Consider This from NPR - Social Media Misinformation Stokes A Worsening Civil War In Ethiopia

Hate and division on Facebook are not just a problem in the U.S. That's one of the messages whistleblower Frances Haugen took to Congress last week, where she accused Facebook's algorithms of quote, "literally fanning ethnic violence in Ethiopia," a country that's endured nearly a year of civil war.

Freelance reporter Zecharias Zelalem has been keeping track of how inflammatory posts on Facebook have led to attacks in the real world.

And NPR's East Africa Correspondent Eyder Peralta describes what Ethiopia looks like from the ground as he moves closer toward the conflict.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

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Short Wave - White scholars can complicate research into health disparities

The COVID-19 has exposed longstanding and massive health disparities in the U.S., resulting in people of color dying at disproportionately higher rates than other races in this country. Today on the show, guest host Maria Godoy talks with Usha Lee McFarling about her reporting — how new funding and interest has led to increased attention to the topic of disparities in health care and health outcomes, but also left out or pushed aside some researchers in the field — many of them researchers of color.

You can follow Maria on Twitter @MGodoyH. Email ShortWave@NPR.org.

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NPR's Book of the Day - Humor, horror and social commentary blend in Percival Everett’s detective novel

Percival Everett's page-turning new detective novel The Trees is at once gruesome and screamingly funny. A racial allegory rooted in southern history, the book features two big-city special detectives with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation who are sent to investigate a small-town crime. The murders are hideous in detail, the language is rough, there are racial epithets of all kinds, and somehow the politically incendiary humor is real. Everett talks with NPR's Scott Simon about how — and why — he blended these styles.

Consider This from NPR - Is China A Threat Or An Opportunity?

In many parts of the U.S., China remains a huge business opportunity despite recent friction. That's the country where Apple makes its phones and Nike stitches its shoes. Yet inside the Washington Beltway, China is a security threat. Full stop. It's one of the few things Democrats, Republicans and most everyone else in the capital agree on.

NPR correspondents Greg Myre and John Ruwitch report on this gap between how China is viewed in Washington policy circles and how many outside the proverbial beltway think about the country.

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NPR's Book of the Day - What Maggie Nelson Means When She Talks About Freedom

Since her childhood in 1970s San Francisco, critic and poet Maggie Nelson has been mulling the concept of freedom — particularly how we define, practice and experience it. She sat down with NPR's Ari Shapiro to talk about four areas in life — art, sex, addiction and climate change — and how we talk about freedom in regard to our collective wellbeing and individual rights.

Short Wave - Cockroaches are cool!

Cockroaches - do they get a bad rap? Producer Thomas Lu teams up with self-proclaimed lesbian cockroach defender Perry Beasley-Hall to convince producer/guest host Rebecca Ramirez that indeed they are under-rated. These critters could number up to 10,000 species, but only about 30 are pesky to humans and some are beautiful! And complicated! And maybe even clean.

What insect do you think gets a bad rap? Write us at ShortWave@NPR.org. You can follow Thomas on Twitter @ThomasUyLu and Rebecca @RebeccalRamirez.

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Consider This from NPR - Native Americans Take Over The Writers’ Room and Tell Their Own Stories

After decades of Indigenous stories told by non-Natives, two shows from this past year signal a change.

Reservation Dogs from FX on Hulu was created by and stars Native people. It follows four Indigenous teenagers growing up on a reservation in rural Oklahoma, with dreams of adventuring to California. Vincent Schilling, a Native journalist and critic for Rotten Tomatoes, calls Reservation Dogs 'a show about Native American resilience.'

Rutherford Falls is a sitcom on NBC's streaming platform, Peacock, which follows a conflict over a historical statue in a small town. When the show was co-created by Sierra Teller Ornelas, she became the first Native American showrunner of television comedy. Teller Ornelas told Audie Cornish this year: "There are five Native writers on staff. We had a Native director for four of the episodes, and this is really a reflection of our shared experience as Native people from nations all over the country."

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NPR's Book of the Day - Myriam J.A. Chancy’s historical novel about a Haitian earthquake hits on human truths

Back in August, Myriam J.A. Chancy was preparing for the release of her novel What Storm, What Thunder when the news broke: a magnitude 7.2 earthquake had hit Haiti. It was a "chilling and bittersweet" moment, she says; her soon-to-be-published book revolved around the 2010 earthquake that devastated the country, and its aftermath. In this episode, she talks to NPR's Scott Simon about the eerie similarities between the two quakes, how her characters speak to how international relief efforts have historically failed Haiti, and what the world can learn from the country's rebuilding efforts.

Consider This from NPR - BONUS: Janet Jackson Once Had ‘Control’ of the Charts

Thirty-five years ago, Janet Jackson released an album that changed the course of her career, and of pop music. Control took over radio, reinvented the playbook for Black artists crossing over into pop and ushered in a whole new sound for R&B.

But after the wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, Janet's reputation took a hit, and she's yet to receive the flowers she deserves.

In this episode of NPR's It's Been A Minute, host Sam Sanders wants to set the record straight.

Listen to It's Been A Minute on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or NPR One.

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Consider This from NPR - R. Kelly, Britney Spears, And The Rise Of ‘Consequence Culture’

Last month, R&B singer R. Kelly was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. Days later, a judge suspended Jamie Spears as the conservator of his daughter Britney Spears' estate. While these cases are completely unrelated, they do have one crucial thing in common: a massive online following, and an ecosystem of think pieces and documentaries that fuel conversation online.

NPR's TV critic Eric Deggans discusses the role documentary series have played in cases like R. Kelly's and Britney Spears. He says it's part of a larger movement that some are calling "consequence culture."

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

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