Short Wave

The reform deal is one of many parts of this year's annual defense spending bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, which also includes raises for service members and a boost to federal firefighter benefits. A deal to fund the rest of the government remains elusive. Congress is expected to pass a stop-gap measure this week in order to provide time for negotiations to continue.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales, and political reporter Ximena Bustillo.

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 Juma Sei.

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TFW when you're so excited you get those butterflies in your stomach - or maybe when you see something icky, you feel ill. On today's show, producer Berly McCoy looks at this relationship between our gut and our brain. Berly talks to host Emily Kwong about how the organs evolved to have a tight connection - connections that go beyond transient feelings of excitement or disgust. In fact, an increasing body of research shows links between the gut and conditions we typically associate mostly with the brain – like anxiety and Parkinson's Disease.

Here's a link to the study about gut bacteria and the brain in some children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. https://www.theautismstudy.com/study


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Pandemic relief, gun control and the largest investment into climate change mitigation and adaptation have all been signed into law in President Biden's first two years. And even though Biden remains historically unpopular, his party notched a very strong performance during the midterm elections. What is going on?

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

This episode was produced and edited by Elena Moore and Casey Morell. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Research and fact-checking by Katherine Swartz.

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For many, recycling feels like a tangible way to personally combat climate change and to positively affect the environment. But after a years long investigation, NPR correspondent Laura Sullivan finds that reality is generally the opposite: Only a small fraction of plastic is ultimately recycled. Moreover, plastic production is on the rise.

Further reading:
- Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse
- How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled

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The Arizona senator announced she was leaving the Democratic party — but given her broad support of Democratic priorities and the president's nominees, it is not expected to change the dynamics of Senate control. And the Congress is sprinting toward the finish line, codifying some protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. Incumbent lawmakers will need to extend government funding and pass a big, annual defense bill before the new Congress is sworn in early next month.

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales.

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 Juma Sei.

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If an asteroid were hurling through space, making a beeline straight to Earth, how would humans prevent it from doing what it did to the dinosaurs? Would we bomb it? Would we shoot lasers at it like a scene from Hollywood's latest sci-fi flick? Well, the folks at NASA have designed and tested a theory.

"The DART mission, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, is essentially our first test of a kinetic impact for planetary defense." says Cristina Thomas, assistant professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science at Northern Arizona University.

Put simply, scientists at NASA took a spacecraft and crashed it into an asteroid — hoping the little nudge, like bumper cars, would be enough to push the asteroid off course.

Today on the show, Short Wave's scientist-in-residence Regina G. Barber talks to Cristina Thomas about what it was like watching the success of the DART mission and what this means for science and planetary defense.

Email Short Wave at [email protected]. Or, follow us on Twitter at @NPRShortWave.

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Griner, a prominent basketball player, had been convicted of bringing hash oil into the country. President Biden secured Griner's release by commuting the sentence of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The president said Russia refused to release other Americans imprisoned in the country, including former Marine Paul Whelan who Russia convicted of espionage in 2018.

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The human body is made up of more than 30 trillion cells, but how do they all work together? It's all about communication! "They talk through molecules going from one cell to the adjacent cell," says Dr. Sandra Murray, a professor of cell biology and physiology at the University of Pittsburgh who studies how cells communicate with each other to do complex tasks, like close a wound or deliver a baby.

This year, Dr. Murray became the first person of color elected as president of the American Society for Cell Biology. She talks with host Aaron Scott about the beautiful language of cells, how she made her way as a Black woman in STEM, and what gives her hope in her field today.

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The senator has a moderate tone, progressive policies and deep roots in his community. His campaign focused on speaking to voters of all stripes while his opponent, Herschel Walker, doubled-down on base messaging. Can Democrats use that playbook elsewhere?

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Susan Davis, and GPB reporter Stephen Fowler.

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 Katherine Swartz.

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Just after Thanksgiving, for the first time in almost 40 years, Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano erupted. It's one of several ongoing eruptions – including Kilauea, also on Hawaii, and Indonesia's Mount Semeru. At just over half the size of the big island of Hawaii, Mauna Loa is the world's biggest active volcano.

Today, volcanologist Alison Graettinger talks to Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber about what makes Mauna Loa's eruption different than Indonesia's and others around the Pacific, and what it reveals about planet Earth.

Watch the U.S. Geological Survey's live video of the eruption here.

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