he traded in

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10:57

What Philadelphia Can Teach Us About Homeownership

After the Fact ·

2025/05/22

Each year, The Pew Charitable Trusts releases the “State of the City” report, which offers a data-rich snapshot of Pew’s hometown, Philadelphia. In this episode, Katie Martin, who leads Pew’s Philadelphia research and policy initiative, breaks down the highlights from the 2025 edition. She discusses the city’s successes, such as the decrease in poverty—at 20.3%, it’s the lowest it’s been in more than two decades—and its ongoing challenges, including the decline in homeownership, and how this

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19:29

Are the Kids All Right?

After the Fact ·

2025/05/09

According to Pew Research Center, 55% of U.S. parents report being extremely or very concerned about the mental health of teens today. And several factors are driving that concern: increased influence of technology and social media, lingering effects of the pandemic, and social pressures like extracurricular activities and academic performance. Substance use is also linked with mental health and is occurring at younger ages with a rise in youth overdoses. Mental health wellness and prevention

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17:33

Why Didn’t the Elk Cross the Road?

After the Fact ·

2025/04/25

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19:31

Can State Budgets Withstand Natural Disasters?

After the Fact ·

2025/04/11

Story: Wildfires have once again made headlines, highlighting the growing intensity and frequency of natural disasters across the United States. And these disasters leave more than destruction in their wake; they have lasting effects on communities, including expensive recovery bills. In fact, 2024 was the fourth-costliest year on record with 27 natural disasters that resulted in at least $1 billion in damage each. In this episode of “After the Fact,” we speak to Pew’s Colin Foard and Caitlyn

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14:54

From Lab to Life: The Forgotten Organ That Built You

After the Fact ·

2025/03/28

Stat: 1/3: Placental-related disorders, such as miscarriage and pre-eclampsia, affect around a third of human pregnancies. Story: The placenta is a temporary yet vital organ that can have long-term effects on the lives of babies and mothers. But it’s often discarded and remains an understudied part of pregnancy. In this episode of our “From Lab to Life” series, Geetu Tuteja describes how her lab at Iowa State University is working to better understand the placenta’s functions and why

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18:54

Turning Surplus Food into Millions of Meals

After the Fact ·

2025/03/14

Stat: 40%: Up to 40% of the food supply in the United States is wasted each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Story: When you see the perfect displays of produce in grocery stores, do you ever wonder whether it’s all sold before it spoils? It isn’t, and stores often pay to send unpurchased produce to landfills. In this episode of “After the Fact,” Evan Ehlers, founder of Sharing Excess, shares how his organization is working to solve what he calls “the world’s dumbest

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20:18

How Student Loans Shape Financial Futures

After the Fact ·

2025/02/28

Stat: $1.6 trillion: The amount that Americans collectively owe in student loan debt. Story: In the United States, getting a college degree is often seen as a pathway to a prosperous future. But since the 1980s, the price of college has skyrocketed, leaving millions of students to rely on federal loans to help cover the cost. Now, many borrowers face high monthly payments that are difficult to afford while balancing necessities like food, housing, and health care. In this episode of “After the

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20:08

Living Longer: Our 100-Year Life

After the Fact ·

2025/01/31

More people are living longer. According to Pew Research Center, within the next 30 years, the population of Americans age 100 and over is expected to increase more than fourfold. With an aging population, how will the stages of our lives shift and expand? In this episode from 2019, Andrew Scott, longevity expert and economics professor at the London Business School, discusses what individuals and society can consider about the challenges and opportunities of living longer for. One upside,

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23:23

A Conversation With Hank Green

After the Fact ·

2025/01/17

Stat: 45%: The share of U.S. adults who describe research scientists as good communicators. Story: How does good communication help build trust in science? In this episode of “After the Fact,” we sit down with Hank Green—a science communicator and “internet guy” with over 30 million subscribers across his YouTube channels—to help answer this question. Green reflects on how his 2023 Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis inspired him to better connect with his audience and educate them about the science

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211 results

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