Nearly half a million people in Gaza now face starvation, according to a new report from the IPC, the international panel of famine experts who advise the United Nations.
For more than ten weeks, Israel has halted the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, to pressure Hamas to release Israeli hostages. Israel accuses Hamas of seizing aid, selling it on the black market and using aid distribution to reinforce its control of Gaza.
The UN says hundreds of truckloads of lifesaving supplies are waiting at the border. Meanwhile, inside Gaza, food is scarce. Humanitarian groups like the UN World Food Programme (WFP) exhausted supplies of basic staples weeks ago, forcing them to shut down their kitchens and bakeries, and everyday Palestinians are grinding up pasta and lentils to make flour for bread. Antoine Renard of the WFP says when he was in Gaza last week, wheat flour was selling for $10 a pound.
Juana Summers talks with Renard about what he's seen in Gaza, and what's next for the people there.
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1A - What Does The First US-Born Pope Mean For The Church?
On Sunday, Catholic churches across the world celebrated Mass while a new leader took the top seat in Vatican City. That new leader is Pope Leo XIV.
But when white smoke rose last week, some of the faithful may have been surprised when Robert Prevost walked out of St. Peter's Basilica victorious. He's the first US-born pope in history.
What do we know about the man now leading the church? What does it mean for someone born in the U.S. to be the pope?
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But when white smoke rose last week, some of the faithful may have been surprised when Robert Prevost walked out of St. Peter's Basilica victorious. He's the first US-born pope in history.
What do we know about the man now leading the church? What does it mean for someone born in the U.S. to be the pope?
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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State of the World from NPR - Understanding an Important Religious Group in Syria
Syria is in a precarious place as it emerges from civil war and a long dictatorship. The recently announced removal of U.S. sanctions bring hopes that the economy might stabilize. Another challenge is Syria's population— it is one of the most diverse countries in the Middle East and with that comes competing demands and priorities from various groups. NPR's Jane Arraf takes us to southern Syria, near the border with Israel and introduces us to one of the biggest minority groups, the Druze.
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Up First from NPR - Trump Meets Syria’s President, Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks, RFK Jr. On Capitol Hill
President Trump is meeting with Syria's new leader as the administration prepares to lift sanctions on the country. Could he also participate in Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Turkey? Plus, on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to defend his sweeping changes at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today's episode of Up First was edited by Ryland Barton, Diane Webber, Ally Schweitzer and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ana Perez, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis, and our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
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Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today's episode of Up First was edited by Ryland Barton, Diane Webber, Ally Schweitzer and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ana Perez, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis, and our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
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NPR's Book of the Day - ‘The Lost and the Found’ takes an intimate look at homelessness in San Francisco
As a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, Kevin Fagan embedded with the city's unhoused population. Now retired, he's written a book built around two of the people he got to know through his reporting. The Lost and the Found zooms in on the lives of Rita and Tyson, who ended up chronically homeless in San Francisco through a cascade of circumstances. In today's episode, Fagan speaks with Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes about their stories, Fagan's own experience with poverty and housing insecurity, and the Reagan-era policies that led to an increased unhoused population in the 1980s.
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The Indicator from Planet Money - What we misunderstand about gun violence
The U.S. is known around the world for its problem with gun violence. The vast majority of murders in the U.S. are committed using guns. But what leads one person to shoot another? The "conventional wisdom" says gun violence is usually the act of calculated criminals or people acting out of desperate economic circumstances. But economist Jens Ludwig believes the conventional wisdom is wrong. Today on the show, he explains why he believes many of us fundamentally misunderstand the problem of gun violence and how behavioral economics reveals some potential solutions.
Jens's new book detailing his research into gun violence is called "Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence".
Related episodes:
Can credit card codes help address gun violence?
The money going into and out of gun stocks
Guns and The Trump Slump
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Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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Jens's new book detailing his research into gun violence is called "Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence".
Related episodes:
Can credit card codes help address gun violence?
The money going into and out of gun stocks
Guns and The Trump Slump
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Short Wave - How Baby Bats Learn To Eavesdrop On Dinner
Most bats use echolocation to navigate and hunt, but some use their ears for another trick: eavesdropping.
"And then these frog-eating bats, for example, they are actually listening in on the mating calls of frogs that are much, much lower in frequency," says behavioral ecologist Rachel Page.
But how the bats knew this eavesdropping trick was a mystery. So she set up and experiment with baby bats and a speaker.
Have a question about the animals all around us? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!
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"And then these frog-eating bats, for example, they are actually listening in on the mating calls of frogs that are much, much lower in frequency," says behavioral ecologist Rachel Page.
But how the bats knew this eavesdropping trick was a mystery. So she set up and experiment with baby bats and a speaker.
Have a question about the animals all around us? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!
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.
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1A - Going Electric: A Closer Look At EV Infrastructure
We're talking all about electric vehicles.
The month of May was made for racing. From the Kentucky Derby to the Indy 500. And now, there's a new sound getting louder.
Prime Video is offering a look into the fast lane of Formula E racing with the recently-released show Formula E: Driver. The series follows the lives, and the close calls of four Formula E drivers, including Andretti Racing's 2023 Formula E World Champion, Jake Dennis.
And later, new polling from Gallup suggests fewer Americans are interested in EVs now than two years ago. In 2023, 59% of those polled were open to buying an EV. That's now dropped to 51%.
Still, EV sales continue to rise. And that's despite the Trump administration's tariffs and potential repeal of EV tax credits. The administration also halted a program aiming to build a network of EV chargers. But some states are suing to restore the funding.
We discuss the future of EVs in America.
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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The month of May was made for racing. From the Kentucky Derby to the Indy 500. And now, there's a new sound getting louder.
Prime Video is offering a look into the fast lane of Formula E racing with the recently-released show Formula E: Driver. The series follows the lives, and the close calls of four Formula E drivers, including Andretti Racing's 2023 Formula E World Champion, Jake Dennis.
And later, new polling from Gallup suggests fewer Americans are interested in EVs now than two years ago. In 2023, 59% of those polled were open to buying an EV. That's now dropped to 51%.
Still, EV sales continue to rise. And that's despite the Trump administration's tariffs and potential repeal of EV tax credits. The administration also halted a program aiming to build a network of EV chargers. But some states are suing to restore the funding.
We discuss the future of EVs in America.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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State of the World from NPR - President Trump’s Trip to the Middle East
President Trump's first major overseas trip of his second term is to the same place as his first term, the Middle East. Trump is visiting the Gulf States of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. And he is scheduled to meet with Syria's new president for the first time. We'll hear about the significance of that meeting and the deals between the U.S. and Gulf countries being announced. We'll also hear about the personal relationships and family business deals Trump has with various Gulf Arab rulers.
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Consider This from NPR - Poland’s plan to resist a Russian attack
As a neighbor of Ukraine's and host to more than 2 million of its war refugees, Poland has seen, heard and felt what Russia is capable of, and it's now preparing for the worst. This year, Poland will spend nearly 5% of its GDP on defense, more than any other NATO member, including the U.S.
NPR's Rob Schmitz reports on the country's plan to train every adult in Poland for war.
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NPR's Rob Schmitz reports on the country's plan to train every adult in Poland for war.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
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