What if you could get all the potential benefits of ketamine without the "trip"? For part two of our series on psychedelics, we look at how some researchers are trying to disentangle the "trip" from the drugs' effects on the brain — and why the answer could help direct the future of psychedelic research. (Spoiler alert: People generally know if they're tripping or not.) This episode: a researcher navigating this challenge by putting his patients to sleep.
Catch the rest of this series on psychedelics and related drugs this week by following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Have other questions about psychedelics and the brain? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!
In 2013, Amanda Nguyen was a Harvard senior interested in pursuing a career at NASA or the CIA. But she says those plans were temporarily derailed when she was raped just a few months before graduation. Nguyen went on to become an advocate for survivors of sexual assault – and her advocacy resulted in federal legislation that changed the way law enforcement handles rape kits. Now, she's out with a book about her experience called Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope. In today's episode, Nguyen speaks with NPR's Ailsa Chang about navigating bureaucracy as a survivor, sharing her story with lawmakers, and her parents' response to her activism.
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
President Trump claims a main goal of his crippling tariffs is to address the U.S. trade deficit. So is the U.S. trade deficit a problem? On today's show, why we'll never have a trade surplus with every single country; what the benefits of a trade deficit are; and whether or not the trade deficit affects jobs.
Related episodes: Tarrified! We check in on businesses (Apple / Spotify) Why there's no referee for the trade war (Apple / Spotify) Common economic myths debunked (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Philanthropy matches a donor's passion with an organization's drive to make a difference. It is an arrangement that helps build equity in areas that are not served by profit-driven interests. Philanthropy becomes even more important during times of financial uncertainty and government austerity. We'll get a view of the current directions for philanthropic giving and what the new pressures to fill the gaps.
While Egypt and the Gulf States submit proposals to rebuild Gaza, Israel is moving forward with President Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the war rages on, and Gazans have been struggling to access essentials like food and medical supplies.
Guest: Aya Batrawy, NPR international correspondent based in Dubai.
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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.
Semafor reporter Dave Weigel returns to the show to look at the political angles to Trump’s tariff regime and the global economic shocks. We discuss the various attempts to backfill justifications, responses from GOP and Democrats, and how this is all somehow about wokeness and masculinity or something. We also discuss last week’s special election in Wisconsin, and what it can tell us about Trump (and Elon)’s strength going forward.
Find Dave’s work on Semafor here: https://www.semafor.com/author/david-weigel
Amanda Holmes reads Czesław Miłosz’s “Campo dei Fiori.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.
This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
Robert explains why he repeatedly returns to Roar, a movie where the cast and crew are repeatedly for-real maimed by giant cats, when he needs to feel optimistic about the future of the human race.