Here & Now
Here & Now

A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.

Airs on:
MON-THU 11am-12pm
21:24

'50 Pies, 50 States'; Berry good treats to celebrate July 4th

Celebrate the summer with a pie, inspired by the ingredients, traditions and flavors of every state in the U.S. Stacey Mei Yan Fong wrote the cookbook "50 Pies, 50 States" and joins us to detail the recipes in her book. And, it's strawberry season. Our resident chef Kathy Gunst shares some treats to sweeten up the summer using fresh berries including muffins, crumble and cake. Then, the NPR Student Podcast Challenge offers a glimpse into what younger people are thinking about. Those topics include weird facts about the founding fathers and the mysteries of zombies, carrier pigeons and more. NPR's Lauren Migaki joins us.
30:19

How extreme heat will change the world; Wildfire manager on tough start to summer

Poor air quality stemming from fires burning across Canada is again choking major American cities. Jane Park, a fire and vegetation specialist at Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, talks about her work to help manage the fires. And, extreme temperatures are brutal on the human body. Journalist Jeff Goodell's new book, "The Heat Will Kill You First," explores what to do when "the sun feels like the barrel of a gun pointed at you." Then, the mayor of Reno, Nevada, is advocating for cities to address mental health. Hillary Schieve speaks with us about her own personal story of losing three family members during the pandemic who struggled with depression, bipolar disorder and addiction.
31:30

Supreme Court rules against Biden's student debt plan; Reverse Course wrap up

By a 6 to 3 vote, the Supreme Court struck down President Biden's plan to cancel $400 billion in student loan debt. Emily Bazelon of The New York Times Magazine talks about the Supreme Court's ruling on student loans. And the court ruled 6-3 that the First Amendment bars Colorado from "forcing a website designer to create expressive designs speaking messages with which the designer disagrees." Imani Gandy of Rewire News Group tells us more. Then, CSPAN's Jesse Holland and Axios' Margaret Talev talk about the political fallout from big Supreme Court rulings and the latest from the 2024 campaign trail. Plus, all this week, Here & Now has been reporting on small solutions to the big problems caused by climate change in our series Reverse Course. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd and Chris Bentley discuss reporting the series and some takeaways about climate solutions.
24:08

Creating drinking water 'from thin air'; SCOTUS rules against affirmative action

Up to 2 million Americans don't have access to running water at home and many of those places are in the hottest, driest places in the country. As part of our climate series Reverse Course, Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd visits the Navajo Nation and rural El Paso County, Texas, to learn about a technology that's offering a solution. And, the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action admissions practices at the University of North Carolina and Harvard University. Alison Byerly, President of Carleton College, joins us. Then, South Koreans all got one to two years younger after a new law went into effect this week. The government adopted international age-counting standards, even though traditional methods will have some cultural relevance. NPR's Anthony Kuhn tells us more.
28:13

The future of Puerto Rico's electric grid; Construction worker on Texas' heat wave

Last year, Hurricane Fiona knocked out electricity across Puerto Rico and exposed how vulnerable the territory's grid remains. As part of our Reverse Course series, we hear from Puerto Ricans who want to break free from the cycle of destruction by building a decentralized grid powered largely by solar energy. But, as Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports, they say the government is not doing enough to hasten that transition. And we included an extended conversation with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Then, parts of southeast Texas have been facing triple-digit temperatures for three weeks now. Keith Katz, a second-year electrical apprentice and a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 716, talks about how he's handling the extreme heat on the job.
26:54

Abandoned oil wells cause climate disaster in Louisiana; USDA approves lab-grown meat

Oil and gas wells off the coast of Louisiana are leaking climate-warming methane. Though the federal government has put money toward plugging them up, residents are still suffering. So some environmental groups are taking matters into their own hands. Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports from the Gulf Coast. And, the Supreme Court has ruled against a fringe legal election theory. The court ruled that state constitutions do protect voting rights in federal elections. Law professor and former Justice Department official Spencer Overton joins us. Then, the Department of Agriculture has approved the sale of cultivated 'lab-grown' meat. Bloomberg food reporter Deena Shanker joins us.
30:55

'Climate smart' trees sprout in Minnesota; Nonfiction book recommendations

In the first part of our Reverse Course series, Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd goes deep into the Northwoods of Minnesota to learn how trees adapted to warmer climates might help the state's forests thrive long into the future. And, a new law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott overrides worker protections, taking away water breaks from construction workers in order to regulate businesses across Texas. Daniela Hernandez, state legislative coordinator for the Workers Defense Project in Texas, talks about this as the state experiences a dangerous heat wave. Then, as we head into summer, "The Stacks" podcats creator Traci Thomas picks her favorite nonfiction books of the past half-year that she says are "un-put-downable."
31:09

A better way to teach kids to read; Father and son's 'Bunnamigos' podcast

It's been one year since the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. We look back at some of the stories shared as part of NPR's Days & Weeks series. Creator of the series NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffi joins us. And, research shows that current methods of teaching children how to read aren't as effective as they could be. But changing teaching practices has become a battleground in some states. Emily Hanford, a reporter for American Public Media, joins us. Then, father and son duo Maurice and Ezra Poplar join us. They came up with the idea of a travel podcast for kids after inventing stories about a group of rabbits in their California neighborhood. The podcast is called "BunnAmigos," and its second season begins soon.