Recent Programs

  • Steps to Recovery
    90 years ago Alcoholics Anonymous was born, when a troubled drunkard realized that connecting with fellow-sufferers creates a safe zone where they can stay sober. That insight has saved millions of lives worldwide – all at no charge.
  • Adults Learning to Read
    About half of American adults read at or below a 6th-grade level. What challenges do they face – at work, in health care, when helping children with schoolwork? And how does the profusion of low-information voters affect our democracy?
  • The Lost Cause
    Are we still living with the racial divide left over from the Civil War? Has it resurfaced today in the rise of white nationalism, election denial and the surge of anti-immigrant sentiment?
  • Protecting the Public
    This is the intriguing story of how, in some venues, public safety is being expanded to include not just police and fire services but also social workers and other professionals.
  • The Rights of Civilians
    Can the rule of law protect innocent men, women and children? Learn about the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The prosecutor seeks indictments of both Hamas and Israeli leaders. And hear the history of war crimes tribunals.
  • The Diet-Climate Connection
    Agriculture is a huge emitter of greenhouse gases associated with climate change. Medical experts recommend that our diets emphasize many of the same tasty foods that scientists regard as most climate-friendly.

Staff Picks

  • Resilient Nurses
    A no-holds-barred look at the stressful conditions in which many nurses work: the long hours, the emotional toll, the rapid pace, and the way that technology and institutional practices can make it hard to form a caring bond with patients.
  • The Freed People
    The United States faced an unprecedented refugee crisis a century and a half ago: 4 million slaves were emancipated, primarily from plantations where they’d been held captive. Most possessed no more than the clothes on their backs and were now suddenly homeless and jobless. In the chaos following the bloody Civil War, where would they…
  • Libraries Reimagined
    In 2019 Americans visited the library more often than they went to a movie or attended a sporting event. But far from institutions of the past, libraries today are rapidly evolving, ensuring free access to knowledge and protecting democracy.

Producer’s Note

  • Tributes are pouring in for Bill Moyers

    Although I met Bill only once for an interview, he was one of my journalistic role models. He fearlessly spoke the truth for decades on PBS-TV about hot topics such as the war in Iraq, the reality of climate change and the corrupting influence of money in politics. But he also made room for subjects that touched the human spirit, including a history of the inspiring hymn, Amazing Grace. Many people didn’t know he was a pastor and had once served as President Lyndon Johnson’s press secretary. Bill Moyers died last week at age 91. A great voice has now gone silent. May he receive that Grace.