All Things Considered

Magnolias, Beer Cans and Football: Mississippi Is Designing A New State Flag

By Christianna Silva • 17 hours ago

After Mississippi lawmakers voted in June to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state's flag, they asked people to send in designs for a new flag — and received nearly 3,000 submissions.

Who Is Sen. Anne Ranch?

By editor • 19 hours ago

STACEY VANEK SMITH, HOST:

Mississippi currently has no state flag. The former flag was retired earlier this summer after nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd. Mississippi was the only state left that still had the Confederate battle flag emblem. To find a new flag for the state, Mississippi asked people to submit designs. Nearly 3,000 submissions were turned in, and now a state commission will review the designs and pick one for voters to approve in November. Reuben Anderson is the chair of the commission to redesign the Mississippi state flag. He joins us now.

Portland Protests De-Escalate As Federal Agents Leave City Streets

By Conrad Wilson • 19 hours ago

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Listener Questions On School Reopenings Answered

By Allison Aubrey & Cory Turner • 19 hours ago

STACEY VANEK SMITH, HOST:

Mississippi currently has no state flag. The former flag was retired earlier this summer after nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd. Mississippi was the only state left that still had the Confederate battle flag emblem. To find a new flag for the state, Mississippi asked people to submit designs. Nearly 3,000 submissions were turned in, and now a state commission will review the designs and pick one for voters to approve in November. Reuben Anderson is the chair of the commission to redesign the Mississippi state flag. He joins us now.

NHL Commissioner On How The League Keeps Athletes Safe: 'Be As Flexible As Possible'

By Stacey Vanek Smith & Emma Bowman • Aug 5, 2020

The National Hockey League resumed play on Saturday, with players emerging from the "bubbles" they've been hunkering down in since July 26.

And so far, players are staying healthy. Since relocating to the bubbles — in two Canadian cities, Edmonton and Toronto — the league says it's given more than 7,000 tests to players on 24 teams, and none have come back positive for COVID-19.

The key to keeping the league safe, says NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, has been to "be as flexible as possible."

FDA Adviser: Not Realistic To Expect A COVID-19 Vaccine In 2020

By Stacey Vanek Smith • Aug 5, 2020

In June, the Trump administration introduced Operation Warp Speed, an initiative to deliver 300 million doses of an effective COVID-19 vaccine by January 2021.

On Fox & Friends Wednesday morning, President Trump said the effort to accelerate the development, manufacturing and distribution of a vaccine for COVID-19 is making good progress.

California Struggles To Fix Zoning That Promotes Racial Inequity And Climate Change

By Lauren Sommer • Aug 5, 2020

STACEY VANEK SMITH, HOST:

It is early days, but so far, so good for the NHL in the pandemic. Hockey players returned to the ice on Saturday. Twenty-four teams are hunkering down in two separate bubbles - one in Edmonton and the other in Toronto. And after more than 7,000 COVID tests given, the league says there have been no positive cases. Earlier, I talked to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the state of play, and he first took us back to the start of hockey's shutdown.

Celebrated New York Journalist Pete Hamill Dies At Age 85

By David Folkenflik • Aug 5, 2020

STACEY VANEK SMITH, HOST:

The legendary newspaper columnist Pete Hamill has died. He was 85. He was a New York City tabloid crusader, and that made him one of the most influential figures in the city for decades. In 2011, Pete Hamill spoke with WHYY's Fresh Air.

Reporter's Role In Exposing Hiroshima Cover-Up Explored In 'Fallout'

By editor • Aug 4, 2020

STACEY VANEK SMITH, HOST:

The word dinosaur literally means terrible lizard. And now scientists have discovered that the terrible lizards had terrible diseases, too. They say they've identified the first case of malignant cancer in a dinosaur bone.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

This dino was a plant eater adorned with a spiky shield on its head and a huge horn like a triceratops, but with one big horn instead of three.

Nevada Gov. On A Law That Expands Mail-In Voting

By editor • Aug 4, 2020

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Michigan Vs. New York: How 2 States Are Handling The Coronavirus After The Lockdown

By Kate Wells • Aug 4, 2020

STACEY VANEK SMITH, HOST:

In early April, the coronavirus was killing more than 700 New Yorkers every day. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced those spiking death tolls but added a note of hope - shutdown and social distancing were working.

FDA Approves A Nasal Spray To Treat Patients Who Are Suicidal

By Jon Hamilton • Aug 4, 2020

STACEY VANEK SMITH, HOST:

The word dinosaur literally means terrible lizard. And now scientists have discovered that the terrible lizards had terrible diseases, too. They say they've identified the first case of malignant cancer in a dinosaur bone.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

This dino was a plant eater adorned with a spiky shield on its head and a huge horn like a triceratops, but with one big horn instead of three.

New Research Shows Dinosaurs Suffered From Malignant Cancer, Too

By editor • Aug 4, 2020

Scientists from Canada's Royal Ontario Museum and McMaster University say they have identified malignant bone cancer in a dinosaur for the first time.

The new research was published earlier this week in the journal The Lancet Oncology.

The diagnosis? Osteosarcoma — an aggressive bone cancer — in the fibula, or lower leg bone, of a Centrosaurus apertus, a plant-eating, single-horned dinosaur that lived 76 to 77 million years ago.

Mississippi On Track To Become No. 1 State For New Coronavirus Cases Per Capita

By Ari Shapiro & Maureen Pao • Aug 3, 2020

Mississippi is heading for a title that no state would want: It is on track to overtake Florida to become the No. 1 state for new coronavirus infections per capita, according to researchers at Harvard.

The state already faces high levels of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and obesity.

The Effects Of El Paso Shooting On Latinx Community In The U.S.

By Maria Hinojosa • Aug 3, 2020

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Remembering One Of El Paso Shooting Victims, Arturo Benavides

By Mallory Falk • Aug 3, 2020

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Suits Out, Stretchy Pants In: More Retailers Go Bankrupt

By Alina Selyukh • Aug 3, 2020

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Mississippi is heading for a title that no state would want. According to researchers at Harvard, it is about to become the No. 1 state for new coronavirus infections per capita. Dr. LouAnn Woodward is the top executive at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and she joins us now.

Thank you for taking the time today.

LOUANN WOODWARD: Absolutely. I'm glad to speak with you this evening.

SHAPIRO: Well, first just tell us what things look like from where you sit right now.

Missouri To Vote On Medicaid Expansion To Uninsured Adults

By Alex Smith • Aug 3, 2020

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Former King of Spain To Leave The Country Amid Investigation Into Financial Scandals

By Lucía Benavides • Aug 3, 2020

STACEY VANEK SMITH, HOST:

Composer Max Richter On 'Voices,' A New Album That Envisions A Better World

By Gemma Watters • Aug 2, 2020

Composer Max Richter has scored soundtracks and had his music placed across film and television, including recent Hollywood movies such as Mary Queen of Scots, Hostiles and Ad Astra. But Richter's also a composer who's not afraid to take on political issues in his music.