RFK calls Biden-Trump debate ‘sad,’ sees political opening Independent candidate RFK Jr. spoke to All Things Considered about the Biden-Trump debate and what it means for his third-party run for the presidency Read more on NPR

Russia’s New Friends In the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and many western governments sought to isolate Russia politically and economically through sanctions. But Russia insists it still has plenty of friends in the world. Our Moscow correspondent went to meet some of them at an economic forum in Saint Petersburg….

Supreme Court denies Steve Bannon’s plea to stay free while he appeals Former Trump White House aide Steve Bannon reported to a federal prison in Connecticut today to serve time after refusing to comply with a congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol riot. Read more on NPR

Black women at Harvard accused of plagiarism to attack DEI programs, supporter says Four Black women at Harvard have been accused of plagiarism by right-wing activists. We examine the motivations behind the charges. Read more on NPR

Biden administration extends protected status for up to 309,000 migrants from Haiti TPS is not a permanent legal status but protects against deportation, allows migrants to get a work permit, and sometimes travel authorization. Read more on NPR

Microdosing and tripping on mushrooms is on the rise in U.S. Two new studies estimate psychedelic use in the U.S. and both find magic mushrooms gaining in popularity, including some folks who just want to get a little bit high, aka microdosing. Read more on NPR