Quil Lawrence

Los Angeles has one of the nation's worst rates of homeless veterans, but its Veterans Affairs campus doesn't support many of them. Instead it has gardens, a baseball stadium ... but that may change.

Researchers say putting guns out of reach reduces the chances that suicidal veterans could take their own lives, but changing the law is a controversial idea.

There's no clear consensus on why veterans' suicide is on the rise. There is a consensus on how to prevent it: take away their guns. But that may not be a viable suggestion politically.

This week's Call-In is about the Department of Veterans Affairs: stories from veterans about getting health care and ideas for reforming the whole agency.

Veterans have a significantly higher rate of suicide than civilians. The numbers for female veterans, however, are two to five times higher than their civilian counterparts.

Veterans Affairs has a program to pay family members who care for veterans with disabilities. Several caregivers say they have been dropped without explanation; the VA says it is not cutting back.

The combination of a GOP controlled government and a secretary held over from the Obama administration may have created an opportunity for progress at the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs.

The State Department is running out of visas to offer Afghans who worked with American troops, and the prospects appear dim for offering more. The end of the visa program for Afghans is taking place at the same time the U.S. is tightening other restrictions on travel, especially from mostly-Muslim countries.

Senators unanimously voted to confirm VA Health Undersecretary Dr. David Shulkin as full secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. He's a rare Trump holdover from the Obama administration.

Veterans Affairs secretary nominee David Shulkin faces his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. The session follows reports by NPR that document shortcomings in the longstanding attempts to improve the way the VA provides care, and promises by President Trump to further privatize its health services.

An NPR investigation examines reasons why it's hard to bring new medical personnel into the VA, including a cumbersome hiring process.

Money from the Veterans Choice Act, which was meant to improve medical staffing levels at VA health centers, has had little impact on hiring numbers and how quickly vets get access to medical care.

If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, some of those left uninsured will be veterans. They may turn to the VA, further burdening a troubled health care system.

Advocates were surprised that Trump chose top VA official David Shulkin as his pick to run the full department. What concerns them is Trump's support for increasing the privatization of VA services.

President-elect Donald Trump says he has nominated Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Health David Shulkin to become secretary of the department in his administration.

Veterans say the public jumps to inaccurate conclusions about combat veterans when vets are involved in mass shootings. Statistics show veterans are less likely to be involved in crime than civilians.

A Marine-turned-cop was fired after he did not shoot a man who had a gun. His Marine training led him to believe there wasn't clear hostile intent; his bosses say he risked other officers' lives.

There's no evidence to support it, but the conspiracy theory that President Franklin Roosevelt knew beforehand about Pearl Harbor refuses to die, to the consternation of World War II historians.

President-elect Trump's transition officials have scheduled a "listening session" for Thursday with veterans advocates, including the American Legion and other groups. It's playing out following big promises by Trump to overhaul the workings of veterans care in the U.S. and continuing discussion about his potential appointment to run the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Nashville singer-songwriter Becky Warren penned an album inspired by her former marriage to an Iraq veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder. On this Veterans Day, her goal was to help people understand what it's like to go through a deployment and deal with its aftermath.