News Nerds

NPR’s chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley joins us this week to discuss the stock market, November’s unemployment and jobs reports, how the Omicron variant might affect the economy, inflation, and more this week on News Nerds for Friday, December 17th, 2021.

Ezra

We’re joined by New York Times science and global health Reporter Apoorva Mandavilli and Michaeleen Doucleff, a correspondent for NPR’s Science desk, this week on News Nerds for Wednesday, December 8th, 2021. They share their reporting on the new Covid-19 strain, Omicron which was detected on November 23rd in South Africa. The World Health Organization (or WHO) labeled the variant a variant of concern. That’s all coming up. Also the geographical location challenge and a... ...podcast recommendations?

Ezra

We’re joined this week by Simon Kofe, the foreign minister to Tuvalu, a small country about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. He recorded a viral video for the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow where he stands knee deep in the Pacific Ocean, where he says was once land. We talk about Tuvalu and what would happen if the islands making up Tuvalu were to go under water. Also, John Swartzberg. He's the clinical professor at the school of public health at UC Berkeley. He’s joined me before to discuss covid. This week we talk about covid vaccines, variants, and more. Also, THIS IS JEOPARDY! Jeopardy has been on the news a lot lately and we close the show talking with Christopher Stucky who was on the show earlier this year. We talk about preparation for the show, what it was like to meet Matt Amodio, and more.

Ezra

NPR’s Susan Stamberg and Linda Wertheimer join us this week to discuss their careers, being a woman journalist in the 70s at a startup organization, and more. We’re back after a break from the podcast. There’s going to be some amazing interviews in store for you this season on News Nerds. For example, listen next week for an interview about COP26 with Tuvalu's foreign minister, Simon Kofe!

Ezra

The Huntington Beach oil spill in California has spilt approximately 126,000 gallons of crude oil, damaging the ecosystem. Meanwhile, the KNP Complex fire rages through the state, destroying over 80,000 acres of land and threatening ancient sequoia trees, some of which have been standing for thousands of years. Gabrielle Canon a reporter for the Guardian shares her reporting on the oil spill and the fires on this week’s episode.

On this week’s episode I talk to Pulitzer and Peabody award winner, Nadja Drost. She is a correspondent for the PBS Newshour. Before the pandemic she and Bruno Federico documented the struggle of immigrants from around the world crossing a dangerous stretch of jungle called the Darien Gap, many without adequate supplies. She talks to me today about the Darien Gap, what immigrates face there, how the Biden administration compares to the Trump administration regarding immigration, and more.

This is a best of episode. Regular full episodes of News Nerds will be back next week.

Ezra

 It’s September and that means the end of summer. Over the season we’ve talked to some amazing guests and covered so much. Today we’re looking back on that. This week, my interview with BJ Leiderman. He is composer of many notable (NPR) National Public Radio themes. These include the Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me’s theme, the Weekend edition Saturday and Sunday themes, as well as the original morning edition theme.

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This week we continue to cover the transfer of power in Afghanistan, where the Afghan government fell to the Taliban last Sunday. From inside Kabul, Ali Latifi speaks to us with a firsthand account of Kabul. Ali is a correspondent for Al Jazeera English. But first we talk to Lynne O’Donnell. She left the country on the last commercial flight out of the Kabul airport last Sunday along with Afghanistans only Pulitzer Prize winner, Massoud Hossaini. She writes for the Foreign Policy magazine as a war correspondent.

We're coming to you a few days early because I will be away in Canada when we usually publish episodes. 

Ezra

The Taliban have seized control of Afghanistan. On this episode, special coverage of the transfer of power. We begin the show with an interview with Mike Jason. He’s a retired army colonel who served for 24 years on active duty. He lead combat units around the world including in Iraq, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. He talks to me about what went wrong in Afghanistan, If he saw this coming, what needs to happen next, and more. Then we transition to Kabul, where I talk to a journalist. He has requested the we not identify him for his protection but we are calling him Ashraf. He tells me what Kabul looks like now, how women are being treated by the Taliban, If he feels betrayed by the US’ redraw from Afghanistan, and more.

Here are some big topics that Ashraf updated us on:

Life in Kabul is getting back to normal

The Kabul airport is claiming down although Ashraf saw “Thousands” of people scrambling to get into the airport.

The Talibans promises differ from their actions.

There are not very many women on the streets of Kabul.

Most women are covered if they go out.

When I asked him about if he felt betrayed by the US’ withdrawal of troops he said, “Now in a critical situation, they are leaving everything behind. In 20 years we had gained a lot of things but now it seems everything is gone. But still we are sparkling in the hope that everything is getting back to normal.

 On this week’s episode I talk to Pulitzer and Peabody award winner, Nadja Drost. She is a correspondent for the PBS Newshour. Before the pandemic she and Bruno Federico documented the struggle of immigrants from around the world crossing a dangerous stretch of jungle called the Darien Gap, many without adequate supplies. She talks to me today about the Darien Gap, what immigrates face there, how the Biden administration compares to the Trump administration regarding immigration, and more. Also, Olympian Simone Biles withdraws from the women’s gymnastics olympic finals and the individual all-around gymnastics final citing her mental health. We’ll cover that story on this week’s episode of News Nerds.

Ezra