Scott Simon

Juneau's office of Parks and Recreation is essentially closed, so the staff has turned its hiking hotline into a joke hotline. The demand has overwhelmed the number.

A majority of pharmaceuticals sold in the U.S. are made in other countries. Critics say the pandemic shows us why that's a bad idea.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to the British producer, guitarist and vocalist about What Kinda Music, his new album with drummer Yussef Dayes.

Congress approved another $321 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program this week. Bloomberg opinion columnist Joe Nocera talks about how this extension may work and where it might fall short.

NPR's Ron Elving talks about President Trump's extraordinary suggestion to study disinfectants to treat COVID-19, and about the new aid package for small businesses and hospitals.

Suzanne Koven, a medical doctor and Massachusetts General Hospital's first writer in residence, says the healthcare center is the setting for thousands of real-life stories.

The author of the new memoir, Sigh, Gone, fled Saigon with his family in 1975, and faced rejection and bullying in the Pennsylvania town where he grew up.

The NFL draft does a great job of distracting fans who've been missing sports. Plus: Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw retires after coaching women's basketball for 33 years.

NPR's Scott Simon says slogans and bromides fall short when it comes to dealing with the new coronavirus.

Sopan Deb's parents had an arranged marriage, but they were "a bad match from the start," leading to years of unhappiness and estrangement. He writes about it in a new memoir, Missed Translations.

Louis Reese, who is undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer, spent 18 days in the hospital with COVID-19. NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Louis and his wife, Tara, about being separated during this time.

Cindy Neuroth of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, talks about how the pandemic affects her job as a sanitation worker. Much of the garbage she picks up is unbagged, and she's worried about her safety.

An odd problem for our age: Order one banana for grocery delivery, do you get a one banana or one bunch? And what do you do when you order 10 bananas and get 10 bunches of them? NPR explores.

Luis Quintanilla, director of the Humane Society of Harlingen, Texas, talks about how the pandemic has changed things in the animal shelter.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who led Ohio to take precautions against the coronavirus early — and is now facing pressure to fully reopen the state.

We learn all kinds of interesting things when we're at loose ends during a pandemic lockdown. Did you know that Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Music Director Marin Alsop co-founded a swing band?

What do stay-at-home orders mean for people in abusive relationships? NPR's Scott Simon talks with Suzanne Dubus, of the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center, about the additional challenges of these times.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with TV star Bob Odenkirk about the fifth season of "Better Call Saul" and the challenge of playing an established character backwards in time.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Dr. Ram Alur, president of Physicians for American Healthcare Access, about restrictions faced by some immigrant doctors who want to help fight the pandemic.

NPR's Scott Simon remembers the renown Americana singer/songwriter John Prine, who died this week at the age of 73 from COVID 19.