It happens every year — sometimes even more frequently than that.
A fight is brewing over funding the government before a deadline at the end of September. On Friday, Republicans in the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, passed a stop-gap measure to fund the government through Nov. 21.
This is all happening against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s summer of immigration raids, the deployment of the National Guard to Washington D.C., and the claw back of approved federal funding.
In this installment of 1A‘s weekly politics series, we talk about how this month’s government funding fight could turn into a shutdown, and what Democrats could demand in exchange for keeping the government open.
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Up First from NPR - Charlie Kirk Memorial, Trump Pressures DOJ, Palestinian State Recognition
President Trump and top officials turned Charlie Kirk’s memorial into both a tribute and a political rally, with Trump calling him a martyr and vowing to continue his fight. The president is also pressuring Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue prosecutions of his political enemies, while forcing out a U.S. attorney who resisted. And several countries just recognized Palestine as a sovereign state, but in the West Bank many Palestinians say recognition without change on the ground means little.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Krishnadev Calamur, Kevin Drew, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ana Perez and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
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Short Wave - Should You Try Red-Light Therapy?
The anti-aging product market was worth roughly 53 BILLION dollars in 2024. One of the latest big trends: red light therapy. Social media is rampant with claims about all sorts of purported health benefits to using directed red light regularly … but does the research really live up to all the hype?
For answers, we turn to cosmetic chemist and science communicator Michelle Wong. Together, she and host Regina G. Barber sift through the thin (albeit growing) research on red light therapy to find out which claims are clearly backed by the literature – and which still need a bit more experimental data.
Interested in more science behind skincare products? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
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For answers, we turn to cosmetic chemist and science communicator Michelle Wong. Together, she and host Regina G. Barber sift through the thin (albeit growing) research on red light therapy to find out which claims are clearly backed by the literature – and which still need a bit more experimental data.
Interested in more science behind skincare products? Email us your question 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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NPR's Book of the Day - In his new novel ‘The Secret of Secrets,’ Dan Brown takes on human consciousness
Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, is out with his sixth book starring fictional Harvard professor Robert Langdon. In The Secret of Secrets, Langdon is dragged out of his comfort zone by a noetic scientist and finds reality is much stranger than he once imagined. In today’s episode, Brown joins NPR’s Scott Detrow for a conversation about how the author’s perspective on human consciousness shifted over the course of writing his latest novel.
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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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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The Indicator from Planet Money - Can LA host a ‘car-free’ Olympics?
Los Angeles is synonymous with car culture. But now that it's hosting the 2028 Olympics, could that be changing? On today's show, LA's public transit building bonanza, and why some worry the new infrastructure will benefit tourists more than locals.
Related episodes:
Why the Olympics cost so much
Why building public transit in the US costs so much
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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Related episodes:
Why the Olympics cost so much
Why building public transit in the US costs so much
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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Consider This from NPR - Did Charlie Kirk’s killing shatter Spencer Cox’s vision of politics?
Governor Spencer Cox of Utah, who has been in the national headlines just about every day since Charlie Kirk's killing, has long wanted to bring community harmony to national politics. That outlook comes in part from his upbringing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The governor was a critic of President Trump during Trump’s first term, but later endorsed him after the president survived an assassination attempt. Will Charlie Kirk’s killing change Cox’s approach?
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 Avery Keatley, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Ahmad Damen and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Up First from NPR - Casualties of Trump’s War on Higher Ed
President Trump has a long list of grievances against many U.S. colleges and universities. He’s complained about antisemitism on campuses, of gender- and race-based course offerings, even communist indoctrination. To force change, the government has increasingly used the power of money. It’s withheld billions in research funding and clamped down on international student visas. This week on The Sunday Story, NPR Correspondent Elissa Nadworny explores what the disruption means for the future of higher education in America.
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Consider This from NPR - How to really listen in today’s America
NPR's Don Gonyea reports from across the country, engaging with a wide range of people and in places as distinct and different as political rallies and automotive shops. Gonyea explains the importance of really listening, especially during this time of deep divides in America.
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 Kira Wakeam. It was edited by Adam Raney. 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 Kira Wakeam. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Up First from NPR - The Week In Politics, The Week In Free Speech, The Week In Vaccines
Congress leaves for recess without an agreement on government funding, making an October shutdown more likely than not. The First Amendment's free speech protections were tested in the courts and on late-night TV. A vaccine advisory panel wrapped up a week of contentious meetings in Atlanta.
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Planet Money - In Gaza, money is falling apart
Israel has been blocking the flow of physical money into Gaza since the start of the war. So whatever paper cash was in Gaza before the war, that’s all that’s been circulating. It’s now falling apart from overuse.
Two best friends, one in Gaza and one in Belgium, are now trying to get money in.
But how do you get money into a bank account in Gaza? And how do you get that money out, in Gaza, when there are no functioning banks or ATMs? And almost no electricity. And spotty internet. And what is there to buy? How does money even work in Gaza right now?
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 hosted by Sarah Gonzalez. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Marianne McCune, and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. It was engineered by Cena Loffredo, Robert Rodriguez, and James Willetts. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.
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Two best friends, one in Gaza and one in Belgium, are now trying to get money in.
But how do you get money into a bank account in Gaza? And how do you get that money out, in Gaza, when there are no functioning banks or ATMs? And almost no electricity. And spotty internet. And what is there to buy? How does money even work in Gaza right now?
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 hosted by Sarah Gonzalez. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Marianne McCune, and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. It was engineered by Cena Loffredo, Robert Rodriguez, and James Willetts. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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