Union writers in Hollywood have put down their pens and reached for picket signs, after the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach an agreement on a new contract.Some television shows and movies with finished scripts can continue filming, but other productions, like late-night talk shows, may soon be in reruns.NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with TV writer and WGA captain Jeane Phan Wong about what union members want and what's getting in the way.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Eastwind Books in Berkeley, California, has closed its doors. It was one of the oldest Asian-American bookstores in the country. For decades, the store functioned as a cultural hub, not only for the Asian-American community, but for a variety of marginalized groups.NPR's Ailsa Chang spoke with co-owner Harvey Dong about the bookstore's history and legacy. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Lots of colleges and universities have announced tuition hikes for the upcoming school year, just as inflation is taking a bite out of many families' budgets.Still, NPR's Elissa Nadworny explains that the real cost of college for most students has actually been falling for the past few years, after decades of growth.But college is still very expensive, and it can feel out of reach for some students. Two Washington, D.C. high school students explain how they're trying to make the math work.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Earlier this week, nobody was surprised when President Joe Biden officially announced he is running for re-election. Framing it as a battle for the soul of the country, Biden did not mention Republican frontrunner Donald Trump by name but he took aim at "MAGA extremists".At 80, Biden is already the oldest president in US history, and even among Democrats it's become an issue. And while some hoped a younger candidate might emerge - and maybe that person would be Vice President Kamala Harris, she has faced doubts from within the party as well. Host Sarah McCammon talks with NPR's White House correspondent Scott Detrow about the potential hurdles facing Biden and Harris on the road to reelection. And Boston Globe columnist Renée Graham weighs in on why some people will criticize Kamala Harris no matter what she does.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Several U.S. states have passed bills restricting or banning gender-affirming care for trans youth, while other states have enacted measures to protect access to that care. What does that say about the future of trans rights in America?NPR's Melissa Block speaks with three trans Americans about the progress that's been made in regards to trans rights, and how those same rights are currently under attack.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The idea that social media use has helped fuel an increase in anxiety, depression and loneliness among teenagers was once controversial. But a series of studies are helping researchers understand how much of a correlation exists between the two. NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff tells us about Jean Twenge, a researcher who first raised the alarm in 2017, and about other researchers who have recently released studies on this topic.And NPR's Allison Aubrey shares some advice from another study looking into ways to minimize social media's impact.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Fox's statement announcing the departure of Tucker Carlson, it's most watched primetime host, was a terse four sentences. "FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways," it read.Carlson's brand of divisive and conspiracy theory-laden rhetoric helped fuel Fox's audience numbers. So what happens now that he is gone? And where will Carlson go?Mary Louise Kelly discusses all of the above with correspondents Shannon Bond and David Folkenflik, who cover misinformation and media matters for NPR.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Biden has officially ended the national emergency that was declared during the COVID-19 pandemic. But so farthere's been no official commission to look into how the country could be better prepared for the next pandemic.Now, the non-partisan Covid Crisis Group has issued a report titled "Lessons from the Covid War." NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with the group's director, Philip Zelikow, about the report's findings.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Even amid mass layoffs in tech and other sectors, the economy is still adding jobs. Even tech jobs.NPR's Andrea Hsu reports on a program that recruits and trains workers to enter the tech pipeline. And NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Dana Peterson, chief economist with the Conference Board, about some of the broader trends in the labor market and what they could mean for job seekers.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Newspapers and intrepid reporters are at the heart of hundreds of movies - think Citizen Kane, All The President's Men -and have always been a big part of American culture. But in recent decades, the rise of digital news has led to the steady decline of print. And while big papers like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post still distribute print editions – small, local papers have been disappearing at an alarming rate. Add to that the consolidation of news outlets by big companies like Gannett and Alden Global Capital. Both companies have been buying regional newspapers, only to reduce the reporting staff, or completely dismantle an operation, focusing on turning a profit.Research has shown that when local newspapers are lost affected communities experience lower voter turnout, decreased civic engagement, and increased polarization.Host Adrian Florido speaks with Joshua Benton of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University on the increasing number of news deserts. And we hear from journalist Ashley White about the difficulties of providing a Louisiana community with news and information at a newspaper undergoing drastic reductions. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is back at work on Capitol Hill after taking leave to seek treatment for clinical depression. It is rare for a sitting politician to publicly discuss their mental health. But Sen. Fetterman sat down with NPR's Scott Detrow to talk about what the past few months have been like and what comes next.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The past seven years in the United Kingdom have been intense. The country struggled through Brexit, royal scandals and the pandemic - and then Queen Elizabeth II died.NPR's global democracy correspondent Frank Langfitt covered the U.K. through all of this and more. As he wraps up his time in London, Frank reflects on all the history and drama he's covered in the last seven years. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As Earth's climate warms, more ice is melting near the poles. And that is a huge driver of sea level rise around the globe. But some coastal communities are threatened by this more than others.Places like the Gulf coast of Texas, for example, are feeling the impact of melting ice in West Antarctica, thousands of miles away.NPR Climate Correspondent Rebecca Hersher traveled to Galveston, Texas, to see how that ice melt is affecting sea levels there and what experts are doing to prepare. This reporting is part of NPR's Beyond the Poles: The far-reaching dangers of melting ice series.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Just a few years before the violence and chaos currently engulfing Sudan, it seemed to be on a tenuous path toward democracy.NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu explains how two rival generals who had promised to transition the country to civilian rule are instead tearing it apart in a bloody power struggle.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

While the country seemingly moves on from the pandemic, an estimated 15 million U.S. adults are suffering from long COVID. Scientists are trying to understand what causes some people to develop long COVID while others do not.NPR's Will Stone spoke with researchers and reports on a growing body of evidence that points to one possible explanation: viral reservoirs where the coronavirus can stick around in the body long after a person is initially infected.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Millions of children have left Ukraine since the Russian invasion. They have relocated across the country and the globe. And while these children are survivors, for many the emotional scars are difficult to heal.A team of NPR journalists spent months following the stories of 27 kindergarten students - 6-year-olds - who were forced to leave their homes and school in the northeast city of Kharkiv in Ukraine when Russian troops invaded. Two of the children, Aurora and Daniel, were best friends. Always together in class - inseparable – until they were forced apart by war. Daniel and his family fled to New York. Aurora and her parents ended up in Spain.Host Elissa Nadworny speaks with the children and their parents about how they are learning to live without each other in a world where they have already lost so much. And a psychologist discusses the strength and resilience of kids in the face of trauma.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled ambitious new emissions rules this week. The agency estimates car makers would need up to 67% of their new vehicle sales to be electric by 2032 in order to comply with the stricter standards.Michelle Krebs, executive analyst with Cox Automotive says the changes "reinvent the vehicle" and will require a reinvention of the auto industry.In the face of these impending changes, Keith Barry, an automotive reporter for Consumer Reports, walks through what prospective electric vehicle buyers should be considering.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Syria is buckling under the stresses caused by civil war, a brutal dictatorship, punishing international sanctions, and most recently the devastation caused by earthquakes in the region last February.At the same time, the effectiveness of sanctions meant to hurt and isolate the regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad is being questioned. Recently, a group of former U.S. officials and Syria experts urged President Biden to rethink U.S. policy and make sanctions more effective. NPR's Aya Batrawy traveled to a government-controlled area of Syria to learn more about what life under sanctions is like there.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Millions of Ukrainian children had their schooling interrupted by Russia's invasion. The war has also shaped their childhood in lasting ways. NPR's Elissa Nadworny visited a kindergarten classroom in Kharkiv, Ukraine, that was hit by Russian artillery last August. She set out to find out what happened to the children who had been students there.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Democrats and Republicans disagree on a lot of issues. But there's a growing consenus in both parites that China represents a threat to the U.S. And some worry that the rise in anti-China rhetoric could pave the way for xenophobia against Asian-Americans.Congresswoman Judy Chu, D-Calif., is concerned about that. She herself has been accused of disloyalty by a fellow lawmaker, and she says she worries about a "new McCarthyism," in the Republican Party.And Erika Lee, a professor of history and Asian-American studies at the University of Minnesota, says there's a long American history of national security concerns fueling xenophobia.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A majority of the Nashville Metro Council supports reappointing former state Representative Justin Jones to the seat he was expelled from last week. Jones was one of two Democrats ousted by the Republican-controlled Tennessee state legislature after taking part in protests calling for stricter gun control in the state.NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Nashville Council Member-At-Large Zulfat Saura about her vote to send Jones back to the State House.