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Short Wave - Will Federal Budget Cuts Affect Space Science?

Earlier this year, the White House proposed a nearly 24% cut to NASA's 2026 fiscal year budget — the largest in the agency's history. The trims are largely aimed at the NASA's fundamental science research and would halt science that has already been partially paid for, like the Mars sample return and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Many scientists and policy experts are also worried that the reduced funding would cause a scientific brain drain. But within the last month, Congress has started to discuss appropriations packages that may not severely contract the budget after all. So, in this episode, Regina reports on the important hypotheticals: What programs might be affected? Are these cuts likely to happen? If so, when?

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NPR's Book of the Day - In her new memoir, Hala Alyan searches for home amid a family history of exile

Palestinian American writer Hala Alyan has a personal history of exile. Over the years, the author and her relatives have been displaced from their homes in Gaza, Kuwait, and Lebanon – and she says it's difficult to fully separate herself from these places. In today's episode, she speaks with NPR's Leila Fadel about her new memoir I'll Tell You When I'm Home, which contends with themes including exile, infertility, surrogacy, and motherhood.

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Consider This from NPR - Is Emil Bove the face of a new MAGA judiciary?

President Trump helped reshape the federal courts during his first term in office. And he relied heavily on the Federalist Society in that effort, which helped him zero in on judges with a conservative, originalist interpretation of the constitution.

Now the nominations machinery is restarting, and Trump's most controversial judicial nominee is only one step away from the federal bench.

His name is Emil Bove.

During his first term, Trump appointed scores of originalists to the federal bench– a victory for the conservative legal movement.

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1A - ‘If You Can Keep It’: The Layoffs At The Departments Of State And Education

This month, two Supreme Court decisions allowed the Trump administration to move forward with significant federal layoffs, including many at the Departments of Education and State.

The State Department laid off senior intelligence analysts specializing in Russia and Ukraine, right as the U.S. ramps up its maneuvering to encourage Vladimir Putin to agree to a peace deal.

And at the Department of Education, the Federal Student Aid office, responsible for administering student loans and Pell Grants, lost hundreds of people.

We break down both situations.

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NPR's Book of the Day - Aisling Rawle’s ‘The Compound’ follows characters on a semi-dystopian reality TV show

Aisling Rawle's The Compound explores reality television as a kind of dystopia. In the novel, a group of men and women live on a compound in the middle of a desert, where they participate in house competitions and vie for personal awards. In today's episode, Rawle joins NPR's Pien Huang for a conversation that touches on binge-watching Love Island as research, how the author came up with The Compound's rules and rewards, and how her characters perceive their own desirability.

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Up First from NPR - Gaza Aid Violence, Harvard On Trial, Congress Redistricting

Many Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military fire as they try to get food aid, the Trump administration is in court pushing Harvard University to comply with its demands, and lawmakers in Texas are heading into a special session to try to redraw voting districts for Congress.

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 Hannah Bloch, Steve Drummond, Ben Swasey, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

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The Indicator from Planet Money - Your tinned fish obsession is helping resurrect a lost industry

Once upon a time, the states had a thriving tinned fish market. Like a lot of U.S. manufacturing though, that's been lost. But sardines are having a moment right now and that may help a growing effort to resurrect this lost industry.

Related episodes:
Why do shrimpers like tariffs (Apple / Spotify)
When a staple becomes a luxury (Apple / Spotify)
We're gonna need a bigger boat-building industry (Apple / Spotify)

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

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Short Wave - Sea Camp: Is Better Human Health Hidden In The Sea?

For this week's Sea Camp, we're diving below the ocean's surface to explore the sunlight zone, the portion of ocean that's 0-200 meters deep. Here, we zoom in on some spineless inhabitants envied for their "superpowers." Marine biologist Drew Harvell tells us about stealthy sea slugs, sea stars with super strength and life-saving sponges.

Also, exciting news!! WE HAVE A NEWSLETTER! It lets you go even deeper with the marine research each week of Sea Camp. Sign up here!

Want to hear more stories about underwater marvels? Email us and let us know at shortwave@npr.org.

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