America's Most Problematic Drug Is Alcohol

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.

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 how studying coral genetics can help uncover solutions to protect marine health—and how this research can advance human health too.

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policy initiative explains the advantages of buying a manufactured home and debunks old stereotypes that inform the outdated zoning and titling laws that limit access to these types of houses.

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 on analysis from the Center and the Pew-Knight Initiative, we hear from a news researcher, Michael Lipka, and a content creator, Mosheh Oinounou, on how the lines between entertainment, opinion, and information are blurring, and what it means for the future of an informed public.

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.  

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 will release a new series on PBS about the American Revolution and how the nation's founding turned the world upside down.

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.

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 necessary for preventing higher energy bills for consumers, or worse, blackouts that leave communities in the dark. We also explore how innovative solutions such as tapping into battery storage and "microgrids" could connect nearly 2,600 gigawatts of alternative energy capacity to the grid, which would double the nation's available power supply.

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 conservation efforts through her organization, Oceanswell, and has advanced research on the effects of plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

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 his wetsuit for a business suit to support policies leading to more sustainable fish stocks and to protect the marine environment from overfishing.