Author: NPR

Posted on

Up First from NPR - Venezuela Escalation, Shutdown Layoffs Paused, Military Pay

President Trump escalates pressure on Venezuela, authorizing covert CIA operations and striking suspected drug boats. A federal judge pauses the Trump administration’s shutdown layoffs, at least for now. And active-duty troops get paid after a last-minute fix, but military families still feel the strain as the shutdown drags on.

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 Dana Farrington, Emily Kopp, Andrew Sussman, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Milton Guevara.

We get engineering support from Zac Coleman. And our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Posted on

The Indicator from Planet Money - OpenAI’s deals are looking a little frothy

There have been many headline-grabbing AI deals recently: Nvidia investing up to $100 billion in OpenAI. OpenAI promising to buy $300 billion worth of computing power from Oracle. Oracle buying tons of chips from Nvidia. 

But … where’s the money coming from? Is all this AI overhype … a bubble? 

On today's show, how money flows in the AI hyperscaling flood. 

Related episodes: 

Is AI overrated? 

Is AI underrated?


The messy human drama behind OpenAI 

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.  

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Posted on

NPR's Book of the Day - ‘I Am You’ fictionalizes the story of a Dutch Golden Age painter and her maid

Dutch Golden Age painter Maria van Oosterwijck and her assistant, Gerta Pieters, lived side by side in 17th century Amsterdam, Pieters having started out as van Oosterwijck’s maid. Victoria Redel’s new historical novel I Am You fictionalizes their story, exploring their personal and working relationships. In today’s episode, Redel tells Here & Now’s Robin Young about expanding on what we know about the women – and whether it’s plausible they were lovers.


To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Posted on

Consider This from NPR - The fighting in Gaza has stopped. But dire conditions persist.

“A New and Beautiful day is rising.” That’s what President Trump told a gathering of world leaders this week.


He was speaking of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas…meant to pave the way to a permanent end to the war that has left much of the Gaza strip in rubble. Now, Trump said, the rebuilding begins. 

There are huge questions about what comes after the ceasefire. Who will govern Gaza? Will Hamas disarm? When will Israeli troops fully withdraw? And before any of that, there’s a more urgent challenge — getting food and medicine to the people in Gaza.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. 

This episode was produced by Erika Ryan and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro and David Greenburg. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. It contains reporting from NPR’s Greg Myre. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Posted on

1A - Why is the Trump administration blowing up Venezuelan boats?

Last month, the Trump administration started blowing up boats off the coast of Venezuela, calling it part of an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. The White House’s so-called “war on cartels” is increasingly centered on Venezuela, not Mexico or Haiti, where most of these organizations actually operate.

The president is linking these cartels to the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The South American strong man has indicated he’s ready to declare a state of emergency in his country if things progress much further.

So, are these actions about drugs, or are they really about regime change?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Posted on

State of the World from NPR - An Adored Grandfather’s Funeral Exposes Painful Realities of a Beloved Country

In a deeply personal postcard from NPR’s Emmanuel Akinwotu, we go the funeral of his venerated grandfather in Nigeria. It was a huge celebration of life, with music and dance. However, the family was confronted with extortion and exploitation at the gravesite. It’s an all too common occurrence, one that amplifies the grief of many Nigerians.  

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Posted on

Planet Money - The year NYC went broke

In 1975, New York City ran out of money. For a decade it had managed to pay for its hundreds of thousands of city employees and robust social services by taking on billions of dollars in debt. But eventually investors were no longer willing to lend the city any more money. New York teetered on the edge of bankruptcy — the city shuttered more than a dozen firehouses, teachers went on strike and garbage piled up in the streets.

Rescuing the city required the cooperation of the state of New York, the banks, the city workers unions, giant property owners and … the White House. But President Gerald Ford was adamantly opposed to bailing out NYC, prompting the famous New York Daily News headline — “Ford to City: Drop Dead.”

On today’s show, the story of a group of private citizens who were deputized by the state of New York to try to save the city’s finances. Led by investment banker Felix Rohatyn, the group had to put together a grand bargain that everyone would be willing to agree to, and to come up with the billions of dollars the city needed to survive.

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.

Today’s episode of Planet Money was hosted by Keith Romer and Nick Fountain. It was produced by James Sneed with help from Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and Julia Ritchey. It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Debbie Daughtry and Cena Loffredo. Our executive producer is Alex Goldmark.

Special Thanks: Denis Coleman, David Schleicher, Liall Clarke, Kevin Hennigan and everyone at Classical King FM in Seattle.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Posted on

Up First from NPR - Gaza Ceasefire Tested, Shutdown Stalemate, SCOTUS Voting Rights

Hamas hands over more bodies of deceased hostages as tensions rise in Gaza over the next phase of the ceasefire deal. The government shutdown stretches into its third week with no negotiations underway, as pressure builds on both parties to break the stalemate. And the Supreme Court takes up a major case on Louisiana’s congressional map that could weaken the Voting Rights Act nationwide.

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 Miguel Macias, Jason Breslow, Anna Yukhananov, Mohamad ElBardicy and Martha Ann Overland.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas

We get engineering support from Carleigh Strange. And our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Posted on

Short Wave - What Happens When You’re Under Anesthesia?

It's World Anesthesia Day tomorrow! So, we invite you to take a deep breathe. Picture a relaxing scene. Maybe a beach in Tahiti, your toes in the sand, a cold drink in hand. Now imagine your favorite music playing in the background. If Dr. Alopi Patel were your anesthesiologist, that's exactly what she'd have you do while you waited for surgery. Before she puts patients under the sway of anesthesia, she likes to explain everything that will happen after they lose consciousness and lead them in guided imagery to help them relax before their procedure. She calls this "verbal anesthesia," and says "it's a type of anesthesia you can't really put in an I.V." Anesthesia is a cornerstone of modern medicine makes tons of surgeries possible today. But Dr. Patel says it wasn't always this way — and shares the history and mechanisms behind this once-controversial procedure. (encore)

Curious about other breakthroughs in the history of science? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!

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.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Posted on

The Indicator from Planet Money - Inside the growing industry to defend schools from mass shootings

From drones to body armor to bulletproof whiteboards, companies are offering schools a multitude of products to try to deter or protect against the next school shooting. But does any of this stuff work? On today’s show, a look inside the school shooting industry. What's for sale and the psychology behind the growing industry.

Related episodes:  
Why are so many public schools closing?  

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.  

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy