Here & Now

The Trump administration came through on its promise to pay Transportation Security Administration workers, with officers receiving a deposit into their accounts on Monday. But Aaron Barker, local AFGE union leader, explains how his first paycheck in weeks was lacking.Then, along with the war Israel and the U.S. are waging in Iran, Israel has been striking southern Lebanon. Reporter Borzou Daragahi details how the war is expanding across the Middle East.And, college is expensive. Is a four-year degree still worth it? And what can you do to save money for when that acceptance letter comes? CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger answers those questions and more.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

More than 100 years ago, miners in Tonopah, Nev., risked their lives to pull a fortune of silver and gold from the nearby mountains. The mines are quiet now, but Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd visited the town of a little more than 2,000 people to learn why residents are betting that another boom is on the horizon.Then, O'Dowd heads to Las Vegas to understand the “desperate cry” for affordable housing there as real estate prices surge, but wages in the city's multi-billion-dollar hotel and gaming industry remain stagnant.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

You might be cynical about the size of awards this week in two trials looking at social media harm against children. But Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen says rulings against Meta and Google could signal a larger trend. She joins us. Then, the war with Iran is having massive ripple effects across the Middle East. Princeton University's Bernard Haykel explains how Iran's neighbors across the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, see the war. And, Corpus Christi, Texas, is weeks away from a potential water emergency, with reservoirs below 10% and demand outpacing supply. KEDT's Spencer Cihak talks about who gets water in Texas and what happens when there isn't enough.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In a first-of-its-kind verdict, a jury in New Mexico found Meta hid what it knew about child exploitation on its social media platforms. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez explains how the company misled children and teenagers about the safety of Facebook and Instagram.Then, the Department of the Interior is paying a French energy company nearly $1 billion to stop plans to build an offshore wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean. Grist staff writer Jake Bittle details why the Trump administration is so against wind energy.And, the war in Iran continues to harm energy markets around the world. Samantha Gross, director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution, discusses the long-term effect.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump says there is a good chance for a deal to end the war in Iran, but Iran has denied that any peace talks are happening. Wendy Sherman, former U.S. deputy secretary of state, details the state of affairs.Then, traders bet hundreds of millions of dollars on oil contracts before Trump announced the U.S. would pause strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure. Roben Farzad discusses why some observers are questioning whether insider trading is at play.And, the Supreme Court is considering the legality of a policy that bars migrants at the border from entering the U.S. and applying for asylum. The Wall Street Journal's Michelle Hackman explains more. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A former top American official in Cuba discusses whether President Trump's pressure campaign on Havana could lead to the collapse of the country's communist leadership. Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, who was charge d'affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Havana from 2015 to 2017, joins us. Then, the war with Iran is costing the U.S. tens of billions of dollars as it enters its fourth week. The Harvard Kennedy School's Linda Bilmes joins us to discuss the long-term economic costs. And, after 24 years as an immigration officer with the Department of Homeland Security, Eric O'Denius is now training to be a paralegal on immigration cases as enforcement has grown broader and more aggressive. We talk with O'Denius about his journey from deportation officer to paralegal.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

“The Wiz” premiered on Broadway a little more than 50 years ago, reimagining a classic American story, “The Wizard of Oz,” as an all-Black production filled with gospel, funk and soul music. Dwandalyn Reece from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, shares the story of one of the show's iconic costumes, worn by André De Shields, who played “The Wiz” himself. And, the Ford Model T first hit the road in the early 1900s. Kathleen Franz from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History explains how the car not only changed transportation, but nearly all facets of American life.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Iran launched attacks on the world's biggest liquefied natural gas complex in Qatar on Thursday. These strikes are in retaliation for Israel's attack on a major natural gas field in Iran. NPR's Aya Batrawy shares the latest. Then, AP's Cristiana Mesquita explains what life is like now in Cuba, where there's an energy shortage, frequent blackouts and an uncertain future. President Trump pledged to do "something with Cuba very soon," and the island's socialist government vowed to resist any U.S. aggression. And, more than a month into the shutdown, Transportation Security Administration officers are still working without pay. Christine Vitel, a TSA officer at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 777, shares the conditions workers are facing. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump was scheduled to go to China for a summit in Beijing at the end of the month, but he has postponed the trip to focus on the Middle East. Professor David Lampton explains China's interests in the conflict and the significance of a U.S.-China meeting.Then, Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on Tuesday in protest of the war in Iran, saying the country posed “no imminent threat to the U.S.” Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey explains the significance of the departure.And, the Wall Street Journal reports Amazon plans to cut back on how many packages it sends through the U.S. Postal Service. Roben Farzad of the Full Disclosure podcast explains what this could mean for the Postal Service's already fragile financial situation.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Israel says it killed two of Iran's highest-ranking leaders in an airstrike on Monday night. And President Trump is bashing allies for declining to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed. Jon Finer, former principal deputy national security advisor to former President Joe Biden, joins us to discuss what this means for potential diplomacy in this war. Then, artificial intelligence is playing an important role in the war in Iran. We look at how it's being used and how it is changing warfare with Paul Scharre of the Center for a New American Security. And, the internet is full of memes around the ongoing war, many made and posted by the White House account on X. Nottingham Trent University's Tine Munk weighs in on the objective of these memes.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As the war in Iran enters its third week, the Straight of Hormuz remains effectively closed, with Iran blocking oil tankers from moving through. This has caused oil and gas prices to skyrocket. Now, President Trump is demanding U.S. allies help reopen it. Journalist Negar Mortazavi details the latest in the war.Then, new artificial intelligence-powered headsets will give Burger King workers a "friendliness score" based on their customer interactions. Law professor Ifeoma Ajunwa unpacks the ethical questions surrounding this type of workplace surveillance.And, the Irish music scene in Japan is growing, and O'Jizo is one of the bands driving it. WBUR's Amelia Mason reports on the band's contemporary grooves and inventive arrangements.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

"Sinners”, the horror film that blends blues music, history and vampires, is up for a record-breaking 16 Academy Awards. One of those nominations is for the new Best Casting category. Casting director Francine Maisler joins us.Then, the Norwegian film “Sentimental Value” is up for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Co-writer and director Joachim Trier joins us to discuss the film.And, “Hamnet,” based on Maggie O'Farrell's acclaimed novel of the same name, is nominated for eight awards. Director Chloe Zhao, who co-wrote the screenplay with O'Farrell, and Jessie Buckley, who stars as William Shakespeare's wife Agnes, join us.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Radin Yad was born in Iran and now lives in Europe. He shares what he's hearing from his family in Tehran and how he views the U.S. and Israeli war against his country. Then, we hear about how swing voters in Michigan are viewing the war in Iran from Rich Thau, who runs the firm Engagious, which hosts focus groups for the Swing Voter Project. And, singer-songwriter David Archuleta joins us to discuss his new memoir, “Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself.” Archuleta first rose to fame as a teenager when he came in second place on the seventh season of "American Idol." In his new memoir, he writes about coming to terms with his sexuality and leaving the Mormon church.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump said he is still considering sending U.S. troops into Iran to secure its hidden stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the key building block of a nuclear weapon. Weapons expert David Albright explains what that would take.Then, the United Nations said that Israeli strikes have displaced nearly 700,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Lebanon. Professor Fawaz Gerges details how violence is harming the region.And, CBC Sports digital host and Paralympian Allison Lang breaks down the winners and medal count on day five of the 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympics.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As the war with Iran continues, we look at the potential risks of an attack by Iran on U.S. soil. Phil Mudd, former deputy director of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center and the FBI's National Security Branch, joins us. Then, Republican foreign policy and politics expert Colin Dueck talks about why many of President Trump's Make America Great Again supporters back the war in Iran. And, this weekend, two desalination plants came under attack in Iran and Bahrain. Georgetown University professor Marcus King explains why this technology is so vital for the arid Middle East and the precedent these attacks set in future conflicts.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was named as Iran's next supreme leader. Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus offers his thoughts on the latest news out of Iran.Then, Negar Mortazavi, senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, unpacks how the Iranian public is responding to the new leader and why his selection is a signal that Iran's leadership is digging in against the Trump administration's campaign against it.And, defense spending expert Mark Cancian estimates the war is costing the U.S. nearly $1 billion each day. He talks about how expensive it could get.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Even when it's freezing and covered in snow, Minnesota's Sax Zim Bog attracts birders from around the world. They flock there hoping to spot owls, hawks and rare songbirds that spend most of their time in northern Canada. Many of those birds are feeling the pressure of the warming climate, however, so local scientists and wildlife enthusiasts are working to conserve their habitat, which also happens to be a peatland adept at storing carbon. Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports. Then, volunteer naturalist Rich Hoeg recently installed listening devices across northern Minnesota to record elusive species of birds. Some of his recordings are informing scientific studies of owls, and surprising even lifelong birders.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The United States does not have a rich diamond mining history. But an exhibit at the Smithsonian proves that some of the world's most dazzling gems are homegrown. We speak with Gabriela Farfan, curator of gems and minerals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, about two of their best American gems on display. And, voting by mail became a major political flashpoint during the COVID-19 pandemic, but controversies over voting remotely aren't new. During the Civil War, tens of thousands of soldiers used a simple envelope to cast their ballot from the battlefield. Dan Piazza from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum tells the story of one of those envelopes.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As the U.S. and Israel hit Iranian targets from the air, some Iranian Kurdish groups are reportedly discussing whether to launch an incursion from Iraq, potentially opening a new front in the conflict. Al-Monitor correspondent Amberin Zaman discusses the conversations happening behind the scenes. Then, retired Adm. Mark Montgomery supports the war but has concerns the Trump administration hasn't planned for what comes next. He tells us why. And, former Iranian news editor and Tehran resident Ali Safari talks about what the mood is in Iran's capital city during U.S. and Israeli bombardment. Last year, Safari told us bombings by the U.S. made some Iranians rally around the government.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

More than 10 years ago, journalists Yeganeh Rezaian and her husband, Jason Rezaian, were wrongfully imprisoned in Iran. She was released after more than two months; he was held for 544 days. Yeganeh Rezaian shares how she views the U.S. war with Iran. Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson talks about Secretary Kristi Noem testifying before Congress, the Iran war and the partial government shutdown. Then, Democrats aim to flip a dozen Republican-held House seats in red districts around the country. The person leading the charge, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairperson Suzan DelBene, explains how they plan to make that happen.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Reuters correspondent Emily Rose joins us from Jerusalem to explain what the war with Iran could mean for Israeli politics after decades of Prime Minister Netanyahu pushing for intervention in Iran.Then, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) attended a classified briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. She's part of a cohort of Democratic lawmakers working to rein in President Trump, and details what an upcoming vote on war powers could mean.And, the Trump administration has cited regime change, destroying nuclear weapons and preemptive action as justifications for war with Iran. Former Deputy Director of National Intelligence Beth Sanner shares more.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The president and the secretary of defense have made conflicting statements about whether regime change is the goal of the U.S. military action in Iran. It's not fully clear what the Trump administration's objectives are there and what the timeline is. Here & Now security analyst Jim Walsh weighs in. Then, retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling gives his perspective on the objectives of the U.S. military and how long the war may last. And, former Iranian prisoner and human rights activist Shirin Nariman is watching developments in Iran closely. As a supporter of the National Council of Iran Resistance, Nariman is hoping that the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his advisors will pave the road for democracy and human rights in the country. She talks about the situation in Iran and its reverberations around the region.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There are only a few hundred black-footed ferrets still living in the Western United States. But scientists have been able to clone ferrets from genetic specimens collected in the 1980s. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd talks with Ryan Phelan, co-founder of Revive & Restore, an organization involved with the cloning project.Then, the number of moose in Minnesota is about half what it was just 20 years ago. Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports on efforts to track juvenile moose, who may hold the key to growing the population.And, Arizona's Mt. Graham is the only place a species of red squirrel can survive. When a 2017 fire ravaged their habitat, their population dropped to only 35. O'Dowd climbs to the top of Mt. Graham to report on how scientists are rebuilding their habitat and attempting to breed more squirrels.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A report released this week lays out a bleak future that comes with artificial intelligence's displacement of white-collar workers. MIT's Daron Acemoglu shares what he predicts AI will lead to in work and the economy. Then, U.S. officials are involved in two rapidly evolving foreign policy situations this week: a firefight where Cuban officials shot at a Florida-registered speedboat, killing four people and injuring six, and negotiating with Iranian officials over the country's nuclear program. Jon Finer, former principal deputy national security advisor during the Biden administration, reacts. And, the rapper Flavor Flav has invited all of the women athletes who medaled in the Olympics and Paralympics to celebrate with him in Las Vegas. He talks about his support of women's sports, the Olympics, and his music career with Public Enemy.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In his State of the Union address, President Trump made exaggerated claims about the state of the economy, including prices, jobs and the cost of health care. Economics professor Justin Wolfers breaks down what Trump's policies have meant for middle-class U.S. families.Then, artificial intelligence companies are engaging in circular lending. For example, the high-tech chip-maker Nvidia is investing in the company OpenAI, and OpenAI is then buying chips from Nvidia. The Wall Street Journal's Jonathan Weil explains what these deals mean and the risks behind them.