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Analysis

Monday

Affirmative action for rich kids: It's more than just legacy admissions

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 29: People walk through the gate on Harvard Yard at the Harvard University campus on June 29, 2023 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Scott Eisen/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Planet Money

Affirmative action for rich kids: It's more than just legacy admissions

A blockbuster new study finds that America's elite private colleges are systematically giving huge advantages to rich kids over their equally bright, yet less privileged peers.

Friday

The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'
Warner Bros. Pictures / via TikTok

It's Been a Minute

The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'

The Barbie movie has arrived and we seem to be reaching peak Barbie-mania. But, Barbie's brand of hyperfeminine fun has been on the rise for years — especially online among left leaning femmes who call themselves bimbos and have been giving the term a new meaning.

The spectacular femininity of bimbos and 'Barbie'

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Friday

Where's the song of the summer? Plus, the making of Beyoncé's 'Crazy in Love'
via YouTube

It's Been a Minute

Where's the song of the summer? Plus, the making of Beyoncé's 'Crazy in Love'

It's been 20 years since Beyoncé's single Crazy in Love poured out of every radio, car speaker and club for a whole summer — setting her up to be the solo star she is today. Host Brittany Luse revisits that moment and shares the surprising story behind the music with show producer Corey Antonio Rose. Then, she sits down with Beyoncé's longtime stylist Ty Hunter, who put together the iconic looks in the Crazy in Love music video. And finally, she discusses why there is no song of the summer for 2023 — and why that matters — with NPR culture editor Bilal Qureshi.

Where's the song of the summer? Plus, the making of Beyoncé's 'Crazy in Love'

Listen · 31:29
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Wednesday

Biden Meets Zelenskyy, June Inflation, SAG-AFTRA Deadline Expires

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Up First from NPR

Biden Meets Zelenskyy, June Inflation, SAG-AFTRA Deadline Expires

President Joe Biden meets his Ukrainian counterpart. New inflation numbers are set to show easing inflation. And major Hollywood studios' contract with the actors' union is set to expire.

Biden Meets Zelenskyy, June Inflation, SAG-AFTRA Deadline Expires

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Tuesday

Sweden and NATO, Israel Democracy Protests, Vermont Floods

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Up First from NPR

Sweden and NATO, Israel Democracy Protests, Vermont Floods

Sweden is set to join NATO after Turkey withdraws objections, protests sweep Israel over judicial overhaul plans and flash floods force evacuations in Vermont.

Sweden and NATO, Israel Democracy Protests, Vermont Floods

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Monday

Abortion access could continue to change in year 2 after the overturn of Roe v. Wade

Demonstrators rally to mark the first anniversary of the US Supreme Court ruling in the Dobbs v Women's Health Organization case in Washington, DC on June 24, 2023. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Abortion access could continue to change in year 2 after the overturn of Roe v. Wade

It's already harder to get an abortion in many places and access is likely to be limited more with the passage of new laws.

Abortion access could continue to change in year 2 after the overturn of Roe v. Wade

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Saturday

How the Supreme Court's conservative majority came to be

John Roberts is sworn in as U.S. Supreme Court chief justice on Sept. 29, 2005, at the White House by Justice John Paul Stevens with Roberts' wife, Jane, and then-President George W. Bush. Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images

How the Supreme Court's conservative majority came to be

The 6-3 majority was solidified in former President Donald Trump's term, but its roots go back to the Bushes and the political circumstances of 1991 and 2005.

Thursday

Is gun violence an epidemic in the U.S.? Experts and history say it is
Kriston Jae Bethel/AFP via Getty Images

Health

Is gun violence an epidemic in the U.S.? Experts and history say it is

Deaths and injuries from guns in the U.S. have increased for years, mirroring the 1990s - the last time gun violence was considered an epidemic.

Is gun violence an epidemic in the U.S.? Experts and history say it is

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Wednesday

How the Bud Light boycott shows brands at a crossroads: Use their voice, or shut up?

Bud Light sales fell earlier this year after a promotion featuring a transgender social-media influencer led to boycott calls from conservative groups. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption

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Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Pride Month

How the Bud Light boycott shows brands at a crossroads: Use their voice, or shut up?

Large companies have played the role of activists and been one of the biggest countervailing forces against social and religious conservatives on LGBTQ measures. All that is at stake now.

Tuesday

With visit to China, Blinken clears a diplomatic path, but it's unclear where it goes

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. Leah Millis/AP hide caption

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Leah Millis/AP

World

With visit to China, Blinken clears a diplomatic path, but it's unclear where it goes

Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip shows the Biden administration is keen to reignite diplomacy and inject stability to its dealings with China, but whether it was a success remains to be seen.

With visit to China, Blinken clears a diplomatic path, but it's unclear where it goes

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Saturday

Saturday

The latest Trump charges cast a new light on a growing Republican presidential field

Even before the federal indictment of former President Donald Trump related to classified documents, this past week was notable for bringing three more names into the presidential conversation, including Trump's vice president, Mike Pence. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption

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Charlie Neibergall/AP

Politics

The latest Trump charges cast a new light on a growing Republican presidential field

Seeing Trump in the dock in a criminal case enrages his core supporters and the GOP officeholders who depend on them. But it could also breathe new life into candidacies that offer alternatives.

A Ukrainian nuclear plant is facing a water shortage

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, is seen in the background of the shallow Kakhovka Reservoir. Water levels in the reservoir have been falling rapidly after a critical dam collapsed. Kateryna Klochko/AP hide caption

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Kateryna Klochko/AP

Ukraine invasion — explained

A Ukrainian nuclear plant is facing a water shortage

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant used a large reservoir for cooling water. Now that reservoir is rapidly draining.

A Ukrainian nuclear plant is facing a water shortage

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