A deadly and addictive chemical normally used as a horse tranquilizer is being mixed into illegal drugs.Xylazine has been around for a while, but over the last year authorities have been seeing it turn up in higher quantities all over the country. In recent weeks, U.S. Drug Czar Rahul Gupta has been sounding the alarm, even acknowledging public health experts and police are mostly in the dark about how Xylazine took hold so quickly.NPR's Juana Summers speaks with addiction correspondent Brian Ma...
Jun 15, 2023•10 min
When Kim Hyun-woo stepped into the NPR studios in Washington, he was doing something that in his past life would have gotten him killed - speaking frankly with an American journalist. That's because Mr. Kim spent 17 years working for North Korean intelligence at the Ministry of State Security. He defected in 2014 and lives today in South Korea. In a rare glimpse behind the curtain of one of the most isolated countries in the world, he shared his thoughts on pathways to diplomacy between Washingt...
Jun 14, 2023•11 min
On Tuesday, former president Donald Trump appeared in a federal courthouse in Miami where he pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal charges, including obstruction and unlawful retention of classified documents at his Florida home and private resort Mar-a-Lago. He is the first former U.S. president to face federal criminal charges. Trump and many of his supporters have called the indictment politically motivated. NPR's White House correspondent Franco Ordonez has been following Trump's case and he spo...
Jun 13, 2023•10 min
The U.S. is in the midst of a drug crisis, with opioid overdose deaths climbing to epidemic proportions. And overdose deaths among young people, between the ages of 10 and 19, have been on the rise with sharp increases in recent years. Across the country, cities and states are looking for strategies to help kids survive the opioid crisis. At a school in Virginia, students are learning how to obtain and use the lifesaving overdose reversal nasal spray Narcan that was recently made available for s...
Jun 12, 2023•13 min
For more than a year the PGA, the world's leading pro golf league, has basically been at war with the upstart Saudi-funded LIV Golf league. Lawsuits and countersuits were filed as the the leagues competed for marquee golfers and control of the narrative around the game. Some PGA players resisted big paydays to join LIV because they were critical of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the source of the league's seemingly endless supply of money. But last week, the two leagues announced a plan to jo...
Jun 11, 2023•13 min
Federal Indian boarding schools left a decades long legacy of abuse, neglect and forced assimilation of Indigenous children. Last year, when the federal government finally acknowledged its role — that painful history drew attention to a few schools that remain open. NPR's Sequoia Carrillo and KOSU's Allison Herrera visited Riverside Indian School in southwest Oklahoma to find out how a school that once stripped children of their Native identity now helps strengthen it. In participating regions, ...
Jun 09, 2023•11 min
Every year about 600,000 thousand people are reported missing in the United States per the National Missing and Unidentified Persons database. In 2022, about 34,000 people reported as actively missing were people of color. But people of color who disappear seldom get the same amount of media attention devoted to white people who go missing - especially white women and children. The late journalist Gwen Ifill coined the phrase "Missing White Woman Syndrome" to describe the media's fascination wit...
Jun 08, 2023•16 min
Being Black and an immigrant is an increasingly common phenomenon in the South, where 1 in 10 Black people are immigrants. Still, despite growing numbers of Black immigrants in the region, their experience is fraught with worries over discrimination and assimilation. NPR's Leah Donnella reports on hurdles Black immigrants face in order to drive in Tennessee, a state with one of the fastest growing populations of Black immigrants in the South, and with few options for transportation. See pcm.adsw...
Jun 07, 2023•11 min
When people speak about God in various religions, the deity is typically referred to using the masculine pronoun "He." In Islam, Allah is not depicted as male or female — Allah has no gender. Yet Allah has traditionally been referred to, and imagined by many, as a man. Some Muslim women have begun to refer to Allah with feminine or gender neutral pronouns. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Hafsa Lodi, who wrote about this movement in the religion magazine The Revealer , about what's driving this. In...
Jun 06, 2023•8 min
Wars are expensive. And Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had an impact on the economies of both countries. NPR's Julian Hayda, in Kyiv, reports that international assistance is allowing Ukraine to stabilize its economy and avoid collapse. The Russian economy seems to have remained resilient in the face of sanctions and other trade and financial restrictions. But NPR's Stacey Vanek Smith reports on how that could be changing. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help...
Jun 05, 2023•12 min
While it may seem like Black-focused media is at a high these days, the reality is only 4% of all media in the U.S. is Black-owned. Moreover, experts say that biased practices from advertisers make it harder for Black-owned media companies to be profitable. NPR's Eric Deggans talks to Byron Allen, about his ambitions to grow his media empire, hold advertisers to account, and control the narrative of how Black people are represented in media. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local new...
Jun 04, 2023•14 min
Lullabies. We all know one. Whether we were sung one as a baby or now sing one to our own children. Often, they're used to help babies gently fall asleep. But lullabies can be more than that. They can be used to soothe, to comfort, and to make children feels closer to their parents and vice versa. We hear from Tiffany Ortiz, director of early-childhood programs at Carnegie Hall, about their Lullaby Project, which pairs parents with professional musicians to write personal lullabies for their bab...
Jun 02, 2023•14 min
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
