Short Wave - FACT SMACK: Bats! They’re Cooler Than Birds

With the help of ecologist Rodrigo Medellín, the "Bat Man of Mexico," Rasha Aridi (former Short Waver) presents the case for why bats are the best and coolest flying creatures out there!

Are you a scientist who thinks Rodrigo is wrong and that the animal you study is superior? Let us know! You can email us at shortwave@npr.org. We'd love to hear the case for your critter.

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Consider This from NPR - BONUS: American Anthem

The Star-Spangled Banner is the official anthem for the United States, but there are plenty of songs that have become informal American anthems for millions of people.

On this episode of NPR's Throughline, we share three stories from NPR Music's American Anthem series, which explored the origins of songs that have become ingrained in American culture.

Throughline is NPR's history podcast. Listen via Apple, Spotify, Google, or Pocket Casts.

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Consider This from NPR - How The Delta Variant Is Changing The Pandemic On A Global Scale

Cases are surging in countries around the world as the more transmissible delta variant spreads rapidly. Also growing: pressure on vaccine-rich countries to help people in countries where vaccines are still scarce.

NPR's Will Stone reports on the waiting game. And Harvard's Junaid Habi argues vaccine hesitancy in America is a peculiar privilege.

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.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.


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Consider This from NPR - What Donald Rumsfeld Left Behind

The former Secretary of Defense was a chief architect of the conflict that came to be known as America's 'forever war.' After his death this week at age 88, that conflict has now officially outlived him.

NPR's Steve Inskeep reports on one group of people still living with the consequences: thousands of Afghans who worked with the U.S. military over the past 20 years. More from that story, which aired on Morning Edition, is here.

Additional reporting in this episode from NPR's Greg Myre.

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.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

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Short Wave - FEMA Has An Equity Problem

When a disaster like a hurricane or wildfire destroys a house, the clock starts ticking. It gets harder for sick people to take their medications, medical devices may stop working without electricity, excessive temperatures, mold, or other factors may threaten someone's health. Every day without stable shelter puts people in danger.

The federal government is supposed to help prevent that cascade of problems, but an NPR investigation finds that the people who need help the most are often less likely to get it. NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher explains.

Check out Rebecca's full investigation here.

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Consider This from NPR - A ‘Pandemic Of Unvaccinated People’ As Delta Variant Spreads Rapidly

Los Angeles County — America's most populous county — recently recommended mask wearing even for vaccinated people, just two weeks after the state relaxed most COVID restrictions. County officials say masks will help protect unvaccinated people from the more transmissible delta variant, which is spreading rapidly across the country.

CDC director Rochelle Walensky tells NPR the federal government may "encourage" states to return to more mitigation measures in places where vaccination is low and the delta variant is driving cases up.

That describes the situation in Missouri. Rebecca Smith with member station KBIA reports from Columbia.

Shalina Chatlani of the Gulf States Newsroom looks at the challenge of getting more people vaccinated in southern states.

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.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

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Short Wave - The Climate Crisis Is A Public Health Crisis

A recent study published in Nature found that 37 percent of heat-related deaths are due to climate change. Dr. Renee Salas is seeing this in the emergency room of Massachusetts General Hospital. She's treating more and more patients for heat-related illnesses like heat stroke and intensified allergies. Today, she gives us a view into her work at the intersection of human health and climate change; plus, she envisions a new health care system that takes climate change into account.

To read more on this, see our episode page for links.

Reach the show by emailing shortwave@npr.org.

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Consider This from NPR - What The Pentagon’s UFO Report Reveals About Aliens — And Ourselves

Late last year the Senate passed a bill that required U.S. intelligence agencies to share what they know about "unidentified aerial phenomena," the technical term for UFOs. That report was released last week. Spoiler alert — it doesn't confirm the existence of alien spacecraft. But it doesn't rule them out either.

Retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Alex Dietrich recounts her first-hand encounter with a UFO off the coast of Southern California. It's one of 144 sightings mentioned in the new unclassified report.

Historian and University of Pennsylvania professor Kate Dorsch explains some of the possible reasons why Americans report more UFO sightings than any other county in the world.

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Short Wave - Organic Chemistry Helped Me Embrace My Identities

As a kid, Ariana Remmel had a hard time figuring out where they fit in. So they found comfort in the certainty and understanding of what the world was made of: atoms and molecules and the periodic table of elements.

Years later, they went on to become a chemist and science writer. On today's show, Ari talks with host Maddie Sofia about how chemistry has helped them embrace their mixed identities.

For more, read Ari's recent essay in Catapult Magazine: 'Organic Chemistry Taught Me to Fully Inhabit My Mixed Identities.'

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