Japanese pedestrians have been forcefully colliding with each other in a spate of butsukari otoko – or ‘bumping man’ – incidents and the Unexpected Elements team has been inspired to investigate some bumpy science.
First, what does your heart desire? Well, at a cellular level, the perfect match! We hear how your heart is built by cells going speed dating. Then, we discuss how birds avoid in-flock collisions, and we learn all about mesmerising murmurations.
Next, we’re joined by science journalist and author Robin George Andrews, who tells us about NASA’s mission to avoid a city-killing disaster by bumping into an asteroid before it can bump into us.
Also, a colourful question about migraines, a surprising new treatment for them, and the scientists who took antimatter for a test drive.
All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, with Ella Hubber, Katie Tomsett, Imy Harper and Lucy Davies
The Senate reaches an agreement to open most of the Department of Homeland Security. Trump sets a deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, then extends it twice. GOP faithful gather for CPAC conference over mixed approval of the Iran war.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Kelsey Snell, Jason Breslow, Alice Woelfle, and Taylor Haney.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, and Chris Thomas.
Our technical director is Carleigh Strange, and we get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven.
President Trump and the Senate seem to have landed on a last-ditch measure to fund much of the Department of Homeland Security. Federal authorities charge a pair of siblings for allegedly planting a bomb at a US air base. And doctors sound the alarm of the growing number of children participating in online gambling.
Is homeownership still the "American Dream," or is it becoming a financial burden? With 81% of renters aspiring to own but 61% fearing they never will, the gap between renting and owning has never felt wider. However, the truth is that both paths can lead to significant wealth if you play your cards right.
In this episode of Money Girl, Laura breaks down the persistent rent-versus-own debate. While homeowners benefit from equity and appreciation, savvy renters can leverage flexibility and lower upfront costs to out-invest their home-owning peers. Whether you’re tired of "throwing money away" on rent or feeling "house rich and cash poor," this guide provides the clarity you need to make the best move for your bank account.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
4 ways renting can actually make you wealthier (including the "investment gap" advantage).
The hidden costs of homeownership that go far beyond your monthly mortgage payment.
The tax breaks and appreciation benefits that make real estate a powerful long-term play.
How to hedge against inflation with fixed-rate housing costs.
The "5-Year Rule" and other lifestyle factors that should dictate your decision.
Note: This episode originally aired in January 2025.
Is Trumpism crashing on the shoals of the Iran war?
That is what Christopher Caldwell thinks. Caldwell is a prominent thinker on the right. He’s a contributing editor at the conservative publication the Claremont Review of Books,and he’s one of the people who’ve been trying to define, and even craft, a coherent Trumpism. So his recent article in The Spectator, “The End of Trumpism,” sparked a lot of debate on the right.
At the core of this debate are some fundamental questions that I think remain unresolved, despite Trump’s decade-long dominance of the Republican Party: What is Trumpism? Is there Trumpism, or is there just Donald Trump?
Caldwell is a contributing writer for Times Opinion and the author of “The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties.” In this conversation, he explains how he understood Trumpism as a movement of “democratic restoration” — and why he believes the Iran war betrays that. And I ask him why he sees the seams of Trump’s base fraying, despite polling that suggests otherwise.
This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Jack McCordick. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris with Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Kristin Lin, Emma Kehlbeck, Marina King and Jan Kobal. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.
Donald Trump's approval rating hits historic lows as voters react to soaring gas prices caused by his war of choice with Iran. Dan and Jon discuss what those new figures mean for the upcoming midterms and react to Florida Democrats flipping the state legislative seat that includes the president's home at Mar-a-Lago. Plus: the new report that Trump is tiring of the war even as he plans a ground invastion, his likely illegal attempt to pay TSA workers by executive order, and the election crisis facing Democrats in California.
Unlike some reporters, Fortune’s Nick Lichtenberg isn’t afraid of AI—in fact, he’s whole-heartedly embracing it. WSJ’s Isabella Simonetti shares how Lichtenberg is a bellwether for where much of the media business is headed. Plus, Minkyu Shin, an assistant professor of marketing at the City University of Hong Kong, explains why using AI to write a customer complaint might yield better results.
