Here & Now Anytime

"The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny," Kiran Desai's 2025 novel, is a sprawling, multi-generational family saga that plays out across four continents in the late 1990s. Desai talks about her epic second novel and the power of solitude. Then, "The Muppets Show" is turning 50. We speak with Bonnie Erickson, the creator of the Miss Piggy puppet, and Dave Goelz, the only human who has played Gonzo.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Department of Government Efficiency lasted just a few months in 2025, but its impact will last for years. That's not because it made the government more efficient — it failed to meaningfully reduce federal spending — but because it hollowed out several government agencies and demonized federal workers. A new book tells the story of DOGE through the eyes of career civil servants who fought back. It’s called “Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State,” by Michael Lewis. He speaks to host Scott Tong.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Cheyenne author Tommy Orange found out that one of his favorite Indigenous writers wasn't actually Indigenous. Then, he interviewed him. Orange shares what he learned and the long history of "pretendians," non-Indigenous people claiming to be Indigenous. Then, Brian Frange, who calls apples the "greatest fruit to grace the earth," has made it his calling to rank and re-rank at least 100 varieties of the fruit, based on 10 criteria, including density, skin, flesh, crispness, beauty and, of course, taste. Frange joins us to talk about his rankings, the unlikely origins of the apple, and the fact that planting the seeds from any variety of apple will produce a new species, making grafting the only way to produce known apple types.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The construction of data centers in Ohio has become a contentious issue in the Senate race there. The issue at the center of several races across the country this November. Ohio Public Media's Karen Kasler tells us more. Then, in the Ukrainian frontline town of Oleshky, residents can't get out, and food and medical supplies can't get in. Kyiv Independent reporter Yuliia Taradiuk tells us about the dire humanitarian situation. And, the trillion-dollar longevity industry has attracted nonprofit hospitals, raising questions about lending scientific authority to controversial practices. STAT's Sarah Todd explains why nonprofits are opening longevity clinics. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Russian officials have reportedly placed 200 people under medical observation and quarantined the hospital where a 28-year-old lab worker died of a suspected case of plague in Siberia. We learn more about the mysterious illness and the lab it may have originated from with Dr. Ashish Jha. Then, we get the latest on Iowa politics ahead of the midterm elections. Polls show the red state may be leaning blue amid high diesel prices. University of Iowa's Timothy Hagle explains. And, Jake Pearson is a problem gambler, losing thousands of dollars a night betting on sports, and a DraftKings VIP, lavished with special offers for free gambling money. Pearson is also a reporter for ProPublica who says one of the country’s biggest sportsbooks rewarded his recklessness and put profit over protection. He gives an insider's view of what it's like to ride the rollercoaster of problem gambling.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

When Brittany Gurney’s son was 14 months old, he had a medical emergency. The bill came out to $15,000. Gurney paid what she could, but it wasn’t enough. Her debt went to collections. But, a surprise letter arrived in the mail: Her debt had been forgiven. Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd reports on a company that buys up and forgives medical debt, the impact it has on Americans’ lives and how medical debt is a widespread, growing problem in the U.S.Then, newly constructed homes now cost less than existing homes in many U.S. markets, reversing a years-long trend. Joel Berner, a senior economist for Realtor.com, shares more about the outlook for prospective buyers.And, climate change brings a number of visible changes, but one artist is trying to capture the sounds that come along with it too. WBUR’s Barbara Moran talks with Nikki Lindt who visits Alaska frequently to capture its audible changes.See more of our Alaska climate coverage here.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The U.S. Supreme Court decided Tuesday the Trump administration can resume deporting immigrants to countries they have no ties to. Michelle Mendez from the National Immigration Project explains the decision and what it means for immigrants who are fighting to stay in the country.Then, Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids are sparking concerns among residents and business owners in the town of Liberal, Kansas. Janeth Vazquez, vice-mayor and the first Latina elected in Liberal, shares what she’s hearing in her community.And, the U.S. military has now left Iraq, more than 20 years after it invaded the country. Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus, who led U.S. and allied forces in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, reflects on the war, the withdrawal and what could come next.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We’re taking a closer look at the problem of housing affordability. Housing expert Christina Stacy answers questions we received in our inbox, and provides tips on renting and buying in this market. And, less than a tenth of people diagnosed with glioblastoma survive five years after diagnosis. That might change. German Biotech company CeGaT has developed a promising treatment for the deadly brain cancer by sequencing a unique vaccine from a patient’s cancer cells. We break down the process with Saskia Biskup, co-founder of CeGaT, and American patient Laura Eddington, who was joined by her husband, Jeff Eddington.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

As wars rage and the United States slashes humanitarian aid, the world finds itself unable to help the people most in need. Former UK foreign secretary and head of the International Rescue Committee David Miliband talks about the implications. And, for many Palestinians in Gaza, the ceasefire reached last October between Israel and Hamas is only a ceasefire in name. The Ministry of Health in Gaza says more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire agreement last year. We hear from Eyad Amawi, an aid worker with the Gaza Relief Committee, about what life in Gaza looks like today.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A Venezuelan immigrant still has a bullet in his back, two days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and injured him, according to his lawyer Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch. Lincoln-Goldfinch says Wilber Rafael Garces Perez is being kept in a regular bed in a detention center and treated with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. We speak with Lincoln-Goldfinch. Then, although required by law, accessible voting remains a challenge for people with disabilities, with the midterms just six weeks out. Maria Town, president and CEO of the American Association for People With Disabilities, joins us. And, Juneau's Assembly is considering an ordinance that would cap the number of cruise ships allowed to dock each day in the tourist hot spot. KTOO's Clarise Larson shares the latest.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Country musician Orville Peck's new album "Mule" tells the story of a transformative year that began in the summer of 2023, when Peck nearly died of an overdose before a show. He tells us more. Then, Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen says her new album, "Day and Night," stands as the proudest creative achievement of her career. Jepsen discusses the influences behind her new album and the journey it takes listeners on. And, this week, the Macklemore and Ed Sheeran tour debacle highlighted the conflict between music and politics. Rolling Stone's Jon Blistein joins us.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

China watcher Kevin Xu explains the myths and realities of China's capabilities in artificial intelligence amid concerns in the U.S. that regulating it here would cause the U.S. to fall behind China in AI development. Then, Jesse Appell describes himself as an independent creative, entrepreneur and intercultural comedian based in Beijing, using comedy to bridge cultural divides. His new memoir, "This Was Funnier in China, An American Comedian's Cross-Cultural Journey," details it all.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Welcome to the next big vibe shift in artificial intelligence. On Monday, Microsoft published a new "Humanist AI" code of conduct that says people should always be in control, after the leaders of OpenAI and Anthropic over the weekend called for a global slowdown in AI research. But President Trump says now is not the time to slow down development. Axios' Ina Fried tells us more. And as leaders of powerful artificial intelligence companies are calling for slowing down the pace of development, how did we get here, and how would that work? We ask Gregory Allen, founder and CEO of Decision Tree Research.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy