Two new picture books explore how the outside world can transform our relationships with our communities and ourselves. First, Kiese Laymon is out with a children's book about three Black boys who connect during a transformative summer in the South. With City Summer, Country Summer, Laymon says he wanted to explore the experience of getting lost as a kind of experimentation. In today's episode, the author speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about his wish to write a book about the emotional tenderness of Black boys. Then, The Littlest Drop is Sascha Alper's debut children's book, based on a parable from the indigenous Quechua people of South America. Brian Pinkney took over illustrations for the project after his father, Jerry Pinkney, died in 2020. In today's episode, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe brings Alper and Brian Pinkney together in conversation. The author and illustrator discuss the collaboration between father and son and Alper's desire to broaden the story beyond the climate crisis.
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Short Wave - Good Vibrations: How Fiddler Crabs Mate
The male European fiddler crab attracts his mate by performing a courtship dance. New research published in the Journal of Experimental Biology says that dance isn't just notable for its visuals — it's notable for its vibrations, too.
Researchers observed four different stages of the crab's courtship dance, each stage escalating the amount of seismic vibrational output. "It's 'come and find me in my underground house, ladies,'" says Beth Mortimer, a study author and biologist at the University of Oxford.
Interested in more seismic vibration communication? Send us an email at shortwave@npr.org.
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Researchers observed four different stages of the crab's courtship dance, each stage escalating the amount of seismic vibrational output. "It's 'come and find me in my underground house, ladies,'" says Beth Mortimer, a study author and biologist at the University of Oxford.
Interested in more seismic vibration communication? Send us an email at 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.
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1A - Game Mode: The Switch 2 And The Future Of Gaming
The successor to the Nintendo Switch is (almost) here. But it's arrived at an awkward time for both Nintendo and gamers alike.
The Switch 2 was initially announced in January, but fans learned much more about it during a Nintendo Direct livestream a few weeks ago. It included information about the system's launch date (June 5), its hardware specs, the games Nintendo fans could expect to play at release, and, perhaps most importantly, prices for both the Switch 2 and its games.
That last part has put a damper on some of the enthusiasm for the system's launch. It will retail for $449.99. The price of Nintendo's games is also climbing.
Nintendo is citing a rise in the cost of the console's production as well as economic uncertainties like President Donald Trump's tariffs as reasons for the price hikes.
We dig into the latest for this installment of our series, "Game Mode."
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The Switch 2 was initially announced in January, but fans learned much more about it during a Nintendo Direct livestream a few weeks ago. It included information about the system's launch date (June 5), its hardware specs, the games Nintendo fans could expect to play at release, and, perhaps most importantly, prices for both the Switch 2 and its games.
That last part has put a damper on some of the enthusiasm for the system's launch. It will retail for $449.99. The price of Nintendo's games is also climbing.
Nintendo is citing a rise in the cost of the console's production as well as economic uncertainties like President Donald Trump's tariffs as reasons for the price hikes.
We dig into the latest for this installment of our series, "Game Mode."
Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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State of the World from NPR - Mothers’ Anguish after Grisly Discovery in Mexico
The discovery of a clandestine cartel crematorium on a disused ranch in Jalisco has once again raised questions about the crisis of forced disappearances and the connection to organized crime.
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Consider This from NPR - Raising kids is costly; Tariffs will make it even more expensive
When it comes to the cost of raising a child from infancy to the age of 17 in the United States – it's hard to settle on a precise figure.
There's one thing we do know – it's going to be expensive.
By some estimates, raising a kid, who was born in 2015, could cost a middle class family close to $320,000 over 17 years.
That money goes to childcare, healthcare, food, clothes, education, transportation, activities, toys, and a lot more. All of those things will be affected – one way or another – by the Trump administration's tariff policy.
And the companies that sell products geared at those raising kids – they're going to feel the pinch as well. One CEO argues it could even mean certain products will become unavailable.
Being a parent in the U.S. is already expensive. Slapping tariffs on the products kids use could make it more so.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
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There's one thing we do know – it's going to be expensive.
By some estimates, raising a kid, who was born in 2015, could cost a middle class family close to $320,000 over 17 years.
That money goes to childcare, healthcare, food, clothes, education, transportation, activities, toys, and a lot more. All of those things will be affected – one way or another – by the Trump administration's tariff policy.
And the companies that sell products geared at those raising kids – they're going to feel the pinch as well. One CEO argues it could even mean certain products will become unavailable.
Being a parent in the U.S. is already expensive. Slapping tariffs on the products kids use could make it more so.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Consider This from NPR - Raising kids is costly; Tariffs will make it even more expensive
When it comes to the cost of raising a child from infancy to the age of 17 in the United States – it's hard to settle on a precise figure.
There's one thing we do know – it's going to be expensive.
By some estimates, raising a kid, who was born in 2015, could cost a middle class family close to $320,000 over 17 years.
That money goes to childcare, healthcare, food, clothes, education, transportation, activities, toys, and a lot more. All of those things will be affected – one way or another – by the Trump administration's tariff policy.
And the companies that sell products geared at those raising kids – they're going to feel the pinch as well. One CEO argues it could even mean certain products will become unavailable.
Being a parent in the U.S. is already expensive. Slapping tariffs on the products kids use could make it more so.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
There's one thing we do know – it's going to be expensive.
By some estimates, raising a kid, who was born in 2015, could cost a middle class family close to $320,000 over 17 years.
That money goes to childcare, healthcare, food, clothes, education, transportation, activities, toys, and a lot more. All of those things will be affected – one way or another – by the Trump administration's tariff policy.
And the companies that sell products geared at those raising kids – they're going to feel the pinch as well. One CEO argues it could even mean certain products will become unavailable.
Being a parent in the U.S. is already expensive. Slapping tariffs on the products kids use could make it more so.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Consider This from NPR - Raising kids is costly; Tariffs will make it even more expensive
When it comes to the cost of raising a child from infancy to the age of 17 in the United States – it's hard to settle on a precise figure.
There's one thing we do know – it's going to be expensive.
By some estimates, raising a kid, who was born in 2015, could cost a middle class family close to $320,000 over 17 years.
That money goes to childcare, healthcare, food, clothes, education, transportation, activities, toys, and a lot more. All of those things will be affected – one way or another – by the Trump administration's tariff policy.
And the companies that sell products geared at those raising kids – they're going to feel the pinch as well. One CEO argues it could even mean certain products will become unavailable.
Being a parent in the U.S. is already expensive. Slapping tariffs on the products kids use could make it more so.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
There's one thing we do know – it's going to be expensive.
By some estimates, raising a kid, who was born in 2015, could cost a middle class family close to $320,000 over 17 years.
That money goes to childcare, healthcare, food, clothes, education, transportation, activities, toys, and a lot more. All of those things will be affected – one way or another – by the Trump administration's tariff policy.
And the companies that sell products geared at those raising kids – they're going to feel the pinch as well. One CEO argues it could even mean certain products will become unavailable.
Being a parent in the U.S. is already expensive. Slapping tariffs on the products kids use could make it more so.
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
1A - The Effect Of Tariffs On Small Businesses
President Donald Trump promised tariffs on the campaign trail. Those tariffs are here – but how much of them, where, and on who, has changed a few times.
Here's where things stand right now: President Trump rolled tariff rates back to a baseline ten percent for most countries, but raised the tariffs on China to 145 percent. Global trading markets plunged due to a series of rapid shifts in trade policy.
We discuss how these policies affect small businesses, many of which have to rely on goods that come from other countries.
Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
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Here's where things stand right now: President Trump rolled tariff rates back to a baseline ten percent for most countries, but raised the tariffs on China to 145 percent. Global trading markets plunged due to a series of rapid shifts in trade policy.
We discuss how these policies affect small businesses, many of which have to rely on goods that come from other countries.
Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Up First from NPR - Trump Wants Powell Out, Administration Risks Contempt, and Homegrowns Are Next
President Trump is feuding with Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell. This all comes as Americans are feeling gloomier about the economy. Also, a judge found probable cause to find the government in criminal contempt, ruling that the Trump administration willfully disregarded an order to turn back airplanes carrying deported migrants to El Salvador, and President Trump says he is looking into whether the U.S. can detain citizens who commit crimes in overseas prisons.
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 Gerry Holmes, Eric Westervelt, Rafael Nam, Janaya Williams and Mohamad ElBardicy.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is David Greenburg.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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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 Gerry Holmes, Eric Westervelt, Rafael Nam, Janaya Williams and Mohamad ElBardicy.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is David Greenburg.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Economic lessons learned from Investopedia (and Ferris Bueller)
The current economic upheaval has lots of us scrambling for our glossaries and history books.
Today on the show, the editor-in-chief of Investopedia walks us through three vocab terms — spanning topics from tariff history to market volatility — that are spiking on the website lately.
Related listening:
What can we learn from the year's most popular econ terms?
What's a moneyline bet anyway? (Apple / Spotify)
Why tariffs are SO back (Apple / Spotify)
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
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Today on the show, the editor-in-chief of Investopedia walks us through three vocab terms — spanning topics from tariff history to market volatility — that are spiking on the website lately.
Related listening:
What can we learn from the year's most popular econ terms?
What's a moneyline bet anyway? (Apple / Spotify)
Why tariffs are SO back (Apple / Spotify)
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