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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is cutting nearly $500 million in funding for the development of mRNA vaccines that are used to fight COVID-19 and the flu. Dr. Paul Offit joins us to discuss what the move could mean for vaccine research and development. Then, the Department of Transportation is raising concerns about airlines using artificial intelligence to set ticket prices based on customers' personal information. Transportation analyst Seth Kaplan talks about how AI could show up in ticket prices. And, Microsoft watches over the data of government agencies like the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. Last month, Microsoft announced a Chinese state-sponsored hack on those accounts. ProPublica's Renee Dudley tells us more. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

nd, as the school year is about to start back up, Michigan’s education budget and federal funding changes are creating uncertainty for districts in the state. Katy Xenakis-Makowski, superintendent of Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools, shares more about how uncertainty is impacting her district. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Texas House Democrats fled the state in a bid to block a new congressional district map. The proposed redistricting would create five new Republican-leaning seats in the House. Texas Newsroom's Lauren McGaughy tells us more. Then, on Friday, President Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, after the July jobs report showed job growth had stagnated. We speak with former BLS Commissioner under Trump's first term, William Beach, who believes the move undermines credibility in the government's economic statistics. And, the first several seasons of "The Simpsons" revolutionized primetime TV, blazed a trail for animated comedy. Alan Siegel talks about his new book, "Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed Television — and America — Forever." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

AI is fueling the stock market, sending the value of tech companies like Nvidia and Microsoft into the stratosphere. This week, Microsoft's market valuation surged past $4 trillion. That's nearly the GDP of India. Roben Farzad, host of the podcast "Full Disclosure," explains Microsoft's role in the competition. And, Nvidia — which makes microchips for AI — recently hit the same valuation milestone of $4 trillion. Chris Miller, author of the book "Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology," explains why Nvidia is gaining so much traction so fast and what it says about the value of chips. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The Commerce Department reported on Wednesday that the U.S. economy grew at a 3% annual rate last quarter. That growth is smaller than it was last year. The Financial Times' Rana Foroohar joins us to put things in perspective. Then, former pardon attorney Liz Oyer explains why she thinks it would be "unprecedented" for President Trump to pardon convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell for her crimes, as Trump continues to downplay his one-time friendship with her accomplice Jeffrey Epstein. And, conventional wisdom says a one-page resume is the best bet for job seekers, but that may no longer be the case thanks to AI. Wall Street Journal columnist Callum Borchers explains. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

A recent executive order from President Trump calls for sending some mentally ill or addicted homeless people to involuntary treatment, known as civil commitment. Los Angeles homelessness expert John Maceri explains more. And, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are calling for Trump to address the hunger crisis in Gaza. Nahal Toosi, senior foreign affairs correspondent with Politico, unpacks how the U.S. attitude toward Israel's war in Gaza is shifting. Then, after Harvard University freshman Sarah Silverman's mezuzah went missing from her dorm doorway, the police investigated the incident as a "bias crime," and Trump cited it as a civil rights law violation. Silverman joins us to explain why she thinks Trump's crackdown on Harvard and other universities does not curb antisemitism. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration is trying to overturn the EPA's endangerment finding, which determined that greenhouse gas emissions can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. Lisa Heinzerling, former senior climate policy counsel to the EPA administrator, joins us to discuss what this could mean for the U.S. government's efforts to fight climate change. Then, some of the homes still standing after fires tore through Southern California earlier this year are too toxic to live in. We speak with two Altadena homeowners about their experiences. And, the semicolon has been described as a "graceful pause" in writing. But this graceful punctuation mark is being forgotten. The Washington Post's Mark Lasswell talks about what the semicolon is for and what it means that it's fading away. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump announced a new trade deal with the European Union that places a 15% tariff on most exports to the U.S. Bloomberg's Lionel Laurent explains why the EU backed down from a looming trade war. And, humanitarian organizations warn of an impending famine in Gaza if the situation on the ground continues, with little aid allowed into the region by Israel. Alex de Waal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University, breaks down what it would take for a famine to be declared. Then, President Trump has received a significant amount of support from Evangelical Christians. But not all Christians are on board with Trump's policies. Pastor Derwin Gray of the Transformation Church describes how he's working to lead his church through political division. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Steve Olney, author of "On Air: The Triumph and Tumult of NPR," joins us to explain the ups and downs NPR has faced since the early 1970s and what recent federal funding cuts mean for the network. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

President Vlodomyr Zelenskky appears to have backtracked on an anti-corruption law he approved earlier this week after protesters accused him of stripping anti-corruption agencies of their independence. The Washington Post's Siobhan O'Grady tells us more. Then, Columbia University has reached a deal with the Trump administration. In return for a $200 million payment and other changes Columbia agreed to make, the government will restore $400 million in research funding it canceled in March. The Chronicle of Higher Education's Francie Diep joins us to explain what the deal means for colleges and universities across the country. And, music therapy can benefit patients with stress, anxiety and Alzheimer's disease. Nicole Altimier, a music therapist with Cincinnati Children's Hospital, joins us to discuss how music therapy works. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

A new investigation from ProPublica sheds light on some of the Venezuelan men President Trump sent to an infamous prison in El Salvador. Melissa Sanchez, a member of the team that reported on the prison, explains why the men are now being set free. And, the Associated Press' Eric Tucker shares the latest on the ongoing controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. House Speaker Mike Johnson this week abruptly sent lawmakers home as they pressed for a vote on a measure that would compel the Trump administration to release details about the investigation into Epstein. Then, NASA's Parker Solar Probe passed into the outer atmosphere of the sun and took incredible images of the sun's corona. Nour Rawafi, astrophysicist and Parker Solar Probe project scientist, explains what scientists can learn from the probe. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

CBS is canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Parent company Paramount is in the middle of a multibillion-dollar merger with the studio Skydance. The deal needs approval from the Trump administration, and Colbert has been a harsh critic of the president. CNN's Brian Stelter joins us why CBS canceled the show. Then, historian Julian Zelizer says there was a time when voter unrest could move Congress. He recalls the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of the 1980s, which passed with bipartisan support. But when voters revolted, Congress repealed the law. And, President Trump has signaled frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he pushes for a regional cease-fire. Michael Koplow, chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum, tells us more. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

As the Trump administration moves to dismantle the Department of Education, parents, students and teachers are wondering what it all means for them. Chalkbeat's Erica Meltzer explains how layoffs and funding changes could affect the new school year. And, with a median wage of $14 per hour, child care workers struggle to make ends meet as the cost of basics outpaces inflation. Here & Now's Ashley Locke discusses new data with researcher Ashley Anglin, with the group United for ALICE. She also talks with child care business owner Jocelyn Tomaszewski about how she's able to make ends meet. Then, 100 years ago, teacher John Scopes was convicted and fined $100 for violating a Tennessee law that banned the teaching of evolution because it contradicted the Bible. Professors Alexander Gouzoules and Harold Gouzoules join us to talk about their new book, "The Hundred Years' Trial." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Act now to ensure public media remains free and accessible to all. Your donation will help this essential American service survive and thrive. Visit donate.npr.org now. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Tony Hawk's "Pro Skater" video games helped define the skateboarding world. Now, with "Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4," the franchise is getting an update. Hawk joins us to share the evolution of skateboarding over the past two decades and how the games are updated to reflect that. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The Senate voted to claw back $1.1 billion that Congress allocated for public broadcasting. That is expected to decimate particularly rural public radio stations. We hear from Scott Smith, general manager for Allegheny Mountain Radio. Then, reporter and author Zeke Faux talks about how Republicans in Congress and the White House want to regulate cryptocurrency, in particular, a form called stablecoin, as the cryptocurrency industry becomes a force in big money donations. And, as pressure builds on President Trump over the Jeffrey Epstein files, Trump is now lashing out at his own supporters who have criticized his handling of the affair. Jared Holt, senior research analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, joins us. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Nearly every county in the U.S. experiences flooding, yet few homeowners have flood insurance policies. The Insurance Information Institution's Mark Friedlander explains the market. And, fires in the Grand Canyon have scorched more than 60,000 acres along the North Rim, and dozens of National Park Service facilities burned to the ground. Michel Marizco at KJZZ in Phoenix explains the impact. Then, Sayfollah Musallet, a U.S. citizen from Tampa, Florida, was beaten to death by Israeli settlers while he was visiting family in the West Bank. His father, Kamel Musallet, joins us. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that mass layoffs at the Department of Education can move forward for now. Law professor Kate Shaw joins us to discuss what this means for President Trump's plan to dismantle the department. Then, Florida lawmaker Anna Eskamani talks about her recent visit to 'Alligator Alcatraz,' a controversial detention center in the Everglades holding hundreds of migrants. And, Texas is weighing a controversial plan to draw new congressional maps ahead of next year's midterm elections. Carnegie Mellon University's Jonathan Cervas explains the possible implications. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Attorney General Pam Bondi released a two-page memo stating that convicted sex offender Jefferey Epstein did not have an incriminating "client list." After Epstein's death in 2019, he became the subject of conspiracy theories, bolstered by conservative leaders including Trump himself. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan explains more. And, a U.S. citizen was killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday. The family of Sayfollah Musallet say Israeli settlers beat Musallet to death. NPR's Daniel Estrin shares more. Then, employees are using artificial intelligence tools to streamline their work. That can save a lot of time, but many companies want people to use that time to do more work. Wall Street Journal columnist Callum Borchers explains more. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

In her novel "Demon Copperhead," author Barbara Kingsolver tells the story of poverty and addiction in contemporary Appalachia. Here & Now's Scott Tong spoke with her back in 2022 when the book came out. Tong caught up with Kingsolver in western Virginia to talk about the power of home, poverty and addiction. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy