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.