Asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border are often subject to arbitrary decisions made by border patrol agents who decide whether they can enter the country or not. And in Texas, a federal judge ruled Gov. Greg Abbott's floating barrier in Rio Grande. Reporter Lillian Perlmutter and Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, join us. And, as more companies return to in-office work requirements, the future of remote work is uncertain. Callum Borchers, columnist at the Wall Street Journal, joins us to explain what happens next. Then, the NFL football season kicks off on Thursday as the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Detroit Lions. With the return of football comes the return of sports betting, now legal in two-thirds of states. But there's a darker side to the industry. Professor Lia Nower, director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University, joins us.

David Miliband, CEO and president of the International Rescue Committee, says he's concerned the war in Ukraine is becoming "normalized." He talks about the war and the humanitarian crisis it has created. And, as part of its plans to make up for a $45 million budget shortfall, the leaders of West Virginia University announced it will end its advanced study of foreign languages programs. Paula Krebs, executive director of the Modern Language Association, explains what's at stake for students, and WVU President E. Gordon Gee shares how he is justifying the cuts. Then, a flurry of hiring of diversity, equity and inclusion specialists followed the murder of George Floyd three years ago. And now, DEI executives leaving their posts or being let go. Professor Shaun Harper, founder and executive director of the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center, joins us.

Amid demands for higher pay and a shorter workweek, the United Auto Workers are likely to strike when the union's current contract expires next week. University of Michigan Ross School of Business professor Erik Gordon joins us. And, New York City, attempting to reign in the short-term rental market, has placed new rules on Airbnb properties. Roben Farzad, host of public radio's "Full Disclosure," joins us. Then, while Americans often diligently sort and recycle plastics at home, only 5% of plastics in the U.S. can actually be recycled. Judith Enck of the non-profit Beyond Plastics joins us to talk about plastic pollution and solutions to it.

It's been a hot summer. "This is Wildfire: How to Protect Yourself, Your Home, and Your Community in the Age of Heat" explores the relationship between wildfire, humans and nature. Authors Nick Mott and University of Montana professor Justin Angle offer tips on how to prevent fires and stay safe if they do ignite. And, for researchers to find ways to protect American cities from extreme temperatures, they have to know exactly how hot it is. That's why cities like Phoenix and Chicago are undergoing heat mapping projects. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd and Chris Bentley report on the projects. Then, solar energy is becoming more popular in the U.S. but infrastructure can take up lots of land. Enter floating solar. WUSF's Steve Newborn takes us to a pond in Florida where one energy company is conducting a floating solar pilot program.

Even though summer is winding down, there's still enough time to bang out some reading. Creator of "The Stacks" podcast Traci Thomas and hosts Scott Tong and Robin Young offer some of their favorite books they read this summer. And, author Khashayar J. Khabushani joins us to talk about his debut novel "I Will Greet the Sun Again," which follows K., an Iranian-American boy living in Los Angeles. Then, depending on who you ask, Wallace Stegner was either the greatest writer in the American West or a name they've never heard. Melody Graulich is an emeritus professor of English and America Studies at Utah State University and has studied the life of Stegner and his works. She joins us.

Former lawyer Rudy Giuliani is being sued for defamation by Georgia election workers. Michael Gottlieb, the attorney for two of those workers, joins us. And, Ali Velshi tells us about his new podcast, called "Banned Book Club," which focuses on books prohibited in schools across the U.S. And bans on books don't only apply to schools — Missouri has banned incarcerated people from receiving books in the mail. Dylan Pyles, co-founder of the nonprofit Liberation Lit, joins us to talk about it. Then, Nashville band Old Crow Medicine Show released a new album called "Jubilee." Ketch Secor, one of the band's founders and current frontman, joins us to talk about the new music and his commitment to gun policy reform.

Hurricane Idalia made landfall on the Big Bend area of Florida on Wednesday and homeowners are reeling. Pamela Macrae joins us to talk about what she's seen in her hometown of Homosassa. WUFT's Christopher Will also joins us. And, WPLN criminal justice reporter Paige Pfleger joins us to talk about her joint investigation with ProPublica into Tennessee's flawed gun dispossession system. A large number of homicides are carried out by people legally barred from owning guns. Then, sufferers of tinnitus hear buzzing, ringing or other sounds in their ears, sometimes continuously. But new technology could provide some relief. Dr. Brian Fligor, audiologist and tinnitus expert at Tobias & Battite Hearing Wellness in Boston, and one of his tinnitus patients Elliot Gerberg join us.

Hurricane Idalia is expected to hit Florida's west coast on Wednesday, and residents are preparing for a potentially deadly storm surge. University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy joins us. And, when Spain won the women's World Cup, the head of the country's soccer federation, Luis Rubiales forcibly kissed forward Jennifer Hermoso. Why hasn't he been removed from the organization? The GIST's Lauren Tuiskula joins us to talk about how sexual misconduct pervades sports still. Then, Washington D.C.'s rat problem has been steadily worsening, and feral cats are part of the solution. The Humane Rescue Alliance's Blue Collar Cats program rehomes feral cats to live outside at houses around the metropolitan area. Washington Post reporter John Hudson is a participant in the program and joins us, along with Maureen Sosa, HRA's director of pet support.

On Saturday, a white gunman opened fire at a store in Jacksonville, Florida, killing 3 Black people. The gunman used slurs, had swastikas on his weapon and left behind racist writings. Kimberly Allen, CEO of 904WARD, joins us. And, as Hurricane Idalia approaches Florida, residents face an insurance crisis and a governor who's been distracted by a presidential campaign. Politico's Kimberly Leonard joins us. Then, some freight trains can stretch up to 2 miles long. In rural American communities, these trains stopped at stations can block traffic, school buses and more. The mayor of York, Alabama, Willie Lake and Associated Press railroad reporter Josh Funk join us.

This week in politics saw former President Donald Trump surrender himself in Georgia, the first Republican primary presidential debate and an impending Congress return. ABC News political director Rick Klein and USA Today White House correspondent Francesca Chambers join us. And, while residents of Maui continue to recover from the wildfires that devastated the island, a group of chefs is preparing thousands of meals per day to feed survivors. Sheldon Simeon, celebrity chef and owner of restaurant Tin Roof, joins us. Then, blues singer Shemeika Copeland just won the Critics Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album of 2022 and Female Blues Artist Of The Year by Living Blues Magazine. Copeland joins us to talk about her music.