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Naja haje) is a lethal venomous snake native to Africa. Its bite is one of multiple that could be treated with a new universal antivenom... developed from a human named Tim Friede.'/>

What's it like to get bit by a venomous snake? "It's like a bee sting times a thousand," Tim Friede says. Tim would know. Over the past few decades, he's let himself be bitten over 200 times by all kinds of venomous snakes — black mambas, taipans, cobras, kraits and more. With time, he's gradually built immunity to multiple types of venom. Could scientists help him share that immunity with others?

Science reporter Ari Daniel joins Short Wave to explain how antivenom works, what scientists discovered and where the research may lead. Plus, what does Tim Friede have in common with Princess Bride?

Want to hear about more medical discoveries? Email us at shortwave@nprg.org to tell us what areas of science you'd be interested in.

Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa heads to the White House today for conciliatory talks with one of his country's most persistent critics: President Trump.

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Japan's agriculture minister resigned Wednesday because of political fallout over recent comments that he "never had to buy rice" because he got it from supporters as gifts.

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Mexico's president condemned the killings and said there would not be impunity. She said she was not aware of any threats against the mayor.

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Pressure from close allies is mounting on Israel following a nearly three-month blockade of supplies into Gaza. Even the United States has voiced concerns over the hunger crisis.

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A Delaware animal shelter is working to find new homes for 8,000 surviving chicks that were left abandoned in a U.S. Postal Service truck for three days. Another 4,000 of the animals died.

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The Land of Enchantment has quietly become a blue refuge in the MAGA red West for Americans who are fleeing extreme conservative strongholds.

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When the U.S. Supreme Court said Monday the Trump administration could strip legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans while litigation continues in the lower courts, the move sent shockwaves.

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The major writing prize awards the best fiction translated into English. Judges called Banu Mushtaq's short story collection "something genuinely new for English readers."

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Immigration attorneys have asked a Massachusetts federal judge to block a Trump administration move to deport migrants — including nationals from Myanmar and Vietnam — to South Sudan or other third countries.

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In one weekend in May, more than a 1,000 immigrants were arrested in Florida. The massive crackdown has Trump supporters asking why their neighbors were detained and must be deported.

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The plan includes a vast array of space-based sensors and interceptors.

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The U.S. economy is in flux. And for millions of Americans, a new line item in their budget includes repaying federal student loans.

Making ends meet isn't just tough for student loan borrowers. Groceries cost a lot more now than they did in 2020. Tariff disputes make it difficult to plan future purchases and they can make it harder to find everyday items at affordable prices.

Housing — whether it's your mortgage or rent — remains expensive.

And the job market — well that's tough, too.

Unpredictable inflation, added expenses, a volatile stock market – the health of the U.S. economy is anything but certain right now. How can you manage?

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

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There's been a political backlash in India after the Trump administration deported dozens of Indian migrants who were in the U.S. without legal status. This comes after the U.S. had announced 26 percent tariffs on India, which are currently suspended. Those events have changed Indian's perceptions of what they had thought was a cozy relationship with the U.S. and have cause a headache for the Indian prime minister. We go to western India to hear what people think of the U.S. now.

Federal officials unveiled a rigorous regulatory approach to future COVID vaccines that could make it harder for many people under 65 to get immunized.

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Carlsen squared off against 143,000 players from around the world — but the tennis legend was unable to clinch a victory over Team World.

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Facing sharp questioning from Democratic lawmakers, the director of Homeland Security incorrectly described the constitutional right as a presidential authority to deport individuals.

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Newspapers around the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and at least one edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer, published a syndicated book list featuring made-up books by famous authors.

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Six of the 10 men who escaped from a New Orleans jail through a hole behind a toilet on Friday are still missing. Authorities believe they had help from the inside and made an arrest on Tuesday.

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The billionaire executive was Trump's biggest donor in 2024. Now, however, he is planning to cut back his spending on politics, he said on Tuesday.

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