Here and Now

Academy Award-wining director, writer and animator Nick Park‘s new film “Early Man” pits cavemen versus Bronze Age-men in an epic soccer match.

“Being a non-soccer fan, I was really trying to make just an entertaining family comedy that happens to have soccer as a kind of a — you know, it’s an underdog prehistoric sports movie,” Park says.

Interview Highlights

On where the idea for “Early Man” came from

It wasn’t that long ago that the things we heard on air — through speakers, through headphones — were recorded, edited and played back on magnetic tape, reel to reel, and later on cassettes. But, today, sound recording has totally changed and tape technology has all but been abandoned. Or, so one would think.

The U.S. women’s hockey team advanced to the gold medal final with a 5-0 win over Finland.

Here & Now‘s Meghna Chakrabarti gets an update on all of the Olympic action in Pyeongchang from NPR’s Russell Lewis (@NPRrussell).

American Mikaela Shiffrin won the gold medal in the women’s giant slalom Thursday. Meanwhile, the U.S. women’s hockey team lost to Canada 2-1 but remains alive in the tournament.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with Here & Now sports analyst Mike Pesca (@pescami) about the results.

President Trump is weighing in on domestic violence allegations Wednesday. The controversy around former Trump staff secretary Rob Porter is front and center, and the House Oversight Committee is now investigating how the White House has handled the case.

Here & Now‘s Lisa Mullins speaks with NPR’s Domenico Montanaro (@DomenicoNPR) for the latest.

James Hunter sings the blues, and he sings soul, too — two genres that trade in heartache and hard times.

His latest album “Whatever It Takes” sounds like a valentine, because the hard-scrabble school dropout from Britain has fallen in love, and married a fan from America.

Hunter (@JamesHunterSix) joins Here & Now‘s Lisa Mullins to talk about the album.

About 5 percent of people in the U.S. suffer from seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression brought on by the dark days of winter. Many more may experience a mild form of the disorder.

Under Armour’s speedskating suits were blamed for the American team’s dismal showing at the 2014 Sochi games. A post-Olympic review by the U.S. team vindicated the technology. But the suits have been redesigned, and the company is hoping for redemption in 2018.

In this week’s Here & Now DJ Session, host Jeremy Hobson speaks with KCRW DJ Travis Holcombe (@TravisHolcombe), who shares his latest favorite funk-infused songs from artists including Ty Segall, Kali Uchis, and Superorganism.

The luxury restaurant Bob Bob Ricard (@bobbobricard) in London has adopted dynamic pricing, charging less during off-peak hours.

Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson talks with Leonid Shutov, founder and owner of Bob Bob Ricard, about how the pricing is affecting business.

Rex Tillerson will wrap up his first tour of Latin America as U.S. secretary of state Wednesday. His focus is to drum up support in the region as the U.S. considers applying more pressure on the Venezuelan government, amid the country’s worsening political and humanitarian crisis.

Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson speaks with Tim Padgett (@TimPadgett2), Americas editor with WLRN in Miami.

Recyclers in the United States are feeling the impact of China’s new strict standards for the recycling it imports from around the world. China wants to eliminate the contamination that comes with the plastic, paper and some metals, but because these new standards are very hard to meet, it is essentially a ban on foreign recyclables.

Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson talks with Joe Fusco, vice president at Casella Waste Systems, about what these changes mean for his company and the U.S. recycling industry.

President Trump gave his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night, but the week in politics was dominated by discussion surrounding the release of a Republican memo from the House Intelligence Committee alleging FBI surveillance abuse in the Russia investigation.

In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Trump talked about gang violence and introduced the parents of two teenage girls killed by MS-13 gang members.

Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson speaks with MS-13 specialist David Pyrooz (@dpyrooz), a criminologist and assistant professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder, about the gang and the extent of its activity in the U.S.

President Trump delivers his first State of the Union address Tuesday night. The White House says he’ll focus on jobs, the economy, immigration and national security.

Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson speaks with Ohio State University professor Randall Schweller, who believes Trump’s first year in office has been a success.

Interview Highlights

On how President Trump has done in his first year

The Cleveland Indians and Major League Baseball have announced that the team will no longer use its Chief Wahoo logo on uniforms or in the team’s stadium starting with the beginning of the 2019 season.

As Matt Richmond from WCPN ideastream in Cleveland reports, the character has long been a central part of the team’s identity — and the subject of protests.

What happens when you’re a Latino teenager assigned to write about one of your heroes, and you decide to choose someone from your own heritage? Not much, according to actor and comedian John Leguizamo, because history books and public school curricula don’t do enough to highlight Latino contributions to U.S. history.

Minnesota is gearing up to host the Super Bowl in less than two weeks. The state is also embracing a new identity — instead of being part of the Midwest, it’s branding itself as “the North.”

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