MacNeil, who created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast "The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour" in the 1970s and co-anchored the show for with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades, died on Friday

Fans of Hot Ones refer to those celebrities who make it through the sauces without complaint as Spice Lords. This week, Conan O'Brien became a Spice Legend.

Why is a famous elementary particle in the news? Where is Chechnya and what did it ban? Which prince is Andrew again? If you know these things, you'll get at least a 3 out of 11.

Simpson died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, his family said. His celebrity turned to infamy three decades ago when he was accused and then acquitted of killing his ex-wife and her friend.

President Biden has been pushing new regulations to promote electric vehicle production to combat the climate crisis — and former president Trump is using those regulations as a talking point against Biden. To break down how cars became the latest weapons in the culture wars, host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR's transportation correspondent Camila Domonoske and Dan Brekke, a reporter and editor at KQED in San Francisco who covers transit. Together, they talk about why Americans are so invested in their cars — and how cars became more than just a policy battle.

Then Brittany discusses a new HBO documentary series that is making waves right now: Quiet On Set. The show alleges a pattern of sexual harassment behind the scenes at Nickelodeon, and includes interviews with several former child stars describing experiences that range from taking part in sexualized gags to facing downright sexual abuse while working for the network. Brittany looks closer at the trouble with child performers with Joan Summers and Matthew Lawson, co-hosts of the Eating for Free podcast. They discuss what makes child performers especially vulnerable to abuse — and they ask why society demands performances from children.

This ambitious thriller comes across as an empty stunt — a democracy dystopia that sidesteps the politics of the present moment. But Kirsten Dunst is excellent as a battle scarred photojournalist.

Although the Catholic Church officially opposes abortion, the report says there's far greater diversity of opinion among laity in the U.S.

The VA halted foreclosures after an NPR investigation found thousands of vets were facing foreclosure and it wasn't their fault. Now the VA's unveiling a rescue plan that leaves some out in the cold.

Ursula Villarreal-Moura's debut novel movingly portrays its protagonist coming to terms with an imbalanced, difficult, and sometimes harmful friendship that was also a key part of her life for years.

The men began their trip on Easter Sunday and had been gone for six days when a woman called the U.S. Coast Guard to report them missing.

Mike Casey tells NPR that the scale of spying against the United States is "impressive and terrifying." He says: "More players are getting into it with more tools, going after more targets."

The holy month of Ramadan concluded this week with Eid al-Fitr, a celebration with food, family and friends. For Palestinians, the war in Gaza has weighed heavily on this year's holiday.

Nearly 43,000 vehicles are impacted by the recall, including the 2022 Escape and the 2022 and 2023 Bronco Sport editions that have 1.5L engines.

Four years ago, Bernie Sanders dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Joe Biden, helping Biden expand his coalition, including with young voters. Is another "unity" moment possible in 2024?

Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency announced new drinking water standards to limit people's exposure to some PFAS chemicals. For decades, PFAS have been used to waterproof and stain-proof a variety of consumer products. These "forever chemicals" in a host of products — everything from raincoats and the Teflon of nonstick pans to makeup to furniture and firefighting foam. Because PFAS take a very long time to break down, they can accumulate in humans and the environment. Now, a growing body of research is linking them to human health problems like serious illness, some cancers, lower fertility and liver damage. Science correspondent Pien Huang joins the show today to talk through this new EPA rule — what the threshold for safe levels of PFAS in tap water is, why the rule is happening now and how the federal standards will be implemented.

Read more of Pien's reporting on the EPA's first ever rule on PFAS in drinking water.

Want to hear more about health and human safety? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we might cover your question on a future episode!