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Short Wave - Lessons Learned From Hindered Contact Tracing Efforts In The U.S.

Early in the pandemic, contact tracing was viewed as one of the best options to quell the spread of coronavirus infections. The idea was to have public health workers track down people who tested positive, figure out whom they'd been in touch with and quickly get those people to quarantine. Places like Hong Kong and Singapore made headlines for their success stories. The U.S. aimed to replicate this, but came up short. Today, health reporter Selena Simmons-Duffin explains what went awry and the lessons learned.

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Consider This from NPR - BONUS: Battle Rattle

Alicia Argelia met Army veteran Matt Lammers when he rolled into the store where she worked. Matt had lost both legs and one arm during a deployment to Iraq. Strangers often approached him to awkwardly thank him for his service or ask him what happened; his physical injuries made him a living reminder of the cost of war. But Alicia was different. She offered friendship without pity, and he was charmed by her from the start.

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Consider This from NPR - What Hollywood Could Learn From The 20-Year Success Of ‘Fast & Furious’

What's behind the 20-year success of the Fast & Furious franchise? Casting, storytelling and reinvention. NPR's Linda Holmes — who wrote an owner's manual to the franchise — explains.

Linda is one of the hosts of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. Find their episode about F9 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Pocket Casts.

F9 premiered overseas last month while waiting for pandemic-shuttered cinemas to open in the U.S., where it's supposed to restart the Hollywood blockbuster. NPR's Bob Mondello has more in his review of the film.

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 - FDA Approves Aducanumab — A Controversial Drug For Alzheimer’s

The FDA has approved a new drug for Alzheimer's. But a lot of experts are skeptical about whether the drug works. Rhitu Chatterjee talks with science correspondent Jon Hamilton about the controversial drug aducanumab and why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it.

For more of Jon's reporting, read "For Those Facing Alzheimer's, A Controversial Drug Offers Hope."

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Consider This from NPR - Not Just Wildfire: The Growing Ripple Effects Of More Extreme Heat And Drought

For the second weekend in a row, parts of the American West will be gripped by historic heat, coming in the second decade of megadrought that has gripped the region for 22 years.

Wildfire is an obvious threat — but there are other consequences of extreme heat and drought, as smaller snowmelts and lower reservoirs lead to water cutbacks and more expensive electricity. And climate change is making it all worse.

Colorado Public Radio's Michael Elizabeth Sakas reports on another consequence: what happens when there isn't enough water to build new homes.

Kristina Dahl, senior climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, explains how extreme heat can affect the human body,

Additional reporting in this episode:

• Jordan Kern spoke to NPR's Scott Detrow about hydropower in the West.
• Michael Elizabeth Sakas reported on western snowmelt.
• NPR's Kirk Siegler reported on record high temperatures.
• NPR's Lauren Sommer reported on dwindling water supplies.
• NPR's Nathan Rott, Luke Runyon of KUNC in Colorado and Annie Ropeik of New Hampshire Public Radio discussed the growing consequences of heat and drought.

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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On Our Watch - The Brady Rule

Fellow officers long suspected a veteran detective in Antioch, Calif., was leaking operational police secrets to a drug dealer. For years, the department didn't act on their concerns. Even after the detective was finally fired in 2017, his record remained secret. In episode six of On Our Watch we look at the incentives departments have to investigate dishonest cops and what the secrecy around police misconduct means for criminal defendants who are prosecuted on their testimony.
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Short Wave - Climate Change Is Threatening The U.S. West’s Water Supply

The past year has been the driest or second driest in most Southwestern U.S. states since record-keeping began in 1895. Climate Correspondent Lauren Sommer reports that farms and cities have begun imposing water restrictions, but the water supply will shrink no matter what the weather brings. The supply spans tens of millions of people and the farmland that produces most of the country's fruits and vegetables. As a result, the people who manage the West's complex water systems are realizing that with climate change, they can no longer rely on the past to predict the future.

Read more of Lauren's reporting.

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Short Wave - Loving Sally Ride

Tam O'Shaughnessy and Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, shared a passion for getting girls involved in STEM. It led them to co-found Sally Ride Science, a company focused on equity and inclusion in science education. But, there was much more to Tam and Sally's relationship. Tam gives us an intimate look at their decades-long partnership: how they met and fell in love, the pressures they faced as a queer couple, and their long-awaited and public coming out with Sally's death in 2012. We want to know which LGBTQ+ scientists have inspired you! Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

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Consider This from NPR - The Unproven Lab Leak Theory Puts Pressure On China — But It May Backfire

From the beginning of the pandemic, the debate about the origins of the coronavirus was immediately politicized by former President Donald Trump. But now international efforts to investigate and find answers have stalled. NPR's Will Stone explains why.

Despite a new focus on the lab leak theory, many scientists still believe the virus emerged naturally, reports NPR's Geoff Brumfiel.

NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik has also reported on the media's coverage of the lab leak theory.

Listen to Fresh Air's interview with Vanity Fair's Katherine Eban on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Pocket Casts. Read Eban's article about the lab leak theory here: The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19's Origins.

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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