TRANSCRIPT: In their annual letter and in this interview with Takeaway Host John Hockenberry, Bill and Melinda Gates examine three particular myths: That poor countries are doomed to stay poor, that foreign aid is wasteful, and that saving lives leads to overpopulation. Here you will find a full transcript of their interview, along with the audio clip.

Since launching their foundation in 2000, Bill and Melinda Gates have granted nearly $30 billion to organizations and individuals working to eradicate poverty. In an interview on Tuesday with Takeaway host John Hockenberry, the couple talk about why poor countries aren't doomed to stay poor.

Diabetes is quickly on the raise in Mississippi, with potentially a third of the population suffering with the disease by 2030. For the underfunded and under-resourced, the state of Mississippi is now looking toward community leaders to make health changes for residents at the local level. Dr. Michael Minor, the reverend at the Oak Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Hernado, MS, explains how his congregation is fighting obesity and diabetes.

How did America’s water system get the way it is today? Martin Melosi, author of The Sanitary City and professor of history at the University of Houston, explains. Jennifer Weidhaas, assistant professor of Environmental Engineering at West Virginia University; Mark Davis, director of the Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy at Tulane University Law School; and David Soll, Assistant Professor in the Watershed Institute for Collaborative Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, provide a snapshot of what the water is like in three different regions of the U.S.

Since Monday, the ban on tap water following the Elk River chemical spill in West Virginia has been lifted incrementally. Though the taps have started running and the cameras have begun to head home, the story is not over. Since officials began clearing the water for use, dozens of residents have reported symptoms chemical exposure. Joining The Takeaway is Dr. Elizabeth Brown, a Charleston-based general practitioner who has been treating victims of the chemical spill.

Why Fortune 500 companies will end up becoming leaders in innovation—not tech start-ups like we are seeing today...In Detroit, a group of local and national philanthropists have put together a $330 million deal to save the Detroit Institute of Art collection...In Russia, 1.3 million have the life-threatening virus that causes AIDS. A look at Russia's HIV epidemic....

This year, Congress is determined to find a permanent solution for the dysfunctional Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, otherwise known as the S.G.R. Enacted as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997,the S.G.R. was intended to restrain Medicare’s spending on physician services, but it hasn’t exactly worked as planned. Joining The Takeaway to explain is Jennifer Haberkorn, health care reporter for Politico, and Dr. Reid Blackwelder, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

As 2013 winds down, Takeaway listeners are sharing their resolutions for the year to come. The most popular New Year's Resolutions usually revolve around diet and exercise. Barry Popkin, distinguished professor of public health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, examines the most practical ways to get healthier in 2014, through diet and exercise. 

In the last month, there's been a huge uptick in people signing up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In New York, about 4,500 people have been signing up each day. In California, that number is 15,000. By tomorrow, the numbers will likely be much bigger. That's because tomorrow is the last day to sign up for health insurance through HealthCare.gov, for coverage beginning January 1st. Mary Agnes Carey, Senior Correspondent for Kaiser Health News, explains more about today's deadline and other crucial Obamacare facts.

With medical marijuana legal in 20 states and recreational pot legal in Washington and Colorado, the national conversation around marijuana is changing rapidly. And many are wary about what this means for teens. Roger Roffman, a Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington School of Social Work, helps us wade through this shifting culture around marijuana and what it means for adolescents. Alex Szablya Ramdin, a Washington state parent of two kids, weighs in on how the conversation is changing.

More than 5 million Americans suffer with Alzheimer’s disease and by 2050 that number is expected to nearly triple. All this week, our partner WGBH has been exploring efforts by leading researchers in labs around the country who are trying to find better treatments and ultimately a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The Takeaway talks with WGBH and WCAI senior reporter and editor, Sean Corcoran about his series: "Desperate for a Cure: The Search for New Alzheimer's Treatments."    

Today governors of eight Northeastern states plan to petition the Environmental Protection Agency to force tighter air pollution regulations on nine Rust Belt and Appalachian states. The petition comes the day before the Supreme Court is to hear arguments to determine the fate of a related E.P.A. regulation known as the “good neighbor” rule. Joining The Takeaway to explain is Coral Davenport, reporter for our partner The New York Times.

Fast food appealing for so many Americans is because it’s often significantly cheaper than fresh, healthy equivalents. A new study offers one model of how to change that. By offering food stamp users a rebate of 30 cents for every dollar of fresh fruits and vegetables they purchased, the researchers were able to incentivize food stamp users to eat more vegetables and fruits by a full 25 percent. Diane Schanzenbach, Associate Professor in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, authored the study.