Trump Signs Aid Package, Epicenter Is Now The U.S.

March 27, 2020 • The $2 trillion economic recovery package is now law, as the number of COVID-19 cases in America approaches 100,000 and deaths near 1,500. A Johns Hopkins scientist weighs in on the idea of relaxing social distancing in select locations and the importance of more testing for coronavirus. And we explain when Americans could expect to receive federal stimulus money.

David Biello: A Journey Into Uncharted Territory

March 27, 2020 • There’s so much we’ve yet to explore—from outer space to the deep ocean to our own brains. This hour, Manoush goes on a journey through those uncharted places, led by TED Science Curator David Biello.

No, The Coronavirus Isn’t Another Flu

March 27, 2020 • President Trump has compared the coronavirus to the seasonal flu. NPR reporter Pien Huang speaks to host Maddie Sofia about why the coronavirus appears deadlier and more transmissible — and why it poses such a risk to our healthcare system.

Exploring The Canopy With ‘TreeTop Barbie’

March 25, 2020 • Encore episode: Pioneering ecologist Nalini Nadkarni takes us up into the canopy — the area above the forest floor — where she helped research and document this unexplored ecosystem. Plus: the story of her decades-long effort to get more women into science, and how she found a surprising ally in the fight — Barbie. Video and more from Maddie’s trip to the canopy is here. Follow Maddie on Twitter @maddie_sofia. Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

New York City, U.S. Epicenter, Braces For Peak

March 24, 2020 • Governor Andrew Cuomo said the pandemic could peak in New York in the next 14-21 days — around the same time President Trump said he’d love to “open” the economy. Plus why the aviation and other transportation industries are lining up for federal bailout money, and a theory about why the virus might be so good at spreading.

Why Is The Coronavirus So Good At Spreading?

March 24, 2020 • Ed Yong rounds up some theories in a recent article for The Atlantic. He tells host Maddie Sofia one reason the virus spreads so well might have to do with an enzyme commonly found in human tissue.

Why Hoarding Of Hydroxychloroquine Needs To Stop

WBUR

March 23, 2020 • Despite Trump’s public remarks, infectious disease experts say it’s premature to think hydroxychloroquine will help against COVID-19. And patients with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis rely on the drug.

It’s Okay To Sleep Late (But Do It For Your Immune System)

March 23, 2020 • Dr. Syed Moin Hassan was riled up. “I don’t know who needs to hear this,” he posted on Twitter, “BUT YOU ARE NOT LAZY IF YOU ARE WAKING UP AT NOON.” Hassan, who is the Sleep Medicine Fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, speaks to Short Wave’s Emily Kwong about de-stigmatizing sleeping in late, and why a good night’s rest is so important for your immune system.