In 2003, the U.S. launched a war in Iraq based on what turned out to be bad intelligence about weapons programs, then spent years mired in a conflict with no clear end.
Today, President Trump is threatening to bring the U.S. military into another Middle East conflict. As with Iraq, the justification for a potential attack on Iran is the alleged threat of a nuclear weapon.
We talk to journalist Steve Coll, author of The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq about how this moment echoes the run-up to the war in Iraq and how it differs.
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Up First from NPR - Trump And Iran, Iran’s Nuclear Program, ICE Farm Raids Continue
President Trump has escalated his rhetoric against Iran. Israel and the U.S. intelligence community disagree about whether Iran has suspended its nuclear weapons program or not, and immigration enforcement continues to target work sites in agriculture, construction and hospitality.
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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Dana Farrington, Andrew Sussman, Anna Yukhananov, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Claire Murashima and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
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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 Dana Farrington, Andrew Sussman, Anna Yukhananov, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Claire Murashima and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
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NPR's Book of the Day - Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig reflect on ‘The L Word’ in memoir ‘So Gay For You’
By the early 2000s, only a handful of queer female characters had ever been featured on television. Then, The L Word entered the scene in 2004, exploring lesbian identity, friendship and sex over six seasons and a 2019 reboot. Now, two of The L Word's stars – Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig – are out with a new memoir So Gay For You. In today's episode, the authors talk with NPR's Juana Summers about the way representation of queer characters has changed since the 2000s, the parts of the show that didn't stand the test of time, and their tips for lifelong friendship.
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Why the 30-year bond matters
Last week, the U.S. Treasury held an auction for 30-year bonds. Some were worried no one would show up to buy these things! That didn't happen, but the 'long bond' isn't exactly thriving at the moment. Today on the show, we look back at why we have such a long maturity bond and why it might be a good idea to start paying attention to it going forward.
Related episodes:
Bond market nightmares (Apple / Spotify)
Bond vigilantes. Who they are, what they want, and how you'll know they're coming (Apple / Spotify)
Trying to solve the mystery of big bond yields (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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Related episodes:
Bond market nightmares (Apple / Spotify)
Bond vigilantes. Who they are, what they want, and how you'll know they're coming (Apple / Spotify)
Trying to solve the mystery of big bond yields (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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Short Wave - Why Emotions Run High For Sports Fans
We are in the thick of multiple sports seasons: the NBA finals are happening, and baseball and soccer are in full swing. For devoted fans, emotions can run pretty high during a game. Cognitive anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas has long been fascinated by that intensity — and how uniform it can be across fans. So, he and fellow researchers at the University of Connecticut decided to look into what exactly makes fans so deeply connected to their team and to fellow supporters. It turns out that connection may have less to do with actual gameplay and more to do with rituals. Their research was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Questions about sports science? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
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Questions about sports science? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
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Consider This from NPR - What’s at stake in the conflict between Israel and Iran?
The United States has worked for decades to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon. Now Israel says it is attacking Iran to remove that threat. What are the stakes in this conflict, not only for the two nations directly involved, but for the US and the world?
Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Aaron Stein, the President of the Foreign Policy Research Institute about those stakes and the history of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
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Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Aaron Stein, the President of the Foreign Policy Research Institute about those stakes and the history of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
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1A - ICYMI: Israel, Iran Conflict Shifts Focus
On Monday, the Israeli military struck the headquarters of Iran's state television network. The explosion was caught on video in the middle of a news broadcast. As the conflict enters its fifth day, 224 civilians have been killed in Iran. And in Israel, at least 24 people have been killed according to the prime minister's office.
Meanwhile, Israel's war in Gaza continues. This weekend at least 79 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza strip, many at an aid distribution point operated by the U-S and Israel. The death toll since October 7, 2023 in Gaza has now surpassed 55,000 people.
A French-Saudi summit scheduled to take place this week that was meant to pave the way for wider recognition of a Palestinian state was postponed indefinitely.
We discuss the regional and global implications of conflict between Israel and Iran.
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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Meanwhile, Israel's war in Gaza continues. This weekend at least 79 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza strip, many at an aid distribution point operated by the U-S and Israel. The death toll since October 7, 2023 in Gaza has now surpassed 55,000 people.
A French-Saudi summit scheduled to take place this week that was meant to pave the way for wider recognition of a Palestinian state was postponed indefinitely.
We discuss the regional and global implications of conflict between Israel and Iran.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Up First from NPR - Israel Attacks Iran State TV, Minnesota Suspect Hearing, Purdue Pharma Settlement
Israel has expanded its attacks on targets inside Iran to include the country's state television studios. The suspect accused of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband faces federal and state murder charges, and Purdue Pharma and members of the Sackler family have reached a multibillion dollar settlement with states.
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 Vincent Ni, Cheryl Corley, Andrea DeLeon, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Claire Murashima, and Christopher Thomas.
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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 Vincent Ni, Cheryl Corley, Andrea DeLeon, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Claire Murashima, and Christopher Thomas.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Mixing family business with US trade policy in Vietnam
Last month, Eric Trump, executive vice president at The Trump Organization, attended a ceremony in Vietnam to break ground on a $1.5 billion residential development and golf course. This comes as Vietnam's government is in trade talks with the administration of Eric's father, President Donald Trump.
Today on the show, we look at how the Trump family's business projects in Vietnam are raising red flags when it comes to government ethics.
Related episodes:
How Trump is making coin from $TRUMP coin
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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Today on the show, we look at how the Trump family's business projects in Vietnam are raising red flags when it comes to government ethics.
Related episodes:
How Trump is making coin from $TRUMP coin
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Short Wave - Trump Wants A Missile Defense System Like Israel’s
Since last week, Israel has been attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, along with many other targets around the country. Iran has fired hundreds of missiles in response. NPR correspondent Geoff Brumfiel has been watching all of this very closely because Israel's missile defenses have been a focus of the Trump White House. This year, President Trump requested funding from Congress for a "Golden Dome for America" — a missile defense system that would protect all of the United States. The idea comes from Israel's Iron Dome — a network of interceptor missiles stationed at points across the country. Iron Dome and related Israeli air defenses don't get every missile fired — including some launched in the past few days by Iran — but the Israeli military says it has intercepted thousands of rockets since it was built. Trying to get that kind of protection for America, though, might be a very different matter.
Read more of science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel's reporting on this topic and find NPR's coverage of the Middle East here.
Questions about nuclear science? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
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Read more of science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel's reporting on this topic and find NPR's coverage of the Middle East here.
Questions about nuclear science? Email us 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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