Short Wave

Herd immunity. It's the idea that enough people become immune to an infectious disease that it's no longer likely to spread. It makes sense theoretically. But as NPR's Geoff Brumfiel tells us, the reality — in this coronavirus pandemic and without a vaccine — is potentially full of risk and maybe even unachievable.

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Coronavirus stimulus package negotiations are stuck at "no deal."

Meanwhile, tens of millions of Americans remain jobless.

Trump may accept the nomination at the White House, a violation of norms and maybe laws.

And in a rare big interview, Joe Biden talked China and put his foot in his mouth.

On Consider This from NPR: Trump signs TikTok Executive Order

This episode: campaign correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

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It's another Micro Wave! Today, what happens in your brain when you notice a semantic or grammatical mistake ... according to neuroscience. Sarah Phillips, a neurolinguist, tells us all about the N400 and the P600 responses.

Plus, we dive into some listener mail — which you can send to us by emailing [email protected].

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Republican strategists worry that the party may not be able to win a Senate majority again, and they almost certainly will not be able to significantly expand their seat total in the chamber. And in the House, a historic seven incumbents have lost their primary races. What's behind the wave?

READ: Senate Republicans Face Uphill Fight To Hold Majority

This episode: campaign correspondent Asma Khalid, congressional correspondent Susan Davis, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

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A new paper and growing observational evidence suggest that a mask could protect you from developing a serious case of COVID-19 — by cutting down on the amount of virus that takes root in your body.

Katherine Wu reported on that evidence for the New York Times.

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As Congress stagnates on aid and Biden's convention duties go virtual, states are feeling the pain of the coronavirus. More than 150 thousand Americans have died and that number is growing by more than a thousand a day.

In Georgia, schools are reopening — many in person. In California, disagreements abound about the best path forward. And, what will the election look like under these conditions?

This episode: campaign correspondent Asma Khalid, campaign correspondent Kelsey Snell, Scott Shafer of KQED, and Emma Hurt of WABE.

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Gene therapy has helped a 9-year-old boy regain enough muscle strength to run. If successful in others, it could change the lives of thousands of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. NPR's Jon Hamilton tells us about Conner and his family...and one of the scientists who helped develop the treatment, a pioneer in the field of gene therapy.

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President Trump said Monday that TikTok will close Sept. 15 unless it's bought by an American company. Microsoft is in discussions with TikTok parent company ByteDance over a possible purchase. It is the latest example of U.S. tensions with China manifesting as fights over technology.

This episode: campaign correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and technology reporter Bobby Allyn.

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Encore episode. Sarah Parcak explains how she uses satellite imagery and data to solve one of the biggest challenges in archaeology: where to start digging. Her book is called 'Archaeology From Space: How The Future Shapes Our Past'.

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NPR's 2020 Battleground Map

The latest NPR analysis of the Electoral College has several states shifting in Biden's favor, and he now has a 297-170 advantage over Trump with exactly three months to go until Election Day.

This episode: campaign correspondent Asma Khalid, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

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