Reporting by ProPublica recently found that Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin, secretly paid for part of — and attended — Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding. Experts say he’ll likely want something from the Trumps in return. Joshua Kaplan co-reported the story and explains more of the implications.And, the Environmental Protection Agency is repealing rules that limit climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. The agency says this will “unleash” American energy. But Bryan Hubbell from the nonpartisan think tank Econofact says the market dynamics tell a different story.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

Welcome to the next big vibe shift in artificial intelligence. On Monday, Microsoft published a new "Humanist AI" code of conduct that says people should always be in control, after the leaders of OpenAI and Anthropic over the weekend called for a global slowdown in AI research. But President Trump says now is not the time to slow down development. Axios' Ina Fried tells us more. And as leaders of powerful artificial intelligence companies are calling for slowing down the pace of development, how did we get here, and how would that work? We ask Gregory Allen, founder and CEO of Decision Tree Research.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

In the immediate aftermath of the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, photographer Richard Drew took a now-famous photo of a man falling from the north tower. The photo garnered attention and backlash, with the subject never definitively identified. Drew shares more about experiencing 9/11 and capturing it in photos.Then, we heard from listeners across the U.S. explaining how the events on 9/11 and the aftermath changed their lives. Some experienced profound loss, some turned to service and all shared unique reflections on the 25th anniversary of the attacks.And, Lila Nordstrom watched the twin towers fall from Stuyvesant High School, where she was a student. In the years since, she’s advocated for fellow students who became sick due to toxic substances in the air after the buildings fell. She reflects on the past 25 years.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

Thursday marks one year since the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA. We speak with Michael Knowles, who was a friend of Kirk. Then, as Ukraine strikes Russian gas plants in a grinding war of attrition, Russian drones are suspected of flying over European countries. This week, a drone nearly hit a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Norway, according to the Norwegian prime minister. We discuss the risky strategy with NPR national security correspondent Greg Myre.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

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani called on current Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend an annual ceremony commemorating the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Giuliani also made false claims about Islam, Mamdani’s religion. Mamdani said he will attend the ceremony. Moustafa Bayoumi, professor at Brooklyn College, explains more.Then, in the months following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack in New York City, officials repeatedly reassured New Yorkers that the air in lower Manhattan was safe to breathe. But this week, 170,000 pages of documents made public by Mamdani show that wasn’t true. Ben Chevat, executive director at the nonprofit 9/11 Health Watch, breaks down the findings.And, in 1998, terror attacks hit two U.S. embassies and in 2000, the USS Cole was attacked. Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer says these events were warning signs ahead of 9/11 that the government missed.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

Britain, France and Canada moved to block imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. This comes amid the expansion of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory and a wave of deadly violence against Palestinian civilians. The U.K. accuses the settlers of "ethnic cleansing." We hear from Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group. Then, two thieves broke into the Renoir Museum on the French Riviera early Tuesday morning and made off with two paintings worth millions. Art theft expert Anthony Amore tells us more. And, on the 60th anniversary of the premiere of the iconic "Star Trek," 95-year-old actor William Shatner — aka Captain Kirk — talks about his recent battle with stage 4 melanoma, which he fought alongside his 61-year-old daughter Melanie Shatner Gretsch, who was undergoing treatment for stage 4 breast cancer.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

At Eagle Beach outside of Juneau, Alaska, salmon, bald eagles, dragonflies and signs of bear are everywhere. Here & Now’s Peter O'Dowd and Chris Bentley invite naturalists and wildlife experts along to learn more about the sights and sounds of this special place.Then, the National Park Service turned 110 this year. Jeff Reinbold, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation, explains how the expiration of a fund established to pay for maintenance projects is hurting the park infrastructure.And, writer Chris Ballard started by just writing about the growing sport of ice swimming. But before long, he was entrenched in the community. He explores it all in his book “The Plunge.”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

The cost of diesel gas is at record highs as the war in Iran continues. We hear what it means for school districts trying to budget for school bus transportation from Trevor Greene, superintendent for Yakima School District in Yakima, Washington. Then, homeschooling numbers continue to rise in the U.S. Retired professor Kenny Anthony explains the trend. And, we’re taught that growing up means putting away childish things. That includes trading the magic of fairy tales for serious adult novels. But what if turning our backs on children's literature is a mistake? Oxford University professor and children’s author Katherine Rundell makes the case for "Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise."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

Trailblazing journalist and activist Gloria died on Wednesday at age 92. She championed gender equality, fought for abortion rights, and co-founded Ms. Magazine, the first national magazine written for and run by women. Astronaut and activist Amanda Nguyen shares a remembrance of Steinem and reflects on the impact she had on the nation.Then, North Carolina election officials are preparing to send out the first ballots Friday even as a legal fight continues over President Trump’s efforts to curtail mail-in voting. Dawn Hurdle, director of the Board of Elections for Alamance County in North Carolina, joins us.And, the latest edition of the popular basketball video game NBA 2K comes out this week. Miami Heat power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo appears in the game, which he grew up playing. Antetokounmpo told Here & Now's Chris Bentley he learned how to shoot fadeaways on the court after first practicing them in video games.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

New York City is putting a one-year moratorium on the use of artificial intelligence for its youngest students in the city’s public schools. Kids won’t be allowed to use the technology until they enter high school. The Hechinger Report's Jill Barshay joins us to discuss. Then, plastic industry groups and fossil fuel companies are supplying schools with curricula that portray plastics as safe, affordable and a source of good jobs, according to a new report. Grist reporter Joseph Winters tells us more. And, 15 years after its launch, Candy Crush Saga is still going strong, grossing around $1 billion in a typical year. We talk about why the mobile game juggernaut's rise and staying power with writer and game designer Alanna Okun.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