Up until June, Greg Reese had a Confederate flag magnet on the trunk of his car. But George Floyd's killing changed his perspective, and he's since created the slogan "Rednecks for Black Lives." And, doctors have reported an increasing number of cases where COVID-19 patients have suffered paralysis. We speak with a critical care doctor in Houston on the disturbing trend.

The first images taken by a new solar probe stunned scientists at the European Space Agency and NASA. The pictures revealed miniature solar flares all over the sun's surface. We talk with Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla, NASA deputy project scientist for the solar orbiter. Also, writer Zadie Smith reflects on the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement in a new essay collection.

The Trump administration's expansion of Operation LeGend, sending federal agents into cities with the stated mission of fighting violent crime, is raising a lot of questions. Janet Napolitano, the outgoing president of the University of California and former Department of Homeland Security Secretary under President Obama, joins us to discuss. And, as pressure builds on Congress to help millions of unemployed Americans, an expert addresses some listener questions about the process.

The San Diego Comic-Con has become a huge venue for TV, movies and games to make a splash. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans discusses the impact of the convention moving online. And, this week, President Trump announced the expansion Operation LeGend that will send federal agents to U.S. cities with the stated mission of fighting violent crime. Democrats see the deployment of federal agents as an extension of the president's reelection campaign. Host Jeremy Hobson speaks with John C. Anderson, U.S. Attorney for the District of New ...

For the first time in two weeks, the U.S. recorded 1,000 deaths in a single day from the coronavirus. Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease specialist at Florida International University, joins us to discuss why she's calling for a national unified strategy to tackle the pandemic. And, Rutgers University linguist Kristen Syrett is among many saying it's time to expunge certain expressions from our vocabulary that are rooted in slavery.

Trump recently tweeted about the "silent majority," a phrase Nixon used to refer to when he asked for support. Professor Angie Maxwell explains whether the phrase can be applied to today's politics. Also, in Portland, Oregon, the emergence of a new group of protesters, the so-called "Wall of Moms," in the past few days has garnered support for their pleas to protect the city's youth and turning protest slogans into lullabies. We talk to one of the original organizers, Beverley "Bev" Barnum.

As schools try to reopen, some have pledged to consider an anti-racism curriculum. John Hobson of Albemarle County Public Schools in Charlottesville, Virginia, joins us to discuss the district's Reframing the Narrative program. And, Black broadcasters in the U.S. are seeking to expand radio station ownership opportunities for people of color. Carol Moore Cutting, owner of Cutting Edge Broadcasting, joins us to discuss some of those efforts.

Under the shadow of the coronavirus and amid protests over police brutality, the notion that racism is a public health crisis has taken hold in communities across the country. But what kind of action will follow? WCPN ideastream's Nick Castele reports. Also, service workers on the front lines of COVID-19 are more vulnerable to contracting the virus. Host Tonya Mosley speaks to Brian Ramian, a restaurant server who recently wrote about his fears at work in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times.

The Florida Education Association is suing the state of Florida over its plans to fully reopen schools five days a week in August. We talk to Fedrick Ingram, union president, about his concerns. Also, host Tonya Mosley speaks with Jim Carrey and Dana Vachon, authors of "Memoirs and Misinformation," a new novel that centers around an actor named Jim Carrey.

COVID-19 long-haulers are a mix of older and younger patients whose symptoms last months after the infection is over, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Among them is 40-year-old New York psychiatrist Dr. Scott Krakower, who joins us to talk about his long fight with the coronavirus. And, host Robin Young speaks with Cariol Horne, a former Black police officer in Buffalo, New York, who was fired after she intervened to stop a white police officer who had placed a chokehold on a Black suspect.