COVID cases are up due to the Omicron sub-variants and masking is likely to remain optional as the courts wrangle with the transportation mask mandate that a Federal judge struck down last week. NPR correspondent Allison Aubrey talks about both of these issues with host Emily Kwong, and updates listeners on what to expect with children and the vaccine.

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In a conversation with NPR, Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland said that while thin margins have limited Democrats' legislative agenda, the American Rescue Plan and infrastructure package have made a considerable difference in the lives of Americans — and that touting those wins to voters should buoy the party's chances in the midterms.

In Arizona, Rep. Greg Stanton, a former Democratic mayor of Phoenix, won his district handily in 2020 but a redrawn map has put him in a tough fight to keep his seat against a crowded Republican field. The economy and immigration are central issues in the campaign and progressive politics are far from top of mind.

This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, congressional reporter Claudia Grisales, and acting congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh.

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Cryptocurrencies may exist only in the virtual world, but their impact on our natural resources is huge. That's largely because the technology underpinning crypto is an energy vampire that devours more electricity than do many countries. But that's only part of the story.

Short Wave Host Aaron Scott talks to Producer Eva Tesfaye about the many environmental impacts of crypto - beyond its strain on energy - and what various local, state and national governments are doing about it.

Check out Short Wave's previous episode about how cryptocurrency works and why its technology sucks up so much energy here: n.pr/3ETHXVq

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Thirty-eight percent of Americans under 30 want to see student debt cancelled entirely. Despite a campaign trail promise to eliminate some debt, President Biden has yet to take any action beyond continuing Trump's pause on loan repayments.

For years, an Education Department loan program has failed to live up to the promises it made to students — the department is now promising to make amends.

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, and education correspondent Cory Turner.

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As cryptocurrencies become increasingly popular, the environmental impact of the technology is gaining more attention. Local, state and national governments are trying to figure out how to regulate the massive amounts of energy that some cryptocurrencies consume.

Short Wave host Aaron Scott and producer Eva Tesfaye are joined by Planet Money reporter Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi who unpacks what cryptocurrencies are, how the technology works and why it all sucks up so much energy.

Check out the episodes of Planet Money and The Indicator that Alexi mentioned:
- Bitcoin Losers: What happens when you lose access to your bitcoin - n.pr/3La5y6x
- Such Cryptocurrency. So Amaze.: The origin of Dogecoin. - n.pr/3k5sg3S
- The $69 Million JPEG: A record-breaking NFT sale. - n.pr/3rM2iGB

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The United States will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and will streamline their immigration and vetting process, the White House told reporters this week. The news comes as Russian violence continues to roil the country's east. Another possible mass grave with as many as 9,000 bodies has been found near the besieged city of Mariupol.

And in both France and the United States, inflation is making paychecks feel smaller—and it has become an animating issue for conservative voters. French President Emmanuel Macron faces populist Marine Le Pen in a runoff election this weekend.

This episode: congressional correspondent Susan Davis, white House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and France correspondent Eleanor Beardsley.


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Dr. Jessica Hernandez's new book examines the role of displacement — Indigenous peoples like her father, who was displaced by the civil war in El Salvador, and plants like the banana tree, brought from Asia to Central America — in science. Jessica, an environmental scientist, talks with Emily about how important it is to make sure that Indigenous people and their knowledge are centered as humans work to save or restore land in the era of climate change.

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Prominent candidates in two Republican Senate primaries, Missouri's Eric Greitens and Georgia's Herschel Walker, face domestic violence allegations. On today's podcast, how the candidates — and the Republican party — have responded.

This episode: White House correspondent Scott Detrow, demographics and culture correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and congressional correspondent Susan Davis.

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The United States has a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Without serious changes to lifestyles, that means dramatic investments in green energy. But environmental laws can actually get in the way.

Today, our colleagues at NPR's daily economics podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money, compare the threats to two bats on opposite ends of the planet. The bats show the tension between local and global environmentalism and how building a green economy is forcing people to have tough conversations about tradeoffs.

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The Biden administration has repeatedly tried to end the policy, which requires migrants making an asylum claim in the U.S. to reside in Mexico until their immigration court date, only to be forced to reinstate it by the courts. Now, the Supreme Court will consider the president's powers on the issue.

Also before the court: a public high school football coach in Washington was not rehired to his job after he chose to lead prayers on the field with his players. He later sued the school. The case is one of many religious freedom cases before a court that recently rules in favor of the expression of religion.

This episode: voting reporter Miles Parks, immigration correspondent Joel Rose, legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, and national justice correspondent Carrie Johnson.

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

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