Los Angeles is synonymous with car culture. But now that it's hosting the 2028 Olympics, could that be changing? On today's show, LA's public transit building bonanza, and why some worry the new infrastructure will benefit tourists more than locals.
Related episodes:
Why the Olympics cost so much
Why building public transit in the US costs so much
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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Consider This from NPR - Did Charlie Kirk’s killing shatter Spencer Cox’s vision of politics?
Governor Spencer Cox of Utah, who has been in the national headlines just about every day since Charlie Kirk's killing, has long wanted to bring community harmony to national politics. That outlook comes in part from his upbringing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The governor was a critic of President Trump during Trump’s first term, but later endorsed him after the president survived an assassination attempt. Will Charlie Kirk’s killing change Cox’s approach?
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 Avery Keatley, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Ahmad Damen and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Up First from NPR - Casualties of Trump’s War on Higher Ed
President Trump has a long list of grievances against many U.S. colleges and universities. He’s complained about antisemitism on campuses, of gender- and race-based course offerings, even communist indoctrination. To force change, the government has increasingly used the power of money. It’s withheld billions in research funding and clamped down on international student visas. This week on The Sunday Story, NPR Correspondent Elissa Nadworny explores what the disruption means for the future of higher education in America.
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Consider This from NPR - How to really listen in today’s America
NPR's Don Gonyea reports from across the country, engaging with a wide range of people and in places as distinct and different as political rallies and automotive shops. Gonyea explains the importance of really listening, especially during this time of deep divides in America.
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 Kira Wakeam. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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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 Kira Wakeam. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Up First from NPR - The Week In Politics, The Week In Free Speech, The Week In Vaccines
Congress leaves for recess without an agreement on government funding, making an October shutdown more likely than not. The First Amendment's free speech protections were tested in the courts and on late-night TV. A vaccine advisory panel wrapped up a week of contentious meetings in Atlanta.
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Planet Money - In Gaza, money is falling apart
Israel has been blocking the flow of physical money into Gaza since the start of the war. So whatever paper cash was in Gaza before the war, that’s all that’s been circulating. It’s now falling apart from overuse.
Two best friends, one in Gaza and one in Belgium, are now trying to get money in.
But how do you get money into a bank account in Gaza? And how do you get that money out, in Gaza, when there are no functioning banks or ATMs? And almost no electricity. And spotty internet. And what is there to buy? How does money even work in Gaza right now?
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Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
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This episode was hosted by Sarah Gonzalez. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Marianne McCune, and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. It was engineered by Cena Loffredo, Robert Rodriguez, and James Willetts. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.
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Two best friends, one in Gaza and one in Belgium, are now trying to get money in.
But how do you get money into a bank account in Gaza? And how do you get that money out, in Gaza, when there are no functioning banks or ATMs? And almost no electricity. And spotty internet. And what is there to buy? How does money even work in Gaza right now?
Subscribe to Planet Money+
Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
This episode was hosted by Sarah Gonzalez. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Marianne McCune, and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. It was engineered by Cena Loffredo, Robert Rodriguez, and James Willetts. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.
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1A - The News Roundup For September 9, 2025
In a blow to free speech, TV host Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show was suspended from ABC’s lineup after the comedian made jokes about President Donald Trump’s relationship with the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The 22-year-old suspect in Kirk’s killing was charged on Tuesday in Utah County with aggravated murder. The state is seeking the death penalty.
This week the president announced the National Guard will be deployed to Memphis, Tennessee.
Meanwhile, a United Nations commission concluded that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza against the Palestinian people.
The UK rolled out the red carpet for President Trump during his visit with the royal family and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In a press conference at the conclusion of the trip Trump said the two governments were making ties “closer than ever before.”
Following recent Russian drone incursions in its own airspace, Poland suggests the European Union should set up a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
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The 22-year-old suspect in Kirk’s killing was charged on Tuesday in Utah County with aggravated murder. The state is seeking the death penalty.
This week the president announced the National Guard will be deployed to Memphis, Tennessee.
Meanwhile, a United Nations commission concluded that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza against the Palestinian people.
The UK rolled out the red carpet for President Trump during his visit with the royal family and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In a press conference at the conclusion of the trip Trump said the two governments were making ties “closer than ever before.”
Following recent Russian drone incursions in its own airspace, Poland suggests the European Union should set up a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
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Consider This from NPR - Trump used the military to target a Venezuelan vessel. Is it legal?
A 30 second video clip shows a boat bobbing in the water.
Then, a fireball and a huge plume of smoke.
President Trump posted the footage on social media this week, saying he ordered the U-S military to attack what Trump called “narcoterrorists from Venezuela.”
It’s at least the second time this month that President Trump has ordered this sort of a deadly strike on a boat that he claims carried illegal drugs.
It's an example of the new ways Trump is deploying military force. The President has used the National Guard in American cities.
Do the strikes on Venezuelan vessels signal a new way of using the military abroad, and is it legal?
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State of the World from NPR - Global Ripples as U.S. Tariffs Hit a Small Creature: the Shrimp
U.S. import tariffs have had a noticeable impact on the shrimp industry in India, which until recently was a success story. Our correspondent goes to a coastal Indian town to see how those who depend on shrimp exports for their livelihood are coping. And she learns about the broader effects low shrimp prices in the U.S. have had across the world.
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Short Wave - Untangling The Science of Octopus Arms
Octopuses and their arms are a bit of a mystery. Not because scientists don’t know how they work; they’re boneless hydrostats, made up of groups of muscles working together and capable of bending, twisting, elongating or shortening — like a frog’s tongue, or an elephant’s trunk. But because scientists are still figuring out how most octopuses use those arms in the wild.
Scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole and the marine lab at Florida Atlantic University wanted to answer that question. By analyzing videos taken in the wild, they found that octopuses seemed to prefer doing certain tasks with certain arms… and that the majority of the time, they used their front arms to explore and their back arms to get around. Researchers on the project hope that furthering our understanding of octopus behavior and movement will be useful for developing things like soft robotics.
Interested in more science discoveries? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
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Scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole and the marine lab at Florida Atlantic University wanted to answer that question. By analyzing videos taken in the wild, they found that octopuses seemed to prefer doing certain tasks with certain arms… and that the majority of the time, they used their front arms to explore and their back arms to get around. Researchers on the project hope that furthering our understanding of octopus behavior and movement will be useful for developing things like soft robotics.
Interested in more science discoveries? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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