What began as a Thanksgiving tradition five years ago for NPR host Ari Shapiro is now a recurring segment on All Things Considered. Play It Forward is a musical chain of gratitude.Shapiro starts the chain with an artist he's thankful for, and then that musician chooses someone they're thankful for, and it continues onward with each artist choosing the next link in the chain. This episode features interviews with John Mayer, Leikeli47, Indigo Girls and Kae Tempest. Listen to all the Play It Forward interviews 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]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Thanksgiving is going to look different for many Americans this year. As the coronavirus pandemic rages, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning against traveling to see friends or family, or even gathering with people who do not live with you.But that isn't a reason to forego a delicious, sit-down meal.Three chefs share their scaled-down Thanksgiving recipes. These dishes — Anita Lo's turkey roulade, Aarón Sánchez's brussels sprouts with roasted jalapeño vinaigrette and Sohla El-Waylly's apple (hand) pies — are meant to serve up to four people.Find all three recipes 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

After an unusually dramatic meeting of the Michigan Board of State Canvassers, the state voted to certify its election results, slamming the door on yet another effort by President Trump to overturn the results of the election. Hours later, Emily Murphy of the General Services Administration officially authorized the use of federal transition funds by President-elect Biden. But while the Biden transition picks up speed, Trump is using his remaining time in office to push through last-minute policy changes and staffing appointments that may complicate things once the President-elect takes office. NPR has a team of reporters following that story: health policy reporter Selena Simmons-Duffin, chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley, and Pentagon reporter Tom Bowman. NPR political correspondent Asma Khalid reported on what role President-elect Biden may play in negotiations over a coronavirus relief package. 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

Democrats went into the election expecting to gain seats in the House. Instead, they lost at least eight of them. Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger speculated about why in a Nov. 5 conference call, audio of which was obtained by The Washington Post. NPR's Juana Summers reports that the young, activist coalition that voted for Joe Biden plans to pressure his administration to deliver on bold, progressive policies. Outgoing Democratic Sen. Doug Jones tells NPR that bold action in Washington won't be possible without appealing to a broad swath of voters. 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

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President-elect Joe Biden have a long working relationship. And if republicans retain a majority in the senate, McConnell could be a thorn in the side of the Biden administration's agenda. In this episode of NPR's Embedded, host Kelly McEvers talks to Janet Hook and Jackie Calmes, both currently at the Los Angeles Times, about the relationship between these men who will shape the country for the months and years to come.|Listen to more episodes of Embedded on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Election experts say there is no realistic legal path for President Trump to overturn the results of the 2020 election. But his determination to proceed anyway is doing real damage to the idea of American democracy. A growing number of current and former government officials are speaking out against his efforts. Sue Gordon, former deputy director of national intelligence, tells NPR if this were happening in another country, "we would say democracy was teetering on the edge."And Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, tells NPR he was pressured by Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to reject certain absentee ballots. 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

Distribution of the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine could be mere months away. But how that distribution will work remains a massive logistical puzzle that is still coming together piece by piece. NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin reports on how drug companies and the federal government are planning to ship and store vaccines that must remain frozen, some at temperatures that require special freezers. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston outlines the federal government's $590 million plan to avoid shortages of crucial vials and syringes. 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

During President Trump's first year in office, 42,000 Americans died of drug overdoses linked to heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioids. After a minor decrease in 2018, deaths rose to a record 50,042 in 2019. That number will likely be even worse for 2020. NPR's Brian Mann reports on the surge of synthetic fentanyl, especially in the western U.S. And NPR's Emily Feng unveils a web of Chinese sellers exporting individual chemical components to produce fentanyl. 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

Data from two leading COVID-19 vaccine trials indicate they may be between 90 and 95% effective. Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientist in charge of the U.S. government's vaccine development program, Operation Warp Speed, tells NPR he's optimistic there is "a light at the end of the tunnel."Dr. Anthony Fauci told NPR the results are worth celebrating — but that they should not be seen as a signal to pull back on public health measures. He also said the first vaccine doses may be available next month. But it will still be months longer before any vaccine is widely available. Two former government health officials — Scott Gottlieb and Andy Slavitt — tell NPR that in the meantime, the pandemic is could kill 200,000 more Americans. 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

Former President Barack Obama talks with NPR's Michel Martin about his time in office, President Trump's pandemic response, the 2020 election and what he thinks President-elect Joe Biden says about the United States right now. In Obama's new memoir, A Promised Land, he writes about his first term in the White House. Read NPR's full interview with Obama 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

The U.S. is entering the worst of the pandemic. For many, pandemic fatigue set in months ago. Others are struggling anew with cases spiking dramatically almost everywhere in the country. Psychotherapist Gina Moffa and NPR's Linda Holmes answer listener questions about mental health, processing the news, and keeping ourselves occupied.Linda hosts NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. 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

President Trump's refusal to engage in any meaningful national security transition is dangerous, say two former national security officials. Kori Schake with the American Enterprise Institute served on George W. Bush's National Security Council and in senior posts at the Pentagon and the State Department. Harvard's Nicholas Burns served at the State Department and on the National Security Council in every administration from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush.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 governors of North Dakota, Ohio and Utah all delivered the same message this week: hospital resources normally used for patients with heart attacks, strokes or emergency trauma will soon be overrun by patients with COVID-19. KCUR's Alex Smith reports on rural hospitals that are already at capacity, forcing them to transfer patients to city hospitals. Lydia Mobley, a traveling nurse working in central Michigan, says she sees multiple patients every shift who say they regret not taking the coronavirus more seriously. 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 President Trump lost the election. What we don't know is what will happen between now and Inauguration Day if he refuses to accept the results. In the short term, the Biden transition team cannot access certain government funds, use office space or receive classified intelligence briefings without official recognition of Biden's victory from a government agency called the General Services Administration. NPR's Brian Naylor has reported on the delay. At the Department of Justice, the top prosecutor in charge of election crimes, Richard Pilger, resigned from his position this week. A former DOJ colleague of Pilger's, Justin Levitt, tells NPR that the department is enabling the president's baseless claims of widespread election fraud. And Washington Post columnist David Ignatius explains what might be happening at the Department of Defense, where Trump's election denialism has coincided with a number of high-level firings and a debate over the release of classified information.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 may be on his way out, but Republicans will have to rely on his voters to hold power in the Senate. If Democrats win two runoff elections in Georgia on January 5, they will win a narrow Senate majority.Stephen Fowler of Georgia Public Broadcasting explains how Republicans in Georgia are attacking the state's election process.LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, explains how Democrats in Georgia turned out voters in the presidential 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

In 2008, then President-elect Obama and President Bush set up a join task force to help the incoming administration deal with the financial crisis they were about to inherit. Brown University's Ashish Jha tells NPR a similar effort is needed now to deal with the coronavirus. But so far, there's no sign of any cooperation from the Trump administration.President-elect Biden has established his own task force of scientists and physicians to work on his administration's response to the pandemic. Task force member Dr. Nicole Lurie tells NPR one goal of their effort will be to convince Americans the virus is the enemy — not each other. The Biden administration will also inherit Operation Warp Speed, the government's vaccine development program. Gus Perna is the Army general in charge. He explains how vaccine distribution might work. The pandemic won't be the only public health challenge facing the Biden administration if millions of people lose their health care coverage. That's what could happen if the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, explains Erin Fuse Brown with Georgia State University's College of Law. 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

Early on election night, when it seemed clear that Joe Biden was underperforming with a specific group of Latino voters in the Miami-Dade County, a narrative began to take hold: the Democratic Party had failed to energize the Latino vote. But as more results came in from across Florida, they told a different story. Biden would have lost the state even if he had performed better in Miami-Dade, because of President Trump's popularity with white voters. NPR's Leila Fadel reports on Democratic head-scratching about the Latino vote, and Gene Demby of NPR's Code Switch podcast talks about the enduring power of the white vote in the American electorate. Listen to more election coverage from NPR: Up First on Apple Podcasts or Spotify The NPR Politics Podcast on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyIn 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

Early data suggests 160 million people voted this year — which would be the highest turnout rate since 1900. With an unprecedented number of those votes cast by mail, knowing the results of the presidential election on Tuesday was never a guarantee. We know a little more about the results of congressional elections — and they are not great for Democrats. NPR congressional correspondent Susan Davis explains.One thing we do know is that voters in 32 states decided on dozens of ballot measures, from legalizing marijuana to raising the minimum wage. Josh Altic with the website Ballotpedia has been tracking those measures.Listen to more election coverage from NPR: Up First on Apple Podcasts or Spotify The NPR Politics Podcast on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyIn 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 electoral college is a system unlike any other in American democracy. Why does it exist? Ramtin Arablouei and Rund Abdelfatah explored that question on a recent episode of NPR's history podcast, Throughline. Find them on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.NPR senior political editor and correspondent Ron Elving explains why more Republicans now support the electoral college — and whether that's likely to change. 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

NPR political correspondents Tamara Keith and Asma Khalid reflect on an election season shaped by unprecedented events: a global pandemic, President Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis, and the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — none of which seemed to dramatically change the shape of the 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

Today, a bonus episode from NPR's Code Switch. For the first time in election history, Latinos are projected to be the second-largest voting demographic in the country. The reason? Gen Z Latinx voters, many of whom are casting a ballot for the first time in 2020. So we asked a bunch of them: Who do you plan to vote for? What issues do you care about? And what do you want the rest of the country to know about you?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There is no reason to expect we will know the result of the Presidential election on Tuesday night. Wendy Weiser of the Brennan Center and David Scott, deputy managing editor with the Associated Press, explain why. Part of the reason: a few key states will have millions of mail-in ballots to count after in-person voting has concluded. The Supreme Court ruled this week to allow that counting to proceed in two key states, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Election lawyer Ben Ginsberg has been following those cases. NPR's Joel Rose reports watchdog groups who normally monitor elections abroad for violence and unrest are turning their sights toward the U.S. 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

Four years after Donald Trump won, he turned out to be a better president than many of his supporters hoped — and worse one than many of his opponents feared. That's what NPR's Ari Shapiro found as he re-connected with voters who first spoke to NPR in early 2017, just before Trump was inaugurated. 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 74 million people have already voted. Michael McDonald of the Florida Elections Project tells NPR that could indicate the U.S. is headed for record turnout in a modern election. Maya King of POLITICO has been following the early vote in Georgia, where black voters came close to electing the nation's first black female governor in 2018. NPR's Miles Parks and Pam Fessler explain why it may be too late to vote by mail — and how legal challenges are still complicating the rules around early voting in some states. Additional reporting this episode from NPR's Greg Allen and Barbara Sprunt; Stephen Fowler with Georgia Public Broadcasting and Jen Rice with Houston Public Media.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. looks poised to exceed its summer peak, when the country averaged as many as 65,000 cases a day for a 10-day stretch in late July. The seven-day average of cases is now more than 69,000, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The situation is similar in Europe, which just logged more new cases than any week so far.Cases are rising in North Dakota faster than any other state. Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney recently imposed a mask mandate there. NPR's Will Stone reports on the growing outbreak in the Midwest, where some hospitals may not be able to handle an influx of COVID-19 patients. 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 Friday, the U.S. hit its highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. Holiday travel could lead to even more drastic and deadly spikes. As cases surge throughout the country, many people are wondering how to plan for the holidays. Is it safe for kids to see their grandparents? Should people be gathering as usual for big Thanksgiving dinners? How should people travel — to drive or to fly? You sent us your questions — and we put them to NPR's Allison Aubrey and David Schaper, who reported out some answers ahead of a usually busy season for gathering and travel.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, millions of American renters and homebuyers make decisions about where to live. They have a lot of information to help them make a decision — about everything from schools to public transit to lead paint. But what many never learn, until it's too late, is that their homes are in areas that are increasingly prone to flooding or wildfires. This episode contains elements from a special reporting project by NPR's Rebecca Hersher and Lauren Sommer. You can read an overview of their reporting here. They also have advice for questions to ask about your property when it comes to wildfire and flood risk in a changing climate. 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.Listen to Embedded on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Polls show that Joe Biden has strong support among white voters with a college degree, especially white women, young voters, and those who live in cities and suburbs.That support adds up to record support with white voters for a Democratic presidential candidate. Nearly half of white voters, overall, support Joe Biden. NPR's Sam Gringlas spoke with a few of them in battleground states. And NPR's Domenico Montanaro explains why this shift fits a longer pattern of the Republican party losing college-educated whites. 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

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told NPR this week that he's "guardedly optimistic" about the prospects of a coronavirus vaccine being approved by the end of the year.In the meantime, scientists are still learning new things about the coronavirus. NPR's Geoff Brumfiel reports on improvements in medical treatment for COVID-19 patients, and NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff explains new research on air travel. 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

With two weeks until election day and more than 35 million votes already cast, NPR's Miles Parks and Pam Fessler answer your questions about voting, ballots and election security. For more information on voting this year, NPR's Life Kit has a guide to help you out. Read at npr.org or 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

Women are dropping out of the workforce in much higher numbers than men. Valerie Wilson of the Economic Policy Institute explains that women are overrepresented in jobs that have been hit hardest by the pandemic and child care has gotten harder to come by. The situation is especially dire for Latina women, as NPR's Brianna Scott reports. Last month, out of 865,000 women who left the workforce, more than 300,000 were Latina. Victoria de Francesco Soto of The University of Texas at Austin explains why it's not just the pandemic economy hurting women. Some may be left out of the recovery, too. 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

While U.S. movie theaters continue to struggle, the picture is better for the international box office. NPR's Bob Mondello, who's reported on how domestic theaters are getting by, explains why things look more promising abroad. A recent outbreak of the coronavirus in the Chinese city of Qingdao says a lot about how aggressively the country has adopted public health measures. Those measures have led to a return of some music festivals, as NPR's Emily Feng reports. 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

As cases spike around the country, Utah is one state changing the way it's approaching the coronavirus. Republican Gov. Gary Herbert has a "new game plan" to beat back record-high cases that threaten to overwhelm the state's hospital system. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says "halftime adjustments" like that are necessary for states to slow the spread of the virus this fall, as more Americans prepare to spend more time indoors. An exclusive NPR survey of contact tracing efforts reveals many states are not prepared to handle the coming surge in cases. NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin explains. And Dr. Anthony Fauci warns Thanksgiving gatherings may accelerate spread even more. 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

With less than three weeks to go until Election Day, Republicans have the votes to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Her confirmation hearing is now much about the politics of the election. Democrats, including Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, are focused on issues like the future of the Affordable Care Act. While Republicans, as NPR's Melissa Block reports, are emphasizing Barrett's motherhood in an effort to appeal to white suburban voters. 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

Coronavirus cases fall, so people let their guard down. Cases rise, so they get more vigilant. That's the cycle the U.S. is stuck in. In most states across the country, the number of new coronavirus cases each day is up. That's the situation in Wisconsin, where cases are surging. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Michael Landrum spoke with NPR about what he's been seeing the last several weeks. As a whole, the U.S. is seeing around 50,000 new cases each day. That's an increase from 35,000 a month ago. NPR's Will Stone charts the course of the pandemic's ups and downs over the last nine months, from early cases in Washington state to the current spread of the virus into rural America. And the predictions for winter are grim, as people are likely to spend more time indoors.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

Lethal injection is commonly thought of as the most painless method of execution. But now many lawyers and doctors are looking inside the bodies of executed inmates and making the case that lethal injection could amount to torture.To take a closer look at this claim, NPR producer Noah Caldwell and a team at All Things Considered obtained more than 300 inmate autopsies through Freedom of Information Act requests. It's the largest collection of lethal injection autopsies in the U.S. They found that more than 80% of the inmates may have experienced the sensation of drowning. Read and listen to the entire investigation 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

The FBI announced Thursday that it had thwarted a plan by far-right militia members to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and charged six men in relation to the plot.The plot began as talk on social media sites, with a group of men gathering on Facebook to share anti-government reaction to Whitmer's coronavirus restrictions and shutdowns. Experts say the pandemic, protests, and the words of the president have combined to fuel a rise in right-wing extremism. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, a professor at American University who tracks right-wing extremism, spoke to NPR about how right-wing recruiters are taking advantage of President Trump's hesitancy to condemn white supremacy and militia groups.And while these men have been referred to as members of a "militia," that term has also resurfaced a debate about whether groups like this should actually be referred to as domestic terrorist groups, says Kathleen Belew, an assistant professor of history at the University of Chicago who studies paramilitary and white power groups.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

"Excess" profits during wartime have been subject to tax at several points in American history. Writer Anand Giridharadas argues we are at similar point today as billionaire wealth has continued to grow in spite of the pandemic. He is the author of Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World.Chuck Collins of the Institute for Policy Studies notes U.S. billionaires rebounded quickly from the economic collapse earlier this year.Alan Murray, CEO of Fortune Media, argues that business leaders today are more conscious of social injustice and inequality than the billionaires of the past. 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

Two years ago, about 12% of American households reported they didn't have enough food. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, that number has nearly doubled. It's even more severe for Black and Hispanic families. Texas Public Radio's Paul Flahive reports on a giant food bank in San Antonio that can barely keep up with the growing demand. Experts say the problem of food insecurity in America needs bigger, longer-term solutions. Erthain Cousin, former U.S. Ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, tells NPR's Michel Martin the country needs to think bigger than food banks and start investing in businesses that can improve nutrition in low-income communities. And Jim Carnes of Alabama Arise, an organization working to end poverty in Alabama, explains that food insecurity goes hand in hand with poverty. And the main factor driving poverty in the U.S.? Medical expenses. Listen to a special episode of All Things Considered all about food insecurity during the pandemic. 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 told the country Tuesday: "Don't be afraid of COVID. Don't let it dominate your life." This was in a video published after the president's return to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. During his nearly 72-hour stay, Trump received care from top doctors and experimental treatments that are not readily available to the millions of Americans who have tested positive for the coronavirus.Marshall Hatch, a pastor of New Mount Pilgrim Church in Chicago, lost his sister to COVID-19 and says the president's message feels like an insult for families grieving in the wake of this disease. While the vast majority of Americans don't have access to the kind of care that the president received, it's not the only example of how the pandemic is having disproportionate effects on certain groups. California Health Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly explains a new state rule that will tie re-opening plans to improvements in its hardest-hit communities. 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 president, first lady, and a growing list of White House staffers have tested positive for the coronavirus. Ever since President Trump left the White House for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday, administration officials — including the president's physician — have been reluctant to share clear and complete information about his health. Zeynep Tufecki, professor at the University of North Carolina, explains how the White House cluster may have developed. The president's niece, psychologist Mary Trump, tells NPR that her family has a hard time confronting the hard reality of disease. Trump is the author of Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man.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

News broke overnight that President Trump and the first lady tested positive for the coronavirus. The White House says they have mild symptoms. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, calls the diagnosis "a nightmare." NPR's Rob Schmitz reports on reaction abroad. John Fortier spoke to NPR about what could happen if the president gets sicker. Fortier is the former executive director of the Continuity of Government Commission, a group set up in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.For more on this story, follow our NPR politics team on their podcast and listen to Up First Saturday morning for the latest.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 an upcoming episode about pandemic precautions, and we want to hear from you. Fill out the form on this page and we may follow up on your response. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Facebook and Twitter have plans for an election season rife with disinformation on their platforms. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg explains what lessons the company learned from 2016 and what they're doing differently this time. She spoke to NPR's Audie Cornish about that, and about the burden of work falling on women during the pandemic. Hear more of their conversation here.Critics say the social media giants are too large to realistically enforce their own policies. NPR's Life Kit has a guide to voting by mail or in-person this election season. 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 an upcoming episode about pandemic precautions and we want to hear from you. Fill out the form on this page and we may follow up on your response. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump used Tuesday night's debate to attack the integrity of the upcoming election with false claims about voter fraud and mail-in ballots. National security officials say claims like those are being amplified on social media by foreign countries — including Russia — and by bad actors in the U.S. NPR's Shannon Bond and Greg Myre report on how government officials and tech companies are handling that disinformation. And NPR's Pam Fessler explains why the President's false claims about voter fraud have election experts worried about conflicts at the polls. NPR's Life Kit has a guide to voting by mail or in-person this election season. 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 an upcoming episode about pandemic precautions and we want to hear from you. Fill out the form on this page and we may follow up on your response. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

With 10 vaccine candidates now in phase three trials, one expert predicts another million people worldwide could die within three to six months.One of those vaccine candidates is produced by Novavax. Dr. Gregory Glenn, head of research and development for Novavax, tells NPR he's not concerned about politics tainting the vaccine approval process.While the world waits for a vaccine, NPR science reporter Michaeleen Doucleff reports on a small but growing number of scientists asking: what if we already have a vaccine that could slow the spread of the virus? 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 an upcoming episode about pandemic precautions and we want to hear from you. Fill out the form on this page and we may follow up on your response. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will meet Tuesday night in Cleveland for the first of three presidential debates. Michael McDonald, who runs the U.S. Elections Project at the University of Florida, says almost 1,000,000 people have already voted in this year's election.NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson previews the debate, and political correspondent Scott Detrow looks at what to expect from Joe Biden based on his performance in past debates. 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 an upcoming episode about pandemic precautions and we want to hear from you. Fill out the form on this page and we may follow up on your response. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Kentucky attorney general said this week that police were "justified" in the shooting that killed Breonna Taylor during a botched narcotics raid, and no charges were brought against any officers in her death. The only charges brought were against one officer whose shots went into another apartment. That announcement touched off more protests in Louisville and around the country.Jamiles Lartey of The Marshall Project explains the legal rationale behind the decision. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear explains why he supports the release of grand jury testimony in the case. And Ibram X. Kendi of Boston University's Center for Antiracist Research discusses where the movement for racial justice goes from 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

India is poised to overtake the U.S. as the country with the most COVID-19 cases. This week the Taj Mahal reopened to tourists for the first time in more than six months. NPR correspondent Lauren Frayer reports on how that's not an indication that the pandemic there has subsided.Across Europe, countries are also seeing cases surge. NPR correspondents Frank Langfitt, Eleanor Beardsley, and Rob Schmitz discuss the rise in cases, new restrictions and how people are coping in the U.K., France and Germany.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