Triggered

We begin with an epic Constitutional battle in Virginia that’s drawing national attention. Inside of two months, nearly every county in the state has passed new measures supporting Constitutional gun rights. The effort culminated with a massive, peaceful rally at the state capitol this past week where the Governor declared a state of emergency and warned there could be violence. We investigate what triggered a movement that is now being watched by both sides across the U. S.

The Lead Crisis

Mention the city “Flint” Michigan and many remember a city water system dangerously contaminated with lead and a government response that failed residents. But what you may not know is cities in every state are grappling with water safety problems-- some worse than Flint. Scott Thuman reports from one such place... Newark, New Jersey... where there are national implications. Sabre Bee doesn't like to take chances.

Loserthink

Most anyone who’s worked in an office setting with cubicles and an idiot boss can relate to the comic strip Dilbert, created by Scott Adams. Now, Adams has some advice for all of us in a new book about how to get outside our bubble and become a respected thinker. Lisa Fletcher sat down with him in California to talk about his latest book calledLoserthink: How Untrained Brains are Ruining America. Lisa: Describe the meaning of the title. Scott Adams:So loser think is a word I made up.

The Caribbean Border

We begin with an examination of a U. S. border that you might not have given much thought to. Like our Southern border with Mexico, it’s the target of nonstop efforts by drug traffickers, human smugglers and possibly even terrorists. But this U. S. border is in the Caribbean. And the job of guarding it is arguably even more complicated. Our Caribbean journey begins at the San Juan, Puerto Rico seaport with a ferry that comes in three times a week from the Dominican Republic.

The Unknowns

We are approaching the 20th anniversary of a spike in illegal immigrant remains found in the southern Arizona desert. Today, we look at a special effort to identify them also entering its 20th year. Dr. Greg Hess has led the effort for the past dozen or so years. He’s a forensic pathologist and chief medical examiner for Pima County in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Hess: This is an example of a skeletal remains that you knew we'd find out in the environment that we've been talking about.

Free Filing

Earlier this year, The IRS announced new changes in a program that was supposed to provide free tax preparation to millions... a deal the IRS cut years ago with big tax firms. If they’d offer free help, the IRS agreed not to build its own software to do it. Turns out the free help has been too hard to find and often steered people to paid services. Paul Kiel of Propublica investigated.

The Kids

We begin with an important border issue you probably don’t know much about. Under longstanding federal policy, when underage kids are caught smuggling drugs from Mexico into the U. S. , they’re usually let go with no consequences. Not surprisingly, that’s prompted Mexico’s drug cartels to increasingly rely on children to move their illegal products. Sometimes, the children are brutalized. Today’s cover story is how one border county has gotten creative to interrupt the destructive dynamic.