The Centers for Disease Control has launched a website to help Americans find locations of COVID-19 vaccines in an effort to increase the pace of vaccinations.
Also, the Biden administration is set to release a U.S. intelligence assessment on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives. And, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy faced heavy criticism in a House committee hearing about ongoing mail delays at the U.S. Postal Service.
We’re in the longest period of time since the minimum wage has been created that it hasn’t been adjusted. You’ve probably heard the progressive and Congressional Democrats argument for a $15 an hour federal minimum wage.
Now, some Republicans are responding with a proposal to raise it to $10 an hour by 2025. Plus, what we’re just learning about security around the Jan. 6 insurrection. And, how Home Depot is a proxy for the housing markets.
The Biden administration has prioritized vaccinating the country quickly and equitably. But making sure vaccines reach communities of color has been a challenge.
Also, the Senate holds the first hearing into the Capitol riot on January 6. And, we go to the recovery efforts in Houston, Texas in the wake of the disastrous winter storm and power outages that struck the state last week.
NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Yamiche Alcindor to discuss the latest political news, including President Biden’s COVID-relief package, his handling of the pandemic since taking office and former President Trump’s continued impact on the Republican Party.
The U.S. is nearing 500,000 deaths from COVID-19, almost a year since the country’s first death from the disease.
Also, Judge Merrick Garland finally gets a confirmation hearing, but this time it is to take the role of President Biden’s attorney general. And, Texans who were fortunate enough to have power last week during a devastating winter storm are now facing massive electricity bills. Why?
A special edition of Monocle On Sunday to mark Monocle’s 14th anniversary. Editorial director Tyler Brûlé and editor in chief Andrew Tuck are joined by guests to take a trip down memory lane – and have a few laughs too.
In Texas the power is back after several days for most of the population, but now they have to worry about whether the water is safe after treatment plants were temporarily offline.
Also, President Biden gives his first speech to world leaders. He wants to move beyond his predecessor’s “America First” policies. And, Native American tribes have been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. But tribes are quickly and efficiently vaccinating their communities.
New winter storm threatens fragile power grids in Texas, Trump and McConnell wrestle for the future of the Republican party, and why you shouldn’t store your food outside if you lose power.
Researchers sequence the oldest DNA ever recovered, and the people bringing art and science together.
In this episode:
00:46 Million-year-old mammoth DNA
This week, researchers have smashed a long-standing record by sequencing a genome that’s over a million years old. They achieved this feat by extracting DNA from permafrost-preserved mammoth teeth, using it to build-up a more detailed family tree for these ancient animals.
Research Article: van der Valk et al.
News: Million-year-old mammoth genomes shatter record for oldest ancient DNA
News and Views: Million-year-old DNA provides a glimpse of mammoth evolution
10:00 Research Highlights
A spacecraft catches a rare glimpse of a rock smashing into Jupiter, and the perilous state of sawfish populations.
Research Highlight: Robotic eyes spy the flash of a meteor on Jupiter
Research Highlight: Humans push a hulking fish with a chainsaw nose towards oblivion
12:18 Putting art into science (and science into art)
Art and science are sometimes considered disparate, but when brought together the results can be greater than the sum of their parts. This week we hear from an artist and a scientist on the benefits they found when crossing the divide.
Career Feature: How to shape a productive scientist–artist collaboration
Career Feature: How the arts can help you to craft a successful research career
Where I work: ‘All my art is curiosity-driven’: the garden studio where art and physics collide
21:43 Briefing Chat
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, a neanderthal gene makes brain-like organoids bumpy, and uncovering the original location of Stonehenge’s stone circle.
Deadly winter storm stretches across 25 states, Nancy Pelosi outlines steps to create 9/11-style commission to investigate Capitol riot, and Tennessee man leaves $5 million to dog in his will.
