"Let Us Descend" tells the story of a young enslaved woman before the Civil War. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with author Jesmyn Ward about the new book, which she modeled after Dante's "Inferno."

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks researcher Kimberly Bertrand about hair relaxers containing formaldehyde and moves by the FDA to ban them.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad about the leadership of and divisions within Palestinian political factions.

A new documentary uses rare footage of the escape route North Koreans take as they try to defect. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with director Madeleine Gavin and defector Soyeon Lee about the journey.

Israel says it is preparing to invade Gaza with ground forces but the timeline is unclear.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to author Virginia Sole-Smith about the future of the body positivity movement in the wake of weight loss drugs like Ozempic.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks musician Ren Gill, known simply as "Ren," about his new album, "Sick Boi."

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Iran expert Mehrzad Boroujerdi about the relationship between Israel and Iran.

The New York Film Festival wraps up this weekend. It's a venue for some of the season's big releases — as well as some offbeat, foreign and indie movies.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Yara Hawari, of Al Shabaka, the Palestinian Policy Network, about how the conflict between Israel and Hamas is being seen in the occupied West Bank.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks New York Times Magazine contributing writer Ruth Margalit about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks California state Sen. Steven Bradford about the state's new system designed to find missing Black people.

House Republicans are still struggling to coalesce around one candidate for Speaker while multiple crises add urgency to the search.

Poland is holding national elections today in which voters choose between parties with radically different visions of Polish democracy.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat about her latest album, "Along The Way."

Late-breaking details on the conflict in Israel.

The Biden administration is moving forward with a controversial plan to build a new section of wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. The move comes amid another surge in migration on the southern border.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Andrew Mergen of Harvard Law School about the "Chevron Doctrine," an important legal precedent that will be taken up by the Supreme Court this term.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Mideast expert Yousef Munayyer about the history behind the recent attacks by Hamas against Israel.

Is group chatting becoming the social media medium of choice? NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Atlantic editor Faith Hill.