Libraries are now battling addiction and are at the forefront of societal debates. A controversial library meeting sparks protests and demands for assurances on appropriate materials. Book banning and censorship in libraries are on the rise, fueled by right-wing groups. Libraries are facing decline due to budget cuts and struggles in convincing people of their value. The uncertain future of libraries raises concerns about losing public interest and funding.

The prison abolition movement has long called for the end of mass incarceration. What are the consequences and why should we care? A HyperObject Industries & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So much of what we take for granted about the American labor force, from weekends to work hours, comes from union agitation, and yet union participation has dropped to historic lows. How and when did this shift happen, and what does this mean for our future? A HyperObject Industries & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does a world without cash look like? Who isn’t able to participate and why is a cashless society something folks pushing for? From Denmark to Peru to Kenya, we examine the possibilities and considerable pitfalls.  A HyperObject Industries & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If we run out of phosphorus, which is what we use to enable massive-scale farming, millions of people will starve to death. There is hope, though, in the form of a growing effort to extract it from human waste. A HyperObject Industries & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have been losing public spaces for years, and though it’s a defining architectural feature of many major cities, we don't seem to be doing anything about it. A HyperObject Industries & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Omar’s birthplace, Qatar, is essentially disappearing, not as a result of climate change, but because it’s become something entirely different. What does it mean to be without home? A HyperObject Industries & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Politicians, economists, and sleep specialists debate instituting a permanent standard time. Should we keep one time all year, split it in two, or do something else entirely? A HyperObject Industries & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The last time scientists produced a new batch of effective antibiotics was in 1987. Since then, we've seen virtually no new ones. About 700,000 people die from antibiotic-resistant bacteria worldwide every year and in the next couple of decades, that number is expected to soar. A HyperObject Industries & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People love coffee, but climate change is fundamentally altering where and how coffee is grown. Because of the damage being done to the planet, coffee is in trouble. And so are the farmers who grow it. A HyperObject Industries & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices