Author: Matt

The government shutdown is on. Already, it’s being felt across the country.

National Parks are preparing to scale back or close. Furloughed federal workers are facing tough choices about how to pay the bills when they can’t count on their paychecks. Some people trying to access government services have found locked doors. 

Democratic and Republican lawmakers are at an impasse after dueling proposals on the senate floor failed Wednesday.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has vowed that his party is in the shutdown fight to win it. He weighs in on Democrats’ strategy and what he’s hearing from his constituents.

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When President Trump came into office, he promised to fuel an economic boom with a magic bullet: tariffs. They’re taxes added to a wide range of imports. And money is coming in, more than $30 billion a month so far. 

Eight months into Trump’s second term, it’s unclear what the larger impact of these tariffs will have on the economy. Despite that, the president keeps promising to roll out new ones. NPR’s Chief Economic Correspondent Scott Horsley explains.

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This episode was produced by Erika Ryan, Kathryn Fink and Lauren Hodges. It was edited by Adam Raney, Courtney Dorning and Raphael Nam. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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NPR’s National Security Correspondent Greg Myre spent the summer reporting on the war in Ukraine. He saw the devastation of the conflict. But he also saw something else: the country leveraging its resources at home to meet the moment…including in Lviv where they’re racing to make as many of their own weapons as fast as they can.

And at a hospital near the frontlines in central Ukraine where Ukraine’s neurosurgeons are conducting state-of-the-art operations with cutting-edge technology.

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This episode was produced by David West and Matt Ozug. It was edited by Andrew Sussman. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The deadline for a government shutdown is quickly approaching. If Democrats and Republicans can’t make a deal, the government will run out of money after Sept. 30.

A government shutdown is always a political gamble. For Democrats, the stakes of this one are even higher. 

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Jay Czyz. It was edited by Kelsey Snell, Courtney Dorning and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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More than a hundred countries have committed to fresh plans to curb pollution, with one big holdout: the U.S.

NPR’s Andrew Limbong speaks with the EU Commissioner for Climate, Wopke Hoekstra, about how global leaders are moving forward on climate goals with the U.S. on the sidelines.

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This episode was produced by Daniel Ofman. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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After 25 years at NPR and 10 years hosting All Things Considered and the last few years hosting Consider This, Ari Shapiro is moving on to his next adventure.

We’re saying bye.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan, Matt Ozug, Mia Venkat, Mallory Yu and Alejandra Marquez Janse.

It was edited by Ashley Brown.

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A superhuman artificial intelligence so smart it can decide to get rid of slower-witted humans is a pretty terrifying concept.

What was once strictly the stuff of science fiction is now closer than ever to being a reality.

And if it does, some A-I researchers have gloomy predictions about humanity’s chances of survival.

While the A-I boom continues and companies across the country are heavily investing in the technology, some researchers are begging humanity to pump the brakes.

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The federal government’s approach to public health has changed more in the last eight months than it has in decades.

 
Since President Trump returned to office, he and members of his administration have challenged the safety of the covid vaccine, the overall childhood vaccine schedule, and the causes of autism.

This has upended public health guidance that doctors and patients have relied on for years.

Jen Brull, the President of the American Academy of Family Physicians talks about how doctors and patients are navigating this moment.

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President Trump is promising to sweep homeless people off America’s streets. One controversial part of his plan could force thousands of people into institutions where they would be treated “long-term” for for addiction and mental illness. Critics say the policy raises big concerns about civil liberties and cost. But parts of this idea – known as “civil commitment” are gaining traction with some Democratic leaders.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Erika Ryan, with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Andrea de Leon and Courtney Dorning.

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The Trump administration is moving fast on a plan to create several holding centers around the country for people detained in a nationwide immigration crackdown. One facility in particular has been rife with problems.

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This episode was produced by Jeffrey Pierre. With audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by John Ketchum and William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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