Today we’re talking about the weapon we seem to talk about after every mass shooting in the United States: the AR-15.

The AR-15 is the most popular rifle on the consumer market. An estimated 1 in 20 American adults owns at least one.

But, it wasn’t always this way. In fact, the AR-15’s rise in popularity is pretty recent, and when the gun first became available to consumers, it was something of a black sheep.

On the show today, Washington Post reporter Todd Frankel walks us through how the AR-15 went from military weapon to consumer product, the marketing that boosted its appeal and what the AR-15 signifies to a country plagued by gun violence.

In the News Fix: Finland is the newest member of NATO. We’ll get into what that means for Russia’s war in Ukraine. And, some news you can use: There are significant delays for passport processing at the State Department. If you’re planning an international trip, renew your passport ASAP!

Later, one listener shares a piece of trivia about cherry blossom trees in Tokyo. Plus, another listener sent us a stunning photo of cherry blossoms in Seattle. And, this week’s answer to the Make Me Smart question comes from NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander of the Artemis II mission to the moon.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• • “How the AR-15 became a powerful political, cultural symbol in America” from The Washington Post

• • “Analysis | Decades of marketing reinvented the AR-15 into a top-selling firearm” from The Washington Post

• • “Nashville attack renews calls for assault weapons ban – data shows there were fewer mass shooting deaths during an earlier 10-year prohibition” from The Conversation

• • “The Rifle That Ruined America” from The Atlantic

• • “Hoping to Travel Abroad? Don’t Put Off Your Passport Application.” from The New York Times

• • “Passport Processing Times Just Increased Due to Summer Travel Demand” from Thrillist

• • “Finland joins NATO in major blow to Russia over Ukraine war” from AP News

• • “Why did Sanna Marin lose Finland’s election?” from The Guardian

What have you been wrong about lately? We want to hear it. Leave us a voice message at 508-U-B-SMART, and your submission may be featured in a future episode.