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Short Wave - Could labs replace your natural chocolate?

Chocolate may fill grocery store shelves around the world, but the raw product that powers chocolate is far more selective. The majority of chocolate farms are found in West Africa and South America – just 20 degrees north or south of the equator. Each farm produces chocolate of a different flavor. Some cocoa tastes fruitier; others, more floral. Nutty. Earthy. Spicy. But what drives these different flavor profiles? And can it be recreated in a lab? 

A team led by scientists at the University of Nottingham in the UK sought to find out and published their results in the journal Nature Microbiology this week. 

Curious about other ways science intersects with food? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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1A - Artificial Intelligence And Emotional Intimacy

ChatGPT has at least 500 million weekly users. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says that number is growing extraordinarily fast.When the chatbot went through an update a couple weeks ago, it brought to light how many users were relying on AI for their emotional wellbeing and even as a companion.People using AI for intimate, personal reasons is a phenomenon that we are only beginning to understand. There are reports of AI inducing delusional thinking and even psychosis. One survey by Sentio University found that 63 percent of people involved said AI improved their mental health.With such a powerful tool being privy to our deepest secrets, what guardrails exist to protect users’ wellbeing and privacy? And why are so many people leaning on artificial intelligence for connection in the first place?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 - It’s not your imagination. Hurricanes are getting more severe.

In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, leaving more than 1300 people dead and becoming the most expensive hurricane in history with overall economic losses estimated at $125 billion. 

It was also a harbinger of what would happen to hurricanes in the years to follow, as climate change would make them an increasingly powerful and a regular threat.

NPR Alejandra Borunda explains how the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina spurred a better understanding of these intensifying storms and a improved storm preparedness.

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  Michael Levitt. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Patrick Jarenwattananon and Sadie Babits. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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State of the World from NPR - Protester Arrests in the UK; Garden Surprises in Mexico City

After banning a pro-Palestinian protest group and labeling members terrorists, the UK has been arresting hundreds of protesters at weekly rallies, mostly elderly people. Critics say it endangers freedom of speech and assembly.

And Mexico City is not known for its tropical fruits. But climate change is causing some surprising things to grow in local gardens.

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Up First from NPR - Israel Calls Reservists, NATO & Ukraine, Hurricane Erin

Israel plans to call up 60,000 reservists for a new Gaza City offensive, even as Hamas says it has accepted a ceasefire deal. 
U.S. and European officials are drafting security guarantees for Ukraine.
And Hurricane Erin is flooding North Carolina's Outer Banks and forcing evacuations as it tracks up the East Coast.

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, Andrew Sussman, Susanna Capelouto, Adriana Gallardo and Mohamad ElBardicy.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Destinee Adams, and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange. 

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The Indicator from Planet Money - What happens when railroads get hitched

Two freight-rail giants could make history if their $85 billion merger gets approved. Union Pacific’s proposed marriage with Norfolk Southern would create the first coast-to-coast rail network. So why hasn’t it happened before now? Today on the show, the business of train mergers.  

Related episodes: 
How Yellow wound up in the red 

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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NPR's Book of the Day - ‘Atlantic’ writer James Parker says his odes are exercises in gratitude and attention

James Parker finds inspiration for odes in small and large things: history, America, brain farts, his flip phone, Pablo Neruda, meditation. The Atlantic staff writer’s book Get Me Through the Next Five Minutes spans these subjects and more. In today’s episode, Parker joins Here & Now’s Anthony Brooks for a conversation that touches on the subjects he’s found difficult to write odes to, the origins of ode, and what it means to stay ode-ready.


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1A - The new reality for student loan borrowers

Nearly 43 million Americans have federal student loan debt. Their borrowing totals more than $1.8 trillion. That’s according to the Education Data Initiative.

Now, the federal student loan system is facing significant changes under the Trump administration.

One of the biggest differences is the end of the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE plan, started by President Joe Biden. The income-driven program offers low monthly payments and an expedited path to loan forgiveness. 

Republicans challenged the plan in court where it’s still tied up, leaving the 7.7 million enrollees in limbo.

How is the Trump administration overhauling the federal student loan system? And what does this mean for the tens of millions of current and future borrowers?

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 - What’s Trump doing in DC?

President Trump says the administration’s takeover of DC is making life safer. But many of the city’s residents and business owners are questioning the administration’s moves?  So what exactly is the goal of the federal takeover in DC?
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 and Megan Lim, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Courtney Dorning.


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State of the World from NPR - The “White Walkers” of Gaza

In the Gaza Strip thousands of exhausted, hungry people seek meager food at a distribution site in the north. Those lucky enough to get one of the sacks of white flour given out are called “white walkers”, a reference to zombie-like characters in the television show "Game of Thrones". But many leave empty-handed and simply seeking the food aid is dangerous and often deadly. We go to one of these sites to see the dangers hungry Palestinians will face in search of food.

You can see a short video version of this report here.

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