Year: 2022

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing two breakaway republics in Eastern Ukraine and sent troops to the region. On Tuesday, President Biden called the move “the beginning of a Russian invasion” and announced a new set of sanctions.

While Russia’s actions reverberate throughout the world, no area has more at stake than Eastern Ukraine. That’s where NPR correspondent Eleanor Beardsley has been reporting.

And despite the escalation this week, U.S. diplomats are hoping to keep Russia at the bargaining table. But as Yale history professor Timothy Snyder explains, a sarcastic tone from Russian officials makes talks difficult.

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The U.S. is becoming more geographically polarized. Red zip codes are getting redder and blue zip codes are getting bluer. And this is because people are purposefully moving to places that reflect their views. Which is a trend that comes with consequences.

NPR correspondent John Burnett spoke with some Texan transplants about how their politics impacted their choice of community.

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During the Super Bowl, clever ads from cryptocurrency companies urged a mainstream audience of 101 million viewers to buy now or regret it later. But besides high-minded rhetoric, what exactly were these ads selling? And why are some critics warning against investing?

To understand the arguments for and against investing in cryptocurrency, you have to get a bit technical. YouTuber, Dan Olson helps us understand these digital currencies, how they function, what you can buy with them and the ideology behind the tech.

We’ll hear why Chinese dissident artist, Badiucao, thinks NFT’s – non-fungible tokens – are the new frontier for political art. And critics explain why the crypto craze may be a market bubble and a scam.

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Three weeks ago, semi trucks flooded the streets of Canada’s capital city. Drivers were protesting a vaccine mandate at the U.S. border. But since then, the demonstration in Ottawa has evolved to be about much more and is spreading to other cities throughout the world.

NPR correspondents Shannon Bond and Odette Youseff have been following this story and explain how the movement began and what has kept it going.

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Just under three dozen of China’s athletes competing at the Olympics this year were born in other countries. Most famously, ski prodigy Eileen Gu, who has dozens of brand sponsorships and is praised on Chinese social media. That’s in contrast to skater Zhu Yi, who has been called a “disgrace” after she fell during her short program. And the rhetoric appears on both sides. Some U.S. commentators have criticized Gu for her decision to compete for China.

Jules Boykoff is a political science professor at Pacific University and studies the politics of sports. He explains how politics play out in the Olympics. Amy Qin is a China correspondent for the New York Times. Her article on the subject is “The Olympians Caught Up in the U.S.-China Rivalry.”

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Despite reports that Russia may have withdrawn some troops from the Ukraine border, NATO says there’s no evidence of de-escalation and forces remain ready to attack. But it’s not just the border that is at risk.

NPR correspondent Frank Langfitt reports on hybrid war tactics like cyberattacks that Russia can, and may already be using to spark unrest in Ukraine.

And Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner about how the crisis feels in his country.

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More and more states are loosening their mask mandates as COVID-19 cases fall throughout the country. But the CDC says there isn’t enough of a drop with deaths and hospitalizations to warrant this change. This muddled messaging can make it difficult to navigate this current phase of the pandemic.

NPR correspondent Mara Liasson explains that while politics have played a role in public health decision making from the beginning of the pandemic, the divide between Republic and Democratic states is starting to close.

And NPR science correspondent Rob Stein offers guidance on how to make sense of the ever evolving risk factors for daily life.

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Fans of the Cincinnati Bengals may be licking their wounds after Sunday’s Super Bowl loss, but every sports fan can relate to the pain that follows a big game not going their way. And while it’s normal to be upset, those feelings of disappointment can occasionally turn into grief and even depression.

Dr. Eric Zillmer, a professor of Neuropsychology at Drexel University, explains how the pandemic and brief pause on professional sports helped him understand just how strongly we rely on those games.

And Greg Miller, a licensed therapist, discusses ways to deal with grief from your team’s loss in a healthy way. A lesson he’s learned first hand.

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We’re still learning how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting us emotionally and socially. Experts believe we will be seeing and analyzing its effects for years to come. But, thanks to popular online platforms, we do have some data on single people, their dating preferences and how those preferences changed during the pandemic.

Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and chief science advisor for the online dating company Match, shares the latest trends from the 11th annual Singles In America study.

Then, Logan Ury, Director of Relationship Science at the dating app Hinge and author of the book How To Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love, lays out some tips and tricks for how to get better at dating.

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The fashion world has recently lost three of its greats – Andre Leon Talley, Thierry Mugler and Virgil Abloh. Each man was a pioneer in his own way: Mugler and Abloh pushed boundaries as designers, Talley was a Black editor at a time when they were few and far between.

Robin Givhan, the Washington Post’s senior critic-at-large, reflects on each man’s influence and impact on the industry, and what these losses across the fashion industry mean.

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