About two months after the coronavirus began spreading in the United States, groups of Americans began to protest the quarantine lockdown measures in their states. At some of these anti-lockdown rallies reporters Lisa Hagen of WABE and Chris Haxel of KCUR discovered they weren’t the spontaneous grassroots uprisings they purported to be. Rather, they were being organized by a group of three brothers: Aaron, Ben and Chris Dorr.
ProPublica’s ‘Secret IRS Files’ Unveil How Richest Americans Avoid Income Tax
The story made waves in Washington, D.C., this week: The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax. ProPublica obtained private tax data from America’s 25 wealthiest individuals, which revealed exactly how those people manage, through legal means, to pay far less income tax than most Americans — and sometimes, none at all.
ProPublica senior editor and reporter Jesse Eisinger explains how it works to NPR’s Rachel Martin.
After the story’s publication, some lawmakers reacted with concern about the fairness of the tax code. Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, explains a proposal to make it more equitable. He spoke to NPR’s Ailsa Chang.
Additional reporting on the history of the income tax from NPR’s daily economics podcast The Indicator and Steven Weisman’s 2010 appearance on All Things Considered.
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Back To The Office: Not Everyone Is Welcoming The Return
For Americans who were able to work from home at the start of the pandemic, what felt like an extended snow day at first has now turned into 15 months and counting of Zoom calls and logging onto work in sweatpants. But now that about half of Americans are fully vaccinated, some are trickling back into the office.
We asked you to tell us how your work has been for the last year and how you feel about returning to the office. The responses were mixed.
Susan Lund, a partner at McKinsey & Company, says that after the pandemic it’s unlikely that people will go back to the same pattern of working.
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Listener Q&A: Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy On Variants, Boosters And Vax Mandates
More than half of U.S. adults have been fully vaccinated, and case rates are at their lowest point since the pandemic began. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the future of the pandemic. Questions about variants, vaccine booster shots and the idea of vaccine mandates in schools or publicly-funded universities.
We had a chance to put some of the questions — including ones from you — to the nation’s top doctor, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, in an interview conducted on Twitter Spaces, a new platform for live audio conversations on Twitter. To participate in future Twitter Spaces conversations, follow us on Twitter @nprAudie and @npratc. You can find our episodes on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #NPRConsiderThis.
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Democrats’ Path To Big Legislation Runs Through West Virginia. Is It A Dead End?
Democratic proposals for immigration reform, gun control, infrastructure and voting rights are stalled in Congress. Standing in between Democrats and much of their progressive wish list is one of their own, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who has signaled his opposition to eliminating the filibuster or passing an infrastructure plan without Republican support.
He’s not the only West Virginian with an outsized influence in Washington right now. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito is representing Senate Republicans in negotiations with the White House over infrastructure. Despite meeting with President Biden repeatedly in recent days, the two sides appear to be far apart.
For more on the two Senators’ role in national politics and what their mandate is from voters back home, congressional correspondent Sue Davis and Dave Mistich of West Virginia Public Broadcasting speak to NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly.
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How The Biden Administration Is Confronting A Surge In Cyberattacks
Cyberattackers have recently targeted a crucial fuel pipeline, a global meat distributor and a water treatment plant. The Biden administration likens the surge in cyberattacks to terrorism — and says they plan to treat it like a national security threat. NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre details the administration’s plans.
When businesses are targeted by ransomware, someone like Bill Siegel steps in to help companies figure out if they have any options but to pay up. Siegel runs Coveware, a company that responds to ransomware attacks and often negotiates with hackers. He spoke to NPR’s Rachel Martin.
In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment
that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.
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BONUS: A Looping Revolt
Stockton, Calif., may represent the future of American news.
The city’s longtime newspaper, The Record, has lost reporters, subscribers and, therefore, power. Meanwhile a non-traditional news source, a controversial online outlet called 209 Times, has quickly become one of the most popular sources of news in town. It proudly doesn’t follow most journalistic norms and brags about tanking the previous mayor’s campaign. Critics say the 209 Times is filling Stockton with misinformation.
Yowei Shaw, host of NPR’s Invisibilia, investigates.
Find all three parts of “The Chaos Machine,” Invisibilia‘s series about 209 Times here.
The U.S. Can’t Agree On The Truth. Is It The Media’s Job To Fix That?
Freedom of the press is enshrined in the Constitution as crucial to a functioning democracy. But what role does the press serve when it feels like the country can’t agree on basic facts? NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly speaks with a handful of journalists to hear how they’re navigating this divide.
This episode feature’s CBS‘s Leslie Stahl, CNN‘s Jake Tapper, NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe, Dawn Rhodes of Block Club Chicago and Sherry Liang of the University of Georgia’s Red & Black newspaper.
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Companies Made Racial Justice Promises Last Summer. Did They Keep Them?
Corporations had a lot to say about racial justice last summer. They made statements. They donated millions to civil rights organizations. They promised to address their own problems with diversity and representation.
A year later, NPR’s David Gura reports on Wall Street’s mixed progress.
Kim Tran tells NPR’s Sam Sanders that the diversity, equity and inclusion industry has lost its way.
And DEI consultant Lily Zheng talks about their front row seat to corporations varied efforts to change culture and practices.
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Pressure On The World’s Biggest Polluters Is Increasing. But Can It Force Change?
The Atlantic hurricane season began Tuesday and another “above average” number of storms is expected. And it’s not just hurricanes — overall, scientists are predicting more extreme weather events amplified by climate change this summer.
While there’s little to do in the short term to change this trajectory, recent actions by a Dutch court, the Biden administration and an activist hedge fund all suggest new pressure on large oil and gas companies could help in the long term. Pressure from these outside forces could signal a shift in how the companies operate.
Nell Minow, an Exxon shareholder, explains the direction she wants to see the company move in.
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