Consider This from NPR

Follow Consider This from NPR
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Make sense of the day. Every weekday afternoon, the hosts of All Things Considered help you consider the major stories of the day in less than 15 minutes, featuring the reporting and storytelling resources of NPR. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

NPR

Donate to Consider This from NPR

  • podcastawards.com
    2018 News & Politics


  • Aug 29, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
  • daily NEW EPISODES
  • 12m AVG DURATION
  • 1,714 EPISODES

4.1 from 4,918 ratings Listeners of Consider This from NPR that love the show mention: kelly mcevers, change the name, wbez, day to get, tortoise, wash your hands, great facts, please don t change, quick hit, thank you npr, coronavirus, npr podcast, love kelly, corona virus, thank you kelly, exclusively, wnyc, local news, thanks npr, thanks for your work.


Ivy Insights

The Consider This podcast from NPR is a daily snapshot of the news, often focusing on a single issue, presented concisely. It provides listeners with a comprehensive and insightful overview of current events, helping them stay informed and prepared to take on the world. The show's format allows for easy listening at any time of day, and its reporting is thorough and thought-provoking.

One of the best aspects of The Consider This podcast is its ability to cover a wide range of topics in a brief yet thorough manner. Each episode dives into an important news story, providing context, analysis, and expert interviews. The show's reporting is well-researched and presents multiple perspectives on the issue at hand. Additionally, the inclusion of local news roundups and community-focused nonprofit news platforms helps listeners stay connected with their own communities.

One potential drawback of this podcast is that it no longer includes the local news roundup that used to end each episode. While listeners have found alternative sources for local news, some may miss the convenience of having it included in this show. Additionally, reviews mention that some prefer the host on certain days over others due to personal preferences regarding their voices.

In conclusion, The Consider This podcast from NPR is highly regarded for its informative and concise reporting on current events. Listeners appreciate its ability to present complex issues in a way that is easy to understand without sacrificing depth. Although it no longer includes local news roundups, there are other options available for those seeking localized information. Overall, this podcast offers valuable insights into the news and serves as a trustworthy source for staying well-informed.



More podcasts from NPR

Search for episodes from Consider This from NPR with a specific topic:

Latest episodes from Consider This from NPR

President Trump, entertainer-in-chief

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 8:58


Before he entered politics, most Americans knew Donald Trump as an entertainer. As the host of the hit show “The Apprentice” he was catapulted to a new level of fame. That persona has carried over to Trump's political life as he embraces his role as entertainer-in-chief. In this term, unlike the first, Trump has taken aim at cultural institutions. He initiated a takeover of the Kennedy Center, has declared that Smithsonian exhibits must submit to White House scrutiny, and he's successfully sued – and won settlements from – multiple broadcasting giants.Throughout Trump's second term, he's dramatically expanded the authority of the executive branch. Now, he's using his power to reshape American culture. 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.It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Justine Kenin.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Gazans are starving. How did it get this bad?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2025 11:16


The war in Gaza is approaching the 2 year mark. As it does, Israel continues to launch new attacks on a territory that is already in ruins. And the humanitarian situation for Gaza's Palestinian residents continues to worsen.A team of NPR reporters has been focusing on one question: how did we get 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.This episode was produced by Mia Venkat and Daniel Ofman.It was edited by Andrew Sussman, Courtney Dorning and William Troop.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Should the government be in the business of business?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2025 8:52


What happens when the federal government owns part of a company? That's one of MANY questions about federal policy right now, as the Trump Administration aggressively pushes for stakes — and oversight — of major private companies.This week, the White House announced it was taking a ten percent stake in the struggling technology giant Intel.Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the administration is considering similar moves with other companies tied to the defense industry, too. Trump looks ready to turn the U.S. into a corporate stockholder. Should the government be in the business of … business?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 Henry Larson. It was edited by John Ketchum. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Can Trump call the National Guard into Chicago too?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025 10:43


For over two weeks, members of the National Guard have been walking the streets of Washington, D.C. -- alongside federal law enforcement and local police.President Trump has said there is a “crime emergency” in the nation's capital -- and has openly hinted at taking similar actions in other Democratic-led cities like Chicago, New York and Baltimore.But while the president has unique authorities over the District of Columbia, federalizing the National Guard in U.S. states will require a higher legal standard.Georgetown University law professor Steve Vladeck breaks 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 Brianna Scott. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. It features additional reporting by Frank Langfitt. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What a day in immigration court is like now

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2025 11:58


The Trump administration is deploying a new strategy to speed up deportations. Government lawyers are asking immigration judges to dismiss on-going cases. Then, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents arrest people as soon as they step out of the courtroom. The process is often chaotic. And for immigrants without legal status, it's also very risky. NPR immigration policy reporter Ximena Bustillo went to an immigration court in New York City to see how that process unfolds – and found herself experiencing some of the chaos firsthand.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 Sarah Ventre, Avery Keatley and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Anna Yukhananov and William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Bubbling questions about the limits of the AI revolution

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2025 10:46


OpenAI founder Sam Altman floated the idea of an AI bubble, an MIT report found that 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing and tech stocks took a dip.With the AI sector is expected to become a trillion dollar industry within the next decade, what impact might slowing progress have on the economy? NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Cal Newport, a contributing writer for the New Yorker, and a computer science professor at Georgetown, about the limitations of the AI revolution. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or atplus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Elena Burnett. It was edited by John Ketchum and Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

High stakes diplomacy and canceled Halibut Olympia, insights from the Alaska Summit

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2025 12:31


Normally, foreign policy summits between world leaders involve painstaking planning and organization days and weeks in advance. The hectic and last minute nature of the meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska provided a window into how so much of what's happening to try and end a brutal war in Ukraine, is being made up on the fly.NPR's Mary Louise Kelly, who has covered her share of high stakes diplomatic meetings between some of the world's most powerful people, spoke with Scott Detrow about what was different this time.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or atplus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Kira Wakeam. It was edited by Sarah Robbins and Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Famine is declared in Gaza. Will anything change?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 7:45


The people of Northern Gaza are starving. That's according to an official declaration by a United Nations-backed group of experts, who comprise the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification or IPC. They say that famine has officially reached Gaza city and could soon reach other areas of the territory.Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has says there is no famine in Gaza, and that food shortages are the result of Hamas seizing aid shipments.Jean-Martin Bauer is the director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis for the World Food Program. He explains how the ICP came to this conclusion and what the declaration means for the people facing starvation. 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 Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's not your imagination. Hurricanes are getting more severe.

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2025 6:55


In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, leaving more than 1300 people dead and becoming the most expensive hurricane in history with overall economic losses estimated at $125 billion. It was also a harbinger of what would happen to hurricanes in the years to follow, as climate change would make them an increasingly powerful and a regular threat.NPR Alejandra Borunda explains how the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina spurred a better understanding of these intensifying storms and a improved storm preparedness.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. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Patrick Jarenwattananon and Sadie Babits. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What's Trump doing in DC?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025 9:39


President Trump says the administration's takeover of DC is making life safer. But many of the city's residents and business owners are questioning the administration's moves?  So what exactly is the goal of the federal takeover in DC? 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 Megan Lim, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Courtney Dorning.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How hundreds of babies and children ended up in a mass grave in Ireland

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2025 12:42


Anna Corrigan grew up in Dublin, Ireland. She thought she was an only child, until she was in her 50s and discovered a family secret. Corrigan found documents showing her mother had spent time in one of Ireland's so-called mother and baby homes — places where single women went to give birth. And that she had given birth to two sons there. Two brothers that Corrigan never knew she had.It's part of a sad history in Ireland that is now being unearthed, literally. Scientists believe that nearly 800 babies and children are buried in a mass grave behind one former mother and baby home in Tuam, Ireland.NPR's Lauren Frayer reports on the work that forensic scientists are now doing to bring those remains to light.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 Emma Klein and Michael Levitt. It was edited by William Troop and Nick Spicer. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Trump and Zelenskyy meet again

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2025 12:37


In the last few days, President Trump has met separately with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, in an attempt to break the deadlock and end the war. Today's meeting at the White House between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemed to go much better than last time, when Zelenskyy left early after a heated argument in the Oval Office. In fact, Zelenskyy hailed today's meeting as “the best one” yet. Even so, the next steps to ending the war are unclear. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy still haven't met face-to-face to negotiate, and it's not certain whether they will be able to find common ground. NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben gives an update on the day's events, and former national security adviser Susan Rice gives her perspective on the likelihood of a deal.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 Megan Lim and Mia Venkat.It was edited by Christopher Intagliata, Andrew Sussman, Tara Neill and Nadia Lancy.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What we know about President Trump's nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2025 9:31


President Trump turned to the Heritage Foundation help pick his appointee to lead a traditionally non-partisan agency. NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with political science professor E.J. Fagan, author of “The Thinkers: The Rise of Partisan Think Tanks and the Polarization of American Politics” to understand why Trump's close relationship with the conservative think tank matters.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or atplus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith. It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Covering climate change in the city of love

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2025 9:41


Paris has increasingly found itself on the frontline of the climate crisis and covering the city and the rest of France now means regularly reporting on deadly climate events. NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Eleanor Beardsley about how climate has become core to the Paris beat. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or atplus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Noah Caldwell and Jonaki Mehta. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What Bad Bunny means to Puerto Ricans

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2025 9:28


This summer, the island of Puerto Rico has been under the thrall of Bad Bunny.His 30-concert residency at a stadium in San Juan is a homecoming for the global superstar.It's also a homecoming for many thousands of people who left home – but are flocking back for the shows.NPR's Adrian Florido reports on how the concerts are resonating with Puerto Ricans on and off the island.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, Elena Burnett, Liz Baker and Marc Rivers. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Gigi Douban. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Can Trump get Putin to make a deal?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2025 9:52


American Presidents have been trying to manage Russian President Vladimir Putin since the beginning of this century.There was George W. Bush, who met with Putin 28 times.Barack Obama and Putin sat down together 9 times.Joe Biden met with Putin only once.Past presidents had hoped to strike deals and push Russia toward a more democratic society.Instead, Russia started wars and tried to expand its borders.Soon, President Trump heads here to Alaska for his seventh meeting with Putin – and like his predecessors – he's trying to get something out of Putin.This time he's hoping to finally end the war in Ukraine.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is upending global trade as we know it. What comes next?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 7:17


”The global trading system as we have known it is dead.”Those are the words of former US Trade Representative Michael Froman.He's now President of the Council on Foreign Relations. If the era of global free trade is over, the question is…what comes next?  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 and Tyler Bartlam.It was edited by Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Trump and Putin are set to meet. Do they want the same thing?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2025 9:49


Two minutes — That's how long President Donald Trump says it will take him to figure out whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about finding a way to end his war with Ukraine.Details are still scarce — but Putin and Trump are set to meet Friday in Alaska.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wasn't invited.What does Trump hope to achieve, and can he get it from Putin?  Ambassador John Bolton, Trump's national security advisor in his first term, was with Trump the last time Trump met with Putin. Bolton weighs in.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

Trump takes over DC Police. Will other cities be next?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2025 11:16


President Trump said he's taking over Washington and announced he's deploying the national guard to the city.And he made another big promise: that his administration would take control of the DC police.The President also mentioned other cities across the country with what he says are high levels of crime. As President Trump pledges to use his executive authority to control law enforcement in the crime in the nation's capital -- there are questions about what happens now. And - what this might mean for other cities across the country.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

Deep-sea mining is unregulated. Some want to forge ahead anyway

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2025 10:42


The Trump administration announced this past week that it has entered talks with the Cook Islands to research and develop seabed mineral resources. The Polynesian archipelago is one of only a handful of countries worldwide that has begun permitting this type of exploration, called deep-sea mining. Deep-sea mining is not regulated. There's no blueprint for how to do it safely, or responsibly. Which is why, for the last decade, the UN's International Seabed Authority has worked to draw up regulations. But President Trump — and one Canadian company — have posed a question: Why wait? 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

Investigating the Russia investigations. What's left to learn?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2025 9:35


The question of whether Russian interference in the 2016 election was a decisive reason Donald Trump won the presidency is one that has dogged Trump for the better part of a decade.It's also been the subject of numerous investigations.But even though that question has been asked and answered, the current Trump administration is launching another investigation in an effort to reach a different conclusion. Last month, Trump's Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, declassified documents and she leveled an unprecedented accusation: The Obama administration knowingly pushed the idea of Russian interference as false narrative to sabotage Trump's campaign. And this week, Attorney General Pam Bondi has authorized an investigation into the investigation of his 2016 campaign's relationship Russia. What is there left to learn? 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

How some online networks target and radicalize kids

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2025 13:21


The FBI is investigating at least 250 people who may be tied to online networks that target children.These networks encourage kids to hurt themselves, other minors or even animals. In some countries, they have been tied to mass casualty and terrorism plots.NPR's domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef has spoken with a family that experienced this firsthand. 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

Hurricane Katrina helped change New Orleans' public defender system

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2025 11:25


In 2006, Ari Shapiro reported on how Hurricane Katrina made an already broken public defender system in New Orleans worse. The court system collapsed in the aftermath of the storm.Katrina caused horrific destruction in New Orleans. It threw incarcerated people into a sort of purgatory - some were lost in prisons for more than a year. But the storm also cleared the way for changes that the city's public defender system had needed for decades. Two decades later, Shapiro returns to New Orleans and finds a system vastly improved.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

