In Callan Wink's new novel Beartooth, two brothers live at the edge of Yellowstone National Park. Their father has recently died of cancer, leaving behind unpaid medical bills and taxes. Desperate to save their home, the pair ventures into the park as part of a scheme involving the illegal collection of elk antlers. The novel, Wink says, was inspired by a similar story he heard at a bar. In today's episode, Wink talks with Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd about the experience of living near Yellowstone, the impact of financial desperation on ethics, and the author's decision to write about brothers.
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Chicago is in the national spotlight when it comes to the immigration debate, but that’s nothing new to the mayoral office. We take a look back at how mayors have either embraced or rejected new arrivals.
As relations between the US and Europe continue to sour, European countries are working to lower their reliance on the U.S. for weapons and security. Today on the show, we ask what Europe needs to do to become independent militarily and what potential barriers could stand in the way.
Related episodes: Europe's NATO members take an economic hit (Apple / Spotify) Two Indicators: Economics of the defense industry (Apple / Spotify)
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Sen. Chuck Schumer received major backlash from his party after supporting a Republican spending bill earlier this month – and some Democrats have called for him to resign from his position as minority leader. Schumer recently spoke with NPR's Scott Simon about that budget measure, prior to the ballots being cast, as part of a conversation about his new book, Antisemitism in America: A Warning. In the book, Schumer warns of an acceleration in antisemitism since 2017, a trend he says he's observed among the political right and left. In today's episode, Schumer joins Simon for a discussion that touches on the senator's criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the federal funding fight at Columbia University, and the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil.
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Over a thousand years ago, a wealthy family in Germany gave birth to their tenth child, a daughter.
They gave their child to the church, as was the custom in those days. She grew to become the leader of her monastic community.
More than that, she became one of the leading thinkers of her era. She composed music, wrote about medicine and theology, revolutionized brewing, and corresponded with kings and emperors.
Learn more about Hildegard of Bingen, the most influential woman of the Middle Ages, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Author Allison Epstein says when she read Oliver Twist, she found Charles Dickens' portrayal of Fagin, the novel's central scoundrel, to be stereotypical and antisemitic. But there was also something about the character that piqued her curiosity. Now, her new novel Fagin the Thief gives that character a backstory – and a literary second chance. In today's episode, Epstein speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about her research into where someone like Fagin might've grown up, her reimagination of the character's intentions, and how she came to view Dickens as a working writer.
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
What's one word you'd use to describe the 2025 economy? That's the question we fanned out across the U.S. with microphones and open ears. From street parties in the South to an L.A. bookstore to a boardroom in Denver, we listen for financial signals in today's economy.
Related episodes: How many times can you say uncertainty in one economic report? (Apple / Spotify) The stock market is down, but you don't need to be (Apple / Spotify) The highs and lows of US rent (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.