In The Widow, his 52nd novel and counting, author John Grisham returns to one of his cherished topics: lawyers. But not the type of lawyer one would hire if they’d like to keep their money safe. Simon Latch is a small town lawyer sick of equally small cases, until he finds himself in charge of drafting a will for an enormously wealthy widow. Will Simon keep her wealth an untouched secret, or attempt to turn a profit for himself? In today’s episode, Grisham talks to NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer about this legal thriller-turned-murder mystery, and the age-old lie that every lawyer tells at least once.
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1A - The Financial Burden Of Caregiving
In-home elder care costs are rising more than three times faster than inflation.
AARP estimates that caregivers in the U.S. spend an average of $7,242 out of pocket each year.
Cuts to federal spending have gutted programs that support them. And amidst the longest government shutdown in history, what little help was left is quickly drying up.
Why is the cost of care going up? What can be done to combat those costs?
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AARP estimates that caregivers in the U.S. spend an average of $7,242 out of pocket each year.
Cuts to federal spending have gutted programs that support them. And amidst the longest government shutdown in history, what little help was left is quickly drying up.
Why is the cost of care going up? What can be done to combat those costs?
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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Consider This from NPR - Democrats have released more Epstein emails. What next?
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released emails to and from Jeffrey Epstein that suggest Donald Trump may have known about Epstein’s sex-abuse operations.
In one, Epstein writes that Trump “knew about the girls.”
The White House has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by Trump or meaningful connection to Epstein’s alleged crimes, and downplayed the new revelations as part of a “fake narrative.”
But House Democrats are pressing for a vote on legislation to release more Epstein documents.
Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democratic member of the Oversight Committee, speaks on the latest developments.
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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Alejandra Marquez Janse. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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State of the World from NPR - A Month into the Ceasefire in Gaza, What’s Next?
It has been a month since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was implemented and despite some violations the shaky truce is holding. Both sides say they’re committed to the deal. We look at how progress towards the next phase in the agreement is proceeding.
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Planet Money - Buy now, pay dearly? (update)
(Note: A version of this episode originally ran in 2022.)
Every time you shop online and make it to the checkout screen, you see those colorful pastel buttons at the bottom. Affirm. Klarna. Afterpay. Asking: Do you want to split your payment into interest-free installments? No credit check needed. Get what you want, right now.
That temptation got shoppers like Amelia Schmarzo into some money trouble. Back in 2022, she maxed out her credit card after a month of buying now and paying later. She’s not alone. Buy now, pay later is everywhere now. And you can finance almost anything with it. Your clothes, your furniture … even your lips.
But if these companies don’t charge interest, how do they make money? In short, people buy more stuff using these services and so sellers are willing to pay up. Which makes buy now, pay later, something of a threat to credit card companies. Cue the tussle for your impulse-buying clicks.
Today on the show, we find out how the companies work, who’s most likely to use these services and who’s getting a good deal. And a warning: those little loans will soon be on your credit report.
Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
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This episode was produced by Emma Peaslee, engineered by Josh Newell and edited by Molly Messick. Our update was reported by Vito Emanuel, produced by Willa Rubin, engineered by Gilly Moon and edited by our executive producer, Alex Goldmark.
Music: Universal Music Production - "Retro Funk," "Comin' Back For More," "Reactive Emotion," and "EAT."
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Up First from NPR - House Shutdown Vote, Aviation Challenges, USS Ford In Caribbean
House Republicans say they have the votes to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, a vote today could send the bill to President Trump’s desk by nightfall. The FAA warns that flight disruptions will continue even after the government reopens, as air traffic controller shortages strain the nation’s aviation system. And the U.S. deploys its largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, escalating tensions with Venezuela.
Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
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 Jason Breslow, Russell Lewis, Andrew Sussman, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Lindsay Totty.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
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Short Wave - The Future Of Immune Health Might Be Here
David Ewing Duncan has spent the last 25 years being poked and prodded in the name of science. He’s signed up for hundreds of tests because, as a journalist, he writes about emerging health breakthroughs. He says one recent test contains more useful data than anything he’s seen to date. He talks to host Emily Kwong about his score on the Immune Health Metric, which was developed by immunologist John Tsang. Together, David and John explain why immune health is so central to overall health and how a simple blood test could one day predict disease before it starts.
Learn more about the Human Immunome Project.
Read David’s full article about his experience with the Immune Health Metric. The piece is a collaboration between MIT Technology Review and Aventine, a non-profit research foundation that creates and supports content about how technology and science are changing the way we live.
Interested in more health science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Trump’s backup options for tariffs
The U.S. Supreme Court may soon rule on President Trump’s favorite tariff law. It could render them moot, but that doesn’t mean the end of tariffs. On today’s show, we explain the president’s back-up options for imposing tariffs.
Related episodes:
Are Trump’s tariffs legal?
Worst. Tariffs. Ever.
Three ways companies are getting around tariffs
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.
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NPR's Book of the Day - In ‘A Guardian and a Thief,’ a mother’s love for her family threatens her own morals
Megha Majumdar’s new novel takes place in a near-future Kolkata struck by climate change. There, one family’s possibility of escape is jeopardized when their passports are stolen. A Guardian and a Thief, a finalist for the 2025 National Book Award, weaves together their plot with the story of their burglar. In a conversation with Here & Now, Majumdar tells Jane Clayson that hope isn’t always noble in situations of crisis.
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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
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State of the World from NPR - The Women Fighting on Ukraine’s Front Lines
An increasing number of women are joining the Ukrainian military, with thousands serving in frontline roles, as Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine nears its fourth year. NPR’s Joanna Kakissis talks to some of these Ukrainian women who are training and fighting to defend their country.
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