Host of 'Reveal'
Al Letson is a playwright, performance poet and actor. He is also the host of Reveal and host and executive producer of State of the Re:Union, one of the fastest-growing public radio programs, airing on more than 200 stations and winner of a 2013 Edward R. Murrow Award in the news documentary category.
Fall Fundraising Special 2017 Reveal explores our planetary thirst for fresh sources of water, food scientists trying to change what we eat, and the implications of a barrier wall that would span the entire US-Mexico border.
Running from cops: From the streets to the courts In cities across America, black men are on the run. On April 4, 2015, in South Carolina, Walter Scott was killed while running away from a police officer. Eight days later, Freddie Gray ran from police in Baltimore. He was caught and later died in custody. On this episode of Reveal, we team up with WYPR to explore the consequences of fleeing from the police through two stories, both set in Baltimore.
Hate on the march: White nationalism in the Trump era In the wake of the protests by neo-Nazis and white supremacists that turned deadly in Charlottesville, Virginia, President Donald Trump has come under fire for not immediately and clearly condemning American racists. It’s not the first time. Trump and those close to him have often played down the threat of violence committed by white supremacists across the country.
The mystery of Mountain Jane Doe Investigators dig up an unidentified murder victim, 45 years after she was buried, in an attempt to give her back her name. This Reveal story is one of thousands from the crisis of America's unidentified dead.
No country for sanctuary seekers President Donald Trump has promised to withdraw federal money from jurisdictions that do not help immigration agents find and deport people living illegally in this country. This week, we look into places that offer sanctuary to those immigrants – and what the conflict between federal and local policies means for them.
Her own devices: Is a contraceptive implant making us sick? Women with limited access to abortions are traveling across borders to find a drug to induce miscarriages. Anti-abortion groups are opening crisis pregnancy centers across from abortion clinics to persuade women to keep their babies. And one company offers permanent birth control through the insertion of a simple device – that's ended up causing health complications for thousands. Pregnancy and the ways people try to prevent it, end it and save it.
Deadly waters Reveal investigates how lax safety has been allowed to persist at shipyards that thrive on military contracts.
No place to run In Texas, the foster care system is failing the vulnerable children it's meant to protect, leaving them without a safe place to live. Many end up on the streets or in jail, which is one of the few places where they can receive treatment services. This week we look into the crisis in foster care, and efforts to fix it.
Trial and terror President Donald Trump has used the threat of foreign-born terrorists to justify his travel ban – but since 9/11, nearly every terrorist attack in the United States has come from within. We investigate which domestic terror episodes get tracked and why.
Update: America's ring of fire Wildfires are getting bigger, more expensive to fight and closer than ever to where people live. Reveal examines how wildfires got so dangerous – and how some areas are fighting back.
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?