Here & Now

Steve Oney, author of "On Air: The Triumph and Tumult of NPR," joins us to explain the ups and downs NPR has faced since the early 1970s and what recent federal funding cuts mean for the network.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Vlodomyr Zelenskky appears to have backtracked on an anti-corruption law he approved earlier this week after protesters accused him of stripping anti-corruption agencies of their independence. The Washington Post's Siobhan O'Grady tells us more. Then, Columbia University has reached a deal with the Trump administration. In return for a $200 million payment and other changes Columbia agreed to make, the government will restore $400 million in research funding it canceled in March. The Chronicle of Higher Education's Francie Diep joins us to explain what the deal means for colleges and universities across the country. And, music therapy can benefit patients with stress, anxiety and Alzheimer's disease. Nicole Altimier, a music therapist with Cincinnati Children's Hospital, joins us to discuss how music therapy works.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A new investigation from ProPublica sheds light on some of the Venezuelan men President Trump sent to an infamous prison in El Salvador. Melissa Sanchez, a member of the team that reported on the prison, explains why the men are now being set free. And, the Associated Press' Eric Tucker shares the latest on the ongoing controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. House Speaker Mike Johnson this week abruptly sent lawmakers home as they pressed for a vote on a measure that would compel the Trump administration to release details about the investigation into Epstein. Then, NASA's Parker Solar Probe passed into the outer atmosphere of the sun and took incredible images of the sun's corona. Nour Rawafi, astrophysicist and Parker Solar Probe project scientist, explains what scientists can learn from the probe.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

CBS is canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Parent company Paramount is in the middle of a multibillion-dollar merger with the studio Skydance. The deal needs approval from the Trump administration, and Colbert has been a harsh critic of the president. CNN's Brian Stelter joins us why CBS canceled the show. Then, historian Julian Zelizer says there was a time when voter unrest could move Congress. He recalls the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of the 1980s, which passed with bipartisan support. But when voters revolted, Congress repealed the law. And, President Trump has signaled frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he pushes for a regional cease-fire. Michael Koplow, chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum, tells us more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As the Trump administration moves to dismantle the Department of Education, parents, students and teachers are wondering what it all means for them. Chalkbeat's Erica Meltzer explains how layoffs and funding changes could affect the new school year. And, with a median wage of $14 per hour, child care workers struggle to make ends meet as the cost of basics outpaces inflation. Here & Now's Ashley Locke discusses new data with researcher Ashley Anglin, with the group United for ALICE. She also talks with child care business owner Jocelyn Tomaszewski about how she's able to make ends meet. Then, 100 years ago, teacher John Scopes was convicted and fined $100 for violating a Tennessee law that banned the teaching of evolution because it contradicted the Bible. Professors Alexander Gouzoules and Harold Gouzoules join us to talk about their new book, "The Hundred Years' Trial."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Act now to ensure public media remains free and accessible to all. Your donation will help this essential American service survive and thrive. Visit donate.npr.org now.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Tony Hawk's "Pro Skater" video games helped define the skateboarding world. Now, with "Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4," the franchise is getting an update. Hawk joins us to share the evolution of skateboarding over the past two decades and how the games are updated to reflect that.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Senate voted to claw back $1.1 billion that Congress allocated for public broadcasting. That is expected to decimate particularly rural public radio stations. We hear from Scott Smith, general manager for Allegheny Mountain Radio. Then, reporter and author Zeke Faux talks about how Republicans in Congress and the White House want to regulate cryptocurrency, in particular, a form called stablecoin, as the cryptocurrency industry becomes a force in big money donations. And, as pressure builds on President Trump over the Jeffrey Epstein files, Trump is now lashing out at his own supporters who have criticized his handling of the affair. Jared Holt, senior research analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, joins us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Nearly every county in the U.S. experiences flooding, yet few homeowners have flood insurance policies. The Insurance Information Institution's Mark Friedlander explains the market. And, fires in the Grand Canyon have scorched more than 60,000 acres along the North Rim, and dozens of National Park Service facilities burned to the ground. Michel Marizco at KJZZ in Phoenix explains the impact. Then, Sayfollah Musallet, a U.S. citizen from Tampa, Florida, was beaten to death by Israeli settlers while he was visiting family in the West Bank. His father, Kamel Musallet, joins us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that mass layoffs at the Department of Education can move forward for now. Law professor Kate Shaw joins us to discuss what this means for President Trump's plan to dismantle the department. Then, Florida lawmaker Anna Eskamani talks about her recent visit to 'Alligator Alcatraz,' a controversial detention center in the Everglades holding hundreds of migrants. And, Texas is weighing a controversial plan to draw new congressional maps ahead of next year's midterm elections. Carnegie Mellon University's Jonathan Cervas explains the possible implications.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Attorney General Pam Bondi released a two-page memo stating that convicted sex offender Jefferey Epstein did not have an incriminating "client list." After Epstein's death in 2019, he became the subject of conspiracy theories, bolstered by conservative leaders including Trump himself. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan explains more. And, a U.S. citizen was killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday. The family of Sayfollah Musallet say Israeli settlers beat Musallet to death. NPR's Daniel Estrin shares more. Then, employees are using artificial intelligence tools to streamline their work. That can save a lot of time, but many companies want people to use that time to do more work. Wall Street Journal columnist Callum Borchers explains more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In her novel "Demon Copperhead," author Barbara Kingsolver tells the story of poverty and addiction in contemporary Appalachia. Here & Now's Scott Tong spoke with her back in 2022 when the book came out. Tong caught up with Kingsolver in western Virginia to talk about the power of home, poverty and addiction.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Prominent evangelical Christian thinker Ed Stetzer talks about a legal settlement reached this week between the Internal Revenue Service and the National Religious Broadcasters organization that allows houses of worship and other nonprofits to endorse political candidates without losing their tax-exempt status. Then, Ricky Pruitt of the Kerrville Church of Christ in Texas spoke at a vigil on Wednesday night to remember the more than 120 people who were killed during last week's floods. He shares how the community is helping one another. And, Russia's hours-long assault on Ukraine overnight left at least two people dead. We get the latest from NPR's Joanna Kakissis and hear about Trump's changing policies from NPR's Tom Bowman.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Flooding in central Texas turned deadly in a matter of minutes. Erik Nielsen, assistant professor at Texas A&M University, explains how warning systems can make a difference in extreme weather events. And, the Trump administration's new spending bill includes changes to Medicaid that will play out over the next few years. Todd Eppler, the CEO of a rural hospital in Louisiana, explains how they are preparing for possible changes. Then, the debate over whether listening to audiobooks counts as reading draws a lot of hot takes. NPR's "Book of the Day" podcast host Andrew Limbong weighs in.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Katie Wagner, the supply chain director of an Iowa-based computer hardware maker, talks about how her company expects its bottom line to be affected if the U.S. follows through on threats to impose retaliatory tariffs on trading partners starting Aug. 1. Then, we speak with NPR's Anthony Kuhn about what the leaders of Asian nations are saying about the deadline. And, Amazon's Prime Days are running into unease about trade and tariffs. "Full Disclosure" host Roben Farzad talks about how tariffs may affect the sale.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Guadalupe River in Central Texas rose more than two feet in less than an hour, according to state officials. We speak to Rice University professor Avantika Gori about why the storm was so intense and what can be done to better warn people ahead of such intense weather. And, the sweeping domestic policy bill that President Trump signed into law last week ends incentives for wind and solar energy. Reporter Matthew Daly unpacks the future of U.S. energy. Then, government statistics show the number of people taking second jobs is almost as high as it was during the Great Recession. Wall Street Journal columnist Callum Borchers explains why.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Being an American means something different to everyone. We hear from listeners across the U.S. on what patriotism means to them. And, ALS hasn't stopped John Driskell Hopkins from making or performing music. Hopkins — a founding member of the Zac Brown Band — explains why singing is like breathing. Then, this year's Poetry Out Loud winner, Isavel Mendoza, a high school senior from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, shares what he loves about performing and his dreams for the future.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

House Republicans approved President Trump's tax and spending bill. It now heads to Trump's desk. Rep. Gabe Evans, a Republican representing Colorado's 8th District, joins us to explain why he supports it. Then, KFF's Larry Levitt talks about how the bill will result in the biggest rollback in federal support for health coverage ever. And, the Trump administration is withholding $7 billion in funding for schools that was approved by Congress and set to be distributed this week. The Washington Post's Justine McDaniel tells us more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Congress is racing to pass President Trump's big domestic policy bill by July 4. Yale Budget Lab Martha Gimbel explains the potential long-term impacts of the tax cuts and spending provisions. And, the bill includes roughly $150 billion for immigration enforcement, a third of it for new detention centers. The Intercept's Matt Sledge joins us to talk about what this means for Trump's deportation policies. Then, child care costs continue to climb for families with young children. There is bipartisan support for making child care more affordable, but it's still too expensive. The 19th's Chabeli Carrazana explains why this is and what possible solutions exist.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Dr. Adil Husain, an American emergency medicine physician, talks about what sorts of injuries he treated while volunteering in Gaza. He described the scenes he witnessed as "apocalyptic." Then, the U.S. is in the middle of hurricane season, but key data used to track the intensity of these storms may soon go offline. We hear from climate scientist Daniel Swain. And, as the Supreme Court finishes up its term, we look at the expected lasting implications of the court's decision to limit the power of lower courts, with law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center Stephen Vladeck.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy