Here & Now

Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security official John Sandweg talks about what it means if the DHS remains shut down in a dispute over reforming tactics used by ICE agents. Then, ICE agents have an array of surveillance technologies at their fingertips, including facial recognition software, cellphone tracking devices and drones. WIRED reporter Caroline Haskins reports that the agency has been utilizing these tools in its immigration crackdown. She joins us. And, evidence shows that singing is not just a natural and enjoyable human activity, but it also has real health benefits. It can lower blood pressure, improve oxygen flow, and lower stress. We hear from lecturer in dance Elinor Harrison.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On Jan. 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after takeoff. All seven crew members on board were killed. The disaster was one of the most significant events in NASA history, watched live by millions of people around the world. It grounded all space shuttle missions for almost three years. Adam Higginbotham, author of the book "Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space," talks about what happened, the lives lost, and what NASA learned from the disaster. Then, Christa McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school teacher from New Hampshire, was one of those crew members. She was set to become the first teacher in space. NHPR's Patrick McNameeKing discusses McAuliffe's life and legacy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In one suburban school district outside Minneapolis, at least four students have been picked up by federal immigration agents over the last few weeks. Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik talks about the mood in her district. Then, White House border czar Tom Homan says he will "draw down" the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota if state officials cooperate with the Trump administration on their immigration crackdown. Minnesota Public Radio's Brian Bakst explains how Homan's message is being received in Minnesota. And, the Brennan Center’s Lauren-Brooke Eisen discusses how a huge increase in ICE spending in the past year is fueling what she calls the "detention-industrial complex" for migrants arrested in the United States.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Alex Pretti was legally carrying a gun when a federal agent shot and killed him in Minneapolis last weekend. President Trump and other federal officials blamed his death on the fact that he had a gun, but Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus chair Bryan Strawser explains why he disagrees.And, after leading immigration operations in Minneapolis, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino has returned to his previous job in California. CalMatters investigative reporter Sergio Olmos talks about Bovino’s record in California.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sergio Amezcua is a pastor from Minnesota who voted for President Trump in 2024. He's now speaking out against the Trump administration's immigration policies. We speak with him about how his congregation is responding to ICE in the Twin Cities. Then, Legal Rights Center community defense attorney Anna Hall shares the advice she and her group give to people monitoring federal agents conducting immigration raids in Minneapolis. And, the killing of two people at the hands of federal officials has Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer thinking back to May 4, 1970, when National Guard troops opened fire and killed four students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University in Ohio. He joins us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump said on Monday that border czar Tom Homan will head to Minnesota following the shooting death of Alex Pretti over the weekend by a federal immigration agent. Minnesota Public Radio's Brian Bakst shares more.Then, the budget for ICE is part of a package of spending bills that must pass in the Senate on Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) explains why she’s urging lawmakers to vote no on ICE funding.And, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, D.C., traveled to Minneapolis last week with other faith leaders. She shares why she’s speaking out against the surge of immigration agents in Minneapolis.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As part of a series with the Smithsonian Institution presenting 25 objects that tell the story of America, Daniel Piazza, chief curator of philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, talks about the significance of the first stamps issued by the federal government. Plus, few people know the real story of "The Star-Spangled Banner," or that the massive flag that inspired it still exists. Jennifer Jones, a curator of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, shares the history of the banner.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Former special counsel Jack Smith said in front of the House Judiciary Committee that, if the Justice Department was able to investigate President Trump’s push to overturn the 2020 election results, a jury would have found him guilty. Politico’s Kyle Cheney shares more from Smith’s testimony.Then, Kaohly Her, mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, explains what she’s seeing in her city as brutal Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations continue. Her has been subpoenaed by the Justice Department.And, Russian officials have been responding cheerfully to the growing rift between the U.S. and its NATO allies in Europe. The American Enterprise Institute's Angela Stent details how Trump’s push to control Greenland affects Russia’s geopolitical strategy. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In a highly awaited speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump said he's seeking immediate negotiations for the ownership of Greenland. Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, joins us to discuss Trump's speech.Then, the Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a case about President Trump's efforts to fire Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. We speak with Mark Chenoweth, president of the New Civil Liberties Alliance, and Ty Cobb, former special counsel to Trump in his first administration.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is escalating his pressure campaign to acquire Greenland from Denmark and threatening more tariffs against Europe. Liana Fix from the Council on Foreign Relations explains how European nations are responding.Then, the Department of Homeland Security claims to have arrested 3,000 criminal migrants in Minnesota over the last six weeks. But, as Minnesota Public Radio’s Matt Sepic reports, that number is misleading, and U.S. citizens are getting caught up in immigration operations too.And, Tuesday marks one year of Trump’s second term. Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer says Trump has expanded presidential power to advance his agenda, something Republicans have been trying to do for decades, despite claims of favoring a limited federal government.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey discusses ongoing unrest in Minnesota following a surge of immigration enforcement, a killing by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, and protests. Then, removing MLK Day as a national holiday altogether would require an act of Congress, but some conservatives are calling for that. Journalist Andrew Lawrence joins us to discuss how Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy is being degraded and what that means for how we understand the history of race and racism in the U.S. And, President Trump is inviting world leaders to join his 'Board of Peace' to rehabilitate Gaza. The Guardian's Julian Borger explains how this entity might work.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Texas A&M University adopted a rule last November banning the teaching of “race and gender ideology,” which includes Plato’s 2,400-year-old “Symposium.” Professor Martin Peterson explains how he thinks the move will hurt his philosophy students.Then, Bob Weir, a founding member of and guitarist for the Grateful Dead, died this month. Music journalist Alan Paul unpacks Weir's rhythm guitar playing style and how it defined rock & roll music.And, in California, three people have died, and dozens more are sick after eating death cap mushrooms. Interim health officer for Sonoma County, Dr. Michael Stacey, explains more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week the Oglala Sioux Tribe said tribal members were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after raids in Minnesota. AP's Graham Lee Brewer tells us more.Then, President Trump is threatening to send the military to Minneapolis after another tense night there. Habon Abdulle, the executive director of the nonprofit Ayada Leads in Minneapolis, explains the toll on the Somali community there. And, Wyoming lawmakers are proposing sweeping budget cuts to the state's health care system, economic development council, and only four-year public university, even though the state has a budget surplus. WyoFile reporter Maggie Mullen talks about why lawmakers are proposing these cuts and what they would mean for residents.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Justice Department pushed federal prosecutors in Minnesota to investigate the widow of Renee Macklin Good rather than the immigration agent who killed her. Georgetown Law professor Mary McCord explains the pressure campaign and the subsequent resignation of six prosecutors.And, historian Julian Zelizer said videos “once provided a powerful counterweight to official narratives.” But in the age of misinformation, the role of video has been eroded. He unpacks the role of video footage in Macklin Good’s killing in Minneapolis and the aftermath.Then, President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Grist’s Jake Bittle details this dramatic move against global climate action.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis last week, there’s widespread outrage over the use of force by federal immigration officers across the country. That includes chokeholds, even though that tactic was banned in most cases after the 2020 murder of George Floyd. ProPublica's Nicole Foy tells us more. Then, Phil Gunson, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, gives an update from Caracas on the recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration is threatening criminal charges against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell said it’s part of a pressure campaign from the administration to lower interest rates. Economist Jason Furman explains more.And, in Iran, more than 500 people have been killed during anti-government protests since they started in late December, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Alireza Nader, former researcher at RAND and the U.S. Treasury, joins us.Then, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have unveiled a plan to offer free child care for 2-year-olds. Citizens Unions’ Grace Rauh details what this could mean for families.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Golden Globes are this weekend, and the hit movie KPop Demon Hunters is up for three awards, including one for best original song. The movie has become a global sensation for Netflix in part because of its catchy soundtrack. Ian Eisendrath is the man behind the music. As executive music producer of the film, he worked from the story's conception to make the music stand out and tell a story. Eisendrath talks about working with top K-pop performers and producers to create the film's history-making, chart topping soundtrack. And, America's Test Kitchen's senior book editor Joe Gitter shares his advice and tips for how to make and experience excellent mocktails for Dry January.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the agent acted in self-defense, but witnesses and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey dispute that claim. Minnesota Public Radio’s Matt Sepic shares more details.And, Minnesota State Sen. Scott Dibble’s district is next to where Good was killed. He details what he’s seen in the aftermath of the shooting, including the investigation into the killing and community vigils for Good.Then, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is set to shut down in May. It’s the oldest continuously-running newspaper in the United States. Andrew Conte from the Center for Media Innovation explains the impact.  Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Venezuelan investigative journalist Roberto Deniz discusses concerns that forces loyal to the new regime in Venezuela are cracking down against critics of the U.S. ouster of President Nicolás Maduro. Then, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that President Trump wants to buy Greenland, not invade it, according to the New York Times. Security analyst Jim Walsh looks at the administration's goals. And, while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's ouster came as a surprise to most, a better on the Polymarket cryptocurrency platform made $400,000 in profits in a series of wagers, the last coming just hours before the U.S. operation began. The bets are raising red flags among market watchers who say the winner likely relied on insider information. NPR's Bobby Allyn explains.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Police officer Brian Sicknick died after being assaulted while defending the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. His brother, Craig Sicknick, explains his anger and frustration over false narratives about that day and President Trump’s sweeping pardons of people charged or convicted of participating in the attack.And, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire is one of the lawmakers demanding more information about U.S. operations in Venezuela. She lays out the questions she still has about the removal of President Nicolás Maduro.Then, Douglas Farah, president of IBI Consultants, breaks down what could happen in Venezuela following Maduro’s arrest, and NPR’s Joe Hernandez details what we know about the criminal prosecution of Maduro at a New York City court.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy