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Episodes

July 28, 2020

No really, how long before a coronavirus vaccine?

Phase three trials of coronavirus vaccines are underway, as long as scientists can find 30,000 volunteers. How white moms on the front line of Portland protests are trying to balance power with privilege. Plus, a seismic quiet on Earth.
July 27, 2020

Public vs. private: The pandemic education gap

The private-school choice parents are making as public classrooms remain closed. The privacy risks on TikTok. And John Lewis’s final journey.
July 24, 2020

Policing while black

As a black police officer in Plainfield, N.J., Martesse Gilliam thought he could change policing from the inside — until he ended up on the outside. Plus, how movie theaters are adjusting to the pandemic.
July 23, 2020

A show of force in American cities

Dissecting the deployment of federal forces to American cities. The surprising effects of the coronavirus on wildlife preservation in Kenya. And baseball returns, with some changes.
July 22, 2020

A looming deadline for tens of millions of Americans

The GOP battles over a trillion-dollar stimulus deal. Ahead of the November election, President Trump guts a landmark environmental law. And, how to avoid a devastating potential kink in the vaccine supply chain.
July 21, 2020

The Gettysburg Troll

Unmasking an Internet troll who for years provoked the far right using online aliases –– sometimes with dangerous results.
July 20, 2020

Federal agents storm Portland

Why federal tactical units have been deployed to Portland, Ore.— over police brutality protests. And, the legacy of John Lewis.
July 17, 2020

Inside the Houston surge

Full emergency rooms. Expanded ICUs. Double shifts. 3 a.m. phone calls to patients’ families. A look inside the hospitals at Texas Medical Center in Houston — the epicenter of the state’s new surge in coronavirus cases.
July 16, 2020

A tale of two vaccine searches

How the years-long hunt for an HIV vaccine gave researchers a leg up on a novel coronavirus vaccine. What Mary L. Trump’s new book has to say about the powerful family. And NBA players form a bubble at Disney World.
July 15, 2020

A crisis for education

Los Angeles takes schooling online this fall, as districts nationwide face the difficult task of balancing student needs with safety, political pressure and the global pandemic. Plus, a momentary respite for international college students.
July 14, 2020

How some campus health centers fail students

At college health centers, students have long battled misdiagnoses and inaccessible care. This fall, they’ll face a pandemic, too. Medical supply shortages continue in the United States. And, the power of a food boycott.
July 13, 2020

How Trump rewards loyalty

President Trump commutes the sentence of a political ally. Domestic violence rates rise as the pandemic continues. And a new name for Washington’s NFL team.
July 10, 2020

A new Hong Kong

How the democratic dreams of Hong Kong have been muted. Why workers are facing layoffs — again. And Disney World reopens in Florida.
July 9, 2020

Will we ever see Trump’s taxes?

The Supreme Court has ruled that a New York prosecutor can subpoena Trump’s tax records. Plus, how a nursing home administered a cocktail of unapproved drugs to its residents. And a music critic ventures out to hear live music.
July 8, 2020

Black women to Biden: You owe us

What black women want from the Democratic Party. The relevance of political conventions during a pandemic. And, what it’s like to get divorced via videoconference.
July 7, 2020

Teaching the human body to fight covid-19

In the race for a coronavirus vaccine, scientists are turning to RNA testing. How the Small Business Administration funneled money to major chains. And, why historically black colleges and universities face unique challenges during the pandemic.
July 6, 2020

Will there be another stimulus bill?

As coronavirus case numbers rise and the economic crisis continues, will Congress offer more relief? The awkward struggle for Republican lawmakers who support mandating masks, contradicting President Trump. And elevator etiquette during a pandemic.
July 3, 2020

“The Cursed Platoon,” Part 2

Clint Lorance had been in charge of his Army platoon for three days when he ordered them to kill three Afghans on a dirt road. After a second-degree murder conviction, Lorance was pardoned by Trump, hailed as a hero. His troops suffered a different fate.
July 2, 2020

“The Cursed Platoon,” Part 1

Clint Lorance had been in charge of his Army platoon for three days when he ordered them to kill three Afghans on a dirt road. After a second-degree murder conviction, Lorance was pardoned by Trump, hailed as a hero. His troops suffered a different fate.
July 1, 2020

Why would Russia pay the Taliban to kill U.S. troops?

What we know about the Russia-backed bounties on American troops in Afghanistan. What a mutation in the novel coronavirus actually means. And, a year of ups and downs for the fireworks industry.
June 30, 2020

The child-care problem

How the lack of child care is destabilizing the economy even more. Why women are hurting the most in this economic downturn. And what it’s like to join Alcoholics Anonymous over Zoom.
June 29, 2020

A reprieve for abortion rights

The Supreme Court strikes down a restrictive Louisiana abortion law. Surging coronavirus infections in the United States. And, Mississippi votes to remove the Confederate symbol from its state flag.
June 26, 2020

Policing the black imagination

How rapper Drakeo the Ruler dropped an album from jail. The history of germ theory, and how the discovery of pathogens changed the way we live.
June 25, 2020

Tamir Rice’s mother on the trauma of loss

In 2014, Tamir Rice was fatally shot by a police officer while playing with a toy gun. He was 12 years old. His mother, Samaria Rice, discusses the trauma she still carries. And, why a decrease in reports of child abuse isn’t cause for celebration.