NPR's Book of the Day - ‘Paper Girl’ and ‘Joyride’ are memoirs by journalists who get close to their subjects

Today’s episode features new memoirs by journalists who aren’t afraid to connect deeply with their subjects. First, in Paper Girl, Beth Macy travels back to her hometown, Urbana, Ohio. In today’s episode, she tells NPR’s Ailsa Chang about the socioeconomic and cultural changes she found there. Then, Susan Orlean is known for going deep on niche subjects, like orchid enthusiasts or umbrella inventors. In today’s episode, she talks with NPR’s Scott Simon about her memoir Joyride and how she came across her best-known stories.


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The Indicator from Planet Money - Amazon’s outage, anxious retirees, and LA brings the Heat, too

It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today’s episode: the Amazon global internet outage, Americans plan to siphon their Social Security checks early, and Mann, we love some Heat 2. 

Related episodes:


 What does the next era of Social Security look like?

 Why aren't filmmakers shooting in LA? 

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 Julia Ritchey Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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Short Wave - Parasites Have Haunted Us For Millions Of Years

Parasites have roamed the Earth for a long time. They were here before the dinosaurs: The oldest fossils are more than 500 million years old. Today on the show, Regina G. Barber speaks with paleontologists Karma Nanglu and Danielle de Carle about a mysterious fossil called the “Riddler,” and the oldest-ever leech fossil. They share stories of the enduring power of parasitism through the ages and why the clues to prehistoric mysteries may be tucked in a basement.


Interested in more science behind rare fossils? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.


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Consider This from NPR - Was this NBA betting scandal inevitable?

The FBI arrested multiple people tied to the NBA in a wide-ranging illegal gambling probe. The NBA and other major sports leagues have been deepening ties with the lucrative sports-betting industry. 


Washington Post sports columnist Kevin Blackistone explains the implications of this scandal on the NBA and sports betting in general. 

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Michael Levitt and Daniel Ofman. Additional reporting in this episode from Becky Sullivan.

It was edited by Russell Lewis, Justine Kenin and our executive producer Sami Yenigun.

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1A - RFK Jr., The FDA, And Supplement Regulations

A stroll down the supplement aisle is a walk filled with hope. One pill offers stronger hair and nails. Another promises better memory (which will help when you have to remember to take all these pills). And if you added just one more, you might be able to finally recapture the energy of your teenage years.

But how true are these claims? Currently, the Food and Drug Administration does not approve the contents or the labeling dietary supplements before they hit the shelves.

Around 75 percent of Americans take a supplement, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He once said he took so many vitamins he couldn’t remember them all. But RFK Jr., who champions supplements and other alternative medicines, is now pushing the FDA for stronger regulations.

What could that mean for the supplement industry? And why are so many Americans turning to health alternatives today?

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State of the World from NPR - Struggling German Industry Turns to Defense Manufacturing

The automotive industry in Germany, once the backbone of Europe’s biggest economy, is in a rapid decline. In the past year, the German car industry shed more than 51,000 jobs – about 7% of its total workforce. We go to some companies that are now turning to manufacturing weapons as part of the country’s boost in military spending to keep their factories running.



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Up First from NPR - Ukraine-EU Meeting, National Guard Deployment Cases, Pentagon Press Corps

European leaders meet with Ukraine’s president with billions in frozen Russian assets on the table as the European Union and United States impose new sanctions on Moscow. Courts could rule this week on key legal challenges to President Trump’s National Guard deployments in multiple cities. And the Pentagon press corps gets a right-wing makeover as new reporters replace legacy outlets.

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, Alina Hartounian, Emily Kopp, Mohamad ElBardicy and Martha Ann Overland.

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

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

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The Indicator from Planet Money - Are concert tickets UNDER priced?

Ticketmaster's CEO says that concert tickets are underpriced. But from inflation to bots to unscrupulous resellers, the market for tickets feels out of control to many fans. Can anything be done?

Today on the show: Ticket resellers, a new law in Maine, and a T-shirt cannon. 

Related episodes: Ticket scalpers: The real ticket masters Ticketmaster's dominance, Caitlin Clark's paycheck, and other indicators

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 - This Palestinian journalist kept a diary as Israeli forces invaded – now it’s a book

As Israeli forces invaded Gaza in 2023, Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad kept a diary. Her writing is a record of the 45 days she spent reporting on the ground during the invasion until she evacuated. Now, she’s published her diary as a book called The Eyes of Gaza. In today’s episode, Alaqad joins NPR’s Lelia Fadel for a conversation about the journalist’s memories of home both before and after the conflict.


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Consider This from NPR - The Trump administration says left-wing terrorism in the US is on the rise. Is it?

For many years, the far right has been the most lethal and persistent source of domestic terrorism in the U.S.


But the assassination of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk last month and attacks against immigration enforcement efforts have fueled a talking point for Republicans about concerns over left-wing political violence.

The political motivations behind these attacks are still unclear, but one study says that violence from the left has been the greater threat so far this year.

NPR’s domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef looks into whether this claim is correct.

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Jonaki Mehta and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Damian Herring.
It was edited by Andrew Sussman and Sami Yenigun, who is also our executive producer.

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