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The Census Bureau announced that 15 percent of Americans lived in poverty in 2011 — a slight drop from the year before. But income disparities continue to grow. Host Michel Martin talks with Harvard professor William Julius Wilson, author of the 1987 book The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy.

African-American teen Trayvon Martin was shot while unarmed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer who claimed self-defense. For one reaction to the shooting, host Michel Martin speaks with GlobalGrind.com's Michael Skolnik, who is white and says the only thing that made Martin look suspicious was the color of his skin.

Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep and NPR reporters give a "close read" of President Obama's State of the Union speech. In some cases they are checking facts. In others, they are asking what some parts of the speech really mean.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is open about how she benefited from affirmative action, how she came to terms with her diabetes and the "out-of-body experience" of being appointed to the high court. Sotomayor spoke with NPR just before the release of her new autobiography.

Everyone is prone to make gaffes on Twitter, including angry statements made in the "tweet" of the moment. But a new project aims to keep an eye on politicians who try to delete those gaffes. The Sunlight Foundation is following and archiving the tweets of hundreds of politicians. Host Michel Martin speaks with the Sunlight Foundation's Tom Lee.

Adm. Michael Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, and NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talk about the state of cybersecurity, the recent hacking into Democratic Party systems and ISIS strategy.

The Pap smear has dramatically decreased rates of cervical cancer, but testing too often has a downside, too. Many women say they aren't yet ready to follow new guidelines and skip the annual tests.

Following months on a collision course, the White House and the special counsel's office are on track for a standoff that could take Washington, D.C., into terra incognita.

More than a dozen states offer what are known as free college programs. But a new review finds states vary wildly in how they define both "free" and "college."

The former first lady's new book is a story about her history, how that influenced who she is — and learning to adapt after agreeing to let that life be hijacked by politics.