The NewsWorthy - Expanding Musk’s Power, Coast-to-Coast Storms & Best in Show – Wednesday, February 12, 2025

The news to know for Wednesday, February 12, 2025!

We’re talking about a deal that’s bringing an American teacher back to the U.S. after three and a half years in a Russian prison.

And why a ceasefire deal could be crumbling in Gaza.

Also, Elon Musk answered questions about his deep government cuts for the first time, and President Trump threw more support behind him.

Plus, Southern California is facing its strongest storm in a year, canned tuna is being recalled nationwide, and there’s a new Best in Show—we’ll tell you which dog breed won the Westminster Dog Show.

Those stories and even more news to know in about 10 minutes! 

 

Join us every Mon-Fri for more daily news roundups! 

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The Best One Yet - 🏎️ “Bieber’s blacklisted” — Ferrari’s rules of ownership. Coca-Cola’s Fairlife milk. DOGE vs. CFPB.

If you customize a Ferrari, they won’t let you buy another… even if you’re Justin Beiber.

Coca-Cola’s biggest acquisition ever is Fairlife… because milk is having a moment.

DOGE is targeting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau… so we’re look at trim-cuts vs buzz-cuts.

Plus, we wrote a heartbroken love poem ahead of Valentine’s Day… to Peloton.


$RACE $KO $PTON


Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food 🍦. Subscribe to The Best Idea Yet: Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinks to listen.


“The Best Idea Yet”: The untold origin stories of the products you’re obsessed with — From the McDonald’s Happy Meal to Birkenstock’s sandal to Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers to Sriracha. New 45-minute episodes drop weekly.



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1A - The Rising Popularity Of ‘Dry Dating’

It's not uncommon — or even always bad — to drink on a date. But most of us have a story of over-doing it and having one too many drinks.

At what point does alcohol hinder our ability to make true romantic connections, or blunt our decision-making so that we wind up with someone our sober selves wouldn't have chosen?

Dry dating is becoming more popular. According to a 2024 survey from the dating site DatingNews.com, nearly 2 in 3 Gen-Z and Millennials said they preferred alcohol-free dates.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we talk about the benefits of dating and intimacy without alcohol.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

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Short Wave - Stopping A Deadly Disease On Apache Lands

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is one of the deadliest tickborne diseases in the United States, often killing people within about a week if left untreated. At one point, the San Carlos Apache Reservation had rates of infection 150 times the national average. But now, they've achieved a huge milestone — no deaths from the disease in at least five years. NPR science correspondent Pien Huang and producer Megan Lim visited the reservation to see the program that led to their success.

Read Pien's full story here.

Interested in hearing more science success stories? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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plus.npr.org/shortwave.

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The Indicator from Planet Money - Exposing Charles Ponzi

The name Charles Ponzi immediately recalls the financial scheme that bears his name. But what of the man who helped expose Ponzi's scheme? Today on the show, the incredible, little known story of Simon Swig, who upended Boston's financial and banking world in the early 20th century before crossing paths with the notorious scammer.

Related episodes:
Charles Ponzi's scheme

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Fact-checking by
Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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NPR's Book of the Day - ‘Bronshtein in the Bronx’ is a fictional account of Leon Trotsky’s New York exile

In 1917, Lev Bronshtein – also known as Leon Trotsky – spent 10 weeks in exile in New York City. The Russian revolutionary hoped to spark a socialist revolution in the United States, but found disappointment when American workers didn't respond the way he had hoped. Trotsky's time in New York is the subject of Robert Littell's latest novel, Bronshtein in the Bronx. In today's episode, Littell talks with NPR's Scott Simon about the author's family connection to the revolutionary, his decision to name Trotsky's conscience in the book, and the violence of revolution.

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

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Ologies with Alie Ward - Agnotology (WILLFUL IGNORANCE) Updated Encore with Dr. Robert Proctor

Yes, there is an -ology for that. And yes, we’re airing this episode -– with a ton of 2025 updates -– because it’s never felt more relevant. Dr. Robert Proctor is a Stanford professor of the History of Science and co-edited the book “Agnotology: The Making & Unmaking of Ignorance,” having coined the word 30 years ago. We chat about everything from tobacco marketing, to the sugar lobby, to racial injustice, horse vision, the psychology of the Flat Earther movement, which countries have the highest rates of climate denial, empathy, how to navigate difficult conversations and why it's critical to dismantle the systems of willful ignorance, starting locally. 

Dr. Robert Proctor’s book: "Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance"

His 2021 book: Science and the Production of Ignorance: When the Quest for Knowledge Is Thwarted.

Donations in Dr. Proctor’s name went to: SavingBlackLives.org and the Public Health Advocacy Institute

An additional donation went to The National Black Law Students Association

More episode sources and links, including info on Federal Workers

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may “enjoy”: Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY), Attention Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD), Eschatology (THE APOCALYPSE), Critical Ecology (SOCIAL SYSTEMS + ENVIRONMENT), Disasterology (DISASTERS), Conservation Technology (EARTH SAVING), Phenology (FALL/SEASONS), Oceanology (OCEANS), Futurology (THE FUTURE), Selenology (THE MOON), Gemology (STONES & GEMS), Nomology (THE CONSTITUTION), Neurotechnology (AI + BRAIN TECH), Pedagogology (SCIENCE COMMUNICATION) with Bill Nye, Vaccine Infodemiology (COVID-19 IMMUNITY),

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Editing by Steven Ray Morris and Jarrett Sleeper of Mindjam Media

Encore editing by Jake Chaffee and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Additional encore producing by Mercedes Maitland

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek 

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Trump’s South Africa Fixation

Among his recent executive orders, Donald Trump moved to halt aid to South Africa over a land law and extended political asylum to South Africa’s white Afrikaner population.


Where does Trump’s seemingly spotty understanding of South Africa come from? How could having close advisors who grew up in apartheid-era South Africa, like Elon Musk, influence him?


Guest: Chris McGreal, writer for The Guardian US who reported from South Africa during the end of apartheid.


Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.


Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Rob Gunther, and Ethan Oberman.

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Amarica's Constitution - Where Are The Lines?

Funds are impounded.  Board members are summarily dismissed.  Funds appropriated by Congress are impounded. Inspectors General are removed without notice or cause.  And arguments are still being made to undermine birthright citizenship.  Are all these actions unconstitutional?  It turns out that it appears that many may well be, but others that may seem nearly identical may if fact be legal, if of questionable wisdom or propriety.  We explain where the constitutional lines are for many of these matters, or in some tricky cases we show how one goes about looking for those lines.  And while we are at it, we believe we have dug the last shovels worth in the grave of the attempt to distort, pervert, or reduce birthright citizenship.  CLE credit is available for lawyers and judges at podcast.njsba.com.