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Country musician Orville Peck's new album "Mule" tells the story of a transformative year that began in the summer of 2023, when Peck nearly died of an overdose before a show. He tells us more. Then, Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen says her new album, "Day and Night," stands as the proudest creative achievement of her career. Jepsen discusses the influences behind her new album and the journey it takes listeners on. And, this week, the Macklemore and Ed Sheeran tour debacle highlighted the conflict between music and politics. Rolling Stone's Jon Blistein joins us.

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In 'Mule,' Orville Peck chronicles a year coming back from the brink

Experts commissioned by the UN report that they have "reasonable grounds" to believe the U.S. committed war crimes during two airstrikes in Iran, including one that hit a school in February. We speak with Negar Mortazavi, senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and host of "The Iran Podcast." Then, the House of Representatives is heading home and won't be back in session until the midterms. NPR's Sam Gringlas shares the latest. And, someday soon, your doctor may prescribe the psychedelic drug LSD to treat anxiety. STAT's Elaine Chen talks about the latest developments in LSD therapy for anxiety. 

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UN investigators say US likely committed war crimes in Iran

China watcher Kevin Xu explains the myths and realities of China's capabilities in artificial intelligence amid concerns in the U.S. that regulating it here would cause the U.S. to fall behind China in AI development. 

Then, Jesse Appell describes himself as an independent creative, entrepreneur and intercultural comedian based in Beijing, using comedy to bridge cultural divides. His new memoir, "This Was Funnier in China, An American Comedian's Cross-Cultural Journey," details it all.

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Why China isn't (as) worried about an AI apocalypse

Reporting by ProPublica recently found that Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin, secretly paid for part of — and attended — Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding. Experts say he’ll likely want something from the Trumps in return. Joshua Kaplan co-reported the story and explains more of the implications.

And, the Environmental Protection Agency is repealing rules that limit climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. The agency says this will “unleash” American energy. But Bryan Hubbell from the nonpartisan think tank Econofact says the market dynamics tell a different story.

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The Russian oligarch who bankrolled Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding

Welcome to the next big vibe shift in artificial intelligence. On Monday, Microsoft published a new "Humanist AI" code of conduct that says people should always be in control, after the leaders of OpenAI and Anthropic over the weekend called for a global slowdown in AI research. But President Trump says now is not the time to slow down development. Axios' Ina Fried tells us more. 

And as leaders of powerful artificial intelligence companies are calling for slowing down the pace of development, how did we get here, and how would that work? We ask Gregory Allen, founder and CEO of Decision Tree Research.

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AI leaders want to slow development. Can they actually do it?

In the immediate aftermath of the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, photographer Richard Drew took a now-famous photo of a man falling from the north tower. The photo garnered attention and backlash, with the subject never definitively identified. Drew shares more about experiencing 9/11 and capturing it in photos.

Then, we heard from listeners across the U.S. explaining how the events on 9/11 and the aftermath changed their lives. Some experienced profound loss, some turned to service and all shared unique reflections on the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

And, Lila Nordstrom watched the twin towers fall from Stuyvesant High School, where she was a student. In the years since, she’s advocated for fellow students who became sick due to toxic substances in the air after the buildings fell. She reflects on the past 25 years.

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