Here & Now

Our series Reverse Course has explored environmental crises and possible fixes, from water vapor harvesting to electric trucks. At the WBUR Festival in Boston last month, Here & Now's Chris Bentley and Peter O'Dowd discussed climate solutions on stage with Leah Bamberger, global sustainability leader at Textron and former director of sustainability at the City of Providence, and Tik Root, who covers climate solutions for Grist.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In the new book "America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries," author Eddie Glaude looks at the cycles of American history and how they obscure the dark truth of the country. We speak with him. Then, 10 years ago, a gunman walked into the LGBTQ-friendly Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and opened fire, killing 49 people and injuring 50 more. Trauma surgeon Dr. Joseph Ibrahim was on call that night, mere blocks from the club. He reflects on the second-deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

There's a preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war, but experts say energy prices and inflation are not expected to come down quickly. MS NOW's Ali Velshi explains why.And, housing official Bill Pulte is set to become acting director of national intelligence on Friday. Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat from Virginia and the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, talks about why Democrats and some Republicans are concerned Pulte may use his new powers to target President Trump's perceived enemies.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Some members of Congress had hoped to fast-track the confirmation of President Trump's pick for director of national intelligence. But early Wednesday morning, Trump threw a wrench in those plans when he posted to social media that his nominee, Jay Clayton, would not be showing up for his confirmation hearing due to Trump's ongoing dispute with lawmakers. Former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair weighs in. Then, earlier this month, the government sold the Washington, D.C. building that once housed one of the Trump family's hotels. The Wall Street Journal's Craig Karmin joins us to discuss the $80 million sale. And, a major climate polluter might get a break from the EPA after its founder gave millions to President Trump's campaign. Alex Cuadros tells that story in a new investigation for ProPublica.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is asserting that the war with Iran is over, even though a lasting peace is likely months off. Negar Mortazavi, senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, offers a view from the Middle East of the tentative deal.Then, Colorado has become the second state to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. Colorado Public Radio's John Daley explains why Colorado probably won't see those drugs anytime soon.And, Fox is buying Roku, the streaming and smart TV company. Business analyst Roben Farzad unpacks the $22-billion deal that would put Fox in control of a streaming device that's in more than 100 million households.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump and Iran separately announced an agreement to end more than three months of war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. For more on what could come of the deal, we hear from Jon Finer, a former adviser to President Biden who helped negotiate the Obama administration's deal to restrict Iran's nuclear program. Then, a major Russian attack overnight set fire to a historic monastery complex in Kyiv and killed at least four people. It's the latest barrage by Russia, which launched 611 long-range drones and 70 missiles, according to Ukraine's Air Force. The Foreign Policy Research Institute's Rob Lee shares the latest from the front lines in Ukraine. And, a viral joke led to an Irish pub in Scotland becoming an Ivory Coast pub for the World Cup. Ruairi O'Neill, general manager at Biddy Mulligans in Edinburgh, Scotland, explains.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Grammy-winning musician Lizzo's new album "Bitch" is out. She talks with Robin Young about her music and reclaiming and owning the word. Then, we kick off summer with music picks from Miguel Perez, producer for NPR's World Cafe. And, "Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet" is a string of text that's become ubiquitous. Designed as a placeholder for work-in-progress documents, those quasi-Latin words now appear on mugs, tote bags and T-shirts. But why did this particular passage of bastardized Cicero become the industry's default? Emily Zhang investigated. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A key part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is set to expire after the House on Thursday failed to extend it. The program allows U.S. intelligence agents to spy on terrorist suspects abroad without a warrant, but some Democrats and Republicans in Congress are concerned that President Trump's pick for acting director of national intelligence will abuse his power and spy on Trump opponents in this country. We hear from FBI special agent Asha Rangappa about what the expiration means for national security. Then, a stabbing in Belfast has become the spark for wider anti-immigrant violence in Northern Ireland. Irish Times producer Andrew McNair shares a first-hand look at what's happening in Belfast. And, the federal government is sending water from the Flaming Gorge reservoir upstream to prop up Lake Powell. But as Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd reports, it comes at a cost.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Prices are rising at their fastest clip in three years, according to new data out Wednesday. What does this mean for interest rates? Loretta Mester, former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, explains the likely economic impact.Then, a new government report out this week found that unless Congress passes new laws soon, Social Security will not be able to pay out full benefits to all eligible seniors starting in 2032. Former Social Security commissioner Michael Astrue shares more.And, Team USA will play its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament on Friday against Paraguay. NPR's sports correspondent Becky Sullivan gives more details from Los Angeles, where the game will take place.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

New rules released by the Trump administration earlier this month will require Medicaid recipients with cancer and other conditions to prove they're too sick to work. The rule is part of new Medicaid eligibility requirements that take effect next year.  Colorado Medicaid director Adela Flores-Brennan explains how his state is preparing. Then, after decades of containment in the Central American tropics, the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating cattle parasite, has been detected in Texas and New Mexico. Veterinary entomologist Edwin Burgess explains what this means for U.S. livestock. And, a judge has temporarily restored the eligibility of Texas Tech University quarterback Brendan Sorsby after he acknowledged making thousands of impermissible bets worth at least $90,000 on college and professional sports. Front Office Sports reporter Amanda Christovich discusses the fallout from this decision.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A new lawsuit argues that the White House UFC fighting event scheduled for next Saturday on President Trump's birthday violates the law. Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer, weighs in.And, as Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference gets underway, it's expected to focus on artificial intelligence, new products and partnerships. Ina Fried, Axios chief technology correspondent, checks in from the conference.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Need help finding a job? We get career advice from career coach Judi Umali-Rajkumar and hear from listeners who share their stories about trying to find a post-graduation job.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) visited immigrants detained at Delaney Hall in Newark, N.J. Some detainees are alleging poor conditions and outside, protestors are clashing with police. Kim joins us to share what he saw inside the center.And, on Wednesday night, four Republican voted with House Democrats to limit President Trump's ability to wage war in Iran, exposing a rift between Trump and his own party. Axios congressional reporter Kate Santaliz explains how other votes Thursday could further expand that rift.Then, Iranian French author Marjane Satrapi, known for her "Persepolis" series of graphic novels, has died at age 56. We revisit her 2008 conversation with host Robin Young.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

This year's hurricane season begins with concerns that there are staffing issues at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an agency that President Trump has targeted for overhaul. William Ray, the North Carolina director of emergency management, talks about his state's preparedness this year following widespread damage from Hurricane Helene in 2024. We also spoke with acting FEMA administrator Bob Fenton about the increasing number of severe storms, which may make it harder for the federal government to respond effectively to hurricanes this season, even in a year when fewer than normal hurricanes are expected. And, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began the war on Iran together, and now the relationship is under strain, though both sides deny a major rift. We hear from Michael Koplow, chief policy officer of Israel Policy Forum.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A federal judge's order temporarily halts President Trump's $1.8 billion fund to pay people who say they were unfairly prosecuted by former President Joe Biden's administration. Retired federal judge Nancy Gertner is one of the judges who challenged the fund and pushed the courts to reopen the settlement that established it.And, protests continue outside Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in Newark, N.J., over conditions inside. Alexandra Goncalves-Peña, a lawyer with a client detained in the center, details what her client is facing amid reports of a hunger and labor strike.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump's standing in the polls has dipped in Iowa, a state he won three times. During primary voting, Democrats hope to pick up an open Senate seat and other Congressional seats. Radio Iowa news director Kay Henderson shares what's at stake.Then, roughly 60 candidates are on the ballot to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom, but with primary voting ending Tuesday, there is no clear frontrunner. KQED politics correspondent Marisa Lagos explains more.And, WBUR political reporter Anthony Brooks breaks down the sexting scandal involving Graham Platner, a Democratic Senate candidate in Maine, and shares what voters there make of it.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Route 66, known as “America's Main Street” is not the longest or most-travelled American highway. Fully paved in the 1930s, it became a Depression-era migration route for poor farming families fleeing the Dust Bowl for a new start in California. It's been featured in popular media for decades. Kathleen Franz, lead curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, unpacks more of the road's history.And, the 1973 album “A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle of Asians in America” was one of the first recognized musical albums expressing Asian American identity. It's often considered a blend of political statements within a collective art project. Sojin Kim, curator of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, details the album's legacy.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Congressional lawmakers are trying to pass a bill to address a shortage of affordable. The would limit the number of rental homes large investors can own and make it easier to build and buy homes made in factories. The Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Picciotto explains more.Then, CNN reports that President Trump's Department of Justice is investigating whether E. Jean Carroll committed perjury in her two civil lawsuits against the president, one alleging sexual abuse and another for defamation. Carroll was awarded millions in damages, but Trump is appealing those judgements. CNN's Hannah Rabinowitz shares more from the reporting.And, Trump's family has their own cryptocurrency startup and also ties to prediction markets. Investigative reporter Sharon LaFraniere from the New York Times gives more details on reporting showing that the Trump administration dialed back enforcement of those industries.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is at the center of the Trump administration. He's helping to lead negotiations over the war in Iran, the pressure campaign on Cuba's communist regime, and U.S. efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine. It wasn't always this way. Journalist and author Manuel Roig-Franzia breaks down how Rubio went from Trump critic to his chief booster, and whether it's all in service of a potential presidential run in 2028.And, in a sharp and rare rebuke of President Trump, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell slammed the administration's $1.776 billion so-called 'anti-weaponization' fund, calling it "utterly stupid" and "morally wrong." Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer explains McConnell's reaction and why it should be viewed through the lens of McConnell's decision not to convict Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration put out new rules last Friday that require people to apply for green cards from abroad instead of from inside the U.S., which has been custom for immigrants seeking permanent residency status. Immigration attorney Richard Herman explains what he's hearing from his clients and what remains unclear.Then, protests continue outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in New Jersey as detainees inside stage a hunger strike over poor conditions. Bergen Record reporter Ricardo Kaulessar shares more.And, a new report from the Brookings Institution found about 145,000 children have been separated from their families during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Author Tara Watson details the impact of separation on those families.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A pair of red, satin, sky-high heels that Celia Cruz, or the “queen of salsa” wore on stage is part of a new exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Ranald Woodaman, exhibitions and public programs director at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino, shares more about the exhibit and Cruz's lasting legacy.And, throughout the early 20th century, East Coast musicians developed a finger-picking, ragtime-style called the Piedmont blues. Singer and guitarist John Cephas and harmonica player Phil Wiggins were modern ambassadors of the genre. Smithsonian Folkways director Maureen Loughran details their influence in American music.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

When farmer Bryant Parker noticed solar farms popping up in his area, he spotted an opportunity. Now, Parker brings his flock of sheep to several solar farms to chow down on grass. Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports from central Illinois about the practice called agrivoltaics, or the combination of solar power and farming, where both industries benefit.And, as a historic drought desiccates the West, artificial intelligence has proved beneficial for detecting wildfires long before humans can. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd visits facilities in Arizona, Colorado and California to report on the effectiveness and the potential risks of using AI cameras and satellite footage to track wildfires.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump's administration has created a nearly $1.8 billion fund designed to pay out people who say the government unfairly investigated or prosecuted them, including people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Two police officers who defended the Capitol that day are suing, calling the fund a way for Trump to “finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence” in his name. Brendan Ballou, who is representing the officers, explains more.Then, the U.S. continues to put pressure on Cuba, indicting former president Raúl Castro and sending an aircraft carrier to the southern Caribbean. Associated Press reporter Cristiana Mesquita shares the reactions she's hearing from Cubans.And, on May 22, 1856, tensions over slavery boiled over on the Senate floor when a slave-owning representative from South Carolina used a cane to beat Massachusetts Sen. Charles Sumner, an outspoken opponent of slavery. David Freudberg talks about his new radio documentary which explains how Sumner was “ahead of his time.”See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A last-minute addendum to a Department of Justice deal with President Trump says the Internal Revenue Service is “forever barred” from auditing Trump, his family members and his businesses. The deal also created a $1.8 billion fund to pay out Trump allies who say they were unfairly investigated. Law professor Mary McCord explains the implications.Then, Trump critic Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, lost his primary on Tuesday. The president on Tuesday also endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn ahead of Texas Senate runoff elections. Republican pollster Whit Ayres discusses Trump's power over his party.And, the Trump administration is using the Pentagon and concerns about national security to stall wind energy projects across the nation. David Carroll, CEO of ENGIE North America, details the state of the wind energy industry.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration announced a new Justice Department fund of more than $1.7 billion to compensate people it says were harmed by “weaponization” under the Biden administration. Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter talks about the legal and ethical questions surrounding the move. Then, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are getting quicker at finding people to arrest, thanks to tools provided by the tech company Palantir. Investigative journalist Joseph Cox tells us more. And, giant utility rivals NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy are planning to merge. Why now, and what could this mean for your energy costs? We learn more from Roben Farzad, host of the podcast Full Disclosure.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The World Health Organization has declared an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to be a global health emergency. We hear from Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician with experience in Ebola outbreak response. And, on Saturday, one prominent critic of President Trump, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, lost his primary, and on Tuesday, another Republican Trump critic, Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie, will see if he can survive Trump's wrath in what's being called the most expensive primary race in the country. ABC News Washington bureau chief Rick Klein talks about expectations for primaries in six states tomorrow, and the prospects for Republicans who criticize President Trump and want to win re-election. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

From WBUR, here's a new kind of story, one that's all about the big questions and decisions we face. The Midnight Rebellion is a pick-your-own-path podcast set 100 years in the future, where the stakes are nothing less than the planet itself. It is fiction rooted in real science, built for the kids in your life (ages 7 and up) — and the whole family.You're listening to Chapter 1 of The Midnight Rebellion. Each chapter ends with a choice. YOU decide what's next. Choose wisely.If you like what you heard, listen to the rest and follow The Midnight Rebellion wherever you get your podcasts.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Host Scott Tong checks in with us from Beijing, China, where he's been reporting from all week. Then, Melinda Liu moved to Beijing in 1980. Scott talks with her in a historic neighborhood about the ways China has transformed since the 1980s and the rural poverty that remains despite the modern leaps forward. And, Tong never met his grandfather, who was a political prisoner and died in a labor camp. It was seen as a shameful chapter in his family's history and was never talked about, but 70 years later, Scott tells the story.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Thursday's meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping concluded with a banquet. Seated at tables in the ballroom were more than a dozen CEOs, among them SpaceX's Elon Musk, Apple's Tim Cook and Nvidia's Jensen Huang. It was also attended by Trump's son Eric Trump, who runs the Trump Organization, and his wife, Fox News host Lara Trump. The Financial Times' Joe Miller tells us more.Then, during the summit, President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have focused on trade, security, and stability.NPR China correspondent Jennifer Pak in Beijing shares the latest from the summit. And, Scott Tong reports from China on a podcast called StoryFM, modeled after This American Life. He speaks with Kou Aizhe, the show's creator, about being inspired by American podcasts and how he's able to get Chinese people to tell frank, honest stories that might be embarrassing or shameful, in a culture that is conformist where private things stay private.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

While artificial intelligence can be helpful for synthesizing complicated information, financial analysts urge consumers to avoid sharing personal financial information with chatbots. Washington Post columnist Michelle Singletary outlines the risks.And, amid an unpopular war in Iran and states pushing to redraw congressional maps, midterm elections are approaching. Republican analyst Charlie Dent and Democratic analyst Jamal Simmons weigh in on what it's going to take for their party's candidates to win.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Labor Department reported on Tuesday that consumer prices increased by 3.8% in April compared to a year ago. That's the fastest pace of price increases in around three years. Wailin Wong, host of the Indicator from NPR's Planet Money, joins us. Then, the subject of Taiwan is one of the main priorities for Beijing in the upcoming talks between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. How will Trump approach the topic of Taiwan? We hear from Eyck Freymann, a fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford and the author of the new book “Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China."See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Host Scott Tong is reporting from China this week as President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare for a high-profile summit in Beijing. He joins us from Shanghai to share his first impressions of the country since the last time he was there.Then, the summit is set for later this week. Senior research fellow Yu Jie from Chatham House explains the power dynamic going into the meeting.And, Russia held its annual Victory Day parade on Saturday. It was scaled back compared to previous years, with the country's military might displayed not in person but on giant TV screens, out of fear of a possible attack from Ukraine. Nina Khrushcheva, New School professor and great-granddaughter of Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, details Russian President Vladimir Putin's hold on power.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Virginia Supreme Court has thrown out a voter-approved redistricting referendum that could have helped Democrats pick up several U.S. House seats this fall. NPR's Larry Kaplow explains more about the fight over congressional maps ahead of midterm elections.And, Alabama is one of many states moving forward with redistricting after the Supreme Court's decision last week dealt a blow to the Voting Rights Act. Rep. Terri Sewell, a Democrat from Alabama, joins us.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Ten years ago, Iroro Tanshi found something incredible in a cave in Nigeria: a colony of short-tailed roundleaf bats, a species that hadn't been seen there in almost 50 years. We learn how her discovery helped kickstart a conservation movement in West Africa to protect rare species of bats from threats like poaching and wildfires. Then, North America has lost billions of birds since 1970, but some species are actually bucking this concerning trend and returning to places where humans hadn't seen them in decades. Ornithologist Scott Weidensaul shares some global success stories of bird recovery. And, Mark Kurlansky has been fishing for as long as he can remember, and writing about it almost as long. He tells us about his essay collection on why people fish. (Hint: It's not for sustenance.)See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

"Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary wants to build a huge data center north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The project was greenlit, but still needs to obtain water usage rights as lake water supply is nearing a new low. KUER reporter Macy Lipkin shares more.Then, New Orleans may have crossed a “point of no return,” according to new analysis. Report co-author Jesse Keenan explains how rising seas, sinking land and stronger storms could point to a catastrophic environmental future.And, ahead of the year's biggest day for birders, host Robin Young visits the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to learn how the lab is helping birds as they face new challenges.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Ohio and Indiana voters offered an early glimpse at the political mood heading into the midterms. NPR's Stephen Fowler joins us to talk about the results. Then, the Trump administration says it is investigating Smith College, the women's school in Massachusetts, over its policy of admitting transgender students. The 19th's LGBTQ+ beat reporter Kate Sosin tells us more. And, Melanie Turner, a special education teacher in Oakland, Calif., shares how a nonprofit is helping her pay for housing closer to work amid an affordability crisis.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Food and Drug Administration says it is offering an “ultra-fast review” of two psychedelic drugs intended to treat serious mental health disorders. This follows a White House executive order directing the FDA to speed up research on psychedelics, which right now are illegal under federal law. Dr. Gail Saltz talks about the latest news surrounding psychedelics. Then, what happens when we open our eyes? Is consciousness something that can be pinpointed and studied? These are the questions science author Michael Pollan explores in his new book. He talks about "A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness."See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

On Monday, the Supreme Court temporarily restored mail access to the abortion pill mifepristone. It puts aside a lower court ruling in Louisiana on Friday that ended national telemedicine access to the pill. Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, an OB-GYN based in New Orleans, explains what this means for nationwide abortion access.And, after talks for a government bailout fell through, Spirit Airlines shut down on Saturday morning. CNBC's Leslie Josephs details the ramifications for Spirit's customers, employees and equipment.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A new exhibit called “Water's Edge” at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian showcases work by late artist Truman Lowe of the Ho-Chunk nation. Exhibit curator Rebecca Trautmann details how a sculpture titled “Feather Canoe” represents Lowe's work and what his artistic style contributes to the story of America.And, how did you check the weather this morning? Back in the late 1800s and 1900s, people traveled to their local post office to see the forecast in a Farmers' Bulletin. Smithsonian National Postal Museum curator Lynn Heidelbaugh explains how the Farmers' Bulletin system first developed and why it was so critical for a growing nation.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The average price of gas in the U.S. hit a wartime high of $4.30 on Thursday, according to AAA. Bloomberg's Michael Regan breaks down the latest numbers. And, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent global energy prices skyrocketing and led to oil and gas shortages in parts of the world. Economic historian, author and S&P Global vice chairman Daniel Yergin says the Hormuz oil shock will lead to a new global balance of power. He joins us.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Supreme Court axed a 2024 voting map from Louisiana that created a new majority-Black congressional district, calling the district an “unconstitutional racial gerrymander.” Law professor Spencer Overton explains what the ruling could mean for Black political power.Then, former FBI director James Comey surrendered to federal authorities Wednesday on charges he threatened President Trump's life when he posted an image of seashells on the beach spelling out “86 47.” Former federal prosecutor Paul Butler shares more about the merits of the indictment.And, House Democrats grilled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the war on Iran, President Trump's behavior and the ongoing Straight of Hormuz closure. The Washington Post's Tara Copp explains more.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A man has been charged with trying to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. But threats against public officials are rising across parties. Political violence researcher Jacob Ware explains the deeper forces shaping modern violence.Then, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a new plan this week to redraw the state's congressional map to give Republicans four extra seats. Tampa Bay Times reporter Romy Ellenbogen shares what this would mean for voters.And, a CNN investigation exposed a vast underground network of virtual Telegram group chats teaching men how to drug and rape their wives and partners. CNN Paris correspondent Saskya Vandoorne was part of the investigative team and shares more details from the report.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy