Here & Now

The president and the secretary of defense have made conflicting statements about whether regime change is the goal of the U.S. military action in Iran. It's not fully clear what the Trump administration's objectives are there and what the timeline is. Here & Now security analyst Jim Walsh weighs in. Then, retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling gives his perspective on the objectives of the U.S. military and how long the war may last. And, former Iranian prisoner and human rights activist Shirin Nariman is watching developments in Iran closely. As a supporter of the National Council of Iran Resistance, Nariman is hoping that the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his advisors will pave the road for democracy and human rights in the country. She talks about the situation in Iran and its reverberations around the region.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship pre

There are only a few hundred black-footed ferrets still living in the Western United States. But scientists have been able to clone ferrets from genetic specimens collected in the 1980s. Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd talks with Ryan Phelan, co-founder of Revive & Restore, an organization involved with the cloning project.Then, the number of moose in Minnesota is about half what it was just 20 years ago. Here & Now’s Chris Bentley reports on efforts to track juvenile moose, who may hold the key to growing the population.And, Arizona’s Mt. Graham is the only place a species of red squirrel can survive. When a 2017 fire ravaged their habitat, their population dropped to only 35. O’Dowd climbs to the top of Mt. Graham to report on how scientists are rebuilding their habitat and attempting to breed more squirrels.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship pr

A report released this week lays out a bleak future that comes with artificial intelligence's displacement of white-collar workers. MIT's Daron Acemoglu shares what he predicts AI will lead to in work and the economy. Then, U.S. officials are involved in two rapidly evolving foreign policy situations this week: a firefight where Cuban officials shot at a Florida-registered speedboat, killing four people and injuring six, and negotiating with Iranian officials over the country's nuclear program. Jon Finer, former principal deputy national security advisor during the Biden administration, reacts. And, the rapper Flavor Flav has invited all of the women athletes who medaled in the Olympics and Paralympics to celebrate with him in Las Vegas. He talks about his support of women's sports, the Olympics, and his music career with Public Enemy.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your pod

In his State of the Union address, President Trump made exaggerated claims about the state of the economy, including prices, jobs and the cost of health care. Economics professor Justin Wolfers breaks down what Trump’s policies have meant for middle-class U.S. families.Then, artificial intelligence companies are engaging in circular lending. For example, the high-tech chip-maker Nvidia is investing in the company OpenAI, and OpenAI is then buying chips from Nvidia. The Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Weil explains what these deals mean and the risks behind them.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As Russia and Ukraine enter their fifth year of war, we check in with NPR's Joanna Kakissis for a snapshot of the key developments throughout these past four years and what the future of the war looks like. Then, Toma Istomina, deputy chief editor of The Kyiv Independent, joins us to discuss where the war in Ukraine goes from here as the country marks four years since Russia's full-scale invasion. And we hear from Dmytro Vezelov, who joined us four years ago when the Russian invasion began. Since then, he's gone from a desk job to coordinating drones to fight Russian invaders.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In cities across the country, the Department of Homeland Security is buying up huge warehouses, some that can house more than 8,000 people each. Rudy Cruz Jr., the mayor of Socorro, Texas, explains how a warehouse purchase in his community would impact local residents.Then, President Trump imposed 15% tariffs this weekend after the Supreme Court on Friday struck down his sweeping global import fees. NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben breaks down how he was able to do it.And, Mexico's army killed the leader of one of the country's fastest-growing drug cartels. NPR international correspondent Eyder Peralta details the Trump administration’s praise for Mexico’s government in the aftermath.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Althea Gibson was a pioneer in women's sports. She broke the color barrier in tennis and golf, winning at the U.S. Open, French Open and Wimbledon in the late '50s. Smithsonian curator Eric Jentsch talks about her legacy through the lens of one of her outfits and tennis rackets. And, nearly 30 years ago, Muhammad Ali held a torch and lit a cauldron to kick off the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Damion Thomas, curator of sports for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, talks about why that moment was so emotional at the time and why it still resonates today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

U.K. authorities on Thursday arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of "misconduct in public office." Police had previously said they were investigating whether the former prince sent confidential trade documents to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Liz Stein, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse and an anti-trafficking advocate, joins us.Then, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg appeared in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday to defend his company against a lawsuit that alleges social media harms children. LA Times reporter Sonja Sharp breaks down the trial so far.And, GLP-1 medications could help treat alcohol and drug addiction, experts say. Addiction specialist Dr. Mark S. Gold explains how medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy are prompting "a reconceptualization of addiction itself."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Nearly 1,000 people in South Carolina have been infected in a measles outbreak that started in a largely unvaccinated community in October. Dr. Martha Edwards, president of the South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, explains how this outbreak has spread so quickly.And, social justice groups are remembering the Rev. Jesse Jackson. We look at how his civil rights leadership led to some of the activism we see today with Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Rev. Jesse Jackson had a long career fighting for racial justice, from founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition to running for president twice. He died on Tuesday at age 84. Bishop William Barber II, who knew Jackson, shares a remembrance.Then, Dorris Wright is one of the original Greenville Eight. She worked with Jackson to desegregate the Greenville, S.C., public library in 1960, and details her time with him.And, Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall died Sunday at the age of 95. We revisit his 2021 conversation with Here & Now’s Robin Young about his long career in film.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On Presidents’ Day, chef and author Bennett Rea teaches us how to eat like a president, from former President Barack Obama’s crustless coconut pie to former President Richard Nixon’s ham mousse.And, the line between politician and celebrity can be fuzzy. Purdue University’s Kathryn Brownell explains the implications of presidents gaining celebrity status.Then, the U.S. is reportedly preparing for the possibility of sustained military operations against Iran. Security analyst Jim Walsh breaks down what would be necessary to de-escalate mounting tensions.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Marriage rates in the U.S. are falling, but relationship coach Allison Raskin doesn’t necessarily see that as a bad thing. She and her husband, John Blakeslee, explain how millennials are approaching modern marriage differently.Then, our resident chef has some ideas for what to give your sweetie, even if you have no interest in exchanging vows. Kathy Gunst shares her recipes for chocolate chip cookies, pudding pie and chocolate Bundt cake.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Border czar Tom Homan said the Trump administration's controversial months-long immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota that led to the deaths of two American citizens and widespread outrage across the country will conclude. Minnesota Public Radio’s Brian Bakst explains what the drawdown might look like.Then, the Trump administration has locked up hundreds of children in its mass deportation campaign in conditions their parents describe as cold, crowded and unsanitary. ProPublica reporter Mica Rosenberg received letters and videos from dozens of detainees — half of them kids — at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas, and shares more.And, this week, the airspace over El Paso, Texas, shut down briefly. Was a party balloon sighting the cause? And did border officials shoot it down with a Pentagon-supplied laser without first coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration? The Washington Post’s Dan Lamothe breaks down what happened.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, D.C., to weigh in on President Trump's negotiations with Iran. Jake Sullivan, former President Joe Biden's national security advisor, explains more.Then, the Environmental Protection Agency is rescinding a scientific finding that allows the federal government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Science and sustainability professor Michael Mann details what this means for the fight against climate change.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Department of Justice unredacted some names in the released Epstein files after some Congress members accused the DOJ of protecting convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's alleged co-conspirators. Spencer Kuvin, an attorney representing several Epstein survivors, talks about why he thinks the DOJ has engaged in a "misguided approach" to reviewing the files. Then, in Haiti, a presidential council that was meant to promote stability and move the country towards elections has ended, and the country is still plagued by violence, instability and hunger. The Miami Herald's Jacqueline Charles joins us. And, we hear from Andrew Athias, a content creator from Philadelphia who is sharing his experience about performing as dancing grass during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On Monday, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's convicted co-conspirator, invoked her Fifth Amendment rights during a virtual deposition before the House Oversight Committee. Investigative journalist Vicky Ward talks about what that means and explains how the release of files related to the Epstein investigation threatens to take down UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.And, pro-democracy advocate and former media mogul Jimmy Lai was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in prison after he was convicted in a Hong Kong court last year on charges of endangering national security and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. His daughter Claire Lai joins us.Then, Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show took viewers on a musical tour of Puerto Rico. Alana Casanova-Burgess of the podcast “La Brega” dissects his performance.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Smithsonian Institution is restoring a gunboat that sank in a 1776 Revolutionary War battle. As part of a series with the Smithsonian Institution presenting 25 objects that tell the story of America, Jennifer Jones, a curator at the National Museum of American History, talks about the story of the vessel, its recovery and its restoration. Then, Young People's Records was a popular mail-order subscription club in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Smithsonian Folkways director and curator Maureen Loughran talks about why the music became such a hit, how the record club works and why it's important for telling the story of America.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New Mexico's Department of Justice says Meta has knowingly allowed the social media platforms Instagram and Facebook to become the "largest online marketplace for predators seeking to exploit children." NM Attorney General Raúl Torrez tells us about the "shocking" evidence he says his office has uncovered as opening arguments in the state's lawsuit against Meta begin next week. Then, the last remaining nuclear arms deal between U.S. and Russia expired today. Here & Now security analyst Jim Walsh explains what comes next. And, UNICEF spokesperson Jonathan Crickx is on his sixth mission to Gaza. He talks about the state of the ceasefire, the impact of recent heavy rains in the area, and the effort to bring children back to schools and learning centers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Representatives from the U.S., Ukraine and Russia met in Abu Dhabi for a second round of peace talks as Russia continues to bomb Ukraine. The Financial Times' Christopher Miller of the Financial Times talks about the latest developments from Kyiv. Then, a judge blocked the Trump Administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S. Rose-Thamar Joseph, co-founder of the nonprofit Haitian Support Center in Springfield, Ohio, joins us. And, seven fishermen aboard their vessel called the Lily Jean are presumed dead after it sank in the Atlantic Ocean last Friday. WBUR's Anthony Brooks reports on how it's hitting the Gloucester community, the anchor of the country's oldest fishing port.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Department of Justice released 3.5 million documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019. Liz Stein, a survivor of Epstein’s abuse, said she and other survivors will not stop fighting for the other 3 million files to be made public.Then, the FBI seized records from the 2020 election from an election center in Georgia this week. And the Justice Department is also creating a database of voter information and trying to make it easier for states to reject mail-in ballots. Maine's Secretary of State Shenna Bellows talks about election integrity ahead of 2026.And, a number of people, including journalists, have been arrested in connection with a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, last month. Reporter Georgia Fort is one of them. She shares more about her experience.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy