In today's episode, host Emily Kwong leads us on a night hike in Patuxent River State Park in Maryland. Alongside a group of naturalists led by Serenella Linares, we'll meet a variety of species with unique survival quirks and wintertime adaptations. We'll search out lichen that change color under UV light and flip over a wet log to track a salamander keeping warm under wet leaves. Emily may even meet the bioluminescent mushrooms of her dreams. Plus, we talk about community events to get outside, such as the City Nature Challenge and Great American Campout.Do you have a question about changes in your local environment? Email a recording of your question to shortwave@npr.org — we may investigate it as part of an upcoming Nature Quest segment!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 - Beth Israel Congregation rebuilds after arson, saying “there’s healing that comes”
A week after an arson fire at Mississippi's oldest synagogue, Rachel Myers, a leader of the congregation's religious school, talks about how the congregation is doing and how it will rebuild. It’s not the first time the congregation has been attacked. In the late 1960s, the synagogue and the rabbi’s home were bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in retaliation for the congregation’s work on behalf of civil rights.
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This episode was produced by Avery Keatley and Henry Larson, with additional reporting from Shamira Muhammad of Mississippi Public Broadcasting. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Up First from NPR - Defending the Disabled
L.A. County Public Defender Noah Cox noticed the disturbing trend. Many of his clients seemed to struggle answering even the most basic questions about the crimes they’d been charged with, questions like, “Where were you that day?” It seemed, Cox said, “like they were having troubles related to some sort of intellectual ability.” But when he dug into their records, Cox could see that while many had committed serious crimes, most had never been identified as disabled or offered resources to help with cognitive impairments. So Cox set about to change that. He helped create a new unit in the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office dedicated to representing people with cognitive disorders.
Today on The Sunday Story a look at the possibilities and challenges of helping those with cognitive impairments stay out of prison and get the resources they need to live productive lives.
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Today on The Sunday Story a look at the possibilities and challenges of helping those with cognitive impairments stay out of prison and get the resources they need to live productive lives.
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Up First from NPR - DOJ Targets Minnesota Officials; Hash Ukraine Winter; AI Harmful In Child Education
The Justice Department has launched an investigation into Minnesota's Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, alleging that they conspired to impede the work of ICE agents. Plus, an especially harsh winter hits Ukraine, where Russian strikes have taken out power plants, leaving many without heat and electricity. And, a new study finds that the use of generative AI is harmful to the development of children.
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1A - The News Roundup For January 16, 2026
The Trump administration sent hundreds more ICE agents to Minnesota this week as protests continue. President Donald Trump referred to the demonstrators as “professional agitators” and threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act.
Diplomats from Denmark and Greenland traveled to the White House to meet with Vice President JD Vance after President Trump once again threatened to annex Greenland following major foreign intervention in Venezuela.
Meanwhile, protesters in Iran are attempting to keep up their demonstrations against the country’s theocracy after a week of bloody crackdowns by authorities.
In an interview with Reuters this week, Donald Trump says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the one holding up peace negotiations for the war in Ukraine, not Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Diplomats from Denmark and Greenland traveled to the White House to meet with Vice President JD Vance after President Trump once again threatened to annex Greenland following major foreign intervention in Venezuela.
Meanwhile, protesters in Iran are attempting to keep up their demonstrations against the country’s theocracy after a week of bloody crackdowns by authorities.
In an interview with Reuters this week, Donald Trump says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the one holding up peace negotiations for the war in Ukraine, not Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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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Planet Money - Chevron, Venezuela and the Paradox of Plenty
Venezuela and Chevron have perhaps one of the strangest partnerships … ever? Chevron, one of the world’s most famous and profitable oil corporations, has for decades, been plugging away in Venezuela, one the world’s most famous and infamous socialist countries.
Today on the show, the story of their intertwined histories. Before Saudi Arabia, before Iran… there was Venezuela, the first petrostate. The first country whose entire economy became dependent on oil. With the blessing of oil, an entire economic textbook of complications opened up: from the Dutch Disease, to the resource curse, to mono-economic vulnerability.
And, oddly, along for that ride…Chevron.
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This episode of Planet Money was hosted by Erika Beras and Kenny Malone. It was produced by Luis Gallo with help from Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Marianne McCune, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
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Today on the show, the story of their intertwined histories. Before Saudi Arabia, before Iran… there was Venezuela, the first petrostate. The first country whose entire economy became dependent on oil. With the blessing of oil, an entire economic textbook of complications opened up: from the Dutch Disease, to the resource curse, to mono-economic vulnerability.
And, oddly, along for that ride…Chevron.
Pre-order the Planet Money book and get a free gift. / Subscribe to Planet Money+
Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
This episode of Planet Money was hosted by Erika Beras and Kenny Malone. It was produced by Luis Gallo with help from Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Marianne McCune, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
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State of the World from NPR - What is the path forward for Venezuela?
About two weeks ago, the United States military captured Venezuela’s president, Nicholas Maduro. Since then President Trump has spoken to Venezuela’s interim president, who was a key figure in Maduro’s government, and has welcomed Venezuela’s opposition leader to the White House. We look at what lies in the future for Venezuela and its relationship with the U.S. And the challenges for prosecutors who are seeking to convict Maduro on drug trafficking and other charges in a New York court.
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Consider This from NPR - How the Trump Justice Department is targeting his perceived opponents
Under the Trump administration, federal prosecutors have been sent to investigate federal lawmakers, the chairman of the Federal Reserve and the widow of Renee Macklin Good.
The Department of Justice is once again at the center of the news.
At least five federal lawmakers say they have been contacted for questioning from federal prosecutors. So has the chairman of the Federal Reserve.
And in Minnesota, career federal prosecutors resigned after being asked to investigate not the shooting that killed Renee Macklin Good, but her widow’s potential ties to activist groups.
NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro and NPR justice correspondent Carrie Johnson break down the week in Justice Department news.
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 Megan Lim and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Kelsey Snell, John Ketchum and Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Up First from NPR - Trump and Minnesota, Venezuela’s Opposition, Trump’s Healthcare Plan
Protests intensify in Minneapolis after a second ICE-related shooting, as President Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota.
Venezuela’s top opposition leader brings her Nobel Peace Prize to Washington to press her case with President Trump, even as the U.S. signals support for an interim leader.
And President Trump unveils what he calls a new healthcare plan, leaning on cheaper insurance with limited benefits as Congress debates the future of ACA subsidies.
Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Venezuela’s top opposition leader brings her Nobel Peace Prize to Washington to press her case with President Trump, even as the U.S. signals support for an interim leader.
And President Trump unveils what he calls a new healthcare plan, leaning on cheaper insurance with limited benefits as Congress debates the future of ACA subsidies.
Want more 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 Cheryl Corley, Tara Neill, Diane Webber, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
(0:00) Introduction
(1:57) Trump and Minnesota
(05:29) Venezuela's Opposition
(09:20) Trump's Healthcare Plan
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The Indicator from Planet Money - ICE influencers, a world-record trade surplus, and the moon goes nuclear
Welcome back to Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: Influencers for ICE, China’s tremendous trade surplus, and America heads back to the moon.
Related episodes:
We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators
China's trade war perspective
Who owns the moon?
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 Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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On today’s episode: Influencers for ICE, China’s tremendous trade surplus, and America heads back to the moon.
Related episodes:
We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators
China's trade war perspective
Who owns the moon?
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 Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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