Short Wave

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The Department of Health and Human Services' declaration Thursday means the federal government can use additional resources in trying to combat the spread of monkeypox, of which there are more than 7,500 cases in the United States. But, what exactly is monkeypox, and who is most at risk of contracting it? And with vaccination rollouts moving slowly, is there a concern the country has not fully learned from mistakes made in the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic?

This episode: White House correspondents Asma Khalid and Franco Ordoñez, and science correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff.

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Math is a complex, beautiful language that can help us understand the world. And sometimes ... math is also hard! Science communicator Sadie Witkowski says the key to making math your friend is to foster your own curiosity. That's the guiding principle behind her new podcast, Carry the Two. It's also today's show: Embracing all math has to offer without the fear of failure.

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This week, the president all but secured the passage of his major policy priorities, oversaw a strike that took out a top terrorist, and got a strong economic report as gas prices fell. But tensions with China continue to rise after Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

And Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán headlined a conservative political conference in Dallas. The authoritarian-minded leader has become a darling of the American right, echoing many of the same social priorities — while often veering into outright anti-Semitism and racism.

This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, political reporter Deepa Shivaram, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and media correspondent David Folkenflik.

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Buckle up! Short Wave is going on a road trip every Friday this summer. In this first episode of our series on the research happening in the National Park system, we head to Shenandoah National Park and the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Some bats there are faring better than others against white-nose syndrome, a fungus that has killed more than 7 million bats in the last decade. Today — what researchers like Jesse De La Cruz think is enabling some bat species to survive.

As we road trip, we want to hear where in the world you are too — especially if you're at a national park! To be featured in an episode, send us a recording saying your name, location and "You're listening to Short Wave — from NPR." Our email is [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

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"We are taking the lessons we learned in 2020, and we are going forward to make sure they never happen again, ever," said Cleta Mitchell, a Republican election lawyer, during a meeting concerning "election integrity" efforts. Groups on the right who buy into the "big lie" concerning the 2020 election are trying to refocus and reform efforts ahead of upcoming elections, according to audio of these meetings obtained by NPR.

Guy Reffitt, a person who went to the Capitol on Jan. 6, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for his actions during the insurrection. How will his trial and sentencing influence further legal action for those charged in relation to the riots?

This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, and investigative correspondent Tom Dreisbach.

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New abortion bans have made some doctors hesitant to provide care for pregnancy complications. That's led to life-threatening delays, and trapped families in a limbo of grief and helplessness.

Today, senior health editor Carrie Feibel shares the story of one woman in Texas, whose pregnancy became a medical crisis because of the state's abortion laws.

Read Carrie's full reporting: https://n.pr/3zpDXK0

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Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected a measure that would have opened the door to abortion restrictions in the state. Election turnout was incredibly high, signaling the issue may spur increased Democratic turnout in November.

And in Arizona, Mark Finchem, a state representative and election conspiracy theorist who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has secured the GOP's nomination for Secretary of State, according to the Associated Press. Should Finchem win in the general, he would oversee the state's voting systems.

This episode: political reporter Miles Parks, political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, and KJZZ political reporter Ben Giles.

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It's been over 150 years since the first article was published about the molecular key to life as we know it — DNA. With help from expert Pravrutha Raman, Short Wave producer Berly McCoy explains how DNA is stored in our cells and why the iconic double helix shape isn't what you'd see if you peeked inside your cells right now. (encore)

Curious about all the other biology that defines us? Email the show at [email protected] — we're all ears ... and eyes and toes and ... a lot of things. Thanks, DNA!

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A key 9/11 plotter, Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed on July 30, according to President Joe Biden. The president said that no one else was hurt in the strike, including al-Zawahiri's family.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan today, She is the highest-ranking elected American official to visit Taiwan since then-Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997. The island democracy governs itself, but China claims it as its territory and the speaker's visit has heightened tensions with the Chinese government in Beijing.

This episode: politics reporter Miles Parks, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales, and China correspondent Emily Feng.

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Under a 1971 Congressional Act, the Bureau of Land Management has the right to round up wild horses on public lands. Oftentimes, those horses are shipped to holding facilities, where they are kept in captivity and separated from their families. William Simpson wants to change that. He wants to deploy the wild horses across public lands, to live and graze — and ultimately, prevent the worst wildfires.

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