Short Wave

The overwhelming majority of gun owners are in favor of universal background checks, of raising the minimum age to buy guns to 21 and so-called "red flag" laws to remove guns from potentially dangerous people, a new NPR/Ipsos survey finds. That mirrors the support among the rest of the public.

So why is it that ideas with broad-based support have such trouble becoming federal law?

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

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

Directing Duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, (collectively: Daniels) are known for their first feature film Swiss Army Man and DJ Snake's and Lil Jon's music video "Turn Down For What." This year, they've taken their directing to a whole different universe. Host Emily Kwong chats with the Daniels about their new film Everything Everywhere All At Once and how their indie film about laundry and taxes melds the arts with sciences.

You can follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234. Email Short Wave at [email protected].

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

President Biden has exchanged letters with the WNBA all-star, who is behind bars in Russia. It's the latest example of the thorny politics surrounding Americans jailed abroad.

And the president will take his first trip to the Middle East next week, visiting Israel and Saudi Arabia. His administration has embraced the success of the Abraham Accords, an agreement brokered during the Trump administration to better integrate Israel with its neighbors in the region.

This episode: political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, Moscow correspondent Charles Maynes, White House correspondent Asma Khalid, 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.
Find and support your local public radio station.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

We're wrapping up Tiny Critter Week with a reprise of one of our favorite episodes — nudibranchs. In this episode, Maddie and Emily got super nerdy, diving into the incredible world of nudibranchs. These sea slugs eye-catching for their colors, and some of them have evolved to "steal" abilities from other organisms — from the power of photosynthesis to the stinging cells of their venomous predators.

We'd love to hear which tiny critters you love — and which leave you puzzled. Reach us by sending an email to [email protected].

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

When the Supreme Court declared that abortion access is an issue that should be decided by states, it introduced a new, high-stakes political fight into many of the 36 gubernatorial races happening this year. Here's what that looks like in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, WHYY political reporter Katie Meyer, and Michigan Radio reporter Zoe Clark.

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.
Find and support your local public radio station.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

Honey bees know a lot about honey, and humans are starting to catch up. Scientists are now looking at how the chemicals in honey affect bee health. With the help of research scientist Bernarda Calla, Short Wave producer Berly Mccoy explains the chemical complexities of honey, how it helps keep honey bees resilient, and what role it may play in saving the bees. (encore)

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

Election misinformation has spread beyond the confines of social media to local, grassroots events taking place throughout the country. An NPR investigation explores the role four prominent election denial influencers have in promoting false claims about the 2020 election, and how the events they hold & the ideas they promote affect election officials — and erode trust in the democratic process.

This episode: political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben, political correspondent Miles Parks, 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.
Find and support your local public radio station.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

If you're not so fond of spiders, you may find kindred spirits in other spiders! Researcher Daniela Roessler worked with jumping spiders and found that they know to get away from the presence of other possible predator spiders, even if they've never encountered them before. She talks with host Maria Godoy about her research and what Halloween decorations do to the poor spiders, if arachnids can have arachnophobia. (Encore)

Read Daniela's research and watch videos of the experiment: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13953

The video is also on her Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/RoesslerDaniela.

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

Republican primary candidates who lost by substantial margins are refusing to concede their races — echoing Donald Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud and potentially setting up lucrative post-election fundraising schemes.

This episode: congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, Georgia Public Broadcasting reporter Stephen Fowler, 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.
Find and support your local public radio station.

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

NPR Privacy Policy

Being small has its advantages ... and some limitations. One organism that intimately knows the pros and cons of being mini is the pumpkin toadlet.

As an adult, the animal reaches merely the size of the skittle. At that scale, the frog's inner ear is so small, it's not fully functional. That means when the frog moves, it's haphazard and seems kind of drunk. And so today, with the help of Atlantic science writer Katie Wu, we investigate: If a frog can't jump well, is it still a frog?

Read Katie's piece in The Atlantic, A Frog So Small, It Could Not Frog: https://bit.ly/3bydh1g

Watch pumpkin toadlets poorly fling themselves around in this video from the Florida Museum: https://bit.ly/3bFAXRv

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