In a matter of weeks the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah has transformed life in Lebanon. Our correspondent reports from the streets of Beirut. After a pandemic-sized hiccup in the gym industry only the cheap ones and the really pricey ones are building muscle (11:10). And why chess grandmasters are getting younger and younger (17:45).
The strike by dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts is suspended, after the two sides reached a tentative agreement on wages. The Harris campaign tries to show it's on top of October surprises. A federal jury in Memphis convicts three ex-police officers in the beating death of Tyre Nichols.
Today's episode of Up First was edited by Pallavi Gogoi, Russell Lewis, Roberta Rampton, Ally Schweitzer and Alice Woelfe. It was produced by Iman Ma'ani, Paige Waterhouse, Nia Dumas and Ana Perez. We get engineering support from Robert Rodriguez and our technical director is Zac Coleman.
In 2014, Californians passed Prop 47, a criminal justice reform measure aimed at sending fewer low-level offenders for drug and theft crimes to prison. Now, Californians are being asked if they want to roll back some of those reforms, and increase the penalties. KQED Politics Correspondent and co-host of Political Breakdown Marisa Lagos takes us through the history, data and arguments of this prop.
This is the final episode in our 10-part Prop Fest series, examining the propositions on California's 2024 ballot. We'll be back to regular programming next week.
This story was reported by Marisa Lagos. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. The Bay is made by Alan Montecillo, Ericka Cruz Guevarra and Jessica Kariisa. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family.
The vice-presidential candidates took center stage at a debate this week. Ryan Knutson talks with Molly Ball about the important takeaways, and Rachel Humphreys speaks to a listener about why she’s thinking about climate change this election.
Did you know the iconic yellow smiley face was first designed in 1963? However, its creator, Harvey Ball, soon worried that the symbol had become over-commercialised. To counter this, he introduced World Smile Day in 1999, celebrated on the first Friday of October, as a way to encourage acts of kindness and spread smiles.
In the spirit of making you smile, the Unexpected Elements team has gathered science stories that bring them joy—each with a twist, of course.
Children across cultures have invented secret languages to confuse their parents—and there's science behind it. The human face can produce 19 different types of smiles. And let’s not forget the Brazilian scientist who not only pioneered species classification but also became a key figure in the country's suffragette movement.
Meanwhile, Marnie Chesterton introduces us to the ever-cheerful Professor Andrea Sella from University College London, whose humour never fails to brighten her day. Together, they explore the role of humour in science and its importance in engaging both audiences and students.
Plus, we’ll dive into the science of vocal fingerprints, meet a man who physically couldn’t smile, and hear about a global update to cyber security regulations that just might make you grin.
Happy Friday!
Presenters: Marnie Chesterton with Andrada Fiscutean and Camilla Mota
Producers: Harrison Lewis with Jonathan Blackwell, Elizabeth Barsotti, and Anna Charalambou.
In this special fall-themed episode of Getting Hammered, we dive headfirst into the world of pumpkin spice—alcohol style! From spiced wines to pumpkin-flavored whiskey, we’re sampling a range of autumn-inspired drinks to see which ones really live up to the seasonal hype.
OA1074: We begin with a quick look at JD Vance’s cringiest moment during this week’s VP debate. Does the junior senator from Ohio know anything about immigration law--let alone vice presidenting?
In our main story: Two of last term’s worst U.S. Supreme Court decisions surrounding “official acts” have been playing out in real time this week in two of the most important criminal prosecutions in the US. First, special counsel Jack Smith has just filed a monster of a brief in the DC case against Donald Trump for his responsibility for the events of January 6th, 2001. Why is this filing so unique, and what can we learn about the evidence against Trump and DOJ’s strategy going forward? Meanwhile, New York Mayor Eric Adams has filed a motion to dismiss his pending bribery charge on the grounds that bribery is pretty much legal now. Could the SCOTUS decision in Snyder v. US actually make a difference here?
Finally, Matt drops a rare animal law footnote to explain how the fate of one adorable little beaver became the single most important issue facing the Massachusetts government this week.
When the USSR collapsed in 1991, the world was certain that Communism was dead. Today, three decades later, it is clear that it was not. While Russia may no longer be Communist, Communism and sympathy for Communist ideas have proliferated across the globe.
In To Overthrow the World: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Communism(Basic Books, 2024), Sean McMeekin investigates the evolution of Communism from a seductive ideal of a classless society into the ruling doctrine of tyrannical regimes. Tracing Communism's ascent from theory to practice, McMeekin ranges from Karl Marx's writings to the rise and fall of the USSR under Stalin to Mao's rise to power in China to the acceleration of Communist or Communist-inspired policies around the world in the twenty-first century. McMeekin argues, however, that despite the endurance of Communism, it remains deeply unpopular as a political form. Where it has arisen, it has always arisen by force.
Blending historical narrative with cutting-edge scholarship, To Overthrow the World revolutionizes our understanding of the evolution of Communism--an idea that seemingly cannot die.
