Consider This from NPR

Students are using AI tools more than ever. An Angelo State University professor designed a way to figure out if his students were using artificial intelligence on a recent paper.We speak with Will Teague, who says students are sacrificing their own agency to artificial intelligence. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Karen Zamora, with additional reporting by Ayana Archie and Lee V. Gaines. It was edited by Justine Kenin and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Fifty years ago, special education in America was born.In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed the landmark law known today as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.It guaranteed all children with disabilities the right to a "free appropriate public education."Now, amid the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, there's growing concern that protections for students with disabilities are in jeopardy.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink. It was edited by Jeanette Woods and Nicole Cohen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Roughly 80,000 people of Somali descent now live in Minnesota. The vast majority of them are American citizens.This week, President Trump attacked Somali immigrants in racist and xenophobic terms. “I don't want 'em in our country,” he said at the end of a cabinet meeting. “Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks."The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul defended their Somali community – and responded to reports that the Trump administration is targeting that community with extra immigration enforcement.Minnesota Public Radio's Matt Sepic has the latest from St. Paul.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Vincent Acovino, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane and Kwesi Lee. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is purging the immigration court system. About 140 immigration judges have been fired by the administration or resigned. Meanwhile, the case backlog is growing. What does it mean for immigrants caught in the middle? We speak with one of the judges recently let go.The firings are part of an ongoing effort by the White House to overhaul the U.S. immigration system. Now, those judges are being replaced by “deportation judges.”For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Daniel Ofman and Karen Zamora, with additional reporting by Ximena Bustillo and Anusha Mathur. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

More than 80 people have now been killed by U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats.There are growing questions about an order to kill two of those people — whether it amounts to a war crime.Here's what we know: on September 2, the U.S. carried out two strikes on a boat in the Caribbean. The second, subsequent strike killed two remaining survivors.Details of that second strike were first reported by The Washington Post last week.Today, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “authorized” Admiral Frank Bradley to conduct both strikes, and that Admiral Bradley issued the order and, quote — “worked well within his authority and the law.” But on Capitol Hill, both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees are asking for a full accounting. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Vincent Acovino and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Jay Czys. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

At the recent Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, summit - which was attended by the U.S. Secretary of Health and the Vice President - the agenda showed a shift toward alternative medicine, wellness and nutrition and away from conventional medication. Most of the speakers were not academic researchers or doctors. To discuss what happens when government guidance moves away from scientific consensus, Miles Parks speaks with Dr. Sandro Galea, a Distinguished Professor in Public Health, and Dean of the Washington University School of Public Health in St Louis, Missouri.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Avery Keatley and Jordan-Marie Smith. It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When the Missouri legislature began to redraw maps mid-decade, it reminded a reporter of a very specific movie scene. The film was Air Bud, and although the plot focuses on a loophole that allows a dog to play basketball, some in Missouri say there are similarities to the battle over gerrymandering, and the result could have a lasting impact on the state's government. Miles Parks speaks with St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

No matter how you measure it, there is a lot of parking in the U.S. According to some estimates there are as many as six parking spaces for every car. Put another way, America devotes more square footage to storing cars than housing people.In this episode, originally published in 2023, journalist Henry Grabar walks through how we got here, and what Americans have sacrificed on the altar of parking. From affordable housing to walkable neighborhoods to untold hours spent circling the block, hunting for a free spot.His book is Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. This episode was produced by Connor Donevan with audio engineering by Valentina Rodríguez Sánchez. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Jeanette Woods. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

From building homes to ushering theater-goers to re-enacting medieval history for middle-schoolers – yes, you read that right – acts of volunteerism have remained vital for communities across the country. And not just for people in need.This year, many volunteers have also reported seeing an increased need for food assistance across the country, as a temporary pause on the federal program known as SNAP left millions of Americans unable to buy food during the recent government shutdown. Ransom Miller, who co-founded a project that distributes food ahead of Thanksgiving for the past three decades, says he received more calls than ever this year.In this episode, Miller and others featured this past year as part of NPR's Here to Help series explain why they're motivated to give back to their communities. This episode was produced by Matt Ozug, Jason Fuller and Jonaki Mehta. It was edited by Ashley Brown. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

By the midpoint of 2025, the U.S. was on track to set a new yearly record in the number of reported data breaches.That's according to data compiled by the Identity Theft Resource Center.One reason is the proliferation of artificial intelligence, which has made the work of criminal hackers easier, cheaper and scalable.What does that mean for the rest of us?Cooper Katz McKim dove deep into the world of AI-supercharged crime for NPR's daily economics podcast The Indicator, and introduces us to what he's found.Listen to the Indicator's Vice WeekFighting AI with AIWhat's supercharging data breaches? When cartels start to diversifyHow AI might mess with financial marketsScam compounds, sewing patterns and stolen dimesFor sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Connor Donevan. It was edited by Kate Concannon and Patrick Jarenwattananon. It features additional reporting by Darien Woods. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Facing the threat of a potential military court martial and possible questions from the FBI, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona spoke to NPR's Scott Detrow. This comes after Kelly, a Navy veteran and former astronaut, appeared with five other Democratic lawmakers in a video letting active duty troops know they do not have to follow illegal orders.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Jeffrey Pierre, Ava Berger, Lauren Hodges and Karen Zamora. It was edited by John Ketchum, Justine Kenin and Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The CDC recently rewrote its vaccine guidance to suggest shots might cause autism, renewing false claims about vaccines and causing anxiety among parents. Physicians often deal with misinformation, but the difference is that it's now coming from the federal government. How do families know what guidance to trust?NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Dr. James Campbell, a practicing pediatrician and professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, on how families should navigate the changing guidance.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Vincent Acovino and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Simon Laslo-Janssen and Tiffany Vera Castro. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New York City's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani built a coalition of voters who were engaged by his charisma and his campaign's focus on key issues such as affordable transportation, housing and childcare. Mamdani has pointed to Boston mayor Michelle Wu, who was just re-elected in a landslide herself, as inspiration and for being “the most effective Democrat in America.” What can be learned from how progressive mayors like Wu and Mamdani are energizing voters?For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith and Henry Larson. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When President Trump nominated Linda McMahon as education secretary, he told her to put herself out of a job. She moved one step closer to that this week when the Trump administration shifted the responsibility of several departments to other federal agencies.NPR's Juana Summers speaks with former Obama education secretary John King about what this could mean for public education in America and some of the most vulnerable students.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Lauren Hodges, with audio engineering by Simon Laslo-Janssen and Tiffany Vera Castro.It was edited by Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Caregiving services for seniors can easily cost more each year than what the average American makes. And health insurers, both government and private, may not provide the coverage people need. That leads many people to step in and do the work for free. But caregivers need to take care of themselves, too. That's something Dawnita Brown knows all too well, as a caregiver to both her parents, and founder of The Binti Circle. It's a group she founded for Black daughters like her who are doing caregiving work.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by David Greenburg and Valentina Rodriguez Sanchez. It was edited by Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Activists in Chicago have been tracking federal immigration enforcement agents' movements, following their cars and alerting neighbors with whistles. This resistance sprang into action in response to Trump's Operation Midway Blitz, but it's nearly a decade in the making. NPR's Odette Yousef has the story of a strategy that activists hope can be a blueprint.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. This episode was produced by Connor Donevan. It was edited by Andrew Sussman and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is deepening the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, despite the government coming under fire for human right abuses, despite the concerns the prince himself ordered the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Why is Saudi Arabia such an important ally for the United States? For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Gabriel Sanchez and Karen Zamora.It was edited by Jeanette Woods, Dana Farrington and Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Maine Family Planning clinics treat STDs, bronchitis and tick bites. Because they also provide abortions, they've been hit by a new federal law that cuts them out of Medicaid. Now, they're cutting back on services to try to survive.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Ava Berger, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Diane Webber and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's been six months since a tornado hit St. Louis and damaged more than five thousand buildings and homes. Residents and local officials say the Trump administration's new policy on federal disaster assistance has meant they have been left to do the work traditionally done by FEMA.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Avery Keatley, in collaboration with Hiba Ahmad and Jason Rosenbaum from St. Louis Public Radio. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

NPR's concert series Tiny Desk, first launched on a whim in 2008, attracts millions of viewers. We hear from two members of the NPR music team on what they love about producing and sharing Tiny Desk performances with the world. Host Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Robin Hilton, host and Senior Producer of Tiny Desk and All Songs Considered and Kara Frame a video producer and director of Tiny Desk concerts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

At a recent gathering of Swiss business executives in the White House, the CEO of Rolex presented President Trump with a gold-plated desk clock.The CEO of a precious-metals company presented the president with an engraved gold bar.They were not the official representatives of Switzerland's economic agenda – but the following week, their government announced a trade deal that drastically lowered the U.S. tariff on imported Swiss goods from 39 percent to 15 percent – now on par with the European Union.So were the gifts appropriate for the U.S. president to accept?We hear from University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter – formerly the chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam and Brianna Scott, with audio engineering from Simon Laslo-Jansson. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A group of National Guard members in Ohio are using an encrypted group chat to work out how they're feeling as President Trump deploys Guard troops to several U.S. cities.It's become a place for existential questions about their service, careers…and country. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf flew to Ohio to meet some of them.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Vincent Acovino, Erika Ryan, and Connor Donevan with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Alina Hartounian and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released emails to and from Jeffrey Epstein that suggest Donald Trump may have known about Epstein's sex-abuse operations.In one, Epstein writes that Trump “knew about the girls.”The White House has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by Trump or meaningful connection to Epstein's alleged crimes, and downplayed the new revelations as part of a “fake narrative.”But House Democrats are pressing for a vote on legislation to release more Epstein documents.Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democratic member of the Oversight Committee, speaks on the latest developments.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Alejandra Marquez Janse. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When John Fetterman won Pennsylvania's senate seat in 2022, Democrats across the country treated him as a hero and an example of a path forward for the party in the populist Trump era. Three years later, he often finds himself at odds with his party – most recently, on the government shutdown, Israel, and working class voters.He delves deeper into his political views and experiences in a new memoir out this week, titled Unfettered. In the book, he's also deeply honest about his struggles with mental health.“Honestly, I know millions of Americans suffer,” Fetterman told NPR. “And to really understand what [...] true deep depression is like [...] that's part of the conversation in the book.”This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam with audio engineering from Andie Huether. It was edited by Ashley Brown and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.You can also watch the full conversation between NPR's Scott Detrow and Fetterman here.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The FDA is removing the black box warning on estrogen therapy after two decades. Should it?Women who want to use estrogen to treat menopause symptoms often face a difficult choice.That's because those hormone treatments contain a “black-box warning.”The Food and Drug Administration uses black box warnings to indicate a medication has potentially life threatening side effects.In the case of estrogen for menopause symptoms, an increased risk of endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disorders, dementia and breast cancer.Well those warnings are going away.  For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Mia Venkat and Erika Ryan. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Scott Hensley.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

‘Affordability' was the word that resonated across America during elections last week, reflecting voters' demand for elected officials to address the rising cost of living. But the wealth gap in America and globally is increasing. Nobel-prize winning economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz talks about the repercussions for democracies worldwide.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith, with engineering by Peter Ellena.It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Tuesday's election was the first time voters registered how they're feeling since President Trump entered the White House.And after Democratic candidates won marquee races in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City, the answer was clear: they are not happy with the party in power.So what are the two major political parties taking away from this week?NPR correspondents Domenico Montanaro and Tamara Keith break it down.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Michael Levitt, Casey Morell, Connor Donevan and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Peter Ellena. It was edited by Kelsey Snell and Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Nancy Pelosi is arguably the most powerful woman in American history. After her election to Congress in 1987, she accumulated more and more power, eventually rising to become Speaker of the House in 2007, the first and only woman to hold that office. Now in her 20th term, Pelosi announced Thursday morning that she will not seek reelection. Susan Page is Washington Bureau chief for USA Today and author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power. She joined Consider This host Juana Summers to talk about Pelosi's achievements -- and her legacy.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Michael Levitt, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata, Courtney Dorning and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Next year, the Supreme Court will decide whether the President can use a five decade old emergency powers act to shape the U.S. economy.Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or AYEEPA, last spring when he imposed sweeping tariffs of at least 10 percent across all countries.Wednesday, the nine justices heard oral arguments in the case. And however they decide it — the ruling could affect economic policy and presidential power for years to come.California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a democrat, was at the Court and joined Consider This host Juana Summers to talk about the suit and the steps his state is taking to rein in the Trump administration.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Brianna Scott and Erika Ryan with engineering by David Greenburg.It was edited by Courtney Dorning.  Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a major case about the administration's use of tariffs. President Trump has long touted the power of tariffs as a tool for trade negotiations and even for ending conflict. But now the justices will hear about how that tool may be misused. NPR's Scott Horsley and Danielle Kurtzleben discuss President Trump's tariff policy and its economic impact.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Rafael Nam and Dana Farrington. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Every year the President of the United States determines how many refugees can enter this country. The law says he must consult Congress on this number. But last week President Trump announced just 7,500 refugees would be admitted in the coming fiscal year – a 94% cut from the 125,000 cap set by President Joe Biden.Sharif Aly leads the International Refugee Assistance Project - an organization that helps refugees and other immigrants navigate the legal process of resettlement. The International Refugee Assistance Project is also challenging Trump's suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Aly joined Consider This host Juana Summers to discuss how this historic drop means for the US refugee resettlement system.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Jonaki Mehta, Connor Donevan and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Becky Brown and Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The legal definition of the term 'unlawful combatants' was used to justify detaining people at Guantanamo indefinitely, without ever charging them with a crime. Now, the president is using it to describe the alleged drug smugglers that the military is targeting with boat strikes.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Avery Keatley and Gabriel Sanchez. It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

From recording a snoring elephant to figuring out how to be a mime during an interview, three former print journalists talk about how telling an audio story is special.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Voters head to the polls next week in California, Virginia and New Jersey among other states. Senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro explain what they are watching in these elections — and what voters' choices might say about the political moment.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Kai McNamee and Connor Donevan.It was edited by Kelsey Snell, Ben Swasey, Jeanette Woods and Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's a critical week regarding the Affordable Care Act, which is at the center of the government shutdown impasse. “Window shopping" began for some people buying health insurance through the ACA – also known as Obamacare – giving enrollees estimates on how much their premiums could cost next year. Without the ACA tax credits that Democrats want to extend into 2026, many people could see big increases in their health care costs – 114%, on average, according to estimates by KFF, a nonprofit health policy think tank. While there's still time for lawmakers to strike a deal on extending the subsidies, “the longer this goes on, the more damage there could be,” says Cynthia Cox, who conducts research on Obamacare for KFF.This episode was produced by Michael Levitt, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Ashley Brown, Diane Webber, and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When companies need a loan, traditionally they turn to a bank.But increasingly they're turning to financial firms that are not really banks, but do have a lot of cash. This is called the “private credit” market. It has exploded in the past 15 years. It's now valued at around $2 trillion.Natasha Sarin, president of the Yale Budget Lab and former Biden administration official, argues that these private credit firms are making risky loans. So risky, that they've got her thinking about the 2008 financial crisis. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Erika Ryan and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Andie Huether and Josephine Nyounai. It was edited by Adam Raney and John Ketchum. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ashley and Nick Evancho say raising their 3-year-old, Sophia, is one of the most joyous things they've ever done. But the Evanchos also made a decision that's increasingly common for families in the U.S. and around the world: One is enough. The trend is leading to populations that are dramatically older, and beginning to shrink, in many of the world's biggest economies.Experts say a rapidly aging and gradually shrinking population in the world's wealthiest countries could force sweeping changes in people's lives, causing many to work longer before retirement, making it harder for business owners to find employees and destabilizing eldercare and health insurance programs.This story is part of NPR's Population Shift series.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Paige Waterhouse and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Andrea de Leon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In a public roundtable, President Trump asked his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, to apply the designation to Antifa.NPR's Ryan Lucas reports that it could have enormous consequences, including making it illegal to provide something as meager as a bottle of water to what the Trump administration deems to be Antifa.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Josephine Nyounai. It was edited by Justine Kenin and Krishnadev Calamur. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A delegation of high-level US officials were recently sent to Israel to try to hold the fragile Gaza truce together. The Israeli press called them the 'BibiSitters,' a nod to the Israeli prime minister's nickname. What does Benjamin Netanyahu's political future look like and how tied is he to the Trump administration's interests?For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Avery Keatley and Gabriel Sanchez, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

U.S. citizens have been arrested in the Trump Administration's aggressive immigration crackdown. According to ProPublica, at least 170 have been arrested or detained by immigration agents since President Trump took office for his second term.In response, Texas Rep. Robert Garcia and Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut — both Democrats — have announced an investigation into these detentions.It is incredibly concerning that now anyone can be targeted,” Rep. Garcia tells NPR. “It's important that we begin documenting all of this.”For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam and Michael Levitt, with audio engineeringfrom Damian Herring. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwatananon and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The FBI arrested multiple people tied to the NBA in a wide-ranging illegal gambling probe. The NBA and other major sports leagues have been deepening ties with the lucrative sports-betting industry. Washington Post sports columnist Kevin Blackistone explains the implications of this scandal on the NBA and sports betting in general. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Michael Levitt and Daniel Ofman. Additional reporting in this episode from Becky Sullivan.It was edited by Russell Lewis, Justine Kenin and our executive producer Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For many years, the far right has been the most lethal and persistent source of domestic terrorism in the U.S. But the assassination of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk last month and attacks against immigration enforcement efforts have fueled a talking point for Republicans about concerns over left-wing political violence. The political motivations behind these attacks are still unclear, but one study says that violence from the left has been the greater threat so far this year.NPR's domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef looks into whether this claim is correct.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Jonaki Mehta and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Damian Herring.It was edited by Andrew Sussman and Sami Yenigun, who is also our executive producer.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy