U.S. climate envoy John Kerry is preparing for the next major climate summit, in Dubai. He's calling for an end to permitting new, unabated coal-fired power anywhere in the world. We ask him about whether the U.S. has lived up to its climate commitments. We also talk to Vox climate reporter Rebecca Leber about Biden's signature climate legislation, which was passed a year ago this month. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The South Pole of the Moon is the coolest place to be. And nearly every country with a space program is vying for a spot there - for a chance to explore the shadowy, polar craters in hopes of finding usable quantities of water ice.On Wednesday, the Indian Space Research Organisation successfully landed its Chandrayaan-3 probe near the moon's south pole. It was the first time India had landed a spacecraft on the moon, and the first time any country had successfully landed at the coveted moon's south pole. Many have tried including, Japan, Israel, and most recently Russia, whose Luna-25 spacecraft crashed onto the surface just days before India's successful landing. NASA is preparing its ARTEMIS mission to return to the moon. Luxembourg and Saudi Arabia have also set their sites on moon missions. A new space race is underway. But why exactly are we racing to the moon again? NPR's Scott Detrow speaks to space lawyer Michelle Hanlon to find out. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

With the wildfires in Maui contained, the recovery process has begun.The focus has also turned to how the island can prepare for similar disasters in the futureOfficials and experts hope to address Hawaii's emergency alert system, as well as the construction of more fire-resistant homes. But what of the fires themselves? We often hear about forest fires, but the deadliest fire in the US in more than a century was a grass fire. Co-host Ailsa Chang talks to Jeva Lange, who wrote a story called "Most Wildfires Aren't Forest Fires," about how wildfires largely occur in grasslands. Also Rebecca Thiele with Indiana Public Broadcasting reports on how certain native plants can help combat the deadly effects of climate change.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Russia's state news agency Tass reported that the country's most famous mercenary, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was on the passenger list for a flight that crashed on its way from Moscow to St. Petersburg on Wednesday, killing all ten people on board. Despite being on the passenger list, it's not clear Prigozhin was on the flight.As head of the Wagner Group, Prigozhin led an unsuccessful mutiny against the Russian military in June. He quickly stood down and struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that would see him exiled to neighboring Belarus. That exile never came and questions swirled about what punishment, if any, Prigozhin would face for crossing Putin. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Nina Khrushcheva. She is a professor of international affairs at The New School in New York City, and she's also the great-granddaughter of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Former president Donald Trump is the frontrunner in the Republican presidential primary. And with a healthy lead in the polls, he's skipping the first Republican presidential debate on Wednesday. So how do you prep for a big, televised debate when your biggest opponent decides not to show up?That's been the question facing the eight Republicans who will be on stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Puerto Rico has seen a string of natural disasters in the past few years – hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and landslides. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, things got even worse.These disasters have taken a heavy toll on student mental health. They've disrupted everyday life - including school. That disruption has seriously impacted educational outcomes for kids and teens on the island.The Nation's Report Card shows that more than one-third of fourth graders overall in the U.S are considered proficient or better in math. In Puerto Rico, that number rounds out to zero. Children on the island have worse outcomes when it comes to graduation rates, and reading scores continue to decline.Reporter Kavitha Cardoza traveled to Puerto Rico to learn how students and teachers cope.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The last few elections have brought a wave of self-styled progressive prosecutors into office. They've won elections by campaigning on issues like bail reform and alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders. Now, Republican-controlled state legislatures and governors are taking steps to curtail their power, or strip them of it altogether.We talk to Monique Worrell, who was elected state attorney for Florida's ninth judicial circuit, which includes the city of Orlando, in 2020. This month, Republican Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis suspended her and installed a replacement. He said her office had refused "to faithfully enforce the laws of Florida," in its charging decisions. Worrell called her suspension an attack on democracy.And we talk to Carissa Byrne Hessick, director of the Prosecutors and Politics Project at the University of North Carolina, explains how these sorts of battles are playing out across the country.