How Sudan’s Military Coup Is Threatening Its Long March Toward Democracy

In recent years, Sudan has been home to one of the most successful pro-democracy movements on the African continent. Now, a military coup threatens that movement’s progress.

NPR’s Eyder Peralta, who has been reporting in the region, explains how it all unfolded — and what could happen next.

Read more on the events in Sudan from NPR’s Becky Sullivan: The coup in Sudan could threaten U.S. influence in a strategically important region.

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Young Kids Are Now Vaccine-Eligible. Why Doctors Say Parents Shouldn’t Wait

The CDC made it official on Tuesday: kids 5 – 11 are now eligible to receive Pfizer’s COVID-19 pediatric vaccine. Within hours, some of the first shots were administered in Hartford, Connecticut.

Jenny Brundin of Colorado Public Radio spoke to parents and kids in Denver about getting a shot. While some are eager, others want to ‘wait and see.’

NPR’s Allison Aubrey and Selena Simmons-Duffin wrote about why pediatricians say it’s better not to wait. Read their piece: Some parents want to wait to vaccinate their kids. Here’s why doctors say do it now.

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Will The Supreme Court Rule Against The Texas Abortion Law?

Any ruling is months away, but this week’s oral arguments provided some clues. NPR’s Nina Totenberg watched them unfold. Hear more from Nina’s coverage on the NPR Politics Podcast via Apple, Google, or Spotify.

Also in this episode: Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, an OB-GYN in Texas, who told NPR pregnant people in Texas have been travelling to Oklahoma for abortions.

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‘Striketober’ And The Power Of Workers

In what some have called “Striketober,” workers in factories as well as the health care and food industries have either started or authorized strikes in the past month.

Thousands of workers across the U.S. are on strike, demanding better wages, better working conditions and more benefits.

NPR’s Ailsa Chang speaks with Joseph McCartin, professor of history at Georgetown, about what this moment means for the future of labor in America and how long the momentum may last.

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As Climate Summit Moves Ahead, The World’s Biggest Polluters Are Behind

A U.N. climate summit is underway this week in Glasgow, Scotland. Many of the world’s top carbon emitting-countries will be represented there. Scientists say they need to do more to curb greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

The U.S, along with the China, are the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters. India is third. And Brazil plays a crucial role in global climate, because it is home to vast rainforests that feed on carbon. But those rainforests are disappearing faster until the current government.

Ahead of the summit, NPR international correspondents in China, India, and Brazil gathered to discuss what climate action those countries are taking: Emily Feng in Beijing, Lauren Frayer in Mumbai, and Philip Reeves in Rio de Janeiro.

NPR’s Lauren Sommer outlined the stakes at the Glasgow summit here.

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Author Grady Hendrix Explores What Happens To ‘Final Girls’ After The Credits Roll

A final girl in the horror genre is the woman who is left to deal with the aftermath of surviving a terrifying killer. From The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to Friday the 13th, to Halloween.

The term ‘Final Girl’ was first coined by writer Carol J. Clover in her book Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film.

Society knows this trope well. But after the credits roll, audiences typically don’t know much about what actually happens to that final girl. Or whether she can live a normal life after being hunted down by a masker killer.

Author Grady Hendrix unpacks that in his latest novel, The Final Girl Support Group.

“The ultimate faceless killer they can’t escape is the forces of market capitalism. There’s always a sequel. So even if you survive Part I and II, they’re going to get you in Part III. And there’s something terrible about that to me, that you never get to let your guard down,” Hendrix said.

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Why Iraq’s Protest Movement Led To An Election That Millions Sat Out

Two years ago, a massive protest movement swept through Iraq. People were angry about corruption and a lack of basic services like electricity and health care in a country that brings in billions of dollars in oil revenue each year. That protest movement culminated in a parliamentary election, held earlier this month.

NPR international correspondent Ruth Sherlock reported on the election closely from inside Iraq. Through her reporting, and in conversation with host Ari Shapiro, Ruth explains why Iraq’s election failed to deliver on hopes for reform — and what it revealed about America’s long and costly investment in the country’s democracy.

This episode contains excerpts from multiple stories Ruth Sherlock reported over the course of weeks inside Iraq. You can find more of her work here.

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Barack Obama And Bruce Springsteen On Their Belief In A Unifying Story For America

Last summer, when former President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen sat down to tape their podcast, the country was facing a pandemic, joblessness and a contentious election.

And their conversations, they say, were an effort to offer some perspective and an attempt to try and find a unifying story for the country. The two talked about their dads, race, and the future of the country.

Those conversations have now become a book, titled Renegades: Born in the U.S.A. — and they spoke to Audie Cornish about it’s publication.

You can watch a video of this interview and see images from the book here.

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Booster Guidance For All 3 Vaccines; Shots For Kids Weeks Away

The CDC has now released booster guidance for all three vaccines available in the U.S. — making tens of millions of people eligible for another shot. And on Tuesday, an FDA panel met to review data from Pfizer on their vaccine for children ages 5 – 11.

NPR’s Alison Aubrey explains what those data say about the vaccine — and how it might be rolled out.

Pediatrician Dr. Reah Boyd tells NPR how she’s talking to parents about vaccinating their young children.

Additional reporting in this episode from NPR’s Pien Huang, Rob Stein, and Selena Simmons-Duffin.

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