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As Russia and Ukraine enter their fifth year of war, we check in with NPR's Joanna Kakissis for a snapshot of the key developments throughout these past four years and what the future of the war looks like. Then, Toma Istomina, deputy chief editor of The Kyiv Independent, joins us to discuss where the war in Ukraine goes from here as the country marks four years since Russia's full-scale invasion. And we hear from Dmytro Vezelov, who joined us four years ago when the Russian invasion began. Since then, he's gone from a desk job to coordinating drones to fight Russian invaders.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In cities across the country, the Department of Homeland Security is buying up huge warehouses, some that can house more than 8,000 people each. Rudy Cruz Jr., the mayor of Socorro, Texas, explains how a warehouse purchase in his community would impact local residents.Then, President Trump imposed 15% tariffs this weekend after the Supreme Court on Friday struck down his sweeping global import fees. NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben breaks down how he was able to do it.And, Mexico's army killed the leader of one of the country's fastest-growing drug cartels. NPR international correspondent Eyder Peralta details the Trump administration's praise for Mexico's government in the aftermath.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Althea Gibson was a pioneer in women's sports. She broke the color barrier in tennis and golf, winning at the U.S. Open, French Open and Wimbledon in the late '50s. Smithsonian curator Eric Jentsch talks about her legacy through the lens of one of her outfits and tennis rackets. And, nearly 30 years ago, Muhammad Ali held a torch and lit a cauldron to kick off the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Damion Thomas, curator of sports for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, talks about why that moment was so emotional at the time and why it still resonates today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

U.K. authorities on Thursday arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of "misconduct in public office." Police had previously said they were investigating whether the former prince sent confidential trade documents to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Liz Stein, a survivor of Epstein's abuse and an anti-trafficking advocate, joins us.Then, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg appeared in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday to defend his company against a lawsuit that alleges social media harms children. LA Times reporter Sonja Sharp breaks down the trial so far.And, GLP-1 medications could help treat alcohol and drug addiction, experts say. Addiction specialist Dr. Mark S. Gold explains how medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy are prompting "a reconceptualization of addiction itself."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Nearly 1,000 people in South Carolina have been infected in a measles outbreak that started in a largely unvaccinated community in October. Dr. Martha Edwards, president of the South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, explains how this outbreak has spread so quickly.And, social justice groups are remembering the Rev. Jesse Jackson. We look at how his civil rights leadership led to some of the activism we see today with Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Rev. Jesse Jackson had a long career fighting for racial justice, from founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition to running for president twice. He died on Tuesday at age 84. Bishop William Barber II, who knew Jackson, shares a remembrance.Then, Dorris Wright is one of the original Greenville Eight. She worked with Jackson to desegregate the Greenville, S.C., public library in 1960, and details her time with him.And, Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall died Sunday at the age of 95. We revisit his 2021 conversation with Here & Now's Robin Young about his long career in film.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On Presidents' Day, chef and author Bennett Rea teaches us how to eat like a president, from former President Barack Obama's crustless coconut pie to former President Richard Nixon's ham mousse.And, the line between politician and celebrity can be fuzzy. Purdue University's Kathryn Brownell explains the implications of presidents gaining celebrity status.Then, the U.S. is reportedly preparing for the possibility of sustained military operations against Iran. Security analyst Jim Walsh breaks down what would be necessary to de-escalate mounting tensions.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Marriage rates in the U.S. are falling, but relationship coach Allison Raskin doesn't necessarily see that as a bad thing. She and her husband, John Blakeslee, explain how millennials are approaching modern marriage differently.Then, our resident chef has some ideas for what to give your sweetie, even if you have no interest in exchanging vows. Kathy Gunst shares her recipes for chocolate chip cookies, pudding pie and chocolate Bundt cake.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Border czar Tom Homan said the Trump administration's controversial months-long immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota that led to the deaths of two American citizens and widespread outrage across the country will conclude. Minnesota Public Radio's Brian Bakst explains what the drawdown might look like.Then, the Trump administration has locked up hundreds of children in its mass deportation campaign in conditions their parents describe as cold, crowded and unsanitary. ProPublica reporter Mica Rosenberg received letters and videos from dozens of detainees — half of them kids — at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas, and shares more.And, this week, the airspace over El Paso, Texas, shut down briefly. Was a party balloon sighting the cause? And did border officials shoot it down with a Pentagon-supplied laser without first coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration? The Washington Post's Dan Lamothe breaks down what happened.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, D.C., to weigh in on President Trump's negotiations with Iran. Jake Sullivan, former President Joe Biden's national security advisor, explains more.Then, the Environmental Protection Agency is rescinding a scientific finding that allows the federal government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Science and sustainability professor Michael Mann details what this means for the fight against climate change.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Department of Justice unredacted some names in the released Epstein files after some Congress members accused the DOJ of protecting convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's alleged co-conspirators. Spencer Kuvin, an attorney representing several Epstein survivors, talks about why he thinks the DOJ has engaged in a "misguided approach" to reviewing the files. Then, in Haiti, a presidential council that was meant to promote stability and move the country towards elections has ended, and the country is still plagued by violence, instability and hunger. The Miami Herald's Jacqueline Charles joins us. And, we hear from Andrew Athias, a content creator from Philadelphia who is sharing his experience about performing as dancing grass during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On Monday, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's convicted co-conspirator, invoked her Fifth Amendment rights during a virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee. Investigative journalist Vicky Ward talks about what that means and explains how the release of files related to the Epstein investigation threatens to take down UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.And, pro-democracy advocate and former media mogul Jimmy Lai was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in prison after he was convicted in a Hong Kong court last year on charges of endangering national security and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. His daughter Claire Lai joins us.Then, Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show took viewers on a musical tour of Puerto Rico. Alana Casanova-Burgess of the podcast “La Brega” dissects his performance.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Smithsonian Institution is restoring a gunboat that sank in a 1776 Revolutionary War battle. As part of a series with the Smithsonian Institution presenting 25 objects that tell the story of America, Jennifer Jones, a curator at the National Museum of American History, talks about the story of the vessel, its recovery and its restoration. Then, Young People's Records was a popular mail-order subscription club in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Smithsonian Folkways director and curator Maureen Loughran talks about why the music became such a hit, how the record club works and why it's important for telling the story of America.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New Mexico's Department of Justice says Meta has knowingly allowed the social media platforms Instagram and Facebook to become the "largest online marketplace for predators seeking to exploit children." NM Attorney General Raúl Torrez tells us about the "shocking" evidence he says his office has uncovered as opening arguments in the state's lawsuit against Meta begin next week. Then, the last remaining nuclear arms deal between U.S. and Russia expired today. Here & Now security analyst Jim Walsh explains what comes next. And, UNICEF spokesperson Jonathan Crickx is on his sixth mission to Gaza. He talks about the state of the ceasefire, the impact of recent heavy rains in the area, and the effort to bring children back to schools and learning centers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Representatives from the U.S., Ukraine and Russia met in Abu Dhabi for a second round of peace talks as Russia continues to bomb Ukraine. The Financial Times' Christopher Miller of the Financial Times talks about the latest developments from Kyiv. Then, a judge blocked the Trump Administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S. Rose-Thamar Joseph, co-founder of the nonprofit Haitian Support Center in Springfield, Ohio, joins us. And, seven fishermen aboard their vessel called the Lily Jean are presumed dead after it sank in the Atlantic Ocean last Friday. WBUR's Anthony Brooks reports on how it's hitting the Gloucester community, the anchor of the country's oldest fishing port.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Department of Justice released 3.5 million documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019. Liz Stein, a survivor of Epstein's abuse, said she and other survivors will not stop fighting for the other 3 million files to be made public.Then, the FBI seized records from the 2020 election from an election center in Georgia this week. And the Justice Department is also creating a database of voter information and trying to make it easier for states to reject mail-in ballots. Maine's Secretary of State Shenna Bellows talks about election integrity ahead of 2026.And, a number of people, including journalists, have been arrested in connection with a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, last month. Reporter Georgia Fort is one of them. She shares more about her experience.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security official John Sandweg talks about what it means if the DHS remains shut down in a dispute over reforming tactics used by ICE agents. Then, ICE agents have an array of surveillance technologies at their fingertips, including facial recognition software, cellphone tracking devices and drones. WIRED reporter Caroline Haskins reports that the agency has been utilizing these tools in its immigration crackdown. She joins us. And, evidence shows that singing is not just a natural and enjoyable human activity, but it also has real health benefits. It can lower blood pressure, improve oxygen flow, and lower stress. We hear from lecturer in dance Elinor Harrison.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy