President Biden said Tuesday that the federal government's vaccine distribution program is "in worse shape than we anticipated." His administration's coronavirus response team held its first public briefing on Wednesday where officials detailed plans to increase vaccine supply and capacity, but also said it will be months before anyone who wants a vaccine can get one. The lack of supply has led to different challenges in different areas of the country. NPR gathered three reporters to learn more: Blake Farmer with Nashville Public Radio, Amelia Templeton with Oregon Public Broadcasting, and Veronica Zaragovia with WLRN in Miami. Additional reporting this episode from Georgia Public Broadcasting's Grant Blankenskip, who reported on efforts by Georgia residents to get a vaccine. 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

Removing disinformation — and users who spread it — can come at a cost for web hosts and social media platforms. But studies indicate "deplatforming" does stem the flow of disinformation. Kate Starbird with the University of Washington explains why it's easier to see the effects of deplatforming in the short-term. And NPR's Shannon Bond looks at how one growing social media site is dealing with new attention and new challenges. Additional reporting in this episode from NPR's Bobby Allyn, who's reported on the removal of Parler by Amazon Web Services.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

Adam Jentleson knows firsthand how powerful a tool the filibuster can be — and what's possible without it. He was deputy chief of staff to former Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, who was majority leader in 2013 when Democrats exercised "the nuclear option," eliminating the filibuster for presidential appointees. Now, Jentleson and a growing number of Democrats argue Senate leaders should eliminate the filibuster for legislation, which would enable Democrats to pass major legislation with a simple Senate majority, instead of the current 60-vote threshold. Jentleson lays out his argument in a recent book, Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy.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

Breathing is essential to life. And lately, the safety of the air we inhale, or the need to pause and take a deep breath, is on our minds a lot. In this episode of NPR's TED Radio Hour, we explore the power of breath.Guests include former world champion freediver Tanya Streeter, journalist Beth Gardiner, activist Yvette Arellano, paleontologist Emma Schachner, scent historian Caro Verbeek and mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe.Listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts, including NPR One, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

More than 400,000 Americans have been killed by the coronavirus. That's more Americans than were killed in all of World War II, President Biden pointed out this week. He calls his new plan to fight the pandemic a "wartime effort."That effort begins with taking charge of a bottlenecked vaccine rollout. NPR pharmaceutical correspondent Sydney Lupkin reports on several factors that are slowing the process down. And NPR's Yuki Noguchi explores why it may take some time for pharmacies to become major vaccine distribution sites.The need for more vaccine is a national story, but the wait is especially excruciating in Los Angeles. NPR's Leila Fadel visited one hospital pushed to the brink, where doctors compare their work to "battlefield medicine."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

President Biden followed through on a day-one promise to send a massive immigration reform bill to Congress. Now the hard part: passing that bill into law. Muzaffar Chishti of New York University's Migration Policy Institute explains the president's plans — and the signal they send to other countries around the world. Biden is also pursuing big changes in how the U.S. admits refugees. Corine Dehabey, an Ohio-based director of the refugee settlement organization Us Together, says families who've been separated for years are looking forward to reuniting.Follow more of NPR's immigration coverage from Southwest correspondent John Burnett. 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

"Through a crucible for the ages, America has been tested anew," President Biden said in his inaugural address on Wednesday. "And America has risen to the challenge." Outgoing Vice President Pence was present for the inauguration of the 46th president. President Trump was not. He left the White House in the morning after an overnight issuance of commutations and pardons — including for Steve Bannon, his former adviser who was arrested on charges of wire fraud and money laundering. NPR's Franco Ordonez reports on what President Biden did during his first day in office. 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

When Joe Biden takes the oath of office at noon ET on Wednesday, he will become the oldest president to ever hold the office. His journey to the White House spans nearly half a century in public life. New Yorker writer Evan Osnos has written a book about that journey called Joe Biden: The Life, The Run, And What Matters Now. He explains how Biden's deep "acquaintance with suffering" prepared him to meet the country at a moment of grief and loss. 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

President-elect Joe Biden has outlined a plan to administer 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in his administration's first 100 days. But before that he'll have to convince Congress to pay for it. NPR White House correspondent Scott Detrow spoke to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris about that, and her reaction to the siege at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Listen to more of their interview on the NPR Politics Podcast on Apple or Spotify. It's been almost a full year since the first case of coronavirus was detected on Jan. 20, 2019 in Washington state. NPR science correspondent Allison Aubrey looks back at what lessons the U.S. has learned — and what lessons we're still learning. 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

In this episode from the team at NPR's Embedded, hear the stories of two NPR teams that spent January 6th on the grounds of the Capitol — and stories from a lawmaker, photographer, and police officer who were inside the building. Subscribe to or follow Embedded on NPR One, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Spotify, and RSS.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The QAnon conspiracy theory originated in 2017, when an anonymous online figure, "Q" started posting on right-wing message boards. Q claims to have top secret government clearance. Q's stories range from false notions about COVID-19 to a cabal running the U.S. government to the claim there's a secret world of satanic pedophiles. This culminates in the belief that President Trump is a kind of savior figure.Today, U.S. authorities are increasingly regarding QAnon as a domestic terror threat — especially following last week's insurrection at the Capitol. But the people in the best position to address that threat are the families of Q followers — and they're at a loss about how to do it.Some of those family members spoke with us about how their family members started following QAnon and how that has affected their relationships. Travis View researches right-wing conspiracies and hosts the podcast QAnon Anonymous. He explains how the QAnon story is not all that different from digital marketing tactics, and how followers become detached from reality.Dannagal Young is an associate professor of communications at the University of Delaware and studies why people latch onto political conspiracy theories. She share some ways to help family members who are seemingly lost down one of these conspiracy rabbit holes.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

House Democrats — joined by 10 Republicans — voted to impeach President Trump on Wednesday. Now the process moves to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he hasn't made a final decision — and that he'll listen to the legal arguments presented in the Senate. GOP strategist Scott Jennings, who is familiar with McConnell's thinking, spoke to NPR about why that might be. No matter what McConnell does, Trump will not be president by this time next week. But between now and then, there are growing concerns about more violence in Washington, D.C., and in cities around the country, as NPR's Greg Allen has reported.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

California Rep. Adam Schiff, who led House Democrats in their first effort to impeach President Trump, tells NPR what they are hoping to achieve in doing it a second time. He spoke to NPR's Mary Louise Kelly. And while a debate about the consequences for Trump plays out on Capitol Hill, his supporters are facing consequences of their own in federal court.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

More than 25 million vaccines have been distributed by the federal government, but only slightly more than one-third of those have made it into peoples' arms. Vaccine mega-sites are opening in major cities around the country as local officials try to speed up vaccination.There's also been pressure to expand the groups of people who are eligible for the vaccines. From Nashville, WPLN's Blake Farmer reports on how that pressure is often forcing those who administer the shots will to take people's word for it on whether they qualify. One state is doing better than every other when it comes to giving shots: West Virginia. NPR's Yuki Noguchi explains why. Additional reporting this episode from NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin, who's looked into how to improve America's vaccine rollout.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

In 1898, white supremacists in Wilmington, N.C., led what is known as the only successful coup ever to take place on American soil. They overthrew the government because Black leaders there had recently been elected by Black voters, explains Vann Newkirk, who wrote about that day for The Atlantic.In some important ways, the attack on the U.S. Capitol this week was also about race. NPR's Audie Cornish speaks to Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, professor of African American studies at Princeton. Vann Newkirk spoke to producer Brianna Scott. 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 Wednesday, in the nation's capital, a mob was incited to violence by the president of the United States. In the years that led up to that moment, many Republicans supported Trump. Now, where does their party go from here?NPR's Ailsa Chang puts that question to two Capitol Hill veterans: Michael Steel, a longtime aid to former Republican House Speaker John Boehner; and Antonia Ferrier, a former longtime staffer to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.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 joint session of Congress to formally affirm the results of the 2020 presidential election was just getting started on Wednesday when a group of Republicans from the House and the Senate went on record objecting to election results in swing states.The first objection triggered a debate period with each chamber having hours to deliberate. But those sessions were halted as a mob of Pro-Trump extremists stormed the Capitol grounds and sent the entire complex into a lockdown.For more on what happened in Washington, D.C., NPR's congressional correspondent Sue Davis, spoke to All Things Considered hosts Ailsa Chang and Mary Louise Kelly. The bottom line: Joe Biden will be inaugurated in 14 days. And it looks like he'll take office with a Democratic-controlled Senate.Rev. Raphael Warnock spoke with NPR's Noel King after defeating Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in one of Georgia's runoff elections, according to the Associated Press. Democrat Jon Ossoff defeated Republican Sen. David Perdue in the second Georgia Senate runoff, according to an AP race call.It looks like what helped put the Democrats over the top was Black voter turnout. LaTosha Brown is co-founder of Black Voters Matter, a Georgia group that helped lead get-out-the-vote efforts there. She spoke with NPR about where the fight goes next.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

Initially, U.S. officials predicted that as many as 20 million Americans would be fully vaccinated before the end of 2020. And while that many vaccine doses were distributed, only a fraction of them have been administered. The federal government has given states control over distribution plans which has led to different systems with differing levels of success. In one Florida county, Julie Glenn of member station WGCU reports on the haphazard vaccine rollout that has led elderly residents to camp out in tents to get their first shot.As vaccinations lag behind schedule, a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus is spreading in many countries, including the U.S. The new variant isn't thought to be more deadly, and scientists believe the vaccines currently being administered will work against it. Additional good news is that masks and social distancing will still slow the spread of the new variant.Additional reporting this episode from NPR's Allison Aubrey, who's reported on the slow start to vaccinations, and from NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff, who's reported on the new coronavirus variant. Reporting on the vaccine rollout at the state level came from Will Stone in Seattle, Nashville Public Radio's Blake Farmer, and WBUR's Martha Bebinger.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

Georgia was already going to be the center of the political universe this week. Now, leaked audio of a phone call between President Trump and Georgia election officials raises new questions about how far he's willing to go to overturn an election he lost. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly reports on how it's all playing out in Georgia, where control of the U.S. Senate hangs in the balance. She speaks to Fulton County elections director Rick Barron and Emma Hurt of member station WABE. 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

Back in November, comedian Robyn Schall found an old list of her goals for 2020. She shared the list in a video that went viral — because it turned out a lot of people could relate to a year that didn't go as planned. Gretchen Rubin and R. Eric Thomas have some advice on how to make 2021 a little better. Rubin writes books about happiness and habits — her latest is Outer Order, Inner Calm — and she hosts the podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Thomas dispenses opinions and wisdom as a senior staff writer at elle.com. He's the author of the memoir Here For It.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 four and a half tumultuous years in British politics, Brexit is now becoming a reality. NPR's London correspondent Frank Langfitt reports on mixed views about the new deal from a highway outside the Port of Dover along the English Channel, where truckers are trying to cross the border before rules change in the new year. Anand Menon, director of the think tank UK In A Changing Europe, sees the new deal as a win, and says it help avoid further economic disruption. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

While it took time for congress and President Trump to agree on the $900 billion pandemic relief bill, one thing has been certain for a while. Many mayors and governors did not get the money they requested. Tracy Gordon, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, explains that while states will get funding for things like public education and vaccine distribution, what mayors and governors really want are unrestricted funds to spend how they'd like. NPR's Ailsa Chang reports on how public transit has been hit especially hard during the pandemic. And scaled-back services, while saving some money, hurt passengers who rely on them. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

One in every thousand people has died of COVID-19 in the U.S. And California just passed 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases. This surge, likely from Thanksgiving travel, is making contact tracing efforts difficult across the country. Dr. Christina Ghaly, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, says hospitals are being forced to treat COVID-19 patients in conference rooms and gift shops as beds fill up. To help contain the spread, Brett Dahlberg reports that some health officials in Michigan are asking people to do their own contact tracing. In New York City, WNYC's Fred Mogul found a contact tracer who is making home visits in an effort to alert people in at-risk categories. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On a crisp morning in late March, health care workers in yellow hazmat suits arrived at St. Joseph's Senior Home in Woodbridge, New Jersey. They were responding to an outbreak of COVID-19 at the facility. But that response would make St. Joe's different than every other long-term facility in the state: it was the only such facility in New Jersey to be completely evacuated.NPR Investigations correspondent Dina Temple-Raston has been digging into why that happened — and whether some residents of St. Joe's might still be alive if it hadn't. More from her reporting is here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

At the end of every year, the hosts of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour like to look back on some of their favorite things from the last 12 months. In this episode, they revisit some of the TV, film and music that helped us make it through 2020.Here's the full list:1. Moira's wedding officiant outfit in the series finale of Schitt's Creek2. Ted Lasso and the year in escapism3. Uncle Clifford and Lil Murda in the season 1 finale of P-Valley4. Michael Jordan watching interviews about him on an iPad in The Last Dance5. Parasite winning best picture at this year's Oscars, portending the further rise of non-English-language powerhouses6. The first 10 minutes of The Invisible Man7. Kentucky Route Zero8. "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" from David Byrne's American Utopia9. Fiona Apple chirping like a dolphin on "I Want You To Love Me"10. Cassidy Diamond (played by Shalita Grant) in the third season of Search Party11. "Uncle Naseem" (Season 2, Episode 9) of Ramy12. The Good Place series finaleLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Nothing could stop Christmas from coming. Not even a pandemic. But this year many of our holiday traditions look a bit different. NPR business correspondent Alina Selyuk reports on how hand sanitizer and face masks have become popular stocking stuffers this year. And we asked you to send in stories about how you're rethinking your celebrations as previous plans have been put on hold. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Every Fall NPR asks our critics and staff to pick their favorite books from the past year. Those nominations - there's hundreds of them - are then sorted down to a semi-manageable number. This year is our largest list yet with 383 titles. Click here to visit NPR's Book Concierge for 2020. The hosts of Consider This all submitted their picks to the list. Here are some of their favorites:Ari Shapiro recommends Susanna Clarke's novel Piranesi. A mythic story about a man who is disoriented and trapped in a mysterious sort of house. Mary Louise Kelly has a suggestion great for a book club. Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet explores the connection between what was arguably William Shakespeare's greatest play, Hamlet, and the death of his only son four years before. Ailsa Chang's pick is a good read for ages 10 and up. Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri takes you on a journey through myth, youth and cultural clash as a young boy and his family flee Iran and end up in Oklahoma. Audie Cornish chose to share Just Us by poet Claudia Rankine. It's a collection of essays, photos, poems and conversations that Rankine has been having with friends and strangers about race. 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

Americans got some good news on Wednesday morning when the White House announced that it had secured another 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine.Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar released a statement afterward saying the U.S. will now have enough supply "to vaccinate every American who wants it by June 2021." Even with these announcements questions remain on how exactly everyone will get vaccinated. States are having varying levels of success with the vaccine rollout process. Dr. Jose Romero, Arkansas health secretary and chair of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention immunization advisory committee, discusses the success Arkansas has had with vaccine distribution and the lessons learned in the process.In Seattle, NPR's Will Stone has been following vaccine distribution, including to health care workers who have been caring for COVID-19 patients for nearly a year. One of the questions that remains as more people get vaccinated is should volunteers who got a placebo during the vaccine trials now be offered the real thing? NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Dr. Steven Goodman of Stanford School of Medicine who is advising the Food and Drug Administration about this.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 seven months since the last coronavirus relief bill, Congress finally passed a new one on Monday. Neither Democrats or Republicans are completely happy with the $900 billion package, but it does provide some relief. Included in the newest bill are extended unemployment benefits and $600 direct deposit payments to most Americans. But for many people who previously lost their jobs and livelihoods, this relief comes too late. NPR's Lauren Hodges reports on the millions of people who are have been in financial limbo since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.And the financial impacts of the pandemic have not been felt evenly. Women and communities of color are bearing the greatest burden. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly spoke with associate professor of economics Michelle Holder of John Jay college at City University of New York, about how industries like retail and hospitality have been disproportionately gutted and when they might return to pre-pandemic levels.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

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged who was behind the cyber attack on Friday, saying Russia used third-party software to get inside the systems of multiple U.S. government agencies.But the attack didn't happen last week. It started in March. To help make sense of how an attack of this magnitude went undiscovered for months, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly spoke with Fiona Hill, who served as President Trump's most senior Russia adviser on the National Security Council until last year.Now that it's clear who was behind the attack, how do deal with Russia will be a big question for the incoming Biden administration. NPR's Russia correspondent Lucian Kim explains how the U.S.-Russia relationship may change as Biden takes office in January.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

Every year, Americans buy tens of millions of Christmas trees. But decorative evergreens don't just magically show up on corner lots, waiting to find a home in your living room. There are a bunch of fascinating steps that determine exactly how many Christmas trees get sold, and how expensive they are. On this episode of Planet Money, NPR's Nick Fountain and Robert Smith visit the world's largest auction of Christmas trees — and then see how much green New Yorkers are willing to throw down for some greenery. Listen to more episodes of Planet Money on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Prisons and jails are hotbeds for COVID-19. Public health experts say they should be given early access to a coronavirus vaccine. But only six states have prioritized vaccination for people who are incarcerated. Sharon Dolovich, director of UCLA's Prison Law & Policy Program, tells NPR why the debate over vaccinating inmates is a particularly American one. 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

An emerging coronavirus relief package may not do enough to help restaurants hobbled by the pandemic, many of which have struggled to make ends meet all year — with 100,000 restaurants closed on a permanent or long-term basis, according to a survey from the National Restaurant Association.Andrew Genung, the writer behind the restaurant industry newsletter Family Meal, explains why so many restaurants did not get enough help in the first round of relief passed by Congress early in the pandemic. Nya Marshall, owner of Ivy Kitchen and Cocktails in Detroit, describes the adjustments necessary to run her restaurant this year. And at least one restaurant-adjacent business is doing well: Auction Factory, which repairs and sells liquidated restaurant equipment. Cleveland-based owner Russell Cross tells NPR his warehouse is full of equipment from shuttered restaurants.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

In an Oregon hospital, a disabled woman fought for her life as her friends and advocates pleaded for proper care. Her case raises the question: Are disabled lives equally valued during a pandemic?NPR investigations correspondent Joseph Shapiro reports on what happened to Sarah McSweeney.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

Electors in every state officially sealed Joe Biden's presidential victory this week, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., congratulated the president-elect on Tuesday. Biden is now 36 days away from inauguration, waiting to face a public health and economic crisis that is growing by the day.NPR political correspondent Asma Khalid reports on the economic experts close to Biden's team who are advising the next president on how he can offer economic relief to Americans without Congress. And Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., tells NPR why he's urging Democrats to reject an emerging pandemic relief package if it does not include direct cash payments to individual Americans. Sanders spoke to NPR's Ailsa Chang.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 U.S. officially began vaccinating people against COVID-19 on Monday, starting with Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse in New York City. The first vaccination came the same day that the country hit another grim milestone of 300,000 dead from the disease.Though vaccinations have begun, the pandemic is still raging and affecting people in all kinds of ways, including their relationships with partners, family and friends.We asked you to share your questions with us on how to navigate those changing relationships. To help answer those questions, we're joined by Dr. Lexx Brown-James, a marriage and family therapist and sexologist based in St. Louis, and NPR's Cory Turner, who covers parenting and education.To hear more about how parents can help their kids feel less anxious right now, check out this episode of NPR's Life Kit podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.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 Food and Drug Administration has issued emergency use authorizations for two monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 – one produced by Eli Lilly and another by Regeneron. But emergency use authorization doesn't assure the drugs are effective.In this episode of Short Wave, NPR's daily science podcast, science correspondent Richard Harris explains how the new treatments work — and whether they could really make a difference for patients with COVID-19. Listen to more episodes of Short Wave on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump once told veteran CBS journalist Lesley Stahl why he attacks the press. "I do it to discredit you all and demean you all," he admitted to her in 2017, "so when you write negative stories about me, no one will believe you."Trump made attacks on the press a central fixture of his campaign for president, and of his four years in the White House. As his term comes to a close, three members of the White House Press Corps reflect on what it's been like to cover the 45th president since the beginning. NPR's Tamara Keith, Jeff Mason of Reuters, and Yamiche Alcindor of the PBS NewsHour spoke to NPR's Mary Louise Kelly. 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

In his first round of interviews since President-elect Joe Biden announced John Kerry would be his special envoy for climate, the former Secretary of State tells NPR why restoring American credibility on climate issues will be a key challenge for the Biden administration. Kerry spoke to NPR's Steve Inskeep. NPR's Nathan Rott reports on another climate ambition for the incoming administration: conserving 30% of America's land and water by 2030. 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 Food and Drug Administration could vote as soon as Thursday to approve a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer for emergency use authorization in the United States. Speaking to NPR this week, FDA head Dr. Stephen Hahn reiterated the government's commitment to vaccine safety. But public opinion polls suggest many Americans are still skeptical of COVID-19 vaccines, and misinformation about them has been spreading online. Renee DiResta of the Stanford Internet Observatory tells NPR why misinformation often takes hold where people are not necessarily looking for it. NPR's Adrian Florido reports public health experts are worried that Latinos and African Americans — communities that are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 — may be less likely to get vaccinated. 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

2020 has been a year of resilience in the face of tragedy. But for much longer, resilience in the face of tragedy has been a defining story of the Middle East. In her final conversation for NPR, international correspondent Jane Arraf reflects on what it's been like to watch that story unfold. Arraf is departing NPR to take on the role as Baghdad bureau chief for The New York Times. Follow her on Twitter 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

Health care facilities in rural areas hard-hit by the coronavirus are running out of ways to provide safe care to patients. Unlike earlier in the pandemic, it's more difficult to find hospitals with capacity to spare. A travel nurse shares an audio diary recorded for NPR in Fargo, N.D., and two health care workers from North Dakota and Utah describe the unique challenges they're facing. WPLN's Blake Farmer and NPR's Carrie Feibel have reported on the staffing challenges hospitals are facing.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

"What has this pandemic been like for you?"NPR host Sam Sanders and his team at It's Been A Minute put that question to their listeners and heard from people all over the world with ages ranging from 0 to 99. Their stories will stay with you. Listen to more episodes of It's Been A Minute on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Every 10 years after the U.S. Census, lawmakers in most states have the power to redraw congressional and state legislative districts. It's called redistricting. The party in power can do it in a way that benefits them politically — and it's perfectly legal. That's called gerrymandering. Now that the 2020 election season is nearly over, a picture is emerging of how redistricting and gerrymandering will unfold in states across the country. NPR's Ari Shapiro spoke to reporters in three state capitals: Ashley Lopez with member station KUT in Austin, Texas; Dirk VanderHart from Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland; and Steve Harrison of member station WFAE in Charlotte, N.C.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

President Trump and his allies have spent nearly a month promoting an alternate reality of rigged elections and stolen votes. Now, there's concern in Georgia that some of the president's supporters may sit out a crucial runoff election on January 5, which will determine the balance of power in the Senate, as Lisa Hagen with NPR member station WABE reported. Turnout isn't the only concern for some Republicans in the state. Election officials like Gabriel Sterling have been the target of death threats. Sterling spoke to NPR's Ari Shapiro. Trump's conspiratorial denials of his own defeat have been bolstered by allies from some relatively new media sources — including the right-wing network Newsmax. NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik reported on the network and its efforts to outfox Fox News. 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

Dr. Anthony Fauci said this week that it's likely that any healthy American who wants a coronavirus vaccine will be able to walk into a drugstore and get one by April. The challenge will be convincing enough people not to put it off. While the vaccine is months away for most, health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities will be able to receive the first doses when they become available, a committee from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended this week. NPR's Pien Huang has reported on that decision and others by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices. NPR's Andrea Hsu reports on the debate over mandatory vaccines in the workplace. 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

Lawmakers have been deadlocked for months on another coronavirus relief package. Now millions of Americans who have relied on emergency spending programs during the pandemic are about to see their benefits expire at the end of the year — unless Congress and the White House can agree to a spending deal before the holidays. NPR correspondents Scott Horsley and Chris Arnold explain what could happen weeks from now if American workers, homeowners, renters and student loan borrowers lose key economic lifelines. 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

Millions of Americans traveled for Thanksgiving despite pleas not to do so from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force says if you're one of them, assume you're infected, get tested and do not go near your friends or family members without a mask on. Because COVID-19 is a largely invisible threat, our brains struggle to comprehend it as dangerous. Dr. Gaurav Suri, a neuroscientist at San Francisco State University, explains how habits can help make the risks of the virus less abstract. Emergency room doctor Leana Wen discusses why it's tempting to make unsafe tradeoffs in day-to-day activities and how to better "budget" our risks.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