Here & Now

New Mexico Early Childhood Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky talks about the state's plans to offer free child care for all starting in November. And, most people know Shari Lewis as a children's entertainer, ventriloquist and puppeteer. But Lisa D'Apolito's new documentary "Shari & Lambchop" portrays a driven, powerful, ever-adapting and profoundly talented performer who paved the way for women and created a new genre of children's programming. D'Apolito talks about the documentary.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Arizona was central to conservative influencer and strategist Charlie Kirk's political vision. Soon after Kirk was killed on Wednesday, Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd stopped by a church that had been an important base for Kirk's activism. He spoke with supporter Scott Lovett. And, we look at how Kirk gained a massive following. Brigham Tomco, a staff writer at Desert News who covers Utah politics and the conservative movement, joins us. Then, NPR's Ron Elving and historian Jon Meacham talk about the moment we find ourselves in, 24 years after the 9/11 terror attacks, and as we try to make sense of the assassination of Charlie Kirk.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

NATO and Poland scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday to shoot down several Russian drones that entered Polish airspace. The Polish military called the incursion an act of aggression. NPR's Joanna Kakissis joins us from Kyiv. Then, Israel is facing criticism after it attacked Hamas leadership in Qatar. The airstrikes put ongoing hostage and ceasefire negotiations at risk. CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us. And, Middle East expert Simon Henderson talks about Qatar's role in trying to end the war in Gaza. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Israel struck a building in Doha on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says housed Hamas leadership. The attack comes as Qatar was trying to help negotiate a peace deal between Israel and Hamas. Reuters’ Andrew Mills, who was just blocks away when the attack happened, explains more from Doha.And, new data about student test scores shows major declines in reading and math, with fewer students being college-ready by high school graduation. Erica Meltzer from Chalkbeat breaks down the data.Then, the book “Science Under Siege” details politically and ideologically motivated attacks on science and how the scientific community can fight back. Co-authors Michael Mann and Peter Hotez join us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Seoul-based journalist Raphael Rashid talks about the explosive reaction in South Korea to the arrest last week of more than 300 South Korean immigrants working to build a battery factory in Georgia. Then, the Trump administration could start as soon as this week enforcing a ban on children without legal status in Head Start, which provides free early child care services. The 19th's Chabeli Carrazana joins us. And, in New York state, students are adjusting to a new cellphone ban in schools. Chalkbeat's Amy Zimmer joins us to discuss how schools are implementing the ban.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Embark on a journey to Martha’s Vineyard, the real-life “Amity Island,” for the 50th anniversary celebration of the blockbuster film “Jaws.” Through conversations with longtime fans, collectors, and cast members, we discover how Steven Spielberg’s monster movie became a cultural phenomenon that continues to inspire devotion and nostalgia across generations. In the first episode of a three-part series, we explore why “Jaws” still sinks its teeth into audiences half a century later.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Liz Stein, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking, joins us to talk about why she wants the Department of Justice to continue investigating the case, but doesn't support publicly releasing a list of Epstein's associates.Then, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense scrutiny from Democrats and some Republicans over his views on vaccines during a Senate hearing on Thursday. Julie Rovner of KFF Health News breaks down what was said.And, as Kennedy moves to change guidance around the COVID-19 vaccine, some states are going around the CDC and making it available to almost everyone who wants it. Dr. Nahid Bhadelia of the Boston University Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases explains the latest in vaccine turmoil.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

China held a massive military parade on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un joined Chinese leader Xi Jinping to watch. NPR's Anthony Kuhn in Seoul and NPR's Charles Maynes in Moscow join us. Then, health policy reporter Julie Rovner talks about a push to get Congress to preserve enhanced subsidies that help people buy cheaper health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Those subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year. And, the use of Botox is growing, and not just among the wealthy. The Washington Post's Rachelle Bergstein talks about the trend.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Some 60,000 Israeli reservists began mobilizing on Tuesday as Israel intensifies its offensive in Gaza City. Former Middle East hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin explains whether peace is even an option anymore.And, Congress must pass a spending bill by the end of the month to avoid a government shutdown. The Washington Post's Kadia Goba talks about where negotiations stand as lawmakers return from their summer recess.Then, actor Graham Greene rose to stardom alongside Kevin Costner in the 1990 movie “Dances with Wolves.” Greene died on Monday at age 73, and Levi Rickert, editor and publisher of Native News Online, joins us to remember Greene’s legacy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Here & Now's Chris Bentley takes a walk through the Schurch-Thomson Prairie of southwestern Wisconsin with a crew of self-described "plant nerds" who are working to restore the American prairie.Then, we visit the nearby Paris Family Farm, where cows graze on pasture instead of eating feed. We hear why raising cows on pasture appeals to a growing number of farmers and milk drinkers.Also, pasture-based farms and restored grasslands can both be part of the solution to environmental problems like habitat loss, freshwater pollution and climate change. But neither is a silver bullet.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After Hurricane Katrina, state officials in Louisiana accelerated their takeover of New Orleans’ lowest-performing schools.  WWNO's Aubri Juhasz discusses the state of New Orleans' schools 20 years after Katrina. Then, 20 years ago, actor Wendell Pierce managed to evacuate his parents from the Ponchartrain Park neighborhood in the hours before Hurricane Katrina made landfall. Pierce joins us. And, the animal welfare crisis that followed Hurricane Katrina spurred the nation to change the way it thinks about pets during natural disasters. NPR's Nate Rott reports.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump has proposed scaling back federal funding for low-income renters as part of his budget for the next fiscal year that starts in October. Developers are already responding by scaling back projects that rent to people who depend on that aid to pay their rent. Denice Wint of EAH Housing, a low-income housing developer, explains more.And, Gov. Kim Reynolds explains why she went around the legislature to overhaul the state's child care system.Then, rising costs, tariffs and funding cuts to public education are heightening the debate over who should be paying for school supplies — parents or teachers? Chabeli Carrazana, an economy and child care reporter for The 19th, joins us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The U.S. imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India on Wednesday, threatening to raise tensions with a major trading partner and destabilize global markets. NPR's Diaa Hadid explains.And, EarthQuaker Devices, based in Akron, Ohio, makes guitar pedals for musicians who want to create distortion effects in both live and recorded performances. But the ever-changing tariff policies are making it difficult to manufacture the company's products and plan for the future. Ideastream Public Media's J. Nungesser reports.Then, five years after the pandemic changed the way we work, people are facing less pressure to be at work for eight hours a day. Wall Street Journal columnist Callum Borchers explains what that means for ourselves and how others perceive us. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

One year ago, during the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launched the Make America Healthy Again movement. Now as the head of Health and Human Services, Kennedy is trying to push through changes to policies around vaccines and food safety, and end the chronic disease epidemic. STAT reporter Isabella Cueto explains how much progress the movement has made.And, when 19-year-old Viraj Dhanda starts his first year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he’ll be the first student with non-speaking autism. Viraj Dhanda and his father, Sumit Dhanda, join us to detail his journey to MIT.Then, hundreds of thousands of Chinese students are studying in the U.S., but only 1,200 U.S. students are studying in China. Linguistics professor and author David Moser explains why.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is using the full force of the presidency to go after critics and people he believes are criminals. Law professor Kim Wehle talks about the implications of Trump's push to use the attorney general as his own personal lawyer. Then, Trump has suggested that Chicago could be the next U.S. city where he deploys National Guard troops after doing so in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The Chicago Sun-Times' Tina Sfondeles gives more context. And, an undocumented teen is trying to get an education at a Bronx school for immigrants as the Trump administration amps up ICE actions. Chalkbeat reporter Michael Elsen-Rooney tells us more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Research shows that developing a daily routine can positively impact mental health by creating a structure that helps reduce stress and anxiety. Mental health counselor Samantha Zhu explains how to create and stick to a routine.And, exercise improves not only physical health, but mental health too. It can be hard to start a fitness regimen, but fitness instructor Aubre Winters shares some tips for working regular exercise into your life.Then, according to the American Psychiatric Association, more than 30% of Americans say their sleep quality is poor, or they aren’t getting enough sleep each night. Psychologist Shelby Harris details how to create morning and bedtime routines that can help you get more restful sleep.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New data shows the Democratic Party is hemorrhaging voters. New York Times national political correspondent Shane Goldmacher broke the story and joins us to explain what the numbers mean as Democrats try to find their way out of the political wilderness.And, with voter enrollment numbers down, Democrats are working on new strategies to win elections again. Democratic strategists Rebecca Kirszner Katz and Jamal Simmons explain what they think the party needs to do to connect with voters.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After the Supreme Court struck down federal abortion rights in 2022, voters in Ohio and Missouri approved state abortion protections. Now, conservatives in the states are working to roll those rights back. Reporters Karen Kasler and Jason Rosenbaum break down those efforts.And, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised "a massive testing and research effort" to determine what he calls environmental causes of autism. But now, the government is ending funding for some of those studies. ProPublica’s Sharon Lerner shares more.Then, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a set of vaccine recommendations that strays from the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. AAP president Dr. Susan Kressly explains why. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Kremlin is demanding that Ukraine give up the entire Donetsk Oblast as part of any ceasefire agreement. Russia analyst Kateryna Stepanenko explains why Donetsk is so important to Ukraine and why Russia wants control of it. Then, Brennan Center for Justice CEO Michael Waldman talks about President Trump's push to end mail-in voting, baselessly claiming it is "corrupt." And, Trump kicked off a nationwide race to redraw political maps after he urged Texas Republicans to draw five more GOP-leaning seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. Author David Daley writes that the "true architect" of the gerrymandering fight is Chief Justice John Roberts and the conservative Supreme Court.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As many as 5,000 migrants may soon be detained at a new facility at Fort Bliss in Texas. The center opened on Sunday. KTEP’s Angela Kocherga joins us to explain more.And, just seven months into President Trump’s second term, nearly half of the goals outlined in Project 2025 have been achieved. During the 2024 campaign, Trump distanced himself from the conservative Heritage Foundation's governing blueprint. Law professor Kim Wehle details what’s left on the checklist.Then, Elon Musk's The Boring Company is moving forward with its planned tunnel under Nashville. The tunnel, called the Music City Loop, has faced questions about its environmental impacts. Environmental reporter Caroline Eggers at WPLN joins us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy