The Israeli government has said it has the ability to find and assassinate top leaders in the Iranian government. But that strategy may end up hurting any effort to actually end the war, says Yossi Melman, co-author of the book “Spies Against Armageddon.”
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This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Daniel Ofman. It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Up First from NPR - The Betrayal of Trans Troops
In his first term, President Trump required transgender service members to register with the diagnosis of gender dysphoria in order to continue serving openly in the military. Now, amidst Middle East deployment plans, that documentation is being used to find and separate thousands of highly trained troops. This week on The Sunday Story, how the Pentagon’s push to remove trans troops is affecting active duty service members—and how it may also affect the military’s mission readiness.
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Consider This from NPR - Some countries have bet big on EVs
Emily Kwong talks with Camila Domonoske, who covers cars and energy for NPR, about how countries and companies that have bet big on electric vehicles are facing new, quickly moving variables in the market and the world.
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This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad and Gabriel Sanchez. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad and Gabriel Sanchez. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Up First from NPR - On the Iranian Border, More Military on the Way, Warm Western Winter
As the war in Iran enters its fourth week, Iranian civilians remain in the crossfire and the Pentagon is sending at least two Marine units to the region. In the American West, states reported their hottest and driest winter on record.
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Planet Money - Inside a BOOK auction
In the age of TikTok and Polymarket, it can be easy to overlook the humble book. But books are one of the most influential technologies ever invented. From “The Wealth of Nations” to “Das Kapital,” books have the power to shape whole economic systems… and everything else in our world. The market for books can determine which ideas make it to the masses.
So when Planet Money was approached to make its own book, not only did it present an opportunity to spread the gospel of whimsical economic infotainment to new audiences everywhere, but it also presented an opportunity to get a rare peek behind the curtain of the notoriously opaque world of publishing.
On today’s episode, the first chapter in our series on the making of a book: Planet Money sets out to land a book deal. We enter the high stakes, high school drama of the publishing industry, where literary agents try to woo powerful book editors. And we learn what happens when lofty artistic ideals meet the cold logic of the market. It’s a courtship dance with millions of dollars potentially on the line. There will be whale fights, corporate speed dating, and a literary shotgun wedding.
Live event info and tickets here.
Pre-order the Planet Money book and get a free gift. / Subscribe to Planet Money+
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This episode was produced by Willa Rubin with production help from Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
Music: NPR Source Audio - “Run Baby Run,” “Lay It Down,” and “Lazy Ringer.”
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So when Planet Money was approached to make its own book, not only did it present an opportunity to spread the gospel of whimsical economic infotainment to new audiences everywhere, but it also presented an opportunity to get a rare peek behind the curtain of the notoriously opaque world of publishing.
On today’s episode, the first chapter in our series on the making of a book: Planet Money sets out to land a book deal. We enter the high stakes, high school drama of the publishing industry, where literary agents try to woo powerful book editors. And we learn what happens when lofty artistic ideals meet the cold logic of the market. It’s a courtship dance with millions of dollars potentially on the line. There will be whale fights, corporate speed dating, and a literary shotgun wedding.
Live event info and tickets here.
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.
This episode was produced by Willa Rubin with production help from Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
Music: NPR Source Audio - “Run Baby Run,” “Lay It Down,” and “Lazy Ringer.”
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Consider This from NPR - ‘It was my cross to bear.’ Reconciling with Cesar Chavez’s abuse
Dolores Huerta built a lasting movement with Cesar Chavez. And after waiting decades, she has decided to share the story of how Chavez abused her.
Dolores Huerta told the New York Times that she felt pressured to have sex with Cesar Chavez, while on a work trip in 1960.
Six years later — after they had founded the union for farmworkers– she says Chavez raped her.
Shortly after the Times story came out, Huerta spoke to Latino USA host Maria Hinojosa. Hinojosa shared what she learned with NPR's Ailsa Chang.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.
It was edited by Courtney Dorning.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Dolores Huerta told the New York Times that she felt pressured to have sex with Cesar Chavez, while on a work trip in 1960.
Six years later — after they had founded the union for farmworkers– she says Chavez raped her.
Shortly after the Times story came out, Huerta spoke to Latino USA host Maria Hinojosa. Hinojosa shared what she learned with NPR's Ailsa Chang.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.
It was edited by Courtney Dorning.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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State of the World from NPR - The Ukrainian town enmeshed in netting to evade deadly Russian drones
Entering the Ukrainian town of Izium brings the odd sight of roads and sidewalks completely covered in wide stretches of overhead netting. It’s a low-tech defense against the latest deadly Russian drones known as, FPV, or first-person view drones. FPV’s can fly up to 15 miles and are piloted by unjammable fiber optic cables. Cities in eastern Ukraine are preparing for an advancing front line as Russia’s full-scale war enters its fifth year.
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1A - The News Roundup For March 20, 2026
As Israel and the U.S. continue to fire missiles at targets within Iran, the American military and President Donald Trump are weighing the costs and benefits of putting U.S. boots on the ground in the Middle East once again.
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s Department of Homeland Security confirmation hearing saw him clash with his fellow congresspeople. Despite the meeting’s testy tone, the committee cleared Mullin by a single vote, sending his confirmation to the full Senate.
A federal judge ruled this week that Voice of America must reinstate more than 1,000 employees after the Trump administration placed them on leave last year.
And, in global news, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, announced this week that the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t technically closed to all traffic, just to ships controlled by the country’s enemies. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is leaning on Japan to send warships to the passageway, to counteract Iran’s efforts to control the flow of trade.
New reporting from The Guardian indicates that before the U.S. began bombing Iran, security officials from U.S. allies judged that, as talks between Washington and Tehran progressed, a peace deal was in reach.
The U.S. eased sanction on Russia and Venezuela this week to unlock more viable sources of oil as energy prices rise and the war with Iran continues.
We cover the most important stories from around the world in the News Roundup.
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Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s Department of Homeland Security confirmation hearing saw him clash with his fellow congresspeople. Despite the meeting’s testy tone, the committee cleared Mullin by a single vote, sending his confirmation to the full Senate.
A federal judge ruled this week that Voice of America must reinstate more than 1,000 employees after the Trump administration placed them on leave last year.
And, in global news, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, announced this week that the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t technically closed to all traffic, just to ships controlled by the country’s enemies. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is leaning on Japan to send warships to the passageway, to counteract Iran’s efforts to control the flow of trade.
New reporting from The Guardian indicates that before the U.S. began bombing Iran, security officials from U.S. allies judged that, as talks between Washington and Tehran progressed, a peace deal was in reach.
The U.S. eased sanction on Russia and Venezuela this week to unlock more viable sources of oil as energy prices rise and the war with Iran continues.
We cover the most important stories from around the world in the News Roundup.
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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Up First from NPR - Israel and Iran Trade Airstrikes, Trump Meets Japan PM, Kharg Island Future
Iran and Israel are trading airstrikes as the Israeli
prime minister pushed back against claims he forced the U.S. into the war with Iran.
Japan’s prime minister visited President Trump at the White House, where they
talked about Iran and China, and 2,200 Marines are on their way to the Persian
Gulf.
Want more 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 Hannah Bloch, Rebekah Metzler, Andrew Sussman, HJ Mai and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Ava Pukatch.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:53) Israel and Iran Trade Airstrikes
(05:49) Trump Meets Japan PM
(09:06) Kharg Island Future
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Want more 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 Hannah Bloch, Rebekah Metzler, Andrew Sussman, HJ Mai and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Ava Pukatch.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
(0:00) Introduction
(01:53) Israel and Iran Trade Airstrikes
(05:49) Trump Meets Japan PM
(09:06) Kharg Island Future
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Trump and truckers, Poland prospers, and a booming ant biz
It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!). It’s our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: The Trump administration cracks down on immigrant truck drivers, Poland becomes a top-twenty economy, and the booming business of … ant smuggling?
Related episodes:
A trucker, a farmer, and an entrepreneur walk into a global supply shock
You Could Always Go To Poland
The little pet fish that saved a town in the Amazon
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 and Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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On today’s episode: The Trump administration cracks down on immigrant truck drivers, Poland becomes a top-twenty economy, and the booming business of … ant smuggling?
Related episodes:
A trucker, a farmer, and an entrepreneur walk into a global supply shock
You Could Always Go To Poland
The little pet fish that saved a town in the Amazon
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 and Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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