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Tension in the nation's capital escalated over the question of who controls the city's police department after Washington, D.C.'s Attorney General sued over the White House's bid for full control.

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Trump and Putin meet in Alaska today. Here's what you need to know before the summit. And, Texas Democrats could end their boycott if California also begins redistricting.

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President Trump had pledged to use his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin to broker a deal. But he's been vague about potential outcomes from his Friday summit.

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While just a fraction of Republicans in Congress are holding town halls during the August recess — in-person and virtual — the questions from voters, and answers from lawmakers, strike a similar tune.

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In one neighborhood of the city, Latinos worry about immigration and urban problems but may soon be grouped in with suburban voters.

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President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Anchorage today to talk about Ukraine. Here's what to know.

Stars are starting their own companies and marketing products directly to their fans. We talked to people following and making these deals, including John Legend who started his own skincare brand.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has named the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration to be Washington D.C.'s emergency police commissioner. The National Guard, FBI and other entities are now working to follow President Trump's directive to clean up the nation's capital.

In 1968, Nathaniel Estes started his own plumbing business in Denver's Five Points neighborhood. As his company grew, he became a pillar of the local Black community. His son, Eddie Estes, and daughter, Cathy Lane, remember their now 94-year-old father, and what it was like growing up as the plumber's kids.

It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our rapid run through the numbers you need to know.  

On today’s episode: John Legend croons; CPI inflation soothes; Same job as mom? You’ll earn more, dude; Apple vs. Apple, a courtroom feud. 

Related episodes: 
Why every A-lister also has a side hustle 
The DOJ's case against Apple 
The Intergenerational Transmission of Employers and the Earnings of Young Workers

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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In this Back To School episode we consider the "List of Life": the criteria that define what it is to be a living thing. Some are easy calls: A kitten is alive. A grain of salt is not.

But what about the tricky cases, like a virus? Or, more importantly, what about futuristic android robots?

As part of our Black History Month celebration, developmental biologist Crystal Rogers and Short Wave co-host Regina G. Barber dig into what makes something alive, and wade into a Star-Trek-themed debate.

Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Is there something you'd like us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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A federal judge on Thursday struck down two Trump administration actions aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the nation's schools and universities.

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The deployment is meant to help the government of Haiti recover vast swaths of territory seized in the past year and now controlled by heavily armed gangs.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a directive issued Thursday evening that DEA boss Terry Cole will assume "powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police."

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With a wild card invitation, the tennis legend is making history in her return to the U.S. Open later this month as the oldest singles player to take the court in more than 40 years.

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It's been four years since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban's return to power. Life for certain groups has deteriorated significantly. But the Trump administration says Afghanistan’s conditions have improved in recent years to the point where sending Afghan nationals BACK does not pose a threat to their safety.

A year ago, on August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Why are health experts so frustrated by the world's response?

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A group of religious leaders in Washington, D.C. is criticizing President Donald Trump's federal takeover of the District's police force, saying his rhetoric is dehumanizing and counterproductive.

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A jury convicted former Republican candidate Solomon Peña of conspiracy, weapons and other charges in the shootings in 2022 and 2023 on the homes of four Democratic officials in Albuquerque, including the current state House speaker.

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President Trump says he'll know "probably in the first two minutes" whether Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war in Ukraine, touting his past relationship with the Russian leader.

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