In 2022, the United States dealt with the Omicron surge, saw a major land war in Europe and witnessed a Supreme Court decision that reversed 50 years of precedent. Dr. Evelyn Farkas breaks down these stories and discusses the 2022 Story of the Year.

Some mysteries are never solved, but Casey Parks says some, like the one she writes about, can shed light on profound questions of gender and identity and fundamental questions about how we treat each other as human beings.

In the summer of 2016, Seth Rich, a young employee of the Democratic National Committee, was murdered in Washington, D.C. His death became fertile ground for conspiracy theories peddled by some Americans and certain foreign intelligence services. Andy Kroll gives us the truth about what happened that night and what those conspiracy theories have cost us.

Throughout American history, leadership has played an important role, and it continues to matter as we grapple with the lingering effect of the pandemic, intractable political disputes, and disputes about the integrity of American elections. Despite all this, David Gergen pins his hope on the public leaders who he believes can lead the country to a brighter future.

The threats to American democracy seem to grow every day, not from some external threat, but from within: revelations about the January 6 insurrection, gerrymandered Congressional districts and even restrictions on voting rights proposed or in place across the country. Marc Morial helps document those threats to American democracy and offers lessons about how citizens can resist them.

Too frequently, the captions flash across the lower third of the television screen: another mass shooting; more innocent lives cut short. The debate in the following days follows a well-worn script of hopeless resignation and incensed outrage. But Mark Follman says there are techniques and methods already in use that successfully prevent mass shootings.

If patterns hold, the 2022 mid-term elections will offer a course correction after two years of the Biden Presidency. Jeremy Wallace assesses the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade this summer, President Biden’s recent legislative successes, and whether improving gas prices around the country might just lead to some surprises in November.

Nowadays, science is often reduced to facts, data and analysis which can seem impersonal and cold. But science journalist Mark Johnson brings the human capacity for empathy to his reporting. He has become known within the industry as someone who brings great knowledge and great empathy to his scientific coverage.