Geoff Bennett

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani is in Washington this week on the heels of tension in the Middle East. On the agenda was the future of U.S.-Iraq security cooperation, improving Iraqi economic and political integration with the region and the U.S. helping Iraq develop its oil resources. Geoff Bennett sat down with Al-Sudani to discuss those issues and more.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Andrew Desiderio of Punchbowl News join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including the House passing foreign aid for Ukraine after months of debate and political gamesmanship and the turmoil surrounding Speaker Mike Johnson.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a key case that could have major implications for labor rights. The court looked at a challenge brought by Starbucks against a lower court decision to reinstate seven baristas in Memphis who were fired by the company after they announced plans to unionize. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Washington Post labor reporter Lauren Gurley.

It was a charged atmosphere at the Supreme Court as justices heard arguments in a major abortion case. The court looked at whether a federal law requiring hospitals to provide abortion care in emergencies would apply to states with strict bans. More than two dozen states ban or severely restrict abortion and six states have no health exceptions. Geoff Bennett discussed the case with Sarah Varney.

The FDA says samples of milk taken from grocery stores have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows. But the agency says it's confident the milk in stores is safe. It suggests the virus is spreading more prevalently among dairy herds than previously thought. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo of the Pandemic Center at Brown University.

It’s a Tiny Desk that’s become a huge draw for some of the world’s most famous musicians. Geoff Bennett spoke with the new host of the long-running NPR concert series about why this unique format continues to resonate with so many. It’s part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

A key issue at these college protests against the war in Gaza is the demand for schools to divest from Israel. Monday, we heard a perspective arguing how universities can do that more readily. Now, Geoff Bennett has a different take from Chris Marsicano. He studies higher education finance and is an assistant professor of education studies at Davidson College.

Protests took a dramatic turn at Columbia University overnight when some pro-Palestinian students occupied a building on campus. In California, police arrested 25 protesters at California State Polytechnic University who had taken over a building for about a week and shut down the campus. A similar occupation was in its third day at Portland State University. Geoff Bennett reports.

A key issue at these college protests against the war in Gaza is the demand for schools to divest from Israel. Monday, we heard a perspective arguing how universities can do that more readily. Now, Geoff Bennett has a different take from Chris Marsicano. He studies higher education finance and is an assistant professor of education studies at Davidson College.

As the Biden administration puts a hold on sending thousands of bombs to Israel, we have perspectives from two members of Congress. Geoff Bennett spoke with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Amna Nawaz discussed the latest with Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.