Here & Now

Author C.J. Farley joins us to talk about "Zero O'Clock," his new book for young adults. The book focuses on a high school senior whose preoccupation with college admissions, her father's death and the K-pop group BTS becomes overshadowed by the pandemic. And, storm remnants of Nicholas is not as strong as Hurricane Ida was a couple of weeks ago, but all that water is complicating the recovery process for homeowners around New Orleans. Matt Sledge, a reporter for the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, joins us.

Thousands of refugees from Afghanistan are starting their lives over in the U.S. Host Tonya Mosley checks in with Miry Whitehill, founder of the nonprofit Miry's List, and Afghan refugee Wahidullah Ashghary, on the effort to welcome new arrivals in Los Angeles. And, following the new report from the Colorado Attorney General's Office, we hear from Sheneen McClain, mother to Elijah McClain, as she reflects on her son's life. Elijah McClain died at the hands of Aurora police and paramedics in 2019.

Here & Now resident chef Kathy Gunst shares her favorite sweet and savory grape recipes with us, as well as her master recipe for roasting the fruit. And, Gideon Gil, STAT's infectious diseases and public health editor, joins us for an update on groundbreaking research that makes a "phantom hand" seem real.

The new film "The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain" dramatizes the story of Chamberlain Sr., a 68-year-old Black retired Marine who was killed by police who were responding to a medical alert. Chamberlain Sr.'s son, Kenneth Chamberlain Jr., joins us to discuss. And, Georgia Public Broadcasting's Grant Blankenship has the story of Georgia conservationists who are saving the seeds of endangered plants, learning what they can about them in captivity and maybe one day find them new homes.

Several states are moving to make it easier for homeowners to strike language in the fine print of home deeds that restricts sales to people of color. Those "housing covenants" have left a legacy of discrimination. Kiarra Zackery and her father Ulysses Zackery join us to talk about their effort to remove the housing covenant in Ulysses Zackery's housing deed in Minneapolis. And, Broadway is officially reopening on Tuesday. We revisit our conversation with Tony Award-winning actor Andre de Shields.

Actress Gabrielle Union joins us to talk about her new collection of essays "You Got Anything Stronger?" — a follow-up to her 2017 best seller "We're Going To Need More Wine." And, on Sept. 14, 2001, flights resumed for the first time in the U.S. a few days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It marked the moment that flying as we knew it changed forever. We reflect on the changes 20 years later with Here & Now transportation analyst Seth Kaplan.

Video conferencing all day is causing "Zoom dysmorphia," where people are fixated on perceived flaws they see in the image of themselves on screen, says Dr. Shadi Kourosh. Kourosh, director of community health in the Department of Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins us. And, after a master cowbell maker died a few years ago, Ulisis Santiago taught himself how to handcraft cowbells and has become internationally known for his instruments. Maayan Silver of WUWM reports.

A recent report from the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, finds that nearly half of transgender people in the U.S have been mistreated by a health care provider. Calvin Gilbert, a nurse practitioner, shares what it's like to be both a provider and an advocate for transgender issues in medicine. And, we speak with Derek Thompson, staff writer at The Atlantic, about his latest piece on U.S. life spans, which have fallen behind Europe.

Beulah Cooper and Hannah O'Rourke join us to discuss how their lives intersected on Sept. 11, 2001. Both inspired characters in the musical "Come From Away," which will be performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday. Actress Happy McPartlin, who will sing the role of Cooper at the Lincoln Memorial, also shares her thoughts on the musical's healing message. And, to many, it feels like we're living in the age of social media influencers. Femi Oke, host of "The Stream on Al Jazeera," tells us more about the new and old class of influencers.

After the attacks on the World Trade towers and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville and his colleagues at the National Guard learned of a fourth hijacked plane — Flight 93 — still in progress. That's when they sprung into action. Sasseville joins us. And, we speak with investigative journalist Spencer Ackerman about his new book, "Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump."

As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, host Robin Young looks back at that day through some of the voices we spoke with then and in the days following the difficult events. And, author and columnist Radley Balko discusses how federal grant money increased police access to military-grade equipment in the two decades since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and what that militarization means for society.

Welles Crowther, known as "the man in the red bandana," was killed while saving people during the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The 24-year-old was a former volunteer fireman who worked as an equities trader on South Tower's 104th floor. His mother, Alison Crowther, joins us. And, Blake Farmer of WPLN in Nashville visited one hospital filled where unvaccinated intensive care unit patients are expressing regret for not taking the vaccine.

Acclaimed musician Josh Ritter discusses "The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All," his new novel about a young boy coming of age among lumberjacks in turn-of-the-20th-century Idaho. And, many members of New York's Mohawk tribe helped build the NYC skyline, including the Twin Towers. They also saw the towers fall and participated in the cleanup and rescue mission. North Country Public Radio's Ana Williams-Bergen spoke with some Mohawk steelworkers as they look back to that fateful time 20 years ago.

We speak with André De Shields, Tony award-winning actor and star of the musical "Hadestown," about the reopening of Broadway. And, we talk to Souad Mekhennet, a Washington Post reporter who has been covering national security and terrorism in the U.S. and Europe, about how the global War on Terror that began following the 9/11 attacks shaped radicalism and terrorism in Europe. Dozens of terrible attacks have hit Europe in the past two decades.

Following 9/11, millions of Muslim Americans were faced with significant challenges in their lives. Now as the 20th anniversary approaches, we hear from three individuals on their experience growing up Muslim in a post-9/11 world. And, one in five teens within the U.S. reportedly struggle to afford menstrual products. Dr. Shelby Davies tells us more about the issue within the United States.

The new Netflix film "Worth" tells the story of attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who administered the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. We speak with Feinberg and his office administrator Camille Biros. And, climate change in Nigeria has led to seasons of drought and excess flood, impacting agriculture and causing loss of farmland. Environmentalist Nnimmo Bassey talks about the impact climate change is having on the country and the government's response to the crisis.

"American Utopia" is an unusual Broadway musical from Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, featuring new songs as well as old favorites from the rock band. We revisit host Robin Young's conversation with Byrne. And, film critic Ty Burr left his longtime job at the Boston Globe to start "Ty Burr's Watch List," a substack subscription newsletter with recommendations for films to stream as well as cultural commentary. He shares a few recommendations.

When people think of women on cruise ships in the early 1900s, many probably picture wealthy heiresses with hatboxes. Author Siân Evans tells the stories of the women below decks in her new book, "Maiden Voyages." And, Alphabet-owned Waymo rolled out a fleet of self-driving cars in Phoenix, Arizona, last year. But the company is colliding with the reality that widespread adoption of autonomous cars is further away than they previously thought. Bloomberg reporter Gabrielle Coppola tells us more.

Four years ago the U.S. Men's Soccer Team suffered a disappointing loss in their attempts to qualify for the World Cup. But now they have a chance to qualify once more for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Roger Bennett, co-host of the "Men in Blazers" podcast, joins us. And as many Americans begin to head out for the holiday weekend, Here & Now transportation analyst Seth Kaplan talks about traveling during Labor Day.

Longtime weatherman and "Today Show" co-anchor Al Roker was in New Orleans this week covering Hurricane Ida. We revisit a July 2020 conversation with Roker about his book "You Look So Much Better in Person: True Stories of Absurdity and Success." And, Ida took the lives of at least 60 people across eight states this week. This dark reality leaves policymakers with difficult questions for the road ahead. Climate expert Alice Hill joins us.