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Whether you're a politician, a mental health expert, or a parent, it seems everyone has a problem with TikTok. Some concerns stem from the social media platform's addictive qualities or its effects on one's mental health. Critics have also noted dangerous video trends. Members of Congress in both parties are calling for a ban over fears that the Chinese government could harvest Tik Tok user information. And many states and colleges have taken steps to regulate the platform. But for tens of millions of Americans, TikTok has become a part of their lives, providing entertainment, news, and even community. Are the threats to ban TikTok missing the point? Host Scott Detrow talks to Mark Pocan, a Democratic Congressman from Wisconsin, and Rebecca Jennings, who covers internet culture for Vox.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, a 19th century abortion ban took effect in Wisconsin and forced those practicing and seeking reproductive healthcare to travel across state lines. Earlier this week, voters elected Judge Janet Protasiewicz to become a justice on Wisconsin's Supreme Court, flipping control of the court to liberals for the first time in 15 years. That could have big implications on the future of abortion in the state. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Dr. Kristen Lyerly, an OB-GYN from Green Bay, Wisconsin, about how the judicial change could impact Wisconsin doctors who provide reproductive healthcare and their patients. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

2023 is on track to beat last year's record when it comes to book bans. The free speech group PEN America counted 2,500 instances of book bans in U.S. schools during the 2021-22 academic year.Author Judy Blume has had a number of her books banned. She spoke to NPR ahead of the release of a documentary about her life, "Judy Blume Forever," streaming on Amazon Prime April 21.And NPR's Tovia Smith spoke to other authors of banned books about how the scrutiny has negatively impacted their sales - and about alternative ways they've found to get their stories to readers, outside of schools.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Black Americans are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White Americans. And there's a growing number of Black families who have to live with the pain of losing a loved one at the hands of police.NPR's Juana Summers speaks with two women who have been living that reality for years.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The legal and political worlds officially moved into uncharted waters when former President Donald Trump was arraigned on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. NPR's Carrie Johnson breaks down the case against Trump, and the difficult path to conviction for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.And Peter Skinner, an attorney who worked alongside Bragg for several years in the Southern District of New York, talks about what Bragg is like as a prosecutor.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The FDA has approved over-the-counter sales of Narcan, a nasal spray version of the life-saving medication naloxone. The medication is known for its ability to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. The FDA's move will make Narcan more widely available than ever before. But experts say this is just one step in the right direction, when it comes to preventing overdose deaths.NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at the University of North Carolina who has been studying opioid overdose prevention and addiction treatment since 2002, about what this means for the opioid epidemic. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In the twenty-five years since the Japanese media franchise Pokémon launched in the US, it has become a staple of American culture — from trading cards to t-shirts, from action figures to videogames, from Oreo cookies to McDonald's Happy Meals. And of course, the animated series.Since the launch of that series the biggest stars have undoubtedly been aspiring Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum and his adorable pocket monster sidekick Pikachu. But now fans must say goodbye to these iconic heroes as the series moves on without them. Host Scott Detrow talks to Izzie Ramirez, culture writer for Vox Media, about the legacy of the show and the future of the Pokémon franchise after Ash and Pikachu. And we hear reactions from fans and from Sarah Natochenny, who has voiced Ash since 2006.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Former President Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury, making him the first former president in American history to face criminal charges. The case involves hush money paid by Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump. NPR's Andrea Bernstein says the lengths Trump's company went to cover up the hush money payment is part of a larger pattern of how Trump has long operated his businesses.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's been another month of impressive and unsettling AI breakthroughs. And, along with excitement, these breakthroughs have also sparked concerns about the risks AI could pose to society. Take OpenAI's release of GPT-4, the latest iteration of its ChatGPT chatbot. According to the company, it can pass academic tests (including several AP course exams) and even do your taxes. But NPR's Geoff Brumfiel test drove the software, and found that it also sometimes fabricated inaccurate information.Wednesday more than a thousand tech leaders and researchers - among them, Elon Musk - signed an open letter calling for a six month pause in the development of the most powerful AI systems. NPR's Adrian Florido spoke with one signatory, Peter Stone, a computer science professor at the University of Texas.NPR's Shannon Bond has more reporting on AI and disinformation.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Some officials in Democratic-led jurisdictions around the country are pushing to use involuntary commitment as a tool to tackle a surge in homelessness. We hear what officials in New York City, California and Portland, Oregon are proposing - and some of the pushback they are getting.Ailsa Chang speaks with April Dembosky with KQED in San Francisco and Amelia Templeton with Oregon Public Broadcasting about how the conversation about involuntary commitment is playing out in California and Oregon. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The United Nations says time is running out to avoid the worst effects of climate change. At the same time, countries like Bangladesh have no choice but to adapt to an already changing climate.Bangladesh is prone to flooding from rising sea levels and melting glaciers. And it is in the path of some of the world's most powerful cyclones.NPR's Lauren Frayer reports from northern Bangladesh on how the country is becoming a hot spot for climate solutions.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A task force set up by the California state legislature is studying how the legacy of slavery has harmed the state's Black residents. This summer it will submit recommendations for how the state legislature should compensate African-Americans for that harm.The task force has to answer thorny questions like who should qualify for reparations, how to measure the suffering that Black people have endured and how to attach a dollar figure to that suffering.The chair of the task force, Kamilah Moore, says she hopes the panel's work will make a real difference in the lives of millions of Black Californians and serve as a model for a national program.NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on one big obstacle to a federal reparations package: public opinion is firmly against it. That's especially true among white Americans.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Donald Trump was the first president in American history to be impeached twice. Now, he may be the first modern president, current or former – to be charged with criminal conduct. The New York investigation into hush money paid to adult entertainment actor Stormy Daniels is just one of several criminal probes currently faced by Donald Trump, And it's the one that is closest to issuing charges. Amid all the legal drama Trump has announced his third bid for the White House. A pending indictment would usually be a golden opportunity for Trump's Republican challengers - some who have declared - like Nikki Haley - and those who are expected to jump in the race - like Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis. But for the field of Republican presidential candidates, taking Trump down while not alienating his base is risky business. Host Scott Detrow talks to NPR congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell. He also talks to Jeff Sharlet, a professor of English at Dartmouth college and the author of the new book "Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On March 24, 2018, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Washington, D.C. to demand an end to gun violence. That was also the start of the March For Our Lives movement, which continues to call on young people to make their voices heard through the ballot box.Survivors of a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida organized that first march. One of them was David Hogg. NPR's Adrian Florido speaks with Hogg about the triumphs and frustrations of the past five years and the movement's hopes for the future. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

PIMCO founder and legendary investor Bill Gross was known as the "Bond King." People all over the finance world listened to his market calls. He helped change a sleepy bond market into the highly competitive and profitable world we know today. His story is also the story of how American financial markets work, how people game them, and what happens when they implode. NPR's Mary Childs wrote about Gross in her book, The Bond King: How One Man Made A Market, Built An Empire And Lost It All. She reported an episode about Gross for NPR's Planet Money.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

School districts across the country are struggling to fill vacancies among their teaching staff. In addition to stepping up their recruitment efforts, some districts are looking to turn more of their existing staff into teachers.NPR's Cory Turner reports on the Mississippi Teacher Residency program, and on the impact it is having in the state's capital, Jackson.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Cherokee Nation has been hit hard by opioid addiction and fentanyl-related overdose deaths. But the tribe has a plan to heal.Like many communities around the country, the Cherokee Nation received settlement money from big drug companies and pharmacy chains accused of fueling the opioid crisis. The tribe is investing that $100 million in programs to support treatment, harm reduction and a fight against stigma.Tribal leaders say the funds will save lives and save families.NPR's addiction correspondent Brian Mann traveled to Oklahoma to see how the Cherokee Nation is fighting the opioid crisis.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On March 20, 2003, the United States launched its invasion of Iraq. We recall how the war started, and the trauma it left behind.NPR's Eric Westervelt was embedded with the U.S. Army's Third Infantry Division as it pushed north from Kuwait. He describes what he saw in the first days of the war.We also hear reporting from NPR's Ruth Sherlock, who spoke to young Iraqis who grew up in the years since the invasion and are still trying to realize a better future for their country.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Today, when we hear the word pandemic, most people think of COVID-19. But by 2003, while rates of HIV infections and deaths from AIDS had stabilized and fallen in the US, in sub-Saharan Africa, the rates were at epidemic proportions.In his State of the Union address that January, President George W. Bush announced a massive investment in the global fight against HIV –The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. In the twenty years since, the program has dedicated billions of dollars to HIV prevention and treatment across Africa and other regions, saving tens of millions of lives.NPR's Pien Huang speaks with Ambassador Dr. John Nkengasong, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, and Dr. Helene Gayle, an epidemiologist and president of Spelman College, who spent 20 years at the CDC focused on HIV treatment and prevention and global healthcare.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When it comes to TV ratings, women's college basketball is trending upward - even as the men's game is losing viewers. When it comes to resources and media coverage? There's still a wide gap between the men and women. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Chantel Jennings, senior writer covering women's basketball for The Athletic, about the factors that contribute to that gap and how the women's game could overcome them.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Joe Biden has signed an executive order that he says can keep more guns out of the hands of dangerous people by increasing the number of buyers who have to submit background checks.The White House says that's the closest the U.S. can get to universal background checks without additional legislation from Congress, where Democrats and Republicans remain divided on any new actions aimed at reducing gun violence.NPR's Deepa Shivaram reports on the order, which Biden announced during a visit to Monterey Park, California, where a gunman killed 11 people and injured nine more in January, one of over 110 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year.And NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice about the order's potential impact and where gun legislation goes from here.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A group of volunteers is braving artillery barrages to evacuate residents from towns and cities in Ukraine's Donbas region, including Bakhmut, the epicenter of fighting in the eastern part of the country.NPR's Frank Langfitt speaks with two rescuers, Kuba Stasiak, 29, a former journalist from Poland, and Andre West, 22, from Germany, who document their rescues on Instagram In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A new documentary called Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic has gained attention at screenings hosted by universities, police departments and even the Pentagon. But many of the claims made in the film are poorly supported and overhyped.The film warns parents about the dangers of sexually coercive crimes online and suggests that strangers are targeting potentially millions of minors - pressuring them into sharing revealing content and, often, extorting them for money.But NPR has found the documentary could leave viewers with an incomplete and exaggerated sense of the risk by relying upon statistics that lack context. Experts fear it could hinder harm reduction efforts by skewing public perception. NPR's Lisa Hagen, who covers how false and misleading information spreads, shares her reporting into the documentary and its filmmakers.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Biden administration took extraordinary measures to protect the accounts of customers at two banks that failed over the past few days: Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.Federal regulators said Sunday that they were taking the emergency measures to prevent contagion at other small and regional banks in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank's implosion.NPR's David Gura reports that, despite those measures, many bank stocks plunged on Monday.And former Congressman Barney Frank, a Democrat who sponsored new banking regulations in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, explains what he thinks went wrong at the banks. Frank more recently also served on the board of Signature Bank.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In about the last 10 years, the legalized cannabis industry has grown into a $32 billion business. Today, in 21 states, and the District of Columbia, you can legally purchase recreational marijuana if you are 21 or older. And 37 states have legalized medical marijuana programs. While it's easy to feel that cannabis has come a long way from the scare tactics of Reefer Madness, since 1970's Controlled Substance Act, marijuana has been classified as a drug on par with cocaine and heroin - dramatically increasing penalties for possession, sale, and distribution. Those penalties were enforced in ways that continue to disproportionately target people of color, especially black people. While the same states that once prosecuted the sale of weed are now regulating and taxing it, will those most affected by the punitive frameworks of the past be able to profit too? Host Michel Martin speaks with Devin Alexander, owner of the cannabis delivery business, Rolling Releaf, based in Newton Massachusetts. And we hear from Tauhid Chappell, President of the Philadelphia CannaBusiness Association.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he welcomes a bipartisan effort in Congress to push for new rail safety regulations in the wake of the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.Buttigieg spoke to NPR's Ari Shapiro a day after Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw apologized for the East Palestine derailment during a Senate hearing, but stopped short of endorsing specific new regulations for his industry.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Some 16 million American households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will get less money this month.During the pandemic, the federal government temporarily increased SNAP benefits. But those extra benefits have now expired. That means recipients will get about $90 less each month on average, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research institute. Some families may see their benefits cut by more than $250 per month.Dr. Megan Sandel, co-director of the Boston Medical Center's Grow Clinic, which focuses on treating malnutrition issues in kids, explains how children's health can suffer when families are not able to put enough food on the table.And NPR's Stacey Vanek Smith reports on another worrying trend in Americans' personal finances. Credit card debt is increasing at a record rate, as people struggle to keep up with inflation.This episode also features reporting from NPR's Alison Aubrey. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy