Author: Matt

Consumer spending is a huge part of the economy and sends a strong signal about how Americans feel about the financial health of the country.

Host Scott Detrow speaks with NPR business correspondent Alina Selyukh about what Black Friday shopping says about where the economy has been and where it might be headed.

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For this holiday episode, we’re bringing you a story from the Radio Diaries podcast, The Unmarked Graveyard: Stories from Hart Island.

Hart Island is a narrow strip of land in New York, off the coast of the Bronx.

More than a million people are buried there in mass graves, with no headstones or plaques.

Annette Vega never met her biological father. She had been searching for him for decades.

That search finally led to Hart Island.

Along the way, she found the family that she never knew.

On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas announced details of a deal that calls for the freeing of at least 50 Israeli women and minors taken hostage during last month’s Hamas attack on Israel in exchange for at least 150 Palestinian women and minors held in Israeli jails.

NPR correspondents Brian Mann in Israel, and Lauren Frayer in the occupied West Bank, report on how Israelis and Palestinians are reacting to this moment.

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It’s just a few days before Thanksgiving, but there’s a good chance your holidays are already underway. Maybe you are hosting, or attending, a Friendsgiving celebration.

The increasingly widespread alt-holiday meal and gathering happens in November. It’s a time to eat, drink, and bask in the glow of our closest friends.

But it turns out there can be just as much stress within our social circles as within our families. So what can you do to handle any potential stress or drama?

NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with friendship coach Danielle Bayard Jackson about how to avoid unneeded stress and have an enjoyable holiday gathering with your friends.

It was announced on Sunday that former first lady Rosalynn Carter had died, at age 96. The Carter family had said she was suffering from dementia earlier this year.

Although President Jimmy Carter only served for one term, Rosalyn Carter transformed the role of first lady.

And her influence continued for decades after she left the White House.

NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with journalist Judy Woodruff, who covered the Carter administration, about Rosalynn Carter’s life and legacy.

Pope Francis says he will attend the COP28 climate conference in Dubai next month, which would make him the first pontiff to attend the annual UN gathering. The pope has made addressing the climate crisis an important focus since 2015, when he published an encyclical on climate change and the environment.

Last month, he doubled down on his stance with a new document – Laudate Deum. It’s a scathing rebuke of the inaction by world leaders over the last eight years.

As Francis takes on an even bigger role in climate activism. What does he hope to achieve? And how does this all fit into his broader legacy as leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics.

NPR’s Scott Detrow spoke with Fordham professor Christiana Zenner, and Associated Press Vatican correspondent Nicole Winfield, about Pope Francis and his role in advocating for action on climate change.

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Today we’re sharing an episode of a new NPR podcast called Trump’s Trials, hosted by Scott Detrow with regular analysis from Domenico Montanaro. Each week they’ll break down the latest courtroom drama, testimony, and legal maneuverings in the criminal and civil cases facing former President Trump — and talk about what it all means for American democracy.

In this week’s episode, Scott and Domenico spoke with NYU’s Melissa Murray about leaked confidential videos of two former Trump lawyers — and what they could mean for the Georgia election interference case. Plus: a development in the January 6th case.

Follow Trump’s Trials on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for episodes available every Saturday.

In an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu often referred to post-WW II Germany as a possible road map for what he called the “de-militarizing” and “de-radicalizing” of Gaza.

Netanyahu said Gaza needs a new ‘civilian government,’ but won’t say who.

NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre parses what Netanyahu said in a conversation with co-host Ari Shapiro.

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Nearly 7 million federal student loan borrowers are in default, and now the U.S. Department of Education is rolling out a new program, called Fresh Start, to make getting out of default easier.

NPR’s Cory Turner reports on the Fresh Start program and the ripple effects of landing in default.

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There’s a very real possibility that the 2024 presidential election could come down to a few thousand votes in a few pivotal states.

One of those states is Michigan, which is home to a large Arab American community — with some two hundred thousand registered voters. Many of those voters say that the White House has disproportionately supported Israel, while doing little to protect the lives of Palestinians. And that position could cost President Biden their votes.

Meanwhile, the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows how the Israel-Hamas War has divided Americans along racial and generational lines.

NPR National Political Correspondent Don Gonyea reports from Detroit on the concerns of Arab American voters. And Host Scott Detrow speaks with NPR Senior Political Editor and Correspondent Domenico Montanaro about what the latest polling tells us about Americans’ changing views on Biden’s support of Israel.

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