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AI could decimate Phoenix's white-collar job market. What would that mean for the rest of the U.S.?

Artificial intelligence advancements could spell disaster for many of the white-collar jobs in customer service, data entry and payroll processing that have been the bedrock of the city's thriving middle class.

As diplomats talk, Israel's bombings in Lebanon intensify

Israel launched some of its biggest attacks on Lebanon in weeks, killing dozens of people and sending troops farther into southern Lebanon.

In 2000, Oklahoma truckers moved 50 feet of concrete pavement from U.S.
66 to the collections of the National Museum of American History to mark
the significance of U.S. numbered highways, and Route 66 as a prime example. This particular stretch of pavement is believed to be from 1932. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History,
Gift of Oklahoma Department of Transportation)

Route 66 is not the longest or most-travelled American highway. So why is it the most famous?

Long before interstates stitched the country together, there was “The Mother Road.” Route 66 crossed through eight states from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif.

The cover of "Ulysses S. Cat" and author Scott Simon. (Courtesy of W.W. Norton & Company and Caroline Simon)

In 'Ulysses S. Cat,' NPR host Scott Simon tells animal tales

Author Scott Simon remembers family animals and animals that he has encountered in his travels.

What we know about the ruptured chemical tank in Washington

One person died and nine people are missing.

Former Obama adviser reflects on the 'Battle for American Identity'

Ben Rhodes was a speechwriter and security adviser for President Obama. His book, All We Say, is a collection of 15 speeches — from Ben Franklin to Trump — about what it means to be American.

Greetings from Cape Verde, where the sounds of samba, jazz and morna fill the air

Music is interwoven with the sounds of daily life in this West African island nation, which hosted two international music festivals in April and has been named the African Capital of Culture for 2028.

The heightened restrictions on movement make every aspect of life more difficult for the 3.4 million Palestinians living in the West Bank, in particular the collection and disposal of garbage.

Palestinians use recycling as Israel's restrictions trigger a trash crisis

Palestinians in the West Bank live amid garbage following Israeli restrictions. Two Palestinian entrepreneurs are trying to make a change.

The Quire of Eastern Iowa celebrates a civil rights icon you may have never heard of

Author Paige Lewis discusses their debut novel, 'Canon.' With echoes of the Odyssey and other historic epics, the novel's heroes go on is full of quests, battles — and a trip to the mall. Then, the Quire of Eastern Iowa is an LGBTQIA+ community choir. Their upcoming performance, 'Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray,' is a tribute to civil rights activist Pauli Murray. Nebbe speaks with Quire members Sydney Houlton and Elena Cressy.

Former Iowa lawmaker and trailblazer shares about growing up amid the civil rights movement

The memoir 'I Don't Swim' by former Iowa state Rep. Helen Miller reads like a chronicle of America itself. In this episode, Miller talks about her parents being part of the great migration of Black families to the north, becoming an adult during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, her political career and confronting the reasons why she didn't swim. Her book chronicles painful experiences with systemic racism and injustice, but remains an uplifting read. Later, Cathy Westercamp, an Iowa swim instructor, shares tips on swimming safety. (Rep. Helen Miller is a member of the IPR Board of Directors. This episode was originally produced July 17, 2025.)

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