Measles is an extremely contagious disease. It's also extremely preventable. There's a vaccine. It's highly effective.
For decades it has made measles outbreaks in the U.S. relatively rare, and measles deaths rarer still. But the U.S. has now seen more than 700 measles cases this year, and 3 deaths so far with active outbreaks across six states.
The federal response is under scrutiny because Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has made a career spreading false information about vaccines.
What are this administration's views on vaccines, and what do they mean for what is already one of the worst U.S. measles outbreaks this century.
Kennedy publicly promised he would support vaccines. Dr. Peter Marks, who was forced out as the nation's top vaccine regulator says his department isn't doing enough.
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State of the World from NPR - Big Changes at the U.S. State Department
The Trump administration is undertaking shifts in U.S. foreign policy and that has meant big shifts at the State Department, which is in charge of that policy. The changes have veteran diplomats worried.
And the gutted aid agency USAID has been absorbed into the State Department. We'll see what the loss of USAID funding has meant for the search for truth about Syria's civil war.
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And the gutted aid agency USAID has been absorbed into the State Department. We'll see what the loss of USAID funding has meant for the search for truth about Syria's civil war.
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Up First from NPR - China Tariffs, El Salvador President In DC, Meta Antitrust Trial
China calls new U.S. tariff exemptions a "small step", but urges President Trump to heed rational voices and abolish all reciprocal tariffs, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele visits Washington to meet President Trump and discuss El Salvador's role in locking up deportees, and Meta's antitrust case begins.
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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Ryland Barton, Tara Neil, Brett Neely, Mohammad ElBardicy and Janaya Williams.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Adam Bearne, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent. And our technical director is David Greenburg.
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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, Tara Neil, Brett Neely, Mohammad ElBardicy and Janaya Williams.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Adam Bearne, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent. And our technical director is David Greenburg.
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NPR's Book of the Day - An obituary writer makes a grave error in John Kenney’s ‘I See You’ve Called in Dead’
John Kenney's I See You've Called in Dead is about an obituary writer named Bud Stanely. One late night after a particularly bad date and too many glasses of Scotch, Bud drunkenly writes his own remembrance – and hits publish. The newspaper where he works wants to fire him, but can't legally terminate a dead person. But the error sets off a change in Bud's life as he begins to attend the funerals of strangers. In today's episode, Kenney joins NPR's Scott Simon for a conversation about the college journalism assignment that sparked the idea for the novel, the author's experience of male friendship, and a nugget of dark humor from Kenney's late brother.
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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 - How much is a weather forecast worth? (Update)
The federal government has been tracking the weather for more than 150 years. But the rise of the Internet and big tech have made weather forecasting a more crowded space. Today on the show, the value of an accurate forecast and how the Trump administration's early moves are clouding the government's future forecasting. This piece originally aired in November 2024.
Related stories:
Hazard maps: The curse of knowledge (Apple / Spotify)
Should we invest more in weather forecasting?
After a year of deadly weather, cities look to private forecasters to save lives
Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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Related stories:
Hazard maps: The curse of knowledge (Apple / Spotify)
Should we invest more in weather forecasting?
After a year of deadly weather, cities look to private forecasters to save lives
Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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 - All Hail The Butt Flicker
Did you know there's an insect that can fling its pee 40 times faster than a cheetah accelerates? We did — thanks to a comic from the Bhamla Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Since 2020, principal investigator Saad Bhamla has been leading the charge to make science more accessible by publishing comics alongside every paper his lab publishes. Today, he introduces Emily to two of the most popular characters — Sheriff Sharpshooter and Captain Cicada — and shares why a comic about butt-flicking insects is a valuable way to take science beyond the lab.
Want to hear more about nature's superpowers? Send us an email at shortwave@npr.org.
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Want to hear more about nature's superpowers? Send us an email 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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Consider This from NPR - Why one deportation case has legal scholars afraid for even U.S. citizens
The Trump administration admitted that it wrongfully deported a man named Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
It had also been arguing that courts cannot compel the U.S. government to return him to this country.
The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously determined the government must "facilitate" his release from the El Salvador prison where he is being held, but the Department of Justice has so far only confirmed his presence at that prison.
If he is not returned to this country to face due process, people following this case point out a troubling implication: The government could potentially send anyone to a foreign prison – regardless of citizenship – with no legal recourse.
Harvard University emeritus professor of constitutional law Laurence Tribe explains his argument.
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It had also been arguing that courts cannot compel the U.S. government to return him to this country.
The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously determined the government must "facilitate" his release from the El Salvador prison where he is being held, but the Department of Justice has so far only confirmed his presence at that prison.
If he is not returned to this country to face due process, people following this case point out a troubling implication: The government could potentially send anyone to a foreign prison – regardless of citizenship – with no legal recourse.
Harvard University emeritus professor of constitutional law Laurence Tribe explains his argument.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Consider This from NPR - Why one deportation case has legal scholars afraid for even U.S. citizens
The Trump administration admitted that it wrongfully deported a man named Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
It had also been arguing that courts cannot compel the U.S. government to return him to this country.
The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously determined the government must "facilitate" his release from the El Salvador prison where he is being held, but the Department of Justice has so far only confirmed his presence at that prison.
If he is not returned to this country to face due process, people following this case point out a troubling implication: The government could potentially send anyone to a foreign prison – regardless of citizenship – with no legal recourse.
Harvard University emeritus professor of constitutional law Laurence Tribe explains his argument.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
It had also been arguing that courts cannot compel the U.S. government to return him to this country.
The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously determined the government must "facilitate" his release from the El Salvador prison where he is being held, but the Department of Justice has so far only confirmed his presence at that prison.
If he is not returned to this country to face due process, people following this case point out a troubling implication: The government could potentially send anyone to a foreign prison – regardless of citizenship – with no legal recourse.
Harvard University emeritus professor of constitutional law Laurence Tribe explains his argument.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Consider This from NPR - Why one deportation case has legal scholars afraid for even U.S. citizens
The Trump administration admitted that it wrongfully deported a man named Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
It had also been arguing that courts cannot compel the U.S. government to return him to this country.
The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously determined the government must "facilitate" his release from the El Salvador prison where he is being held, but the Department of Justice has so far only confirmed his presence at that prison.
If he is not returned to this country to face due process, people following this case point out a troubling implication: The government could potentially send anyone to a foreign prison – regardless of citizenship – with no legal recourse.
Harvard University emeritus professor of constitutional law Laurence Tribe explains his argument.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
It had also been arguing that courts cannot compel the U.S. government to return him to this country.
The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously determined the government must "facilitate" his release from the El Salvador prison where he is being held, but the Department of Justice has so far only confirmed his presence at that prison.
If he is not returned to this country to face due process, people following this case point out a troubling implication: The government could potentially send anyone to a foreign prison – regardless of citizenship – with no legal recourse.
Harvard University emeritus professor of constitutional law Laurence Tribe explains his argument.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Up First from NPR - The State of Free Speech in America
The first amendment is a cornerstone of American democracy. This week on The Sunday Story, we hear from people who feel their right to free speech might be changing under the Trump Administration. NPR's Morning Edition co-host Leila Fadel joins Ayesha Rascoe to share what she learned when she talked to teachers and students, pastors and scientists, and others about whether they feel emboldened or silenced in America today.
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