All over the world, democratic institutions are under threat. The United States isn't just part of that trend — it may also be one of the causes. Former Obama administration foreign policy adviser Ben Rhodes examines why in a new book called After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

Proponents of trans female athlete bans struggle to cite examples of trans women or girls gaining an unfair advantage in sports competitions. But amid a lot of debate about fairness, there's been less attention on science. NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman spoke to a pioneering trans researcher who explains why — in most sports — trans women can compete fairly against cisgender women. Behind a recent spate of anti-trans state laws, LGBTQ communities see a new chapter in a familiar story: the culture wars that broke out in America in the 1990s. A new episode of the FX documentary miniseries Pride examines that era. It was directed by Academy-Award nominee Yance Ford, who tells NPR why the culture wars of the 90s are so relevant today. Additional reporting on the legal debate over Idaho's ban on trans female athletes from our colleague Melissa Block. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

Apple has always wanted to be one of the good guys in tech. But now a high-stakes lawsuit with Epic Games, the creator of the hit video game Fortnite, isn't just challenging Apple's reputation. It's raising questions about whether the most valuable company in the world has grown into an illegal monopoly.NPR's Bobby Allyn reports on the federal trial that led to Apple CEO Tim Cook taking the stand last week to defend his company. And Sally Hubbard, who researches monopolies, explains how Apple's control over its app store reminds her of past antitrust violations from Microsoft and AT&T. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

After his death on May 25, 2020, George Floyd became the face of a movement against police violence. But attorney Andrea Ritchie says, in some ways, the prosecution and conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin created a false sense of progress in that movement. Ritchie focuses on police misconduct and is the author of the book, Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women And Women Of Color.Bowling Green State University criminologist Phillip Stinson explains why so few police officers are prosecuted and convicted for murder. Stinson maintains the Henry A. Wallace Police Crime Database.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.We're working on a future episode about people who got involved in activism in the past year. We want to know why — and whether you've stayed involved. If this sounds like you, please respond to our callout here.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For decades, Israel had solid bipartisan support for Israel from Capitol Hill. But progressive congressional Democrats have started to question support for the policies of the Israeli government. Palestinian rights activists also feel tied to the growing power of racial justice movements in the United States. NPR political correspondent Asma Khalid explains. Peter Beinart, editor-at-large of Jewish Currents, says more Americans are hearing Palestinian voices in the media, and some Democrats can now criticize Israel without fear of losing their next election.Additional reporting in this episode comes from NPR's Connor Donevan and Eli Newman with member station WDET.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

We know that Americans in blue states are getting vaccinated at higher rates than those in red ones. But that gap obscures another growing divide in America's vaccine campaign — the divide within states between rural and urban areas. An NPR analysis of county-level data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that divide exists across age groups in almost every state. NPR's Austin Fast explains why. The Biden administration says it's making progress on closing the gap. Their focus is on getting as many people vaccinated as possible. But public health officials tell NPR's Geoff Brumfiel that the U.S. may never reach 'herd immunity.' Additional reporting in this episode from Veronica Zaragovia of member station WLRN in Miami. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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 week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance that vaccinated people can safely return to most activities without wearing a mask. But the announcement caught many local officials and business leaders off guard. One of them was Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. NPR's Andrea Hsu reports on the confusion among businesses, which now have to decide what to do on their own. NPR's Yuki Noguchi interviewed behavioral scientists about whether the new guidance may encourage more people to get vaccinated. Additional reporting in this episode came from NPR's Allison Aubrey and Pien Huang. Read more about what the new CDC guidance means for unvaccinated kids — and their parents. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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 White House is courting influential Democratic senators and making a public relations push for President Biden's infrastructure proposal, while Republicans draw a red line around corporate tax increases. Biden also spent part of this week test-driving Ford's new electric F-150 Lightning. But for all the talk of energy innovation and electric cars, one part of Biden's infrastructure plan is based on a pretty old idea — one from another era when millions of Americans were out of work. NPR's Scott Detrow and Nathan Rott report on Biden's proposal to revamp the nearly 100-year-old Civilian Conservation Corps — with a new focus on climate change. Read more from their reporting here. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

Over the past year, QAnon conspiracies have migrated from obscure corners of the internet into national headlines. The false belief that left-wing Satanists are controlling the government helped fuel the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6. These theories didn't come from nowhere. Back in the 1980s a similar "satanic panic" swept through the country and led to lawsuits that alleged preschool teachers were performing evil rituals with children. These claims were debunked but the accusations themselves had staying power. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports on what factors contributed to the original "satanic panic" and what it can teach us about the conspiracy theories that attract followers today. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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 conflict between Israel and Hamas has gone from bad to worse. The Biden administration says it's engaging in "quiet, intensive diplomacy" to broker an end to the violence. Leni Stenseth of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency tells NPR that the humanitarian situation in the region is "extremely alarming." NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro explains how the recent outbreak of violence began — and the historical seeds of the region's conflict. What is the diplomatic path toward some sort of peace? Israeli political analyst and journalist Akiva Eldar, a contributor to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and Mkhaimar Abusada, a professor of political science at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, discuss what life on the ground is like for each of them, and the role of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

Nine-year-old Hallel is the oldest of three children. They also identify as a "boy-girl," which was a revelation to their parents Shira and Ari when Hallel made the announcement to them.Through a series of family recordings and interviews with WBUR's Martha Bebinger, the family shared the story of how this realization unfolded, and what they're learning.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The promise of post-pandemic life is exciting, but that doesn't mean it won't get awkward at times. We asked for your questions about how to navigate this new normal and we have some answers. Dr. Lucy McBride, a primary care physician, and public theologian Ekemini Uwan have both written about this transitional moment Americans are living in and have some advice. To take a short, anonymous survey about Consider This, please visit npr.org/springsurvey. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

This week, House Republicans voted to expel Rep. Liz Cheney from party leadership after the Wyoming congresswoman repeatedly called out former President Trump's false claims about the 2020 election. Republican Congressman John Curtis of Utah told NPR the party's decision had nothing to do with her opposition to the former President.The fracture reminds Wall Street Journal Executive Washington Editor Gerald Seib of another era when Republican leadership tried to capture and control a growing political force: the tea party. Seib is the author of We Should Have Seen It Coming: From Reagan to Trump — A Front-Row Seat to a Political Revolution. To take a short, anonymous survey about Consider This, please visit npr.org/springsurvey. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

Republicans say enhanced pandemic unemployment benefits are what's keeping people out of the workforce. That could be playing a role, but the complete picture is far more complicated. NPR chief economic correspondent Scott Horsley lays out the evidence for what's really behind the struggle to find workers. Stacey Vanek Smith, host of NPR's daily economics podcast The Indicator, explains why the problem may be specific to a certain subset of the economy. More from the Indicator on that topic here. Find more episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. To take a short, anonymous survey about Consider This, please visit npr.org/springsurvey. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

Three officers, each from a different generation, weigh in on Derek Chauvin's murder conviction and other recent acts of police violence. Isaiah McKinnon became a police officer for the city of Detroit in the 1960s, and eventually became chief of police. He also served two years as the city's deputy mayor starting in 2014.Cheryl Dorsey is a retired Los Angeles Police Department sergeant who first joined the force in the 1980s. Vincent Montague is president of the Black Shield Police Association, which supports officers serving in the Greater Cleveland area. He's been in law enforcement for 13 years. To take a short, anonymous survey about Consider This, please visit npr.org/springsurvey. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

Property ownership eludes Black Americans more than any other racial group. NPR's Ailsa Chang and Jonaki Mehta examine why. They tell the story of LA's Sugar Hill neighborhood, a once-vibrant black community that was demolished to make way for the Santa Monica Freeway.Their story is part of NPR's special series We Hold These Truths.To take a short, anonymous survey about Consider This, please visit npr.org/springsurvey. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

Comic book publishers like Marvel and DC sit on a treasure trove: thousands and thousands of comic book characters. Pieces of intellectual property. You know the big ones--Superman, Ironman, Captain America. They each make millions off of movies and merchandise. But for every marquee character, there are hundreds of others sitting unused.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Now 50 years old, NPR has grown up alongside American journalism. We take stock of some lessons learned along the way. In this episode: Linda Wertheimer, Robert Siegel, Brooke Gladstone, Ira Glass, Michele Norris, and Andy Carvin. Hear more from NPR's very first broadcast of All Things Considered. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

Vaccine demand is beginning to slide in the U.S., but in other parts of the world, the pandemic is devastating countries where vaccines are more scarce. India is one of those countries. There only 2% of the population is fully immunized. There's an argument that waiving intellectual property rights could boost global vaccine production, and this week the Biden administration came out in support of that idea. Mustaqeem de Gama, South Africa's counsellor at the World Trade Organization, tells NPR that U.S. support is a "game changer." Meanwhile, in some parts of the U.S., it's getting harder to find enough arms for vaccine doses. Katia Riddle reports from Oregon. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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 Thursday, Scots vote in Regional Parliamentary elections. That's not usually an international story, but the ruling Scottish National Party is running on a platform to hold another independence referendum. Another vote on whether Scotland should leave the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland and Wales could follow their lead.Scotland voted to stay in the U.K. during the last independence referendum in 2014. But then the Brexit vote happened. Scots heavily voted against leaving the European Union but were outnumbered by the British. Ultimately, the U.K. voted to leave the E.U.NPR's London correspondent Frank Langfitt has been driving across Scotland over the past few days, asking people how they feel about another referendum and the reviews are mixed. Ailsa Henderson, a senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, describes what might happen after this week's vote and what, if anything, is still keeping the U.K. together. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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 pandemic economy has left different people in vastly different situations. Today, we follow up with four American indicators — people whose paths will help us understand the arc of the recovery. You first heard their stories back in February. Now, we're talking to them again to ask how the American Rescue Plan has affected their lives — or not. Brooke Neubauer in Nevada, founder of The Just One Project; Lisa Winton of the Winton Machine Company in Georgia; Lee Camp with Arch City Defenders in Missouri; and New Jersey-based hotel owner Bhavesh Patel. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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 record 172,000 migrants were apprehended at the southern border in March. Those numbers are fueled, in part, by smuggling organizations that exploit desperate migrants, most of them from central America. NPR's John Burnett and KTEP's Angela Kocherga report on their tactics.Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tells NPR about a new multi-agency effort to crack down on smugglers. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Things have gone from bad to worse in the pandemic's global epicenter. India reported nearly 400,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday — and the death count is likely higher than current estimates. Lauren Frayer, NPR's correspondent in Mumbai, explains why. Follow more of her work here or on Twitter @lfrayer.The surge in India may be due, in part, to new coronavirus variants circulating in the country. NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff reports on one that's been referred to as a "double mutant." In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Any one of President Biden's multi-trillion-dollar spending packages would be among the largest ever enacted by Congress. He has passed one — the American Recuse Plan — and proposed two others in his first 100 days. NPR Congressional correspondent Susan Davis explains his latest proposal — the American Families Plan.Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin tells NPR that in times of crisis, past Presidents have had success enacting ambitious agendas. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Fully vaccinated people can ditch the mask outdoors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week — unless they're at a crowded event. Dr. Anthony Fauci explains the new guidance to NPR and weighs in on how soon children under 16 might be eligible for vaccines. NPR's Joe Palca reports on the scientific effort to learn more about how long vaccines protect us. Additional reporting in this episode from NPR's Allison Aubrey. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The first set of results from the 2020 census are in, and according to the count, the official population of the United States is 331,449,281.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Israel and the United Kingdom are among the most-vaccinated countries in the world. Their success is due in part to public health campaigns designed to fight vaccine disinformation in faith and minority communities. As part of NPR's series on fighting disinformation, London correspondent Frank Langfitt visited a mosque-turned-vaccination center on the frontline of that battle. In Israel, NPR's Daniel Estrin followed the man who helped lead the public health campaign for vaccines. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Black Americans being victimized and killed by the police is an epidemic. As the trial of Derek Chauvin plays out, it's a truth and a trauma many people in the US and around the world are again witnessing first hand. But this tension between African American communities and the police has existed for centuries. This week, the origins of policing in the United States and how those origins put violent control of Black Americans at the heart of the system.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Last year, hackers believed to be directed by the Russian intelligence service, the SVR, slipped a malicious code into a routine software update from a Texas- based company called SolarWinds. They then used it as a vehicle for a massive cyberattack against America and successfully infiltrated Microsoft, Intel, Cisco and other companies, and federal agencies including the Treasury Department, Justice Department, Energy Department and the Pentagon.The Biden administration recently announced a roster of tough sanctions against Russia as part of what it characterized as the "seen and unseen" response to the SolarWinds breach.NPR investigative correspondent Dina Temple-Raston has spent months examining the landmark attack that — based on interviews with dozens of players — reveals a hack unlike any other.In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A little more than half of adults in the U.S. have had at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. That means a growing number of Americans are figuring out how to navigate life in a hybrid society where some people are vaccinated and some are not. Two experts offer advice on how to do that: Dr. Leana Wen with George Washington University, and Dr. Monica Gandhi with the University Of California San Francisco. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As crowds gathered Tuesday evening after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd, two themes emerged. Many expressed joy and relief for the verdict delivered by the 12-person jury. But they also said the work isn't over, and the national debate over police violence and accountability can't end with a single criminal trial.That message was also shared by the White House and Vice President Harris. On Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the Justice Department is opening an investigation into possible patterns of discrimination and excessive force within the Minneapolis Police Department. And lawmakers in Congress are renewing a push for a police reform act that bears George Floyd's name. For the last eleven months, one of the loudest voices demanding justice for George Floyd — insisting that the country and the world not forget him — has been his brother, Philonise Floyd. Philonise and Benjamin Crump, the Floyd family attorney, share what lasting change will look like to them now that a verdict has been delivered.In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted on three counts in the trial over George Floyd's killing. The jury announced their verdict on Tuesday and found Chauvin guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Starting Monday, every person in America 16 and older is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 40% already have. Now public health officials will begin to focus more on those who have not. WHYY's Nina Feldman reports on the effort in Philadelphia, which is focused on racial equity. Two groups of people who are most likely to say they won't get a shot are Republicans and white evangelical Christians. Blake Farmer of member station WPLN in Nashville reports on outreach to those groups. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Flexible hours for working parents, daycare centers at the office, equal pay. Between the 1960s and 1980s, there was a real sense that big workplace changes were just beyond the horizon.At the time a very common job for women was clerical work. And in 1973, a group of secretaries in Boston formed a women's labor organization. They called themselves the "9to5."Actress Jane Fonda then decided to turn the real life struggles of working women into a hit Hollywood movie. Starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and country singer Dolly Parton (who also wrote the famous theme song), 9 to 5 was one of the first movies focused on the lives of women in the workplace.Today on the show, we meet the women behind the movement that inspired the movie. And a look at how far we have — or haven't — come since then.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A movement to unionize workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., was seen as a potential turning point for the American labor movement. But the effort failed resoundingly. Stephan Bisaha of member station WBHM in Birmingham examines why. Mohamed Younis, editor-in-chief of Gallup, tells NPR that public opinion of labor unions is generally lower in the South.Additional reporting this episode from NPR's Alina Selyukh.In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Biden announced this week that all U.S. troops if Afghanistan will be withdrawn by Sept. 11, marking the end of America's 20-year war there. Former U.S. Army Col. Christopher Kolenda tells NPR there is "no easy ending" to American involvement in Afghanistan. Roya Rahmani, Afghanistan's ambassador to the U.S., tells NPR Afghan civilians will continue to face daily threats of violence. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There have been nightly protests in Brooklyn Center, Minn., following Sunday's killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who was shot by former police officer Kim Potter.Police officials have said Wright's death resulted from an "accidental discharge," saying Potter mistook her handgun for her Taser.State Rep. Esther Agbaje tells NPR the city has been living in "a continuous state of trauma." NPR's Adrian Florido has been covering the trial of former Minneapolis police Derek Chauvin, which is taking place just miles from where Wright was killed. Wednesday was the second day for the defense to call witnesses in Chauvin's trial.In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration announced a recommended pause in use of Johnson & Johnson's single-use COVID-19 vaccine, while the agencies investigate reports of a rare but serious blood clot in six people. The pause comes at a time when public health officials face the growing challenge of vaccine hesitancy, as NPR's Geoff Brumfiel reports. NPR's Tamara Keith and Pien Huang explain the science behind the pause, and how it's occurring at a challenging moment for the Biden administration. Additional reporting in this episode comes from NPR's Allison Aubrey. The NPR Politics Podcast is also covering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Biden wants to make a massive investment in infrastructure, and not just in roads and bridges. His administration is proposing big investments in "care infrastructure" — investments designed to help women succeed in the workforce. Three women leading the administration's effort speak to NPR: Janelle Jones, the chief economist at the Department of Labor; Heather Boushey, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers; and Jennifer Klein, co-chair of the White House Gender Policy Council. Additional reporting this episode on women and the workforce from NPR's Scott Horsley and Melissa Block. Hannah Rosin spoke to NPR's Michel Martin.In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

"To Asian women, not for—there's no speaking for us, splendidly vast and manifold as our people are." So writes Korean-American novelist R.O. Kwon in an essay in Vanity Fair. The essay explores the reasons that R.O. was unable to talk openly with her own mother about rising anti-Asian rhetoric and violence in the past year, and how she finally broke that silence. In this episode, Rough Translation producer Justine Yan talks with R.O. about what the essay meant to her, and how to break familiar silences surrounding Asian American communities.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week Arkansas became the first state to outlaw gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, as the state legislature overrode a veto by Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Hutchinson tells NPR why he opposed the bill, which will become law later this summer. Dr. Joshua Safer, the executive director at Mount Sinai's Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, explains why gender-affirming therapies — such as puberty blockers or hormone treatment — are safe and healthy for trans youth. Misconceptions about trans people can be shaped by who tells their stories. Three trans journalists weigh in on how that should be done:Imara Jones is the creator of TransLash Media.Kate Sosin is a reporter at The 19th. Orion Rummler is a reporter at Axios. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The details in President Biden's proposed $2 trillion infrastructure plan have a lot to do with protecting the environment. There's a new clean electricity standard and a focus on low-income communities hit hardest by climate change. But will it be enough? NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports on how some progressives in congress wished Biden's plan was more ambitious. While many republicans, like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, see it as an overreach and have vowed to fight it. Dr. Leah Stokes, a professor in the department of political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, says that she'd favor a quicker timeline but still thinks Biden's plan will go a long way for curbing the effects of climate change. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's mixed messaging on travel reveals the uncertain future of the pandemic, Dr. Monica Gandhi tells NPR. Gandhi is an infectious disease expert at the University of California San Francisco. In the future, some travelers may be required to verify their vaccine status to enter a stadium or attend a wedding. Dr. Zeke Emanuel, a professor of medical ethics at the University of Pennsylvania and former member of President Biden's Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board, tells NPR so-called vaccine "passports" can be made secure and private. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Home prices are soaring around the U.S. Amid low inventory and historically low interest rates, some buyers are hitting the market to find they can't compete with all-cash offers, or bidding wars that escalate well out of their price range. Sean Hawksford in Bozeman, Mont., is one of those buyers. He told his story to NPR's daily economic podcast, The Indicator. NPR's Chris Arnold explains why the market is so wild right now. And while homebuying is a big financial decision, it's also an emotional one. Those emotions are on full display in a new Netflix show called Marriage or Mortgage. Michelle Singletary, a personal finance columnist for The Washington Post explores what the show reveals about the homebuying process, and why — in more ways than one — it's not for everyone. Here's her recent column about the show.In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Two Easters have now come and gone since the pandemic began, and the need for restrictions has not gone away. It has faith communities wondering when things will get back to normal. NPR's Lee Hale reports on how faith leaders have approached worship differently since the pandemic began.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Bills under consideration in dozens of states target trans youth by focusing on two things: health care and sports. Some bills have already become law in states including South Dakota, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Alabama. One of the harshest measures is an Alabama, where a bill would make it a felony to provide gender-affirming therapy to anyone under the age of 19. NPR's Melissa Block reports on what that would mean for one trans teenager and his family. University of Pittsburgh professor Jules Gill-Peterson explains what she's uncovered about the history of trans youth in America. She is the author of Histories of the Transgender Child.In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is giving us all hope that we'll be back to some sense of normal soon, but the pandemic will likely still play a role in what college life looks like next fall. We asked some high school seniors what questions they have about deciding where to go to school and what college life is like during a pandemic. To help with answering those questions and sharing some advice, we hear from two current college freshmen, Ayiana Davis Polen at Spelman College in Atlanta and Adam Ahmad at the University of California, Berkeley, and NPR reporter Elissa Nadworny.In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Scientists are growing concerned the U.S. may be headed for a fourth wave. COVID-19 cases are rising rapidly, mirroring an increase in many countries around the world. Harvard epidemiologist Bill Hanage tells NPR he's worried another surge in the U.S. will fuel the spread of the variant known as B.1.1.7. In the meantime, there's new evidence that vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are effective at preventing viral spread — and that they produce "robust" antibody response in children ages 12-15. NPR's Joe Palca has more. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy