Episodes

  • Local Spotlight: The Carpet Capital’s Chemical Problem

    Local Spotlight: The Carpet Capital’s Chemical Problem
    Feb 11 2026
    Northwest Georgia is a picturesque place, with rolling hills and open farmland. Its creeks and rivers have sustained families for generations. On the surface, the environment looks pristine.

    But something toxic lurks within the lush landscape that you can’t see, smell, or taste. For many years, locals weren’t aware of its presence.

    PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals used to repel water and stains. Many of them don’t break down in nature, which is why they’re often called ‘forever chemicals.’ They can build up in the environment and our bodies over time.

    These chemicals were used for years in the production of carpets in northwest Georgia. And the long-term environmental and human cost in the region is high.

    In this installment of our Local Spotlight series, we head to the “carpet capital” of the world to examine its chemical problems.

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    33 mins
  • 'If You Can Keep It': Election Integrity And The Upcoming Midterms

    'If You Can Keep It': Election Integrity And The Upcoming Midterms
    Feb 9 2026
    We’re just a few weeks out from the very first state primary elections of the year. And President Donald Trump and the GOP are, at the moment, unpopular.

    As people around the country prepare to head to the polls to decide who will run in this year’s midterms, the president is once again trying to undermine the most basic functions of elections. He’s still spreading lies about past elections he lost and is now sowing seeds of doubt in the local elections process. There is no evidence to support Trump’s repeated, false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

    In late January, the FBI seized boxes of 2020 election ballots and other voting records in Fulton County, Georgia, which for years has been the focus of his baseless conspiracy theory that the election was rigged.

    In this installment of our weekly politics series, “If You Can Keep It,” we explore what the president’s latest attacks on election integrity mean for the future of our democracy.

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    44 mins
  • The News Roundup For February 6, 2026

    The News Roundup For February 6, 2026
    Feb 6 2026
    The Trump administration now says a “softer touch” might be required when it comes to their immigration agenda in Minnesota. Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border head, says that 700 ICE agents will leave the state.

    In another warning sign for Republicans in Washington, a Democratic candidate won an upset in a special election for a Texas State Senate seat.

    And the Department of Justice released another round of Epstein emails on Friday, revealing communications between the late New York financier and several public figures, from Bill Gates to Elon Musk.

    Talks between the U.S. and Iran got off to a stuttering start this week, one moment being tabled, and the next moment being back on. Arab leaders lobbied the White House on Wednesday to not walk away from the table entirely.

    The Trump administration revealed a plan to create a critical mineral reserve and a new trade alliance, aimed at taking away China’s ability to use its near monopoly of the rare metals as leverage in trade negotiations.

    Spain is set to follow Australia’s lead and implement a ban on social media use for minors.

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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • The ICE ‘Conveyor Belt’ In Texas

    The ICE ‘Conveyor Belt’ In Texas
    Feb 5 2026
    Immigration enforcement is arresting a growing number of refugees and detaining them in Texas.


    It’s a strategy immigration lawyers call a conveyor belt. The number of children in ICE detention has also grown sixfold under the Trump administration – with most being held in Texas.

    The ICE detention budget grew by billions last year. What’s the effect on refugees?

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    28 mins
  • Haitian Immigrants Almost Lost Their Temporary Protections. What Now?

    Haitian Immigrants Almost Lost Their Temporary Protections. What Now?
    Feb 4 2026
    This week, 330,000 Haitian immigrants who’ve lived and worked in the U.S. legally, sometimes for decades, were set to lose their immigration protections.

    That’s after the Trump administration announced it would end Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Haitians on Feb. 3. After a federal court order on Monday, the program remains in place for now, but could still be undone. The administration says it will appeal the ruling, potentially to the U.S. Supreme Court.

    What does it mean for Haitians who rely on TPS, who could go from integral parts of their community to undocumented immigrants? Even if they never crossed a border illegally or overstayed a visa?

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    37 mins
  • ICE And The ICE Watchers

    ICE And The ICE Watchers
    Feb 3 2026
    Thousands of people have signed up to document and protest the actions of immigration agents in Minnesota.

    They say they are legal observers, exercising their constitutional rights. The government claims they’re impeding the lawful work of a federal agency.

    Where is the line between observer and disrupter? And what are the limits to how federal agents can respond?

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    32 mins
  • 'If You Can Keep It': The Future Of The Free Press

    'If You Can Keep It': The Future Of The Free Press
    Feb 2 2026
    The biggest news stories, the ones that shape our democracy, don’t just play out in Washington. They unfold in neighborhoods, on street corners, and around the country.

    In many cases, the first images and explanations of what’s happening don’t come from national news outlets, but the people who are there with cellphones and cameras in hand. That includes local journalists who are out in their communities. Journalists are trained to confirm and contextualize, but what does that look like in today’s shifting media landscape?

    Local reporters on the ground are crucial. But nearly 40 percent of local newspapers in the U.S. have disappeared since the early 2000s. Even the largest newspapers — providing national coverage out of major cities — are on shaky ground. Layoffs are expected at The Washington Post in the coming weeks.

    What does it all mean for how news gets made and who gets heard? What’s at stake for our democracy? And who is trying to chart a new path forward?

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    43 mins
  • The News Roundup For January 30, 2026

    The News Roundup For January 30, 2026
    Jan 30 2026
    A man rushed towards Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar during an event in her home state on Tuesday, spraying the congresswoman with a liquid authorities later identified as vinegar. President Donald Trump told reporters later that evening he thought there was a chance that Omar had staged the attack herself as a stunt.

    Another deadline for a government shutdown is fast approaching. And questions are mounting about whether Democrats will continue to dig their heels in over the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.

    And more acts are pulling out of scheduled performances at the Kennedy Center. Composer Phillip Glass announced his decision to not debut a symphony he wrote in honor of Abraham Lincoln written for the Center’s 50th anniversary.

    And, in global news, President Donald Trump said this week that Iran needed to give into a list of demands related to its nuclear disarmament and that “time was running out.” The military is now moving Navy and Air Force assets to the Middle East.

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he couldn’t rule out further military intervention in Venezuela during testimony before the Senate.

    And traditional U.S. allies are looking elsewhere for aid and trade deals, as the president continues to demolish the old world order in favor of one that centers himself.

    We cover the most important stories from around the world in the News Roundup.

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    1 hr and 26 mins