The firm grip of inequality.

Coming up on today’s show:

• According to a new study, income gains for the middle class have stayed relatively stagnant since 1980. Nobel Prize-winning economist Angus Deaton discusses how inequality has created two Americas.

• Gregg Fore, president of Dicor Corp., a manufacturer and distributor of components that are used in RVs, has open jobs, but he just can fill them. As the opioid crisis reaches a critical level, workers are having a hard time passing drug tests, and this trend is having a broader effect on businesses. 

• Andrew Cohen, senior editor at The Marshall Project and the author of Case in Point, looks at the case of Victor Rosario, a man who spent 32 years in prison for a deadly fire. Cohen explains why his conviction was ultimately overturned.

• Former Republican California State Assembly Leader Pat Nolan is a conservative was once a staunch law and order and tough on crime politician. Nolan, who is currently the director of The American Conservative Union, changed his tune on prison reform after finding himself behind bars for two years. 

• As The Takeaway says goodbye to John Hockenberry, we revisit the story of Bernice Osborne Pollard, a Boston-area caregiver, who along with her family, once cared for her mother Mary at home. Mary, who had Alzheimer’s, died last year. Bernice’s story highlights the difficult challenges that millions of caregivers face. 

• Musician and singer Jack Grace joins the program to discuss his latest studio album, “Everything I Say is a Lie,” looks back at his time as a regular on The Takeaway.