How gerrymandering became a blood sport

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2025 8:41


Fights over Congressional maps never used to be this intense. On Tuesday, Texas Republicans voted to issue civil arrest warrants for Democrats who fled the state.The GOP is trying to redraw house districts, and the proposed new map could give Republicans as many as five more House seats. That change could easily decide control of Congress. This fight is rippling out to other states too with President Trump urging Republicans to follow the lead of Texas. And Democratic governors saying they might follow the same path. Trump can be this transparent because there are no federal restrictions on redrawing districts for purely partisan gain. The Supreme Court said so in 2019.Gerrymandering has been part of U.S. politics for hundreds of years. How did it become a bloodsport?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

What happens to the internet if no one clicks search links?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2025 6:49


Google's AI Overviews feature can deliver an answer to your question before you click a single link. But it spells bad news for the publishers that write the articles that power these AI summaries: their business models depend on site visits to sell ads. And some smaller publishers have already gone out of business as the use of AI summaries grows."The extinction-level event is already here," said Helen Havlak, publisher of tech news site The Verge.NPR's John Ruwitch reports on how companies are adapting to the artificial intelligence shake-up in Google search. And Google is a financial supporter of NPR, but we cover them like any other company.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

Is climate change a reason not to have kids?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2025 10:11


Some young people are hesitant to start a family because they are worried about the impact it will have on the environment. But some experts argue, there are good reasons to still consider having children. One of them is Dean Spears. He's an economist and demographer at the University of Texas - Austin, and co-author of the new book, "After the Spike: Population, Progress, and the Case for People."Spears argues that depopulation could create a whole range of new problems while still not addressing the driving forces of climate change.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A tricky reporting assignment: covering your own workplace

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2025 12:11


The job of a media reporter is to examine the role the press plays in our democracy, and the choices the large corporations operating newsrooms are making every day. It's a tough assignment, even more so when it means covering the place you work.For this week's reporter's notebook series, NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik talks about how he navigates his beat, reporting on his employer and the larger media moment we find ourselves in right now. 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

Trump's tariffs are (still) coming

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2025 10:01


Thursday night, President Trump announced new tariff rates, and a new deadline. For weeks, the administration said that new, tougher tariffs would go into effect August 1 — instead, most countries won't see the new rates kick in for at least a week. Meanwhile, new numbers from the Labor Department show job growth slowed sharply this spring, as President Trump's earlier, worldwide tariffs started to bite. Shortly after their release, Trump said he was firing the head of the government agency that produced that report.White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben and economic correspondent Scott Horsley discuss the consequences of Trump's tariffs so far and going forward.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

A fact checker hangs up his Pinocchios

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2025 8:55


"In an era where false claims are the norm, it's much easier to ignore the fact-checkers." Those are the final words of the final column of Glenn Kessler, who has been The Fact Checker at the Washington Post these last 14 years.Kessler is one of many journalists making high-profile exits from the Post, some of whom cite the new direction the paper's leadership is taking as the reason they're leaving.In an interview, Kessler reflects on the arc of the project, why he's leaving, and the value of fact checkers — even if politicians ignore 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How firing hundreds of employees this year has transformed the Justice Department

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2025 8:02


This year, hundreds of employees at the Justice Department have been fired, sometimes over clashes with the Trump administration, and other times for unknown reasons.Those departures are spreading fear across the workforce and transforming the Justice Department.NPR Justice correspondent Carrie Johnson spoke with a few of the career civil servants who have lost their job for reasons they say are illegal or improper. 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

A new executive order tackles causes of homelessness. Why are some advocates worried?

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2025 9:33


President Donald Trump is aiming to fundamentally shift how the country manages homelessness with a new executive order he signed last week. It calls for changes that would make it easier for states and cities to move people living on the street into treatment for mental illness or addiction, and in some cases, potentially force people into treatment. Consider This: The Trump administration says the federal government has spent tens of billions of dollars on housing without addressing the root causes of homelessness. But critics worry this new executive order won't solve those root causes, either.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

What reporting in Gaza shows amid Trump's break from Netanyahu on starvation

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2025 8:36


New light has emerged between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump, with the latter disputing Israel's claim that there is no starvation in Gaza. But Consider This: Even as global outrage and assistance grows, aid agencies say only a total ceasefire will allow all the necessary aid in to get to those who desperately need it in Gaza.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

Facing persistent scrutiny over Epstein, the Trump administration rehashes 2016 probe

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2025 13:05


President Trump traveled to Scotland to talk trade with the EU and play golf. But as soon as he landed he was asked about Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender.The pressure on the Trump administration has continued to intensify over its handling of the Epstein files, and who-knew-what-when. Pressure that's also coming from within his party.And as those calls have ramped up, so has messaging from the administration about a range of other issues, including a rehashing of the 2016 election, and Russia's involvement in it. Trump has lobbed serious claims, like treason, at former President Obama.To get at why these two complicated and dated stories are intersecting and to understand what we can learn from it about the president's governing style, NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro and cybersecurity correspondent Jenna McLaughlin.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

Texas floods: how to talk to people on the worst day of their lives

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2025 10:22


At least 135 people died earlier this month when floods swept through the Texas Hill Country. As in any other natural disasters, journalists from around the country soon arrived to cover the catastrophe. For this week's reporter's notebook series, NPR's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán and Kat Lonsdorf speak with host Scott Detrow about their experiences covering the floods and the importance of interviewing people affected by the disaster with empathy and respect. 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

How have RFK Jr.'s vaccine policies impacted America's public health?

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2025 11:18


Before he entered politics, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a career out of stoking doubt about vaccines, promoting theories contradicted by mountains of scientific evidence on common vaccines which have been studied for decades and safely administered to hundreds of millions of people.Now, six months in as head of Health and Human Services, he has instituted a number of policy changes on access to vaccines for both children and adults. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly and health correspondents Rob Stein and Pien Huang talk through how these changes could impact public health and the public's wallets. 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

Six months in, how Trump has changed the Education Department.

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2025 10:07


Federal education policy has seen a lot of changes since President Trump's inauguration. For example, the Department of Education itself, which Trump has vowed to close.But that hasn't stopped the Trump administration from also wielding the Department's power. Most recently, by withholding billions of dollars for K-12 schools.The Trump administration has drastically changed the federal government's role in education. What does that mean for American classrooms? 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

Six months of 'shock and awe' on immigration enforcement

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2025 10:42


Since returning to office, President Trump has moved swiftly to upend decades of federal policy—from education to healthcare to vaccines...but nowhere more aggressively than immigration. Congress just passed tens of billions in funding for immigration enforcement...It's the largest domestic enforcement funding in U.S. history, fueling Trump's mass deportation campaign of migrants living in the U.S. illegally. President Trump campaigned for office promising the largest deportation in history.Six months into his second term, how has immigration enforcement changed.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

A civil rights organization declares a 'state of emergency' in the U.S.

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2025 9:39


As a candidate in 2024, President Trump promised – often – to end what he and other conservatives describe as "woke" policies.On his first day in office, he signed executive orders rolling back policies around diversity, equity and inclusion — and those policy changes have continued over the last six months of the second Trump administration.One of the oldest civil rights organizations in the country now warns that the administration's policies have thrust Black Americans — and the entire country — into a "state of emergency." NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Marc Morial, the president and CEO of the National Urban League. 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

Is Emil Bove the face of a new MAGA judiciary?

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2025 9:12


President Trump helped reshape the federal courts during his first term in office. And he relied heavily on the Federalist Society in that effort, which helped him zero in on judges with a conservative, originalist interpretation of the constitution.Now the nominations machinery is restarting, and Trump's most controversial judicial nominee is only one step away from the federal bench.His name is Emil Bove. During his first term, Trump appointed scores of originalists to the federal bench– a victory for the conservative legal movement.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

With plea deals canceled, what happens next with the Guantanamo 9/11 trials?

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2025 11:13


Plea deals with the 9/11 defendants, including for the alleged ringleader, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, have been canceled. Families of those who died on September 11th are still calling for justice. What happens next in the most delayed criminal trial in US history? NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Georgetown University Law professor Stephen Vladeck. 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

Florida: The front line of Trump's immigration crackdown

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2025 11:34


NPR correspondent Jasmine Garsd has taken several reporting trips to Florida recently, a state seeing some of the most aggressive immigration enforcement since President Trump took office again in January. She's spoken with children separated from their parents and reported on a new massive detention center in the state. For our weekly Reporter's Notebook series Garsd talks about how Florida is key to understanding what the future of immigration enforcement may look like. 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

Trump says no one cares about Epstein. Why won't his base let it go?

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2025 9:12


One of the narratives at the heart of President Trump's political movement is this: American society is dominated by a shadowy group of elites, and those elites are deeply corrupt. Nothing represented that theory more than the case of Jeffrey Epstein.He was a man most people had never heard of initially, with a private plane and a private island. Acquainted with the world's most powerful people: British royalty, U.S. presidents.A man who ultimately died in jail...by suicide, according to authorities... before the case against him went to trial. Epstein's case and his death bred skepticism and conspiracy theories – especially among supporters of Donald Trump.Now, some of Trump's most ardent supporters are attacking his Justice Department's decision not to release all of the files related to the Epstein case.Trump says nobody cares about Epstein. But his base won't let it go. 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

Claim Consider This from NPR

In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

Claim Cancel