Episodes

  • These scientists were fired by DOGE. What are they doing now?

    These scientists were fired by DOGE. What are they doing now?
    May 30 2025
    Tens of thousands of researchers are out of work amid President Trump's ongoing purge of the federal workforce. One of those workers is Peggy Hall, a biologist who worked at the National Institutes of Health. Hall joins us with freelance reporter Virginia Gewin, who recently wrote about fired workers for Nature. And, a study from the Rochester Institute of Technology estimated more than 10,000 tons of plastic enter the Great Lakes every year. Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports on efforts to curb pollution, including a robot that combs the shores for trash. Then, the North American prairie is biologically diverse, but it's rapidly disappearing. In their book "Sea of Grass," Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty unpack the threats to the prairie and profile the people trying to save it.

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    28 mins
  • Trump administration to 'aggressively' revoke visas from Chinese students

    Trump administration to 'aggressively' revoke visas from Chinese students
    May 29 2025
    Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Wednesday that the State Department "will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." NPR's Emily Feng joins us to explain what it means. Then, President Trump pardoned a man sentenced to tax fraud after his mother reportedly paid $1 million to attend a Trump fundraiser. Law professor Kim Wehle tells us more. And, a group of British climbers made it to the top of Mount Everest in a matter of days after they inhaled xenon gas. Mountaineer and Everest chronicler Alan Arnette talks about the controversial new way of climbing the world's tallest mountain.

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    31 mins
  • Why proposed Medicaid cuts could decimate rural hospitals

    Why proposed Medicaid cuts could decimate rural hospitals
    May 28 2025
    Rural hospital CEO Kevin Stansbury talks about what the Medicaid cuts being debated by lawmakers could mean to his 25-bed county-owned hospital in Hugo, Colorado. Then, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that the CDC would no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children or healthy pregnant women. OBGYN Dr. Linda Eckert weighs in. And, landmark climate legislation from the Biden administration would be dismantled in the massive spending bill that House Republicans recently passed. Grist's Zoya Teirstein breaks down the potential impacts on renewable energy projects already underway.

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    18 mins
  • NPR and three Colorado public radio stations sue Trump administration

    NPR and three Colorado public radio stations sue Trump administration
    May 27 2025
    NPR and three Colorado public radio stations filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging President Trump's executive order to bar federal funding from going to NPR and PBS. NPR's David Folkenflik explains more. And, the Trump administration on Tuesday ordered federal agencies to unwind all federal funding to Harvard University. Trump claims the university fosters antisemitism and stifles viewpoint diversity. Connor Murnane — campus advocacy chief of staff at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression — argues that Harvard's failures do not justify Trump's dramatic steps against the university. Then, if you've seen the hit TV show "Bridgerton," you've likely heard the musical stylings of the Vitamin String Quartet. The group reimagines pop songs as string instrument covers, and members Rachel Grace and Derek Stein share more about their musical journeys.

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    24 mins
  • Meet the new teacher of the year

    Meet the new teacher of the year
    May 26 2025
    This year's National Teacher of the Year is wrapping up classes with her students and getting ready to embark on a yearlong tour to inspire fellow teachers around the country. Ashlie Crosson, an English teacher from Pennsylvania, joins us. Then, if you are feeling stressed about speaking in front of others, you can transform that pressure by playing with your voice. Performance coaches Michael Allison and Mathilde Shisko explain how vocal play exercises help build confidence. And, thousands of U.S. schools had their students race the clock to stack cups in gym class. Why? A former circus clown from Colorado holds the key. We hear from sport stacking royalty, Kit Fox.

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    29 mins
  • The state of civil rights in the United States

    The state of civil rights in the United States
    May 23 2025
    The year 1963 was a watershed moment for civil rights, with Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers leading the movement. But rollbacks of civil rights and racial justice ideals abound in 2025. Author Peniel Joseph unpacks the progress made in 1963 and the political climate in the U.S. now that is undoing some of that progress. And, the new horror movie "Sinners," where Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers who return to their Mississippi hometown after years working for the Chicago Mafia. The film is making waves in the box office, and author and professor Tananarive Due explains how it challenges ideas around the Black horror genre.

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    31 mins
  • Jewish advocacy group says 'unchecked antisemitism' led to D.C. killings

    Jewish advocacy group says 'unchecked antisemitism' led to D.C. killings
    May 22 2025
    On Wednesday, two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot and killed following an event at a Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. Police say the suspect shouted "free Palestine" after being detained. We hear from Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, the organization that hosted the event that the victims were leaving when they were killed. Then, the Department of Justice is backing off plans to oversee policy changes at police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville. Louisville Public Media's Roberto Roldan joins us. And, the market for energy drinks is rapidly expanding with an emphasis on health and wellness. But that marketing may be misleading consumers about the health risks of energy drinks. STAT's Sarah Todd tells us more.

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    20 mins
  • Why these caregivers say Medicaid is vital to families

    Why these caregivers say Medicaid is vital to families
    May 21 2025
    This week, families of infants and toddlers rally in Washington, D.C., in favor of protecting Medicaid as the program faces potential cuts by President Trump and House Republicans. Two caregivers share their experiences: Jaid Greene, a mother from Colorado, and Felicia Harvelle, a grandmother from Virginia. And, Medicaid expert Adrianna McIntyre of Harvard University explains the impact of the program on mainly low-income families and people with disabilities. Then, kick off your summer reading with stories about family drama. Traci Thomas, host and creator of "The Stacks" podcast, shares her picks for fiction and nonfiction family-focused books.

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    24 mins