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Consider This from NPR - A vaccine skeptic is leading public health in the US. Today, RFK Jr. faced questions

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a scathing line of questioning from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the Senate on Thursday.

Kennedy is a vaccine skeptic and is using his position as Secretary of Health and Human Services to radically change vaccine policy. 

In recent weeks, there have been a number of public health officials who have resigned or been fired, creating chaos at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies. 

Federal employees are also speaking out, including more than 1,000 former and current HHS employees who penned a letter urging Kennedy to resign. 

Now, some states are taking vaccine policy into their own hands

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink, Marc Rivers, and Manuela Lopez Restrepo, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.

It was edited by Jonaki Mehta, Diane Webber, and Scott Hensley.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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1A - What the 2025 US Open says about the future of tennis

Every August, New York City becomes the headquarters for all things tennis thanks to the U.S. Open.And a lot has happened for the sport in the Big Apple.

This year marks 75 since Althea Gibson broke the tennis color barrier at the tournament.

So, ahead of the finals this weekend, we sit down with a panel of experts to talk about the biggest takeaways from this year’s event and the future of the sport.

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Up First from NPR - RFK Jr. Testifies Before Senate, Fed Confirmation Hearing, Harvard’s Legal Victory

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify in the Senate today following a week of upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Senate committee holds a hearing on President Trump’s nominee to fill a vacant seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. And, a federal judge in Boston has handed Harvard University a win, ruling the Trump administration unlawfully froze billions of dollars in research funds. 

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 Diane Webber, Rafael Nam, Lauren Migaki, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.



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The Indicator from Planet Money - How much is AI actually affecting the workforce?

There’s been a lot of big talk about how artificial intelligence is going to replace white collar workers. But what data do we actually have around AI’s impact on the workforce? Today on the show, we speak to an expert who has measured one aspect of these changes. She tells us how this moment in AI compares to the Industrial Revolution. 

Related episodes: 
AI creates, transforms, and destroys… jobs 
The golden ages of labor and looms 

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. 

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NPR's Book of the Day - In ‘The Sunflower Boys,’ a 12-year-old boy comes of age during war in Ukraine

Artem is a 12-year-old Ukranian boy who likes to spend summer days on his grandfather’s sunflower farm swimming with his younger brother, Yuri. But one night in February 2022, they hear sirens and bomb blasts – and soon, they’re fleeing war. Sam Wachman’s debut novel The Sunflower Boys was inspired by his ancestral ties to Ukraine and his experience volunteering with Ukrainian children. In today’s episode, he joins NPR’s Scott Simon for a conversation about national history, the boys he tutored, and the sense of mission behind his writing.


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Consider This from NPR - Your covid vaccine questions answered

The one thing certain about the COVID vaccine right now is that everything about it is changing.

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the next round of COVID-19 vaccines for the fall season, but it’s significantly changed just WHO can get it.

That move comes amidst a broader effort by the Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to change policy and guidance around many vaccines. 

At this point — we’re guessing you have lots of questions about vaccination in general, but especially around COVID shots.

That’s why we asked our NPR listeners to submit their questions about the FDA’s new COVID vaccine guidance.

UCSF infectious disease doctor Dr. Peter Chin-Hong answers your questions. 

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.

This episode was produced by Brianna Scott. It was edited by Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Consider This from NPR - Here are your COVID vaccine questions answered

The one thing certain about the COVID vaccine right now is that everything about it is changing.

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the next round of COVID-19 vaccines for the fall season, but it significantly changed who can get it.

The move comes amidst a broader effort by the Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to change policy and guidance around many vaccines.

At this point — we’re guessing you have lots of questions about vaccination in general, but especially around COVID shots.

That’s why we asked our NPR listeners to submit their questions about the FDA’s new COVID vaccine guidance.

UCSF infectious disease doctor Dr. Peter Chin-Hong answered your questions.

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.

This episode was produced by Brianna Scott. It was edited by Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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1A - ICYMI: Earthquake Aftershocks Rock Afghanistan

A 6.0 earthquake hit Afghanistan on Sunday night leaving more than 1,400 dead and at least 3,000 injured.

Rescue crews struggled to reach affected villages in remote areas of the country’s Kunar Province as powerful aftershocks continued to rattle the area.

All of this is happening in a country already reeling from deep cuts to aid funding, a struggling economy, and an influx of millions of Afghans forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan.

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1A - ICYMI: A Face-off Ahead Of Another Possible Government Shutdown

Congress returned to the Capitol on Tuesday after their month-long summer break. They’re already in a time crunch.

Lawmakers have around four weeks – or around just 14 legislative days – to pass a spending measure and avoid a government shutdown before Sept. 30.

Tensions between Republicans and Democrats are high. After the passages of President Donald Trump’s spending and rescission bills, Democrats say they are ready for a fight. But the potential for being blamed for a government shutdown also puts them in a tough spot.

On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the ball is in the Democrats’ court, but will Republicans play ball at all?

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