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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported last year that there's around $88 billion of medical debt in collections, and about 43 million Americans have medical debt on their credit report.

Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – three major credit reporting companies in the U.S. – have eased how much medical debt impacts someone's credit score. The companies no longer include medical debt that is paid off or less than a year old on a report.

But a medical bill can be plenty stressful before it goes to a debt collector. People often turn to crowdfunding sources like GoFundMe to help pay those costs when they get them.

We continue our series with Bloomberg News with a discussion about medical debt in the U.S. and how we deal with it.

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Credit cards seem like a great deal. But interest rates, late fees, and the cycle of debt can come back to bite cardholders.

Nearly half of U.S. credit card owners had an average of more than $5,200 in outstanding debt in 2022.

Credit card debt overall is at a historic high. In the last three months of 2022, credit card balances in the U.S. rose from $61 billion to nearly $990 billion according to the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. It's likely to surpass $1 trillion this year.

We discuss why credit card debt is so high and what cardholders can do to break the cycle of debt.

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Congressional leaders will meet with President Joe Biden next week to discuss the federal debt ceiling as they face a looming deadline to avoid a default on U.S. debt obligations.

The Treasury Department has warned that if an agreement isn't reached prior to June 1, there could be severe implications for global markets and the U.S. economy.

The federal debt ceiling has been in place for more than a hundred years. But it's been the subject of consistent conflicts internally between congressional leaders and the White House for more than a decade now.

We discuss debt ceiling and potential solutions to avoid a government default. It's the first installment of our ongoing series with Bloomberg: Life and Debt.

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It made for an unlikely hit in 1966.

The authentic Chicago blues sound of "Wang Dang Doodle" packed a punch and put a hole through the popular and poppier tunes at the time.

Koko Taylor was born Cora Walton in Tennessee in 1935. For this song, she teamed up with blues composer, bassist, and producer Willie Dixon.

She was backed by a team that included Buddy Guy and a cast of characters featuring "Automatic Slim" and "Razor Totin' Jim."Taylor went on to become one of the great voices of Chicago Blues. But what is a "Wang Dang Doodle?"

We hear from singer Bonnie Raitt, actor Dan Akroyd, artist Shemekia Copeland, and producer Bruce Iglauer.

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Border restrictions put into place during the pandemic ended this week. The controversial policy known as Title 42 expired on May 11, and states on the Southern border are preparing for a surge of migrants.

Republican Congressman from New York George Santos turned himself in this week to authorities over charges of stealing money from his campaign, lying to donors, and lying to Congress.

Former President Donald Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll by a New York jury this week.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces broke through advancing Russian forces near the city of Bakhmut. The Pentagon announced another $1.2 billion in aid for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's forces.

We cover all this and more during the News Roundup.

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"Um, like, literally, you know?"If those words sound to you like nails on a chalkboard, you're not alone. At NPR, we get lots of messages from listeners critiquing the way our hosts, reporters, and guests speak.

Why does what we say and how we say it irk so many so much?

Language norms are standardized over time, most often by groups with the most power in society. Words that some dismiss often have greater meaning, value, and history than you might expect.

We talk to sociolinguist Valerie Fridland about why she's arguing for the good in so-called bad English.

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Abortions are now illegal in 12 states, according to the Guttmacher Institute. That means many pregnant people now have to travel hundreds of miles to get an abortion.

When Roe v. Wade was still the law of the land, it took on average 30 minutes for an abortion patient to get to a clinic. Now it takes an hour and ten minutes, according to a 2022 study from the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Abortion patients now have to go to "safe haven" states like Kansas. But can these states keep up with the increased demand?

We discuss safe haven states, and how grassroots groups are helping those seeking abortions get there.

This conversation is part of our Remaking America collaboration with six public radio stations around the country. The series explores Americans' trust in institutions and the health of our democracy.

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The AR-15 is the best-selling rifle in America.

According to polling by The Washington Post and Ipsos, about 1 in 20 adults, or roughly 16 million people in the U.S., own an AR-15.

It's been used in 10 of the 17 most deadly mass shootings in the United States since 2012. And while they weren't initially designed for civilian use, they've become a powerful symbol for pro-gun advocates.

We get into the rise and history of the AR-15, and how its cultural legacy impacts the gun law debate.

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It's been more than a week since the 11,500 television and film writers that make up the Writers Guild of America have gone on strike.

Thousands of writers have joined picket lines to demand higher compensation, increase the number of writers hired per show, and regulation on how networks and streaming companies can use artificial intelligence.

This is the first writer's strike in 15 years. The last strike lasted 100 days. Many industry analysts believe this one could last even longer given the number of production companies involved in the negotiating process and their varied demands.

We assemble a panel of writers, academics, and industry experts to discuss the strike and how it could impact the future of film and television.

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Diamonds are more than just pretty objects. Passed down over centuries, they can tell the story of their pasts. But that story isn't always a happy one.

For many South Asians, the diamond that invokes this painful colonial history is the Kohinoor diamond.

It's one of the largest diamonds in the world. And it was taken during British colonial rule in the 19th century from what is now modern-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Today, the diamond belongs to the British royal family. But the death of Queen Elizabeth last September revived calls for its return.

We discuss how artifacts taken during colonial periods should be handled in modern times, and what empires owe the people they've colonized.

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