Soju, who competed on "RuPaul's Drag Race," tells us about what it was like growing up queer and Korean in the Midwest and answers all our burning questions about K-pop idols and fans. Plus, she shares tracks from H.O.T, 2NE1, Tiffany Young, and herself. Also, three missions to Mars are set to blast off in the coming weeks. NASA is even planning to bring back Martian rocks for the first time ever. We talk with science journalist Alexandra Witze.

K-pop Top Hits With Soju; Upcoming Missions To Mars

The news you need to know today — and the stories that will stick with you tomorrow. Plus, special series and behind-the-scenes extras from Here & Now hosts Robin Young, Scott Tong and Deepa Fernandes with help from Producer Chris Bentley and the team at NPR and WBUR.

News

Over the weekend, hundreds of students were arrested in campus protests over Gaza. In Isreal, police arrested author and essayist Ayelet Waldman. Waldman, Cal Poly Humboldt dean Jeff Crane and senior Zachary Meyer join us. And, states are protecting officials ahead of the 2024 election with legislation. Public Citizen's  Jonah Minkoff-Zern joins us. Then, in her new memoir, Doris Kearns Goodwin shares her late husband's contributions to history.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Anti-war protesters from California to Israel

What does Congress' TikTok ban mean for 170 million users in the U.S.? Researcher Dean Ball weighs in. Then, Americans are having children at a historically low rate, according to new data from the CDC. Demographer Alison Gemmill tells us more. And, newspapers are shuttering every week across the country. Reporter Todd Melby went to Welch, West Virginia, to find out what is lost when a town doesn't have local news.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Why birth rates hit a record low in the U.S.

A jury in Arizona indicted Trump allies in a so-called 'fake electors' scheme and the Arizona House voted to repeal the 1864 abortion ban. Reporter Jeremy Duda joins us to discuss the big developments. And, a road in Detroit can charge electric vehicles as they park or drive on it. Justine Johnson at Michigan's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification joins us. Then, when parents see their children struggling with mental health, they often want to help. Richard Weissbourd at Harvard's Graduate School of Education explains how they can.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

'Road of the future' wirelessly charges electric vehicles

Bloomberg's Emily Birnbaum explains the FTC's decision to ban employers from using noncompete clauses to prevent employees from going to work for rival companies. Then, some companies are using wind power as a cleaner alternative for moving cargo. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd profiles a company in Costa Rica building a massive wooden schooner from scratch. And, scientists have restored the Voyager 1 space probe and are making sense of its signals from interstellar space. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce reports.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Shipbuilders harness the wind to clean up global shipping

Protests against the war in Gaza have been surging on college campuses around the country. Professor Katherine S. Cho of Loyola University joins us. Then, commercial airlines are one of the fastest-growing sources of pollution on the planet. Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd and Chris Bentley report on how the industry is trying to solve that problem with sustainable aviation fuels. And, Wall Street Journal reporter Dana Mattioli's new book "The Everything War" explores how Amazon grew to be worth more than $1 trillion.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

K-pop Top Hits With Soju; Upcoming Missions To Mars

Download our free app to listen on your phone