Reporter Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi's Aunt Vovi signed up for 23andMe back in 2017, hoping to learn more about the genetic makeup of her ancestors. Vovi was one of over 15 million 23andMe customers who sent their saliva off to be analyzed by the company.
But last month, 23andMe filed for bankruptcy, and it announced it would be selling off that massive genetic database. Today on the show, what might happen to Vovi's genetic data as 23andMe works its way through the bankruptcy process, how the bankruptcy system has treated consumer data privacy in the past, and what this case reveals about the data that all of us willingly hand over to companies every single day.
This episode was produced by Sylvie Douglis and edited by Jess Jiang. It was engineered by Harry Paul and Neal Rauch and fact-checked by Tyler Jones. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
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Music: NPR Source Audio - "Lazybones," "Twirp," and "On Your Marks"
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Consider This from NPR - Federal agencies are reeling from Trump administration cuts to government
Whether a "chainsaw," per Elon Musk, or "scalpel," as President Trump has said — the Trump administration is making deep cuts to the federal government within its first 100 days.
And Trump has appointed personal allies with little experience in government to key cabinet positions.
For the civil servants working to enact the missions of these government agencies, that's often meant another word: "chaos."
NPR correspondents Tom Bowman, Michele Kelemen and Selena Simmons-Duffin recap what they are hearing from federal workers at the Departments of Defense, State, and Health and Human Services.
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And Trump has appointed personal allies with little experience in government to key cabinet positions.
For the civil servants working to enact the missions of these government agencies, that's often meant another word: "chaos."
NPR correspondents Tom Bowman, Michele Kelemen and Selena Simmons-Duffin recap what they are hearing from federal workers at the Departments of Defense, State, and Health and Human Services.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
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Consider This from NPR - Federal agencies are reeling from Trump administration cuts to government
Whether a "chainsaw," per Elon Musk, or "scalpel," as President Trump has said — the Trump administration is making deep cuts to the federal government within its first 100 days.
And Trump has appointed personal allies with little experience in government to key cabinet positions.
For the civil servants working to enact the missions of these government agencies, that's often meant another word: "chaos."
NPR correspondents Tom Bowman, Michele Kelemen and Selena Simmons-Duffin recap what they are hearing from federal workers at the Departments of Defense, State, and Health and Human Services.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
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And Trump has appointed personal allies with little experience in government to key cabinet positions.
For the civil servants working to enact the missions of these government agencies, that's often meant another word: "chaos."
NPR correspondents Tom Bowman, Michele Kelemen and Selena Simmons-Duffin recap what they are hearing from federal workers at the Departments of Defense, State, and Health and Human Services.
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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Consider This from NPR - Federal agencies are reeling from Trump administration cuts to government
Whether a "chainsaw," per Elon Musk, or "scalpel," as President Trump has said — the Trump administration is making deep cuts to the federal government within its first 100 days.
And Trump has appointed personal allies with little experience in government to key cabinet positions.
For the civil servants working to enact the missions of these government agencies, that's often meant another word: "chaos."
NPR correspondents Tom Bowman, Michele Kelemen and Selena Simmons-Duffin recap what they are hearing from federal workers at the Departments of Defense, State, and Health and Human Services.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
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And Trump has appointed personal allies with little experience in government to key cabinet positions.
For the civil servants working to enact the missions of these government agencies, that's often meant another word: "chaos."
NPR correspondents Tom Bowman, Michele Kelemen and Selena Simmons-Duffin recap what they are hearing from federal workers at the Departments of Defense, State, and Health and Human Services.
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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1A - The News Roundup For April 25, 2025
Tributes for the late Pope Francis are pouring in from across the globe after the Pontiff passed away on Easter Monday. His funeral will be held on this weekend.
This week, the president attacked Supreme Court Justices for getting in the way of his administration's efforts to deport migrants, saying that the Court can't afford trials for everyone they're seeking to remove from the U.S.
In health news, scientists say that the measles outbreak in the Southwest is now the largest since 2000.
And at least 26 tourists died this week in an attack in the India-administered Kashmir. The Indian government has not officially identified any group as being behind the attack, but it did announce a flurry of punitive measures against Pakistan which it said supported the attacks. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack and issued countermeasures. It's the deadliest attack of its kind in 25 years.
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This week, the president attacked Supreme Court Justices for getting in the way of his administration's efforts to deport migrants, saying that the Court can't afford trials for everyone they're seeking to remove from the U.S.
In health news, scientists say that the measles outbreak in the Southwest is now the largest since 2000.
And at least 26 tourists died this week in an attack in the India-administered Kashmir. The Indian government has not officially identified any group as being behind the attack, but it did announce a flurry of punitive measures against Pakistan which it said supported the attacks. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack and issued countermeasures. It's the deadliest attack of its kind in 25 years.
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 - A New Mission for Syria’s Famed White Helmets
During Syria's long civil war, the White Helmets were known for running into harms way, rescuing civilians from the aftermath of regime attacks. Now with the regime gone, the famed organization is finding a new mission with new challenges. We go to Damascus to see them in action.
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Up First from NPR - Ukraine-Russia Peace, Noncitizens And Due Process, Khartoum Destroyed
Ukraine says a ceasefire must be in place first before it will accept a peace deal with Russia, President Trump claims it's not possible for all of the people he wants to deport to get a trial, and after two years of brutal fighting, Sudan's once-vibrant capitol city of Khartoum is in ruins.
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 Tara Neill, Anna Yukhananov, Ryland Barton, Janaya Williams and Jan Johnson. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange. And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
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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 Tara Neill, Anna Yukhananov, Ryland Barton, Janaya Williams and Jan Johnson. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange. And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
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NPR's Book of the Day - Zadie Smith looks back at her debut novel ‘White Teeth’ 25 years after its release
Zadie Smith's White Teeth marked its 25th anniversary in January. The now canonical novel tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a shy Englishman named Archie Jones and his friend Samad Iqbal, a devout Bengali Muslim. Both men are trying to pass on their religious and moral beliefs to their children. In today's episode, we revisit a conversation between Smith and NPR's Liane Hansen that aired shortly after White Teeth's release. Then, we'll hear some of Smith's conversation last month on NPR's Wild Card with Rachel Martin in which Smith reflects on the novel's anniversary. The two discuss the author's distance from the person she was when she wrote White Teeth and the novel's place among the canon of books for teenagers.
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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
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Student loans are back, US travel is whack, and, AI, please, step back
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at the some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today's episode, we investigate falling foreign travel to the U.S., why student loan default collections are back, and why maaaaaaaybe being so friendly with our AI chatbot pals has a cost.
Related episodes:
Economists take on student loan forgiveness
Is AI overrated? (Apple / Spotify)
Is AI underrated? (Apple / Spotify)
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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On today's episode, we investigate falling foreign travel to the U.S., why student loan default collections are back, and why maaaaaaaybe being so friendly with our AI chatbot pals has a cost.
Related episodes:
Economists take on student loan forgiveness
Is AI overrated? (Apple / Spotify)
Is AI underrated? (Apple / Spotify)
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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Short Wave - This Telescope Could Find “Planet 9”
Some scientists are convinced that beyond Neptune, there's a planet they've yet to see. This so-called "Planet 9" is so far away, it would be a faint object. The stretch of sky researchers would have to search is huge. But a new astronomical facility on a mountaintop in Chile could help tackle the search. The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has been under construction for years. Now, scientists are finetuning its instruments so the telescope can begin its 10-year mission of taking images of almost the entire southern sky.
Read more of science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce's reporting here.
Want to hear more stories about the mysteries of space? Email us and let us know at shortwave@npr.org.
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Read more of science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce's reporting here.
Want to hear more stories about the mysteries of space? Email us and let us know 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.
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