Short Wave

Botanist and founder of #BlackBotanistsWeek Tanisha Williams explains why some leaves change color during fall and what shorter days and colder temperatures have to do with it. Plus, a bit of listener mail from you! (Encore)

You can always reach the show by emailing [email protected]. We're also on Twitter @NPRShortWave!

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

More than $1.6 billion has been spent or booked on TV ads in a dozen Senate races, with $3 out of every $4 being spent in six states — Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, Nevada and Ohio, according to an NPR analysis of data provided by the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.

Outside groups, including those closely tied to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have poured in nearly $1 billion to buoy GOP Senate candidates. Eighty-six percent of the money going toward pro-GOP TV ads is coming from these outside groups, compared to 55% for Democrats.

This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lopez, political correspondent Susan Davis, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR Politics Podcast Plus. Learn more at plus.npr.org/politics

Connect:
Email the show at [email protected]
Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.
Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

Plants living underwater can't count on pollinating insects to get it on. The prevailing theory has been that pollen moves underwater simply by floating around in water currents. But a team of researchers co-led by Dr. Vivianne Solís-Weiss, have discovered a helper organism pitching in to pollinate seagrasses: marine worms. In today's episode, Vivianne tells Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber how she happened to catch these worms, called polychaetes, in the act of pollinating seagrass flowers underwater, and how the discovery is shedding new light on evolution in the oceans.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

In a live show on Thursday, October 20th, at the Buckhead Theater in Atlanta, political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Tamara Keith and White House correspondent Asma Khalid discussed Georgia politics and the future of American democracy with WABE reporter Rahul Bali, GPB reporter Stephen Fowler, voting correspondent Miles Parks and national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

View the slides we refer to during the show: https://bit.ly/3VGs3We

Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR Politics Podcast Plus. Learn more at plus.npr.org/politics

Connect:
Email the show at [email protected]
Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.
Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

The world of brain research had two incredible developments last week. Researchers have taught a dish of brain cells to play the video game Pong to help develop more intelligent AI. Separately, scientists transplanted human brain organoids into a living animal with the hope of using them as models of human disease. Jon Hamilton talks with host Aaron Scott about this research and its implications.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Protect jobs or how much you can buy for a dollar? It's up to the Federal Reserve, the nation's central bank, to strike a balance. Larry Summers, who worked in the Clinton and Obama administrations, says a recession is likely as the Fed tries to figure it out. Jared Bernstein, a top White House economist, touts the steps the White House has taken to boost the economy — but acknowledged that the administration has limited influence, even if it will bear the political responsibility.

This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid and chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley.

Learn more about upcoming live shows of The NPR Politics Podcast at nprpresents.org.

Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR Politics Podcast Plus. Learn more at plus.npr.org/politics

Connect:
Email the show at [email protected]
Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.
Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

The natural world is filled with treats ... and tricks. Today, Internet zoologist and TikTok star Mamadou Ndiaye takes over to talk about some of those tricks — specifically the murderous ones. He turns the tables on Emily and Aaron, quizzing them on some of the animals in his new book 100 Animals That Can F*cking End You. Special guests span land and sea, including the hippopotamus, blowfish, snails, snakes — and more!

We're always excited to hear what's on our listeners' minds. You can reach the show by emailing [email protected] or tweeting us @NPRShortWave.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Joseph Cuffari, the Trump-appointed leader of the Department of Homeland Security's watchdog agency, has been in office for three years. During that tenure, the majority of lawyers in the Office of Counsel have left. The pattern has hurt the attorneys' abilities to to conduct their oversight work. Now, some staffers have called on President Biden, who previously criticized Trump's dismissal of agency watchdogs, to fire Cuffari.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

Contraceptive research has historically prioritized women because they bear the burden of pregnancy and most contraceptive options available today are for women. But there are efforts to widen the contraceptive responsibility. Today, Scientist-in-Residence Regina G. Barber talks to host Emily Kwong about the state of research into male contraceptives and which method researchers expect to hit the market first.

We're always excited to hear what's on our listeners' minds. You can reach the show by emailing [email protected] or tweeting us @NPRShortWave.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Prosecutors in Los Angeles say Konnech, a small company that makes software for scheduling election workers, has illegally given its contractors in China access to sensitive data as part of a "massive data breach." A defense attorney said the prosecution was relying on dubious information from "one of the more discredited election deniers."

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, voting correspondent Miles Parks, investigations correspondent Tom Dreisbach.

Learn more about upcoming live shows of The NPR Politics Podcast at nprpresents.org.

Support the show and unlock sponsor-free listening with a subscription to The NPR Politics Podcast Plus. Learn more at plus.npr.org/politics

Connect:
Email the show at [email protected]
Join the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.
Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.

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

NPR Privacy Policy