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A growing body of research makes it clear that noise pollution can have severely harmful impacts on our health. It has been tied to heart disease and thousands of premature deaths around the world.Still, our communities seem to get louder and louder. Some people are fighting back - pushing for more regulation and quieter cities.NPR's Pien Huang takes a sonic tour of Providence, Rhode Island with researcher Erica Walker and talks about noise pollution solutions with Jamie Banks the founder and president of Quiet Communities, and New York City Council member Gale Brewer.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Biden administration is under intense political pressure from Republicans over immigration, who accuse the president of being too lenient toward migrants. Now, the administration is locking up more unauthorized immigrants and asylum-seekers in detention facilities, and NPR has exclusively obtained more than 1,600 pages of confidential inspection reports examining conditions inside those facilities. They describe barbaric practices, negligent medical care, racist abuse and filthy conditions. NPR's Tom Dreisbach reports on the abysmal conditions detainees are forced to endure. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The CDC says that a new omicron variant called EG.5 is causing a summer wave of COVID cases.Yet, COVID is nowhere near the threat that it was more than three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic. And that might be one of the reasons that people are cruising again on big ships following a COVID-19 decline.WLRN reporter Tom Hudson tells us how one of the hardest hit industries during the peak of the pandemic is trying to make a comeback.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A grand jury in Georgia has indicted Donald Trump for his role in failed efforts to overturn the state's 2020 presidential election results, implicating the former president as the head of a sweeping conspiracy to subvert his defeat. The indictment also includes charges against former Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, John Eastman and Jenna Ellis, and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, along with a number of so-called fake electors.In charging former President Donald Trump and his allies, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is relying on Georgia's broad set of RICO anti-racketeering lawsIn participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's been two years since the Taliban entered Kabul, throwing the final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan into chaos. Crowds of people desperate to leave the country surrounded the airport. Tens of thousands of Afghans were airlifted out before American troops pulled out. Many more are still trying to reach the U.S. Some are risking their lives to cross the border from Mexico.NPR's Tom Bowman has the story of one family who traveled from Afghanistan to Virginia, by way of Pakistan and Mexico, to get medical care for their young daughter.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For the past few months, President Biden's top foreign policy advisors have been working as intermediaries between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Eventually they want to get the two countries to agree on a deal to finally establish formal diplomatic relations.It would be a breakthrough for Israel to get that recognition, after decades of Arab hostility stemming from the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Saudi Arabia is home to two of Islam's holiest sites, and it's an oil giant in the region.But it seems like an almost impossible three-way agreement. So, what's standing in the way?NPR's Daniel Estrin, who covers Israel, speaks with Felicia Schwartz from the Financial Times, Bader Al Saif, an assistant professor of history at the University of Kuwait, and fellow NPR correspondent Aya Batrawy, who covers Saudi Arabia, to understand what challenges remain for the two countries to normalize relations.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As the battle over book bans in schools and libraries continues to play out in various states across the U.S., the toll it's taking on librarians is coming at a great cost — personally and financially.Many librarians are speaking up about fearing for their jobs and safety.Yet some conservative activists see the current fight playing out as necessary to protect children. NPR's Tovia Smith traveled to Louisiana where tensions have been flaring up — pitting librarians against book ban advocates in the local community.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hawaii may be a tourist attraction to many Americans, but for over a million people, it's their home. And like any state in the US, it is not immune to the effects of climate change. This week brought a devastating reminder, as wildfires stoked by Hurricane Dora spread across the island of Maui. Dozens have been killed in the fires and thousands have been evacuated. Much of the historical town of Lahaina lies in ruins. Hawaii, like many other places on the planet, has experienced less rainfall in recent years, making it more prone to devastating wildfires that seemed unimaginable a generation ago. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The number of overdoses from fentanyl continues to soar, as do concerns from those in Washington. Immigration authorities say illicit fentanyl is flowing into the U.S. from Mexico through official ports of entry.Not everyone believes that's the full story.NPR's Joel Rose traveled to the border to find out what's really happening.Fentanyl is largely smuggled by U.S. citizens and other authorized border crossers. We hear the story of one of the smugglers. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In past wars, updates have trickled out slowly — often tightly controlled by the militaries involved. In the war in Ukraine, every day is a firehose of nearly real-time information, in the form of cell phone footage captured by civilians, updates from satellite intelligence companies and embedded military bloggers.NPR national security correspondent Greg Myre explains how that's shaping perceptions of the war in Russia, in Ukraine and around the world.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

One Republican senator from Alabama is single-handedly holding up over 300 senior-level military promotions and appointments. Senator Tommy Tuberville says he's doing it to take a stand against a Defense Department policy that reimburses travel expenses for military personnel who have to leave their states to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Tonya Murphy is a military spouse who went to Capitol Hill to hand deliver a petition signed by hundreds calling on lawmakers to stop the impasse. She explains how this political standoff is impacting military families. And NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman gives us the big picture overview of how all of this is affecting the Pentagon and, potentially, national security.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

July was almost certainly the hottest month, globally, on record. It was also a month in which many lives were upended by weather related-disasters — the sort of disasters that are increasingly likely as climate change continues. So what do the people who lived through those disasters make of all this? We asked Dr. Frank LoVecchio, an emergency room doctor at Valleywise Health Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz., about trying to keep people alive who spent too much time out in the deadly heat.And Michelle Eddleman McCormick, general manager at the Marshfield Village Store in Vermont, about living through extreme flooding.And Will Nicholls, of the Cree Nation of Mistissini, editor-in-chief of The Nation magazine, about how historic wildfires in northern Quebec have affected his community.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For years, Russell Moore was one of the top officials in the Southern Baptist Convention. But after he criticized Donald Trump, Moore found himself ostracized from many other Evangelical leaders who embraced Trump and Trumpism.Moore eventually resigned from his post, and found himself on the outside of a denomination that had, up until that point, defined his life.Today, Moore argues that Christianity is in crisis in America, and he explores a way forward for the faith he loves in his book, "Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call For Evangelical America."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to criminal charges related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. And a member of his legal team told NPR that Trump plans to invoke the right to freedom of speech as part of his defense.To learn how a free speech defense would work for the former president in court, we hear from Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, a professor at Stetson University's College of Law in Florida. And former acting solicitor general of the United States, Neal Katyal, tells us about Tanya Chutkan, the U.S. district judge assigned to Trump's case.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The unions representing actors and writers in Hollywood have some differences in what they want from the big film studios. But one thing they agree on is the threat posed by artificial intelligence to their members' livelihoods.The threat of AI is something Hollywood was imagining long before it was real. NPR arts critic Bob Mondello tells the story of how AI became a movie villain.The threat of AI is something Hollywood was imagining long before it was real. NPR arts critic Bob Mondello tells the story of how AI became a movie villain.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Former President Donald Trump was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury on four counts related to the efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to court documents.Trump was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, witness tampering, conspiracy against the rights of citizens and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding. Special counsel Jack Smith has been leading the investigation into Trump's conduct after the 2020 election and his role in the insurrection that played out at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.We hear from presidential historian Tim Naftali about the significance of the new charges against the former president.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Two years ago, Mohamed Bazoum was elected as president in Niger's first peaceful democratic transfer of power. He enjoyed the backing of Western governments, including the United States. Then, last week, members of his own presidential guard detained him and seized power. The coup in Niger is part of a wave of attempted, and successful, power grabs in West and Central Africa, a region gripped by political instability. Now, a group of West African nations imposed sanctions on Niger, and threatened military action if the coup leaders don't reinstate the president within the week. NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu reports from neighboring country Nigeria, and he brings us the latest developments. We discuss what this means for the Sahel, and for democracies around the world. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There's a labor shortage on farms in the U.S., and that has implications for all of us who enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables.For farmers across America, finding enough labor has become a top concern. Decades ago, whole families of migrant farmworkers, the majority of them from Mexico, would travel around the U.S. in search of seasonal work. But over time, farmworkers began to settle. Now, many of them are aging out. And their children and grandchildren are finding opportunities in other sectors.Who will replace them? And what is Congress doing to solve this issue? This summer, two NPR reporters visited some farms to see how this is playing out: NPR's Ximena Bustillo who reports on food and farm policy, and NPR's Andrea Hsu who covers labor.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Editor's note: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence.The U.S. military has consistently maintained that its troops didn't harm civilians during the 2019 raid on the Syrian hideout of ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which lead to Baghdadi blowing himself up.It stuck to that version of events even after NPR reported on claims from Syrians that civilians were killed and maimed by U.S. helicopter fire during the raid. The Pentagon claimed the men were enemy combatants.NPR sued the Pentagon under the Freedom of Information Act to release documentation of the airstrikes, and obtained a redacted copy of the Defense Department's confidential 2020 report on the incident.NPR's Daniel Estrin digs into the document, and finds that it reveals flaws in the Pentagon's conclusion.His investigation, in English and Arabic, includes declassified Pentagon documents, photos, maps and videos. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Supreme Court may have ended race-conscious admissions in higher education. But the end of affirmative action seems to have added fuel to another contentious debate around college admissions policies. For decades, many elite, private institutions have given prospective college students preference if a relative attended the school or, in some cases, when a major donor was involved. While the practice of affirmative action is dead, legacy admissions continue. But more and more critics of the practice are calling on schools to do away with them, including President Biden. Host Juana Summers speaks with economist John Friedman, a professor and chair of economics at Brown University. He co-authored a study that quantifies the lasting socio-economic disparities between legacy students and their less affluent peers.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When Utah passed a ban on gender-affirming care for people younger than 18, Kat and their family had to make a tough choice. Should they uproot their lives and leave the state?Kat is 14 and transgender. The Utah law banned the medical care that Kat was considering.Around 20 states have passed similar laws — meaning many families could face the same tough decision: whether to leave their homes and where to go. Often it's to a state like Minnesota, where elected officials have protected trans health care for patients and providers. We speak with reporters Saige Miller from KUER in Salt Lake City and Dana Ferguson, a political reporter with Minnesota Public Radio to hear how this patchwork of laws in both states affects trans patients and their doctors.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When a fiery, toxic train wreck forced residents of East Palestine, Ohio to evacuate last February, the crash and its aftermath became a national flashpoint and a hot button issue on both sides of the political aisle. Alan Shaw, the CEO of Norfolk Southern - the freight railroad responsible - found himself in front of Congress, grilled by bipartisan lawmakers. Shaw insists the company is continuing its commitment to help East Palestine recover, and that they are at the forefront of improving safety in the rail industry. Host Scott Detrow speaks with Shaw about how the company hopes to become "the gold standard" in rail safety.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On Monday, Israel's parliament voted into law a key measure to overhaul the country's judiciary. The measure prevents judges from striking down government decisions on the basis that they are "unreasonable." The law strips Israel's Supreme Court of a key check on the power of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. This marks the first big move in a broader effort to weaken court oversight of senior officials. It comes after six months of protests from Israelis concerned that their government will have unchecked power. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is defending it, saying this law is the essence of democracy and will allow the elected government – his government – to carry out its agenda. We hear from concerned protestors outside Israeli parliament — many citizens are afraid that their way of life is in danger. Dahlia Scheindlin is a political analyst from Tel Aviv, she explains what this new Israeli law says about the state of democracy there.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The United States' preeminent professional soccer league, Major League Soccer, has long lagged behind top European leagues.However, international soccer superstar Lionel Messi joining the Inter Miami might be the boost the league needs.NPR's Scott Detrow reports on the impact of Messi coming to the MLS and what the league's future could be.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Tony Bennett, the crooner whose success spanned generations, died Friday. He was 96 years old.His voice was synonymous with the Great American Songbook, which he continued to bring to new audiences even as the country's musical tastes changed.NPR's Walter Ray Watson traces the arc of Bennett's life, from his days as a singing waiter in Astoria, New York, to his Billboard-charting hits as a nonagenarian.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We know that climate change is making all sorts of extreme weather events more likely all around the globe. So what can we do about that?In this episode, NPR's Allison Aubrey gives us tips on how to avoid heat-related illnesses when temperatures soar to dangerous levels.And we hear from a climate researcher about what steps we would need to take on a global scale to try and bring temperatures down.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's easy to lose track of the seriousness of the legal cases involving Donald Trump, in part because there are just so many.This week the former president and current presidential candidate said he received a letter informing him he is a target in Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation of the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Such a letter often precedes an indictment. And a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, may soon consider an election interference case there that could lead to yet another indictment of Trump.We hear about both cases in this episode.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

One of the most cutting-edge and controversial fields of biomedical research right now is the quest to create eggs and sperm in the lab for anyone with their own DNA. And now, private companies have jumped into the race to revolutionize the way humans reproduce.In vitro gametogenesis, or IVG, would enable infertile women and men to have children with their own DNA instead of genes from the sperm and eggs of donors. It would also provide queer couples the opportunity to have children biologically related to both partners. NPR health correspondent Rob Stein reports on the excitement and concerns this new technology has fueled.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Carlos Alcaraz's victory over Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final was the latest coronation of a tennis great from Spain.NPR's Rob Schmitz looks into how the country became such fertile ground for outstanding players.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Since the 2024 Presidential election may ultimately be decided by a handful of votes in a handful of states, courting young voters will be key. Gen Z has been turning out in record numbers in recent midterms. Often much of the political conversation focuses on young voters in and around big cities. But since young voters are so key for Democrats' success, and rural voters are an essential bloc for Republicans, what young, rural voters think really matters. Host Scott Detrow spoke with NPR's Elena Moore and Xinema Bustillo, who talked to Gen Z voters in rural North Carolina.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

James Barber is scheduled to be executed on Thursday in Alabama, for the murder of Dorothy Epps in 2001. It's the first execution since Governor Kay Ivey paused capital punishment in the state and ordered a "top-to-bottom" review of death penalty protocols after the state failed to execute two inmates last year.Host Scott Detrow speaks with The Atlantic's Elizabeth Bruenig. She reported extensively on Alabama's troubles with lethal injection last year. She says the state's process is very opaque, and almost nothing of the review was made public.Deborah Denno, a death penalty expert at Fordham Law School, says lethal injection problems are an issue all around the country.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Six years ago when former Obama staffer Brian Wallach was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - ALS - a rare neurological disease that kills most people who contract it within a few years, he and his wife Sandra Abrevaya quickly got to work. They launched a non-profit advocacy group I am ALS and a battle to try and fight for increased funding and research that they hoped would lead to a cure for the disease.Since then Wallach and Abrevaya have changed the face of medical advocacy in the country, helping secure legislation that President Biden signed in 2021 that funds $100 million worth of ALS initiatives each year. NPR's Juana Summers spent time with Wallach and Abrevaya to hear about their fight for a cure for ALS.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As we confront the realities of a changing climate, a group of scientists says we're living in a world of our very own making - a world altered by the burning of fossil fuels, the explosion of nuclear weapons, plastic pollution and environmental degradation. The scientists call it the Anthropocene. And they have identified a geological site in Canada they say best reflects this new epoch in Earth's history. We hear from NASA's Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor Kate Calvin. Also, NPR's Adrian Florido speaks with Francine McCarthy, a professor of Earth Sciences, who led a working group of scientists who identified Canada's Crawford Lake as the best example of a place that demonstrates humanity's impact on the planet.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Baseball was once known for breaking racial barriers in the U.S. But now, Black representation in the major leagues is at its lowest level in decades.This year, MLB did something to try and change that, by staging the first annual HBCU Swingman Classic. It's an opportunity for players from historically Black colleges and universities to play in front of scouts and executives on a national stage.NPR's Juana Summers reports from Seattle on MLB's efforts to reverse the decline and recruit Black American players.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Since the war began, military aid from the US to Ukraine has largely received bipartisan report. But a new planned 800 million dollar package has split Democrats and also riled up Human Rights Groups because of one weapon included in the package — cluster bombs.More than a hundred countries, including allies of the US, have banned use of the weapon, which releases a large number of bomblets over a wide area. Unexploded bomblets pose a danger to civilians. The Biden administration is defending the decision, citing Ukraine's desperate need for ammunition.To get a sense of the human cost of cluster bomb use during wartime, we take a look at Laos. Between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. dropped more than 270 million cluster bombs on Laos during the Vietnam War. Host Mary Louise Kelly discusses this with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Lewis Simons, who reported from Asia and the Middle East for decades.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The U.S. has the worst maternal mortality rate of high-income countries globally, and the numbers have only grown. According to a new study published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association – maternal death rates remain the highest among Black women, and those high rates have more than doubled over the last twenty years.When compared to white women, Black women are more than twice as likely to experience severe pregnancy-related complications, and nearly three times as likely to die. And that increased rate of death has remained about the same since the U.S. began tracking maternal mortality rates nationally — in the 1930s. We trace the roots of these health disparities back to the 18th century to examine how racism influenced science and medicine - and contributed to medical stereotypes about Black people that still exist today.And NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Karen Sheffield-Abdullah, a nurse midwife and professor of nursing at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, about how to improve maternal health outcomes for Black women.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Bettie Davis, Clark Gable. During Hollywood's Golden Age, which existed roughly from the 1910s and 20's into the early 1960s, these actors weren't just stars... They were in the words of NPR's movie critic Bob Mondello "American royalty".But in an age of Disney and Marvel, the movie star appears to have been eclipsed by the franchises in which they appear.NPR critics Mondello and Aisha Harris breakdown the decline and seemingly disappearance of the classic movie star and what that means for Hollywood.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The police killing in France of a 17-year old of North African descent sparked protests and violence across the country as well as a national conversation about racism and police brutality. Rebecca Rosman reports from the Paris suburb of Nanterre where the police killing took place. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports from Marseille, the scene of some of the worst violence. And Ari Shapiro interviews Sebastian Roche, a sociologist who studies policing and race in France.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On Wednesday Israel said it concluded a two-day military operation in the Jenin refugee camp meant to root out armed militants. The raid on the camp in the occupied West Bank - complete with airstrikes – was the most intense military operation Israel has carried out in more than 15 years. At least 12 Palestinians were killed and scores wounded. One Israeli soldier was killed.Israel claimed the attack was one that targeted militants and minimized harm to non-combatants. NPR's Daniel Estrin visited Jenin as the operation was winding down and said Palestinians had a different story to tell.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's been more than a decade since 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was repealed. Introduced in 1993, the law remained in effect until 2011. During that time an estimated 114,000 troops were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Veterans who received an "other than honorable" discharge from the military under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" were ineligible for veterans' benefits. That meant missing out on benefits like free VA healthcare, VA-backed home loans or funds for college tuition. While the Pentagon says that 90% of applications to change discharge status have been granted, advocates say that as of March 2023, only 1,375 vets have had benefits reinstated – a tiny fraction of the number of affected vets believed to be out there. NPR's Quil Lawrence follows the story of two gay veterans, both affected by "Don't Ask Don't Tell", but in very different ways. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There's nothing obviously patriotic about scarfing down as many hot dogs as you can in ten minutes. So how did competitive eating become so synonymous with the holiday celebrating the Fourth of July?To find out, host Scott Detrow visits a hot dog eating contest in Washington, D.C.And producer Matt Ozug unpacks the evolution of eating as a sport, from a 17th century farmer to today's televised competitions.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy