Here & Now

Lawmakers are calling for more details after The Washington Post reported that an Iranian assassination threat against President Trump prompted the Secret Service to use a catering truck and a secret plane to smuggle President Trump out of Turkey. Paul Eckloff, former supervisor of the Presidential Protective Division of the Secret Service, joins us.Then, Trump signed an executive order Monday reducing the number of recommended childhood vaccines. Dr. Aaron Milstone shares more details of the order.And, recovery efforts are underway in Spokane, Washington, after devastating wildfires. Tom Clemo, a deputy fire chief from the Santa Monica Fire Department, shares what he’s seeing on the ground in Washington and the lessons he learned from last year’s wildfires in Los Angeles County.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced she will be freezing her eggs and will be taking followers along with her on social media. For more on why this matters and the state of egg freezing, we hear from journalist and author Emi Nietfeld. Then, oldest siblings tend to have higher educational achievement and lifetime earnings than their younger siblings. A new study shows that germs play a big role in how younger siblings fare. Co-author N. Meltem Daysal explains what it shows about illness and childhood and its effects on younger children.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

After Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, it began intercepting slave ships on the Atlantic Ocean and taking the Africans aboard to the remote island of St. Helena, where thousands died of disease and were buried in mass graves. A new study published in the journal Science, featuring lead author Hannes Schroeder, reveals new insights into the origins of some of those buried on the island, whose remains were rediscovered during airport construction decades later. And, "Dungeons & Dragons" recently revealed deeper investments into classic products and new partnerships with "Star Wars" and video game titan "World of Warcraft." Here & Now's James Mastromarino reports on how the 52-year-old game is evolving and how players are responding. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration released plans to give local governments more control over Head Start early education programs. Tommy Sheridan, deputy director at the National Head Start Association, explains the implications.Then, the Food and Drug Administration approved an mRNA-based flu vaccine for older adults. Virologist Dr. Angela Rasmussen details what to know about the vaccine which uses the same technology as COVID-19 vaccines.And, as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on, Russian President Vladimir Putin faces shortages of fuel and troops. NPR’s Charles Maynes shares more.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has told contractors building the border wall in New Mexico to stop drilling new wells for groundwater. We get the latest from Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd, who reported on the unpermitted wells when drilling started in July. Then, we speak with a family in Spokane, Washington, who evacuated less than half an hour before their home caught fire. And, one reason there isn't a severe global energy crisis is that China has significantly cut oil imports since the war in Iran began. How it's done this and why is a bit of a mystery. Rory Johnston, oil market analyst and Commodity Context creator, explains what's going on with China and how long it might keep doing it.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

This primary season has left many Democrats wondering which way the party will go: moderate or progressive. But Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer explains why that’s the wrong question to ask.And, President Trump’s second term has been drastically different from his first. New York Times reporter and “Regime Change” author Maggie Haberman shares what she found about the inner workings of an unchecked administration operating largely on instinct alone.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

As wildfires continue to burn in northeast Washington near Spokane, Gov. Bob Ferguson tells us how the state is managing the disaster. Then, Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche has won the support of two Republican holdouts after he agreed in writing to rescind a controversial plan to create a fund that would compensate President Trump's allies. The Wall Street Journal's Sadie Gurman tells us more. And, is the future of artificial intelligence in the U.S. or China? Axios' Ina Fried weighs in.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Osprey populations are falling across the East Coast. In the past year, the number of chicks documented is at its lowest since 2014. One cause is overfishing, meaning less food for the birds to eat. Miley Bull and Matt Joyce from the Connecticut Audubon Society share more of their concerns.Then, like many artists, James Cook focuses his work around portraits of notable people, iconic landscapes and busy cityscapes. But what sets him apart are the tools he uses to create his pieces. Cook joins us to explain how he uses nearly 100 vintage typewriters to make these detailed, unique pieces of art.And, people who have synesthesia can see time, hear colors or even taste words. Cognitive psychologist Dr. Mary Spiller explains more about the neurological phenomenon that means “union of the senses.”See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A majority of states are demanding more regulation of the billion-dollar prediction market industry, while federal regulators have sided with the companies in their lawsuits against state regulation laws. MS NOW's Ali Velshi shares the latest. Then, men are more scarce in HEAL careers, short for health care, education, administration, and literacy, than women are in STEM. Darby Saxbe argues that the best way to improve prestige and pay for the women in these fields is to get more men into them, and she points to the history of computing as an example. And, cannabis has become a popular sleep aid, but while THC — one of its main active ingredients — has been shown to induce drowsiness and sleep, research shows cannabis may actually make sleep quality worse. University of Calgary neuroscientist Matthew Hill tells us about the interaction between cannabinoids, sleep and stress.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship

Senators are questioning Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert for decades, about how he handled the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Atlantic staff writer Katherine J. Wu unpacks the hearing, including Fauci’s repeated invocation of the Fifth Amendment.Then, the Department of Homeland Security’s top lawyer is publicly condemning district court judges at a time when threats against them are rising. New Jersey District Judge Esther Salas, whose son was killed in a politically-motivated attack in 2020, shares her concerns over violence directed at judges and the dangers of federal officials denouncing them by name.And, the Department of Health and Human Services has recommended medical schools teach 40 hours of nutrition and suggested 71 new competencies. Only some are backed by dieticians. STAT’s Lauren Chan explains how schools are navigating new recommendations.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsor

Immigration and customs enforcement agents could begin deportations at any time as Temporary Protected Status ends for Haitians and Syrians. We get the latest from CBS News' Camilo Montoya-Galvez. Then, a new rule proposed by the White House would give political appointees veto power over scientific research. ProPublica's Lisa Song tells us more. And, despite President Trump's resolve to repeal the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act, a new report finds that the clean energy transition is still largely following the trajectory laid out in the IRA. We speak with the author of the report, Lily Bermel.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In Michigan, two races are getting national attention. One is for governor, and the other is for U.S. Senate. Host Scott Tong reports from Michigan on the two Democrats competing in the primary for Senate and the gubernatorial candidate endorsed by President Trump.Then, AJ Jones, a reporter with WCMU in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, breaks down what swing voters are thinking ahead of midterm elections.And, Detroit's historic Eastern Market is one of the oldest, continuously running markets in the country. Scott takes a walk among the vendors selling produce, meats, prepared foods and more with journalist Paul Eisenstein to learn the market’s history.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Fifth thousand years ago, a meteor slammed into the Earth outside of modern-day Flagstaff, Arizona. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd recently hiked into the mile-wide hole that was left behind to learn how NASA used the iconic crater to train astronauts before the Apollo moon mission. Then, Mexican artist Diego Rivera came to Detroit in 1932 to paint a monumental series of murals dedicated to Detroit's industry and its workers. Benjamin Colman, curator of American art at the Detroit Institute of Arts, tells us about the murals. And, Traci Thomas has audiobook recommendations for your summer road trip.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The administration says the nuclear deal signed with Saudi Arabia would allow American companies to run commercial nuclear plants in Saudi Arabia and supply nuclear reactors and fuel. But less than 24-hours after the administration signed it, Trump suggested he would call it off unless Saudi Arabia normalized relations with Israel. Here & Now security analyst Jim Walsh explains what's in the deal and why some in the region are concerned about it.Then, utility prices are up across the country, and they're sending some families into debt. We talk with Julie Margetta Morgan, president at The Century Foundation, about what can be done to bring them down.And, former employees allege that the telehealth company LifeMD, which works closely with a major GLP-1 manufacturer, operated with little oversight and put patient safety at risk. STAT's Elaine Chen, who reported the story, explains more.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcas

A buzzy Michigan startup is betting that bringing down the price will expand the market for electric vehicles in the United States. Slate Auto is planning to release a bare-bones electric truck for just under $25,000. We hear from Slate CEO Peter Faricy and longtime auto writer Paul Eisenstein about the EV market. Then, OpenAI says two of its artificial intelligence models acted on their own and hacked into Hugging Face, a digital library of AI technology, during a cybersecurity test last week. In a blog post, OpenAI called it an “unprecedented hacking incident.” Axios' Ina Fried tells us more.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar lays out what his office is doing to protect voters ahead of the midterm elections. Nevada is one of the states Trump is targeting as he pushes false claims about the 2020 election.And, the Food and Drug Administration said that a lettuce sample from Taylor Farms turned up a false positive for the cyclospora parasite. We talk with attorney and food safety advocate Bill Marler about the investigation into the cause of the of the cyclosporiasis outbreak.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Dozens of Democratic senators are demanding immediate, independent and transparent investigations into two fatal shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We talk about what accountability would look like with John Sandweg, former ICE acting director who served from 2013 to 2014 under then-President Barack Obama. Then, scientists say human-caused climate change is driving longer fire seasons across drier landscapes, sparking more intense and widespread forest fires. We hear from Anabela Bonada of the University of Waterloo's Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation. And, this year's FIFA World Cup marks the first soccer tournament that embraced artificial intelligence. Is this a new era for AI in sports? We ask Axios' Ina Fried.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Emery, Utah, rancher Kirk Christiansen says the lack of water in his town is changing how he does his job raising cattle. He joins us. And, amid a blistering drought, the federal government is drilling unpermitted water wells in New Mexico for use in border wall construction, according to the Office of the State Engineer. Customs and Border Protection says it doesn't need permission to tap the groundwater. Ranchers are concerned their already fragile aquifer will be pumped dry. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd reports.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The U.S. and Iran are exchanging strikes for the sixth day in a row, as the two countries battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz. Negar Mortazavi, senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, joins us with the latest. Then, nearly half of House Democrats voted Wednesday to end billions of dollars in aid to Israel. The vote marks a major shift in the Democratic Party's long support for the country. We get analysis from the Forward's Jacob Kornbluh. And, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is down to just two matches and four teams. Will Argentinian legend Lionel Messi and his team continue to be the comeback kings? Or will Spain hoist their first World Cup since 2010? Reporter Steve Futterman weighs in.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

America’s data center revolt shows no signs of slowing down. Data center construction is broadly unpopular across political divides, but approaches to its construction vary by city and state. We hear from two communities, one that stridently opposes data centers, and another that's open to them. Then, dozens of data centers have been canceled in the past year due to local opposition. Heatmap reporter Jael Holzman has been digging into the data center backlash.And, New York is imposing a moratorium that will temporarily stop the construction of large data centers in the state. It's the first statewide measure of its kind. We speak with Roben Farzad, host of Full Disclosure.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy