Episodes

  • How the Supreme Court expanded Trump's power

    How the Supreme Court expanded Trump's power
    Jun 29 2026
    The president can now fire most independent regulators, ending a nearly century-old precedent. Mark Joseph Stern, who covers the courts and the law for Slate, weighs in on the consequential opinion.

    Then, Alan Blinder, former vice chair of the Federal Reserve, talks about a separate but related decision that upholds the independence of the Federal Reserve.

    And, a new bridge between the U.S. and Canada has been built but the Trump administration won't allow it to open. Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta explains how it may be an apt metaphor for a low point in U.S.-Canada relations.

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    19 mins
  • Octavia Butler imagined the future on this typewriter

    Octavia Butler imagined the future on this typewriter
    Jun 26 2026
    Every storyteller has a tool: a notebook, a camera, a microphone. For legendary author Octavia Butler, it was a powder blue typewriter. That typewriter is now in the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Community Museum, and acting curator Jennifer Sieck explains Butler’s influence on the country’s history.

    And, the megalodon was one of the biggest fish that ever lived, with seven-inch-long teeth and jaws with 40,000 pounds of bite force. Don’t worry: The megalodon swam between 3.6 and 23 million years ago. But you can still see a model hanging from the ceiling in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. Curator Nick Pyenson explains why Americans remain fascinated with megalodons.

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    17 mins
  • Supreme Court makes it easier to deport immigrants

    Supreme Court makes it easier to deport immigrants
    Jun 25 2026
    The Supreme Court issued several opinions today that advance the Trump administration's agenda on immigration, gun access and the environment.

    It ended Temporary Protected Status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants, allowing them to be deported. It overturned a law in Hawaii that required people get permission before bringing a gun on private property. And, it sided with the manufacturer of Roundup after multiple lawsuits claimed the weed killer caused cancer.

    President and CEO of Global Refuge, Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, and law professor Kate Shaw join us to break down the decisions.

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    14 mins
  • The race to save Arizona's groundwater

    The race to save Arizona's groundwater
    Jun 24 2026
    Groundwater supplies in the Colorado River basin are falling fast as a historic drought continues to punish the West. Now, states like Arizona are considering new laws to regulate pumping from aquifers while keeping growing cities supplied with the water they need to grow in the desert. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd reports.

    And, it's summer gardening season. We hear tips for gardening during a dry summer from Sarah Perreault, managing editor for The Old Farmer's Almanac.

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    21 mins
  • Washington’s plan to ease the housing crisis

    Washington’s plan to ease the housing crisis
    Jun 23 2026
    Affordable housing is top of mind for voters, and lawmakers appear to be listening. The Senate on Monday passed a big housing bill that aims to increase supply and lower costs. But will it? University of Pennsylvania’s Vincent Reina explains.

    Then, record-breaking heat is hitting Europe. In France, dozens of people have died. The Associated Press’ Sylvia Hui explains how Europe is trying to adapt to a warming climate.

    And, the Supreme Court said the prison officials who forcibly shaved a Rastafarian man’s head did not violate his religious beliefs. What does this mean for religious freedom at large? Former federal prosecutor Paul Butler weighs in.

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    18 mins
  • How Israel's wars are reshaping the Democratic Party

    How Israel's wars are reshaping the Democratic Party
    Jun 22 2026
    Israel's wars in the Middle East have become a wedge issue in several congressional campaigns, especially in New York, where establishment Democrats are trying to fend off more progressive challengers backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. We discuss the impact Israel's wars are having on these key primary races with The New York Times' Benjamin Oreskes.

    And, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says President Trump is making up a story that she "begged" him for a photo at the G7 Summit in France last week. The rift could break up one of Trump's closest alliances in Europe. Federiga Bindi, who served as a senior advisor to Italy's then-Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, joins us to discuss what this means for Italy-U.S. relations.

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    19 mins
  • Reverse Course: Solutions for the climate crisis

    Reverse Course: Solutions for the climate crisis
    Jun 20 2026
    Our series Reverse Course has explored environmental crises and possible fixes, from water vapor harvesting to electric trucks.

    At the WBUR Festival in Boston last month, Here & Now's Chris Bentley and Peter O'Dowd discussed climate solutions on stage with Leah Bamberger, global sustainability leader at Textron and former director of sustainability at the City of Providence, and Tik Root, who covers climate solutions for Grist.

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    26 mins
  • America's 250th birthday must reckon with racism, historian says

    America's 250th birthday must reckon with racism, historian says
    Jun 19 2026
    In the new book "America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries," author Eddie Glaude looks at the cycles of American history and how they obscure the dark truth of the country. We speak with him.

    Then, 10 years ago, a gunman walked into the LGBTQ-friendly Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and opened fire, killing 49 people and injuring 50 more. Trauma surgeon Dr. Joseph Ibrahim was on call that night, mere blocks from the club. He reflects on the second-deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

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    21 mins