On this episode, we’re breaking down the latest from the Trump administration—from new cabinet confirmations to the state of foreign policy. Don’t miss it!
We're talking about President Trump's boldest effort yet to remake the federal government and re-examine spending priorities.
Also, lawmakers are set to consider Trump's pick to lead American health agencies today. But doctors, scientists, and even his family members are begging them not to confirm him.
Plus, we have the latest findings from last month's mysterious drone sightings, results of a major study about how cannabis affects the brain, and the year of the snake. We'll tell you what it represents on this Lunar New Year.
Those stories and even more news to know in about 10 minutes!
Join us every Mon-Fri for more daily news roundups!
OA1118 and T3BE56 - Russell Vought lied in his confirmation hearing, but who is Vought and why should we care? Lydia gets us up to speed on this capital-d Doozy, with his background, some highlights from his confirmation hearing, and the great reporting that lets us confidently state that he lied in his hearing with the Senate Budget Committee.
Then Heather Varanini joins for the answer to T3BE question 55 and brand new question 56!
If you'd like to play along with T3BE, here's what to do: hop on Bluesky, follow Openargs, find the post that has this episode, and quote it with your answer! Or, go to our Subreddit and look for the appropriate t3BE posting. Or best of all, become a patron at patreon.com/law and play there!
President Trump is making big moves to shrink and reshape the federal workforce. He's offered buyouts, instituted a hiring freeze, and called for prioritizing job seekers who are "passionate about the ideals of our American Republic." While his actions have drawn criticism, some see an opportunity for the new administration to improve the federal hiring process.
Today on the show, Jennifer Pahlka, Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center, tells us why, in her view, government hiring has been broken for a long time while sharing her thoughts on Trump's proposals to fix it.
Related episodes: What happens when Social Security runs out of money? (Apple / Spotify) Why Trump's potential tariffs are making business owners anxious (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
A new book titled Unassimilable: An Asian Diasporic Manifesto for the 21st Century by Bianca Mabute-Louie makes a radical case against assimilation for the Asian diaspora. The project was inspired by the author's upbringing in San Gabriel Valley, an ethnoburb right outside of Los Angeles, which Mabute-Louie describes as a place "where Asian immigrants go to never assimilate." In today's episode, the author joins NPR's Ailsa Chang for a conversation about what un-assimilability looks like in practice, the spike in anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Mabute-Louie's hopes for her young son.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
When it comes to solar and wind power, renewable energy has always had a caveat: it can only run when the wind blows or the sun shines.
The idea of a battery was floated around to make renewables available 24/7. For years, it existed as an expensive, little-used technology. Then in 2021, it took off.
In this episode, we explore how this new energy market works in two states: California and Texas.
In California, there is now enough grid-scale battery storage to power millions of homes — at least for a few hours — and it's growing fast. What does this success mean for the grid, and how did the state support it?
Then, we visit Texas, whose approach is more free-market rodeo. The state has the second-most battery storage capacity in the U.S. And in Texas, their system was recently put to the test. So, can these large-scale batteries can help prevent blackouts?
These two stories come from our sister show The Indicator, which recently reported a series about the electric battery market.
Today's show was hosted by Cooper Katz McKim, Darian Woods and Wailin Wong. The original Indicator episodes were produced by Cooper Katz McKim and Corey Bridges, and edited by Kate Concannon. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Jimmy Keeley and Neil Tevault. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.
Farts are funny and sometimes smelly. But are they a legitimate topic of research?
More than 40% of people worldwide are estimated to suffer from some kind of functional gut disorder — from acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome to inflammatory bowel disease. So, yes, freelance science writer Claire Ainsworth thinks so. Claire speaks with Emily about two teams of scientists studying intestinal gases, who she profiled in a recent New Scientist article — and why understanding people's gut microbiome through a fart-shaped window may help treat these conditions at the source.
Read more of Claire's reporting for New Scientist.
Have another bodily function you want us to explore or just want to report to us about a funny time you passed gas? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
If you are a libertarian, odds are good that you started with a particular writer or thinker. Political philosopher Matt Zwolinski suggests you read more broadly before committing yourself to one particular vision for libertarian society.
This week, we’re celebrating the Canadian rock band Nickelback! Along the way, Rob discusses butt rock, anti-Nickelback memes, and his friend stealing his girlfriend in high school. Later, author and columnist Leslie Gray Streeter joins the show to defend Nickelback fans and much more.
Pre-Order, Leslie’s new book, ‘Family & Other Calamities: A Novel’ here.