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In this episode of Deep Dive, Laura Arnold sits down with three guests — Tarra Simmons of the Civil Survival Project, Dana Berliner of the Institute for Justice, and Reuben Jonathan Miller of the University of Chicago — to examine the vast and complex web of legal barriers and exclusions that people with criminal records face, the way these barriers reinforce racial inequity, and the implications for society writ large.

Among those who start a full-time, four-year undergraduate degree, nearly 40 percent drop out — rates that are even worse for marginalized students. The billions of dollars the U.S. spends on higher education isn’t translating into equitable economic opportunity. Why?

Mass shootings like the ones that happened in Boulder and Atlanta in March have long spurred demands for gun control. But despite dozens of shootings in recent years and majority support for tougher gun laws, the federal government hasn’t taken action. Is this moment any different?

Systemic flaws in our electoral systems are helping push people to political extremes. Laura Arnold, co-founder and co-chair of Arnold Ventures, sits down with leading democracy reformer Katherine Gehl to examine the dysfunction in our democracy and identify solutions.

U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar has seen firsthand ​“the miracle of a transplant,” so he’s passionate about a Trump administration mandate to improve the nation’s woefully inadequate organ donation system, saving thousands of lives and billions of taxpayer dollars.

The GI Bill has been in place for 75 years, and while it has helped countless veterans buy a home or start a business, its track record in higher education has come under scrutiny.

It’s a heated debate that’s unfolding at the federal, state, and local levels. What is the appropriate minimum wage that employers must pay their workers in the United States? In this episode, we take a closer look at the ​“fight for $15” and whether mandatory wage increases are a benefit to workers or a jobs killer.

Gerrymandering has a complex legacy, but grass-roots efforts are forging a path to a fair process that benefits democracy, not the party in power. We explore the legal landscape for gerrymandering and the future of efforts to redraw political maps in a way that supports democracy.

From high-profile lawsuits against ITT Tech to the dramatic failure of the Dream Center chain, college closures are a warning sign of big failures in higher education. In the next episode of our podcast, ​“Deep Dive with Laura Arnold,” we talk to experts about the need to hold schools accountable, make real investments in community colleges, and put more information in the hands of students.