How Over-The-Counter Narcan Could Help Save More Lives

The FDA has approved over-the-counter sales of Narcan, a nasal spray version of the life-saving medication naloxone. The medication is known for its ability to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.

The FDA’s move will make Narcan more widely available than ever before. But experts say this is just one step in the right direction, when it comes to preventing overdose deaths.

NPR’s Ailsa Chang speaks with Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at the University of North Carolina who has been studying opioid overdose prevention and addiction treatment since 2002, about what this means for the opioid epidemic.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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Pokémon Says Goodbye To Ash and Pikachu

In the twenty-five years since the Japanese media franchise Pokémon launched in the US, it has become a staple of American culture — from trading cards to t-shirts, from action figures to videogames, from Oreo cookies to McDonald’s Happy Meals. And of course, the animated series.

Since the launch of that series the biggest stars have undoubtedly been aspiring Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum and his adorable pocket monster sidekick Pikachu. But now fans must say goodbye to these iconic heroes as the series moves on without them.

Host Scott Detrow talks to Izzie Ramirez, culture writer for Vox Media, about the legacy of the show and the future of the Pokémon franchise after Ash and Pikachu. And we hear reactions from fans and from Sarah Natochenny, who has voiced Ash since 2006.

The Road to Trump’s Indictment and What Comes Next

Former President Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury, making him the first former president in American history to face criminal charges.

The case involves hush money paid by Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump.

NPR’s Andrea Bernstein says the lengths Trump’s company went to cover up the hush money payment is part of a larger pattern of how Trump has long operated his businesses.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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Should We ‘Pause’ AI?

It’s been another month of impressive and unsettling AI breakthroughs. And, along with excitement, these breakthroughs have also sparked concerns about the risks AI could pose to society.

Take OpenAI’s release of GPT-4, the latest iteration of its ChatGPT chatbot. According to the company, it can pass academic tests (including several AP course exams) and even do your taxes. But NPR’s Geoff Brumfiel test drove the software, and found that it also sometimes fabricated inaccurate information.

Wednesday more than a thousand tech leaders and researchers – among them, Elon Musk – signed an open letter calling for a six month pause in the development of the most powerful AI systems. NPR’s Adrian Florido spoke with one signatory, Peter Stone, a computer science professor at the University of Texas.

NPR’s Shannon Bond has more reporting on AI and disinformation.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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The Politics Of Involuntary Commitment

Some officials in Democratic-led jurisdictions around the country are pushing to use involuntary commitment as a tool to tackle a surge in homelessness. We hear what officials in New York City, California and Portland, Oregon are proposing – and some of the pushback they are getting.

Ailsa Chang speaks with April Dembosky with KQED in San Francisco and Amelia Templeton with Oregon Public Broadcasting about how the conversation about involuntary commitment is playing out in California and Oregon.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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Lessons From A Country On The Front Lines Of Climate Change

The United Nations says time is running out to avoid the worst effects of climate change. At the same time, countries like Bangladesh have no choice but to adapt to an already changing climate.

Bangladesh is prone to flooding from rising sea levels and melting glaciers. And it is in the path of some of the world’s most powerful cyclones.

NPR’s Lauren Frayer reports from northern Bangladesh on how the country is becoming a hot spot for climate solutions.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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How Do You Put A Price On America’s Original Sin?

A task force set up by the California state legislature is studying how the legacy of slavery has harmed the state’s Black residents. This summer it will submit recommendations for how the state legislature should compensate African-Americans for that harm.

The task force has to answer thorny questions like who should qualify for reparations, how to measure the suffering that Black people have endured and how to attach a dollar figure to that suffering.

The chair of the task force, Kamilah Moore, says she hopes the panel’s work will make a real difference in the lives of millions of Black Californians and serve as a model for a national program.

NPR’s Jennifer Ludden reports on one big obstacle to a federal reparations package: public opinion is firmly against it. That’s especially true among white Americans.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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Possible Trump Indictment Is A Tricky Landscape For Rivals

Donald Trump was the first president in American history to be impeached twice. Now, he may be the first modern president, current or former – to be charged with criminal conduct.

The New York investigation into hush money paid to adult entertainment actor Stormy Daniels is just one of several criminal probes currently faced by Donald Trump, And it’s the one that is closest to issuing charges.

Amid all the legal drama Trump has announced his third bid for the White House. A pending indictment would usually be a golden opportunity for Trump’s Republican challengers – some who have declared – like Nikki Haley – and those who are expected to jump in the race – like Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis.

But for the field of Republican presidential candidates, taking Trump down while not alienating his base is risky business.

Host Scott Detrow talks to NPR congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell. He also talks to Jeff Sharlet, a professor of English at Dartmouth college and the author of the new book “Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War.”

March For Our Lives Co-Founder David Hogg Is Still Angry, Five Years On

On March 24, 2018, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Washington, D.C. to demand an end to gun violence. That was also the start of the March For Our Lives movement, which continues to call on young people to make their voices heard through the ballot box.

Survivors of a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida organized that first march. One of them was David Hogg. NPR’s Adrian Florido speaks with Hogg about the triumphs and frustrations of the past five years and the movement’s hopes for the future.

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The Rise And Fall Of A Notorious Financial Investor

PIMCO founder and legendary investor Bill Gross was known as the “Bond King.” People all over the finance world listened to his market calls. He helped change a sleepy bond market into the highly competitive and profitable world we know today. His story is also the story of how American financial markets work, how people game them, and what happens when they implode.

NPR’s Mary Childs wrote about Gross in her book, The Bond King: How One Man Made A Market, Built An Empire And Lost It All. She reported an episode about Gross for NPR’s Planet Money.

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