NPR's Book of the Day - In her new memoir, Jeannie Vanasco gets ‘A Silent Treatment’ from her mom

Jeannie Vanasco’s memoir A Silent Treatment is about the period her mother spent living in the basement apartment of Vanasco’s home. Sometimes, Vanasco’s mother would stop communicating altogether. The silent treatment could last a few days – but once, it lasted six months. In today’s episode, the author speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about how she came to understand her mother’s retreat.


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Short Wave - Why Legal Weed Isn’t Always Safe

Marijuana is decriminalized or legal in some form in multiple states. But, because it’s illegal on the federal level, states have had to build their own regulatory infrastructure. Without a centralized body to guide them, regulations in one state can look vastly different from those in another. For more on the scope of the issue, Short Wave host Regina G. Barber talks to independent science journalist Teresa Carr and NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent Sydney Lupkin
Read more of Teresa’s reporting on state marijuana testing, and more of Sydney’s reporting on the ways California is trying to make weed safer.

Interested in hearing more science behind consumer products? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org – we may feature it on an upcoming episode!

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The Indicator from Planet Money - Why do we live in unusually innovative times?

For most of human history, economic growth was, well, pretty bleak. But around the Enlightenment, things started clicking. This year's Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences went to a trio of researchers whose work focuses on how technological progress led to this sustained economic growth. Today we hear from one of them, Joel Mokyr, about his work on European economic history. 

Related episodes: 
Why are some nations richer? (2024 Economics Nobel) 
A conversation with Nobel laureate Claudia Goldin (2023 Economics Nobel)
When Luddites attack (Update) (Featuring Joel Mokyr) 

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Consider This from NPR - Justice Anthony Kennedy’s book is not boring

As a justice on the Supreme Court, Anthony Kennedy wrote some big opinions.

He was appointed by President Reagan, and most often voted with conservatives.

But his vote was often pivotal in controversial cases about hot-button issues like same-sex marriage and abortion, and in several key instances he voted with the court's liberals.

In a new memoir, he opens up about his time on the court -- and he tells NPR's Nina Totenberg he is concerned about bitter partisanship today.

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Brianna Scott and Connor Donevan with audio engineering from David Greenburg. It was edited by Anna Yukhananov and Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.


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1A - ‘If You Can Keep It’: The ICE Crackdowns in Chicago and Portland

President Donald Trump promised to crackdown on immigration in Democratic-led cities using aggressive tactics like detaining people based on their race and deploying the National Guard to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

He deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. this summer. He launched an ICE operation in Boston.

Now, he’s escalating his crackdowns in Chicago and Portland.ICE has made more than 1,000 arrests in Chicago according to the Department of Homeland Security since it began what it’s calling “Operation Midway Blitz” last month.

Nearly half of the FBI agents working in major U.S. offices have been reassigned to immigration enforcement, according to newly released bureau data. What does this radical shift in law enforcement priorities mean for the cities at the center of the president’s crackdown — and for the country more broadly?

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State of the World from NPR - The Ambitious Effort to Save New Zealand’s Iconic Bird

The kiwi, an adorable flightless bird from New Zealand, is disappearing, largely because of invasive species brought to the country’s islands by humans. So New Zealand has set a goal of exterminating rats, possums and other invasive animals that threaten the country’s biodiversity.  

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Up First from NPR - Hostages Released, Trump In The Middle East, Shutdown Layoffs

Phase one of the Gaza ceasefire is underway as Hamas releases Israeli hostages and thousands of Palestinians held by Israel are being reunited with their families. President Trump addresses Israel's parliament ahead of his trip to Egypt to sign the deal he brokered. And the government shutdown enters its second week, with multiple agencies sending layoff notices and growing pressure on the military payroll.

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 Kate Bartlett, Vincent Ni, Jason Breslow, Mohamad ElBardicy and Martha Ann Overland.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas

We get engineering support from David Greenburg. And our technical director is Zac Coleman.

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NPR's Book of the Day - ‘Pick a Color’ is a novel that takes place over a single day at a nail salon

Ning is the manager of a nail salon where all of the workers wear a nametag with the same name – Susan. Pick A Color takes place over a single day at the salon and it’s the first novel by Souvankham Thammavongsa. In today’s episode, the poet and short story writer speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about Ning’s background as a prizefighter, what Thammavongsa has observed as a salon customer, and the author’s distinction between knowledge and intelligence.


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Short Wave - Synthetic Cells: The Next Bioengineering Frontier

There are more human cells in your body than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy! Cells are the fundamental building blocks of life but that doesn’t mean they are simple – biology still doesn’t have a full picture of how exactly a living cell works. Host Regina G. Barber talks with bioengineers Kate Adamala and Drew Endy about why scientists are trying to build a cell from scratch, piece by piece. They dive into what it would look like to be inside of a cell, why scientists are bothering with making a cell from scratch and how engineers are leading the field.


Want more bioengineering stories? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.


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Consider This from NPR - Hostage’s brother-in-law: we haven’t matured enough as a region to coexist peacefully

NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with Moshe Lavi, the brother-in-law of Omri Miran, who has been held hostage by Hamas since October 7, 2023. Lavi explains the challenges ahead for Israelis and Palestinians in healing from the events of the past two years - and whether he thinks the peace brokered by President Trump is sustainable.

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 Erika Ryan, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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