Here & Now

Though the U.S. and Iran were once allies, their relationship has since turned tense in the last 40 years. Now, President Trump is weighing U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Historian and author John Ghazvinian joins us to unpack decades of history in U.S.-Iran diplomacy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently fired all members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's independent vaccine panel, prompting criticism from health experts. One of those experts is Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as surgeon general in the first Trump administration. And, New York City's mayoral race is coming down to the wire, with progressive state representative Zohran Mamdani closing in on former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's lead. WNYC reporter Brigid Bergin explains what the race says about the state of the Democratic Party. Then, honoring Juneteenth in Charleston from the past to the present. Chad Stewart, curator of history at the Charleston Museum, explains Charleston, South Carolina's role in the transatlantic slave trade and the role slave tags played in it. And singer Mumu Fresh shares the joy and celebration of Juneteenth through music.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump said on Wednesday that he hasn't decided whether the U.S. will strike Iran's nuclear facilities. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine joins us to discuss a resolution he introduced that would require approval from Congress before the U.S. military could get involved in Iran. And, as Ukraine continues to endure deadly air strikes, the G7 conference ended with no strong condemnation of Russia or much mention of Ukraine at all. The Washington Post's Lizzie Johnson shares the latest from Kyiv. Then, pop singer Vanessa Hernandez, known as NEZZA, sang the official Spanish version of the U.S. national anthem at a Los Angeles Dodgers game, against the wishes of the team. NEZZA explains more about her decision.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is calling for a "real end" to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Vali Nasr, a professor of Middle East studies and international affairs at Johns Hopkins University, joins us to talk about how Trump is navigating the crisis. And, the Trump administration's immigration raids have targeted farm workers. California farmer Lisa Tate shares the impact of those raids on the farm workforce. Then, Tuesday marks 10 years since a white supremacist opened fire at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine parishioners. Marcus Amaker, the first poet laureate of Charleston, reflects on the past decade.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As Iran and Israel continue to lob airstrikes at each other, civilian casualties are climbing in both countries. Negar Mortazavi from the Center for International Policy shares how Iran sees the escalating conflict. And, authorities in Minnesota have arrested a suspect in the killing of State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the shootings of State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Minnesota Public Radio's Matt Sepic joins us. Then, Meta is pursuing artificial "superintelligence." It bought a 49% stake in Scale AI for $14.3 billion. Ina Fried, chief technology correspondent for Axios, explains more about Meta's race to create a more powerful AI.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Apple sent engineers to China to make its sophisticated products cheaply. The company sent engineers to train workers and paid for expensive specialized equipment at factories there. This helped push China to become the world's leader in high-tech electronics manufacturing and helped Apple create the iPhone, one of the most iconic products of the 21st century. Patrick McGee, author of "Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company," explains how China and Apple have become entwined.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Rev. Zachary Hoover explains what's motivating protesters to go out and oppose the Trump administration's immigration raids in Los Angeles. And, in 2016, the Mississippi River punched a hole in the Len Small levee, built in 1943 to protect farmland along an S-shaped curve in the river known as Dogtooth Bend. That hole was never repaired. Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports on how some farmers in the area have had to give up their land. Then, Brian Wilson, the visionary force behind the Beach Boys, died at 82. Host Robin Young reflects on his life, legacy and musical impact.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration has deployed a military presence to Los Angeles amid protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Retired 4-star General Barry McCaffrey explains his concerns about how Trump is using the armed forces in an American city. And, as Trump's tax bill makes its way through the Senate, the food assistance program SNAP could see cuts. Pamela Irvine, CEO of Feeding Southwest Virginia, details how the work her food bank does might be be impacted. Then, in 2019, the sandbag levee protecting Anderson Jones' home failed, letting floodwaters seep past the barrier. After a years-long journey, Jones is back at home. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd reports on the rebuilding process and how a new pump project could mitigate future floods.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The ongoing protests in Los Angeles started after immigration raids and workplace arrests in the city. The Wall Street Journal's Michelle Hackman explores the decision-making that led the Trump administration to carry out recent immigration actions. And, hundreds of scientists with the National Institutes of Health have signed a letter calling to protect biomedical science from what they called forced politicization by the Trump administration around important research. Jenna Norton, a researcher with the NIH and one of the organizers behind this letter, explains more. Then, in 2019, an unrelenting flood swamped more than half a million acres in the Mississippi Delta's Yazoo Backwater. It took more than six months to recede. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd reports on a pumping station project that could protect against destruction from future floods.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump ordered the Pentagon to send around 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against immigration raids in the city. Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, explains the legal implications. Trump ignored California Gov. Gavin Newsom's objections to deploying the National Guard. The last time a president called in the National Guard without the governor's approval was in 1965 during the Selma march. Historian Julian Zelizer explains more. Then, John Ruskey calls the Mississippi River "a creative force" that sculpts the landscape and rejuvenates the people who experience it up close. But climate change is making that force stronger and more destructive. Here & Now's Chris Bentley took a canoe ride with Ruskey and reports on the future of the river.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The federal trial of media mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is ending its fourth week. Combs faces charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. We get the latest from the Washington Post's Samantha Chery. Then, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, the Kenyan writer who is considered to be one of the founders of African literature, died last week at the age of 87. Kenyan writer Dennis Mugaa joins us. And, the blockbuster hit "Jaws" would not have been possible without the support of locals on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. A new exhibit on the island celebrates the helping hands that made the film come to life 50 years ago. WBUR's Andrea Shea reports.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump signed a proclamation Wednesday to ban nationals of 12 countries from entering the U.S. One of those countries is Afghanistan, where thousands of Afghans helped the U.S. military fight its 20-year war there. Zia Ghafoori, a former interpreter for the U.S. military, and Shawn Van Diver, founder and president of AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans, join us. Then, two food distribution sites have reopened in Gaza after violence in the region temporarily shut them down. UNICEF's James Elder joins us from on the ground in Gaza. And, researchers are praising the results of two studies that used immunotherapy to fight one of the most difficult-to-treat types of brain cancer, glioblastoma. We hear from STAT's Angus Chen.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ms. Rachel became a YouTube star with her educational videos for toddlers. Now, she's getting attention and some pushback over her advocacy for children in Gaza.Ms. Rachel, whose full name is Rachel Accurso, tells us why she's willing to risk her career to stand up for children in war-torn Gaza.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Nearly 1,500 migrants in Massachusetts have been arrested by immigration officials over the past month. Federal agents say most were criminals, but many were not, including 18-year-old high school student Marcelo Gomes Da Silva. WBUR's Simón Rios explains more. And, Ukraine launched a major drone attack on airbases in Russian territory over the weekend. Peace talks followed in Turkey, but yielded little progress. Siobhan O'Grady of the Washington Post shares a view from Ukraine. Then, bird flu has wiped out nearly six million chickens at Hickman's Family Farms in Arizona. Glenn Hickman, president and CEO of Hickman's Family Farms, details the impact on one of Southwest's largest egg producers.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Georgetown University researcher Badar Khan Suri was arrested in March by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while walking toward his Virginia home. The Trump administration has called him a threat to foreign policy, but Suri has not been charged with a crime and ICE agents never showed him a warrant. Suri speaks with Asma Khalid about his nearly two-month 'nightmare' detainment in facilities across Virginia, Louisiana and Texas, and why he still believes in American ideals.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Tens of thousands of researchers are out of work amid President Trump's ongoing purge of the federal workforce. One of those workers is Peggy Hall, a biologist who worked at the National Institutes of Health. Hall joins us with freelance reporter Virginia Gewin, who recently wrote about fired workers for Nature. And, a study from the Rochester Institute of Technology estimated more than 10,000 tons of plastic enter the Great Lakes every year. Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports on efforts to curb pollution, including a robot that combs the shores for trash. Then, the North American prairie is biologically diverse, but it's rapidly disappearing. In their book "Sea of Grass," Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty unpack the threats to the prairie and profile the people trying to save it.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Wednesday that the State Department "will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." NPR's Emily Feng joins us to explain what it means. Then, President Trump pardoned a man sentenced to tax fraud after his mother reportedly paid $1 million to attend a Trump fundraiser. Law professor Kim Wehle tells us more. And, a group of British climbers made it to the top of Mount Everest in a matter of days after they inhaled xenon gas. Mountaineer and Everest chronicler Alan Arnette talks about the controversial new way of climbing the world's tallest mountain.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Rural hospital CEO Kevin Stansbury talks about what the Medicaid cuts being debated by lawmakers could mean to his 25-bed county-owned hospital in Hugo, Colorado. Then, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that the CDC would no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children or healthy pregnant women. OBGYN Dr. Linda Eckert weighs in. And, landmark climate legislation from the Biden administration would be dismantled in the massive spending bill that House Republicans recently passed. Grist's Zoya Teirstein breaks down the potential impacts on renewable energy projects already underway.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

NPR and three Colorado public radio stations filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging President Trump's executive order to bar federal funding from going to NPR and PBS. NPR's David Folkenflik explains more. And, the Trump administration on Tuesday ordered federal agencies to unwind all federal funding to Harvard University. Trump claims the university fosters antisemitism and stifles viewpoint diversity. Connor Murnane — campus advocacy chief of staff at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression — argues that Harvard's failures do not justify Trump's dramatic steps against the university. Then, if you've seen the hit TV show "Bridgerton," you've likely heard the musical stylings of the Vitamin String Quartet. The group reimagines pop songs as string instrument covers, and members Rachel Grace and Derek Stein share more about their musical journeys.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This year's National Teacher of the Year is wrapping up classes with her students and getting ready to embark on a yearlong tour to inspire fellow teachers around the country. Ashlie Crosson, an English teacher from Pennsylvania, joins us. Then, if you are feeling stressed about speaking in front of others, you can transform that pressure by playing with your voice. Performance coaches Michael Allison and Mathilde Shisko explain how vocal play exercises help build confidence. And, thousands of U.S. schools had their students race the clock to stack cups in gym class. Why? A former circus clown from Colorado holds the key. We hear from sport stacking royalty, Kit Fox.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy