Short Wave

The U.S. is in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. And for a lot of people, the feeling is even more pronounced during the holidays. In addition to its emotional impact, chronic loneliness and social isolation have some dramatic health consequences: increased risk of heart disease and stroke, infections, cancer, even premature death. Recent research also suggests that loneliness can change the way people process the world. So today on the show, host Regina G. Barber talks to Rachel Carlson about the neuroscience of loneliness.

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The Department of Justice this week announced war crimes charges against four Russian soldiers for alleged torture of an American citizen in Ukraine, and the arrest of a former U.S. ambassador on charges of working for Cuban intelligence services. Both of these come after last week's arrest of a man allegedly plotting to kill an American citizen at the behest of a government official in India. We look at each of the cases.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

This episode was edited by Casey Morell. It was produced by Jeongyoon Han. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

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Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley & businessman Vivek Ramaswamy attacked each other during the final Republican primary debate before the Iowa caucuses. Former president Donald Trump, who has refused to take part in any of the debates, remains the party's frontrunner.

This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, political reporter Ximena Bustillo, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode was edited by Casey Morell. It was produced by Jeongyoon Han. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

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Soon after the sun sets on winter nights, if you live in the northern hemisphere you can look into the sky and find the Orion constellation near the eastern horizon. Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance has always been drawn to a particular star in Orion: Betelgeuse, a red supergiant nearing the end of it's life on the hunter's left shoulder.

But what stages of life did Betelgeuse — or any star — go through before it reached this moment?

Regina G. Barber talks to Sarafina about three winter constellations, and journey through the life cycle of a star.

Curious about the night sky? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!

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The former president and his allies have made clear they don't want obstacles that stymied them in their first term to get in the way during a potential second term. Overhauls of the civil service, the judiciary & more are planned, among others.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode was edited by Casey Morell. It was produced by Jeongyoon Han. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

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The former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador threads the needle while running for president: she says her gender is important to her candidacy, but she does not think it is the main reason why people should vote for her. How does this balance influence Republican politics today?

This episode: political correspondents Susan Davis & Sarah McCammon, and national political correspondent Mara Liasson.

This episode was edited by Casey Morell. It was produced by Jeongyoon Han. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

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It's easy to overlook the soil beneath our feet, or to think of it as just dirt to be cleaned up. But soil wraps the world in an envelope of life: It grows our food, regulates the climate and makes the planet habitable. "What stands between life and lifelessness on our planet Earth is this thin layer of soil that exists on the Earth's surface," says Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, a soil scientist at the University of California-Merced.

In honor of World Soil Day tomorrow, we're revisiting our conversation with Prof. Berhe, who is also serving as Director of the U. S. Dept. of Energy's Office of Science. She talks to Aaron about the hidden majesty of soil and why it's crucial to tackling the climate crisis.

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Rep. George Santos became the sixth person ever expelled from the House of Representatives Friday. And while Santos has been a political thorn in Republicans' side since his election, not everyone was comfortable kicking him out.

Plus, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis debated California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a debate on Fox News this week. It was a glimpse of the Democratic and Republican visions for the future in a post-Biden and Trump world.

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political correspondent Susan Davis, congressional reporter Eric McDaniel, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

This episode was edited by Lexie Schapitl. It was produced by Lexie Schapitl and Jeongyoon Han. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

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Sleep. It's an essential biological function that has long intrigued scientists. Researchers have studied everything from mice to fruit flies in the lab to get a better understanding of what happens when animals sleep — and why so many do it. This week, scientists finally added one piece to the elusive sleep puzzle: How wild chinstrap penguins sleep amid their noisy colony. Turns out, they do it over 10,000 times in seconds-long bursts throughout the day — totaling 11 hours when all is said and done.

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For a while, President Biden was treating former President Trump a little like Lord Voldemort: He Who Must Not Be Named. But now, Biden is saying Trump's name a lot. With his approval rating hovering around 40 percent, Biden has been invoking his predecessor more often and more aggressively on the campaign trail.

This episode: political correspondent Susan Davis, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram.

This episode was edited by Lexie Schapitl. It was produced by Lexie Schapitl and Jeongyoon Han. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

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