Short Wave

Population geneticist Dr. Janina Jeff is the host and executive producer of In Those Genes, a hip-hop inspired podcast that uses genetics to uncover the those lost identifies of African descended Americans through the lens of Black culture.

Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong speaks with Janina about what a person's genetic ancestry test does and does not reveal, and the complicated intersection of genetics, history and race.

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After a train derailed in rural Ohio, the community is concerned about the near- and long-term health impacts of the hazardous waste that the train was transporting. Top-level Biden administration officials, including EPA Administration Michael Reagan and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and former president Donald Trump have all traveled to the area.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and transportation correspondent David Schaper.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Devin Speak.

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This week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public hearing about its remediation plan for cleaning up chemicals in and around East Palestine, Ohio. It follows the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals like vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate near the town earlier this month. Residents were temporarily evacuated from the area two days later to allow for a controlled burn of the chemicals. EPA health officials have been monitoring the air and water in the area and testing for chemicals as part of their human health risk assessment. We wanted to know: What goes into an assessment like that? And how does the EPA know if people are safe — now and long-term? To walk us through that assessment, we talked to Karen Dannemiller, an associate professor of environmental health science at The Ohio State University.

- Read EPA updates on the Ohio Derailment: https://bit.ly/3Y14qrx
- Read the EPA's remediation plan: https://bit.ly/3SrRk5g

The phone number to request free, private water testing is 330-849-3919.

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The Supreme Court heard two major cases that could ultimately make platforms like YouTube and Twitter liable for the content users share on their sites. And a lot of blue lawmakers in red states are up for reelection in the Senate in 2024 — here's what we're watching.

This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, political correspondent Susan Davis, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Devin Speak.

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In the Bekaa Valley region of Lebanon, there is a giant walk-in fridge housing tens of thousands of seeds. They belong to the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Scientists from around the world use the seeds for research. ICARDA seeds have improved food security in several countries. They've transformed Ethiopian agriculture to use more drought-resistant crops. A new chickpea can be planted in winter. And now, NPR's Middle East correspondent Ruth Sherlock has found that some scientists are turning to the seed bank for answers to a hotter, drier planet. They're hoping ICARDA seeds will lead to breakthroughs in certain crops' resilience to the effects of climate change.

Read more of Ruth's reporting: https://n.pr/3IZB2Od

Curious about other potential climate solutions scientists are researching? Email us at [email protected].

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President Biden is gaining in popularity — how much of his decision to run again is driven by Vice President Harris' lackluster support among key groups of voters? And Donald Trump is seeing his support among Republicans flag — but with a potentially crowded primary field, he could have a path to the nomination anyway.

This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, politics correspondent Susan Davis, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Devin Speak.

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In this Back To School episode we consider the "List of Life": the criteria that define what it is to be a living thing. Some are easy calls: A kitten is alive. A grain of salt is not. But what about the tricky cases, like a virus? Or, more importantly, what about futuristic android robots? As part of our Black History Month celebration, developmental biologist Crystal Rogers and scientist-in-residence Regina G. Barber dig into what makes something alive, and wade into a Star-Trek-themed debate.

Is there something you'd like us to cover in our Back To School series? Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Berly McCoy, edited by Gabriel Spitzer and fact-checked by Anil Oza. The audio engineer was Josh Newell.

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Members of the Proud Boys are on trial related to their alleged actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The actions of former president Donald Trump loom large over of the trial.

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales, and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Devin Speak.

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Monday another earthquake struck southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border. This time, the quake registered as a magnitude 6.3 — an order lower than the initial, devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake and the magnitude 7.5 aftershock that struck the area two weeks ago on Feb. 6. A magnitude 6.3 is still considered strong, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). And as NPR previously reported, some locals were inside buildings trying to recover belongings lost in the initial quake when Monday's aftershock hit.

It made us wonder: What are aftershocks? And how long will people in Turkey and neighboring countries like Syria have to endure aftershocks while piecing their lives back together? Days? Years?

For answers, we turned to earthquake geologist Wendy Bohon, who we've previously spoken to about the limitations of earthquake detection.

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The U.S. has entered an era of post-shame politics, where politicians are willing to endure embarrassment, criticism and negative attention in order to survive scandals. We talk about the modern history of politicians weathering controversy — from Bill Clinton to embattled Republican Rep. George Santos.

This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and senior political editor and correspondent Ron Elving.

This episode was produced by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. It was edited by Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Devin Speak.

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