The United States National Institute of Health is the world’s largest funder of biomedical research, but it has cut about half of the more than 1,200 grants that its umbrella agency, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — now led by long-time vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — said it has terminated. … Continued

Today, we spend the hour walking through the first 100 days of the second Trump presidency. Kicking us off are Kira Lerner, an editor and reporter based in Washington, DC focused on voting rights, criminal justice, and civil rights issues. Kira is the Democracy Editor of the Guardian US, joining us along with Andrew Roth, a … Continued

Despite reform efforts that have grown in scope and intensity over the last two decades, the machine of American mass incarceration continues to flourish. In this hour, we’re joined by formerly incarcerated activist, essayist, and organizer Emile Suotonye DeWeaver, discussing his book Ghost in the Criminal Justice Machine, reflecting on his 21 years of incarceration, what it … Continued

Today we discuss violent attacks and threats on reproductive freedom rights and how that shows up as violence in our communities, at clinics, and in the lives of abortion providers. We are joined by Melissa Fowler, the Chief Program Officer with the National Abortion Federation. Melissa also oversees the organization’s security team, and was involved in … Continued

The Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday, April 21st, in the case of Mahmoud v Taylor, a case in which a group of Maryland parents are using religious justifications to advocate that their children not be exposed to books that portray LGBTQ families in schools. We’ll speak with Sarah S. Brannen, the author and/or illustrator … Continued

The Trump Administration’s Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) has attacked the Vera Institute of Justice by cutting $5 million in federal funding and then to directly intervene in the work of that non-profit organization. We speak with Insha Rahman, the Vice President of Advocacy and Partnerships at the Vera Institute of Justice, which is an … Continued

‘Copaganda’ is propaganda employed by police, prosecutors, and news media that stokes fear of police-recorded crime and distorts society’s responses to it. Every day, mass media manipulates our perception of what keeps us safe. The result is more and more authoritarian state repression, more inequality, and huge profits for the massive public and private punishment … Continued