In the months ahead of the election, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faced criticism for his government's response to devastating earthquakes and for crushing inflation. Yet, he still managed to come out ahead in this week's runoff election, extending his two-decade tenure leading Turkey by another five years. His victory was a case study in how to use populism, intimidation and division to harness a democracy and stay in power. NPR's Fatma Tanis breaks down his victory and what it means ...
Jun 01, 2023•12 min
The right to repair movement scored a big victory last week in Minnesota, where it got legislation signed into law that requires manufacturers to let independent shops and consumers buy the parts and tools necessary to repair their own equipment. The new law could make fixing your own devices, gadgets and appliances a lot easier in states across the country. NPR's Eric Deggans speaks with Gay Gordon-Byrne the executive director of the Repair Association, about the importance of the new law. And ...
May 31, 2023•15 min
It's been five years since the U.S. pulled out of the nuclear deal. What followed: the U-S re-imposed crushing sanctions, over time, Iran stopped adhering to the limits the deal had set and day-by-day its nuclear program crept forward. So how close is Iran to a bomb? What can the U.S. do to stop Iran, if it chooses to pursue one? And how are regional and global shifts changing the equation? NPR's Mary Louise Kelly puts these questions to the U.S. special envoy for Iran, Rob Malley, and to Vali N...
May 30, 2023•13 min
Back in March, roughly 80 people in Hong Kong marched in opposition to a land reclamation project that protesters say would increase pollution. Police were watching closely. Demonstrators had to wear numbered badges around their necks as they walked in the rain. It was a different image from the hundreds who protested in 2019. Back then, the people of Hong Kong showed up in unprecedented numbers. They were opposing what they saw as mainland China's latest efforts to impose authoritarian restrict...
May 29, 2023•12 min
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign announcement on Twitter did not go as planned. A series of awkward technical glitches delayed the event for about 20 minutes. Nevertheless, it was still a big moment, not just for DeSantis, but for Twitter, too. In fact, Desantis' announcement is just one example of how the social media platform has changed since Elon Musk took over the company. NPR's Eric Deggans talks with writer Charlie Warzel, who has covered the platform for 15 years, abo...
May 28, 2023•12 min
Tina Turner, one of Rock and Roll's greatest stars, died this week in her home in Switzerland at the age of 83, after a long period of illness. In a career that spanned six decades, Turner left behind an indelible legacy in music, on the stage and on screen. Host Eric Deggans looks back on her tumultuous, and triumphant, life. Also we answer whether the "Queen of Rock and Roll" was somehow still underappreciated. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data f...
May 26, 2023•15 min
Since its relaunch in the 1980s, Jeopardy! has had thousands of contestants. For some of the its most memorable champions, the gameshow has been a launchpad for wider success. However, the disappearance of one of the earliest champions from the show left fans mystified for decades. NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Claire McNear, a staff writer with The Ringer, about the 40-year-long mystery behind one of Jeopardy's most enigmatic champions. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news ...
May 25, 2023•11 min
It's been one year since an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 students and 2 teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The tragedy reignited debates around gun safety in America and has haunted a community still seeking to fully understand how law enforcement was so slow to take down the shooter. About a month after the shooting, Congress passed the most significant gun legislation since the Federal Assault Weapons ban of 1994, but many Republican led-states, including Texas, have resisted g...
May 24, 2023•13 min
The United States has 27 years to reach its net-zero emissions goal. And among other initiatives to move towards that goal, the Biden administration is offering incentives for carbon capture and storage. Carbon capture is a way to suck up carbon dioxide pollution from ethanol plants, power plants and steel factories, and store it deep underground. While the companies that build the pipelines say the technology will help the U.S. meet its greenhouse gas emissions goals, they have also run into pr...
May 23, 2023•12 min
The Hollywood writers' strike has meant three weeks of late-night comedy and soap opera reruns for television fans. And for some fans, it might feel familiar. 15 years ago a Writers Guild strike lasted 100 days. And the effect of that strike was felt on shows from Saturday Night Live to Friday Night Lights . NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with veteran TV writer David Simon about the strike and the changing business practices in the entertainment industry. And writer and cultural critic Emily St. James ...
May 22, 2023•11 min
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently recommended allowing birth control pills to be sold without a prescription. While more than 100 countries currently allow access to birth control pills over the counter, the U.S. is not one of them. Washington Senator Patty Murray says it's important that the pill is easily available - but also affordable. When - and if - that day comes and the pill is available over the counter, Murray wants to require insurance companies to cover the cost,...
May 21, 2023•12 min
Across the country, members of the class of COVID are graduating: students who started high school before the pandemic, then spent the end of their freshman year and subsequent years navigating a new reality. And it was a very difficult path. According to many studies there has been considerable learning loss for K-12 students throughout the pandemic. And a recent study from researchers at Harvard and Stanford shows that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities. NPR's Sarah McCammon talks ...
May 19, 2023•15 min
Few stars shined brighter in the 80's than Michael J Fox, and when the '90s rolled around, he was still one of the top names in show biz. But in 1991, after a night of heavy drinking, Fox noticed a tremor developing in his right pinky, an early symptom symptom of Parkinson's Disease, a diagnosis that would change the course of his life. Fox speaks to NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer, about his new documentary "Still", and how he found meaning in sharing his disease with the world. A note for our listeners, ...
May 18, 2023•11 min
At least fourteen states in the US have passed laws or policies that limit or restrict gender-affirming care for young people. Republican lawmakers claim the bills are meant to protect kids, but most medical groups say the treatment is safe, effective and potentially live-saving. Even so, Republican leaders like Texas governor Greg Abbot compare gender-affirming care to child abuse. Meanwhile trans people, parents, and their supporters have protested outside of Republican controlled statehouses ...
May 17, 2023•10 min
The state of Israel turned 75 this week. For many Israeli Jews, it's a moment of celebration - the nation was established as a homeland and refuge from the persecution they have faced throughout history. But in the war surrounding Israel's founding, the majority of Palestinian Arabs were permanently displaced from their homeland. Palestinians call the anniversary of Israel's founding "The Nakba", an Arabic word that translates to "the catastrophe." And many say the catastrophe is not history, it...
May 16, 2023•11 min
Hospital emergency rooms saw some of the most painful scenes of the pandemic: beds filled to capacity, nurses and doctors risking sickness themselves, and patients dying without their loved ones. Today, ERs are still living with the consequences of the pandemic. They face staffing challenges, patients who delayed care and arrive sicker, and the lingering emotional strain. We visit an emergency room at a hospital outside Baltimore to hear how this moment looks to the doctors and nurses who work t...
May 15, 2023•11 min
On Thursday, the Biden administration lifted title 42, a pandemic-era policy that shut down virtually all avenues for migrants to seek asylum in the US. In March of 2020 then president Trump invoked the rule as a public health emergency measure, allowing for the quick expulsion of migrants at the border. Now that Title 42 has been lifted, tens of thousands of migrants fleeing poverty, violence and political instability will be subjected to decades-old immigration laws that will allow them to sta...
May 14, 2023•14 min
Sudan's month-long conflict has been a story of broken ceasefires, constant clashes, mass displacement and an exodus of refugees. Now, a conflict that started in the capital has spread across the country. At the center of this conflict is a bitter rivalry between two generals. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the country's military, and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudan is Africa's third largest country, it shares a ...
May 12, 2023•14 min
On Wednesday, after a week of demonstrations, New York City mayor Eric Adams made some of his most forceful comments about the death of Jordan Neely – a homeless Black man who died on a subway train last week when another passenger - Daniel Penny, who's white - held him in a chokehold. While Mayor Adams said that Neely should not have died, he did not call for Penny to be arrested and charged with Neely's death. On Friday, Daniel Penny was arraigned and criminally charged in a Manhattan courtroo...
May 11, 2023•14 min
In addition to being one of country music's biggest icons, Dolly Parton is also a prolific philanthropist. One of the most important causes she's dedicated herself to is child literacy, which she does through both the work of her non-profit organization the Imagination Library, as well as by being a writer of children's books. Parton newest book Billy the Kid Makes It Big! and she spoke with NPR's Melissa Block about writing for children, standing up to bullies, and why her program to deliver bo...
May 10, 2023•11 min
No matter how you measure it, there is a lot of parking in the U.S. According to some estimates there are as many as six parking spaces for every car. Put another way, America devotes more square footage to storing cars than housing people. Henry Grabar walks through how we got here, and what Americans have sacrificed on the altar of parking. From affordable housing to walkable neighborhoods to untold hours spent circling the block, hunting for a free spot. His new book is Paved Paradise: How Pa...
May 09, 2023•12 min
Sudan's capital city Khartoum has been embroiled in a vicious urban battle between rival armies for nearly two weeks. With the country on the brink of collapse, Residents Muhjah Khateeb, and her son have to make the difficult decision to leave their home and everything they have, behind. We hear excerpts from the audio diary that Khateeb recorded as they undertook the harrowing journey. NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu reported her story. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to...
May 08, 2023•12 min
Jonathan Mitchell devised the legal strategy behind SB 8, a near-total ban on abortion in Texas. That legislation pioneered the idea of allowing private citizens to file lawsuits against people they suspected of helping provide access to abortion. Mitchell is also involved in similar efforts by conservative activists in other states. NPR'S Sarah McCammon profiles the Austin, Texas-based attorney. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's goi...
May 07, 2023•12 min
A new advisory out this week from the US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has deemed loneliness a public health challenge that needs immediate attention. And some of those most severely affected are young people. But it's not just loneliness. Across the country, kids are struggling with challenges to their mental health - from social isolation to poor grades at school. NPR's Sarah McCammon speaks to Lisa Damour, a psychologist, and author of the book "The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Co...
May 05, 2023•14 min
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has put the Supreme Court, again, under scrutiny. Reports show that conservative billionaire Harlan Crow paid boarding school tuition for Justice Thomas' grand-nephew. Revelations about the private dealings of other supreme court justices are shaking the already fragile public confidence in the institution. NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with independent Sen. Angus King of Maine about what needs to be done in order to create a binding code of conduct for the Su...
May 04, 2023•11 min
Union writers in Hollywood have put down their pens and reached for picket signs, after the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. Some television shows and movies with finished scripts can continue filming, but other productions, like late-night talk shows, may soon be in reruns. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with TV writer and WGA captain Jeane Phan Wong about what union members want and what's getti...
May 03, 2023•14 min
Eastwind Books in Berkeley, California, has closed its doors. It was one of the oldest Asian-American bookstores in the country. For decades, the store functioned as a cultural hub, not only for the Asian-American community, but for a variety of marginalized groups. NPR's Ailsa Chang spoke with co-owner Harvey Dong about the bookstore's history and legacy. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at cons...
May 02, 2023•10 min
Lots of colleges and universities have announced tuition hikes for the upcoming school year, just as inflation is taking a bite out of many families' budgets. Still, NPR's Elissa Nadworny explains that the real cost of college for most students has actually been falling for the past few years, after decades of growth. But college is still very expensive, and it can feel out of reach for some students. Two Washington, D.C. high school students explain how they're trying to make the math work. In ...
May 01, 2023•12 min
Earlier this week, nobody was surprised when President Joe Biden officially announced he is running for re-election. Framing it as a battle for the soul of the country, Biden did not mention Republican frontrunner Donald Trump by name but he took aim at "MAGA extremists". At 80, Biden is already the oldest president in US history, and even among Democrats it's become an issue. And while some hoped a younger candidate might emerge - and maybe that person would be Vice President Kamala Harris, she...
Apr 29, 2023•15 min
Several U.S. states have passed bills restricting or banning gender-affirming care for trans youth, while other states have enacted measures to protect access to that care. What does that say about the future of trans rights in America? NPR's Melissa Block speaks with three trans Americans about the progress that's been made in regards to trans rights, and how those same rights are currently under attack. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of w...
Apr 28, 2023•14 min
