Jul 28, 2020 - Podcasts

The second wave of protests

Thousands of people held protests in at least a dozen American cities this weekend, days after the Trump administration announced it would send more federal agents to Chicago and Albuquerque in an extension of Operation Legend. A month ago protests over the killing of George Floyd had begun to dwindle — now, they’re back.

  • Plus, how the recession has made our economic divide even greater.
  • Also, Americans are increasingly forming social bubbles.
  • And, what one former Marine is doing to prevent veteran suicides.

Guests: Oregon Public Broadcasting's Conrad Wilson, Axios' Stef Kight, Dion Rabouin and David Nather.

Credits: "Axios Today" is produced in partnership with Pushkin Industries. The team includes Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Carol Alderman, Cara Shillenn, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Naomi Shavin and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com.

Go deeper:

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free and confidential support for anyone in distress, in addition to prevention and crisis resources. Also available for online chat.

Go deeper

Axios
14 hours ago - Podcasts

The dangerous tech of nuclear war

On this day 75 years ago, the U.S. dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. Since the end of the Cold War, the threat of a nuclear attack has seemed farfetched. However, the rise of cyberattacks and artificial intelligence could disrupt the precarious balance between nations in the modern nuclear arms race.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Rashaan Ayesh
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Pelosi, Schumer demand postmaster general reverse USPS cuts ahead of election

Schumer and Pelosi. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Thursday calling for the recent Trump appointee to reverse operational changes to the U.S. Postal Service that "threaten the timely delivery of mail" ahead of the 2020 election.

Why it matters: U.S. mail and election infrastructure are facing a test like no other this November, with a record-breaking number of mail-in ballots expected as Americans attempt to vote in the midst of a pandemic.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Alison Snyder
2 hours ago - Science

CRISPR co-discoverer on the gene editor's pandemic push

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photos: Brian Ach/Getty Images for Wired and BSIP/UIG via Getty Images

The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating the development of CRISPR-based tests for detecting disease — and highlighting how gene-editing tools might one day fight pandemics, one of its discoverers, Jennifer Doudna, tells Axios.

Why it matters: Testing shortages and backlogs underscore a need for improved mass testing for COVID-19. Diagnostic tests based on CRISPR — which Doudna and colleagues identified in 2012, ushering in the "CRISPR revolution" in genome editing — are being developed for dengue, Zika and other diseases, but a global pandemic is a proving ground for these tools that hold promise for speed and lower costs.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow