Consider This from NPR

A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Trump's order to remove some exhibits at national parks. In Philadelphia, just ahead of the start of commemorations for America's 250th birthday, activists fight to restore a memorial about enslaved people who lived and worked in George Washington's executive mansion. 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. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Reporting assignments can often lead to unexpected joys and lessons. That was the case when NPR's Natalie Escobar and Ava Berger were sent on the road to tag along with three teenage boys competing in the World Series of Birding. The teens had 24 hours to crisscross New Jersey and tally up the number of bird species they spotted. For this week's Reporter's Notebook we hear from Escobar and Berger about how the assignment was both challenging and illuminating.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

SpaceX is now publicly traded, and it's leaning heavily into space and AI. What does that mean for us humans here on earth?Today, Elon Musk's company SpaceX had a banner day in the stock market. The company is now valued at more than $2 trillion.That is, after an already record-breaking initial public offering, or IPO.That historic IPO is likely to make Musk the world's first trillionaire.And while SpaceX isn't profitable yet, investors have big expectations for the company's ambitions in space and 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 Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane and Becky Brown.It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is key to U.S. counterterrorism efforts.It authorizes U.S. intelligence agencies to intercept the electronic communications of foreign nationals, outside the United States.But foreign nationals also talk to Americans. And lawmakers in both parties have long protested that this collection of phone calls, text messages and emails allow government agencies to monitor the conversations of Americans without a judicial warrant.And FISA 702 is on a path to expire after Friday.Elizabeth Goitein of the Brennan Center for Justice explains her proposal for reform. 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. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. It features additional reporting by Eric McDaniel. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Some 43 million Americans hold federal student loans. If you're one of them - or planning to be - some major changes are coming beginning July 1, including new loan limits and an overhaul of repayment plans.How might these changes affect you? NPR education correspondent Cory Turner spells out the changes that are coming and what to expect. 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, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.It was edited by Nicole Cohen and Tinbete Ermyas.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The war with Iran is not popular in the U.S., and President Trump has been trying to negotiate a deal to resolve it.In comparison, the Israeli public is pressing for military defeat of Iran and its allies, such as the militia Hezbollah in Lebanon. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a parliamentary election this fall which could unseat him from power.So the war that Trump and Netanyahu launched together now sees the two leaders at odds on its potential end.Daniel Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, explains the political calculus for Netanyahu 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.This episode was produced by Erika Ryan and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

With his claims about California voter fraud, President Trump is returning to a familiar playbook. Is this a preview of what the midterms could look like?We are still waiting for some results from last Tuesday's primary in California.That election will determine who is on the ballot this fall in the races for governor, Los Angeles mayor, and key congressional districts.But the state is one of the slowest to count votes in the country, and in the meantime, President Trump is pushing familiar – and false – claims of election fraud. 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 Ted Mebane.It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Christopher Intagliata and Megan Pratz.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration is supercharging its aggression toward Latin America. What does the 'Donroe Doctrine' mean for the Western Hemisphere, and could it backfire for the U.S.? 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 Michael Levitt. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Courtney Dorning. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

This week, the Trump administration did a seemingly uncommon thing – it reversed course under pressure.Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told a House subcommittee this week that the Justice Department would not go forward with its plans to implement a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.Fellow Republicans in Congress who saw it as funneling federal money to the president's supporters – possibly including Jan. 6 rioters – held up other legislation in protest.For a president who claims broad authority over nearly everything, what can we make of his administration backing down?The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum, a historian of modern authoritarianism, 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.This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad, Alejandra Marquez Janse and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

This month will mark two years since the beginning of the end for Joe Biden's presidency – when the calls for him to end his campaign for a second term reached a fever pitch following a disastrous debate performance in 2024. And this month, for the first time, we're hearing about that period of time from the person closest to the former president: his wife, Jill Biden.In this episode, the former first lady discusses her view on her husband's fitness for office during the campaign, and other moments and lessons described in her new memoir, “View From the East Wing.”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, with audio engineering by Cena Loffredo. It was edited by Ashley Brown. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

For six decades 60 Minutes has been one of the most trusted news programs in America… is CBS leadership making changes that could destroy the program's future?Over the last week, some of the biggest names at 60 Minutes have been fired from CBS News.Executive Producer Tanya Simon, correspondents: Sharon Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and last night Scott Pelley.Pelley was fired after he confronted CBS leadership for, as he put it, trying to gut and "murder" the show. Now, the most iconic show in broadcast journalism is in freefall. One of the program's most prominent alumnae 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.This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam.It was edited by Sarah Handel and Courtney Dorning Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

DOGE cuts, global confusion and the devastating effect on an HIV/AIDS organization in Mozambique.Mozambique has the second-largest AIDS epidemic in the world. And Gaza province is the hardest hit spot in the country. NPR's Juana Summers recently traveled there to see how the Trump administration's cuts left aid organizations scrambling.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 Matt Ozug, Vincent Acovino and Alejandra Marquez Janse.It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A New Jersey immigration facility is the latest hot spot for protests against Trump's immigration policy. What's happening inside, and could the situation outside worsen?The Delaney Hall Detention Facility has been the site of intense protests since last month, and they've become increasingly violent in recent days.Family members of detainees say a hunger and labor strike has begun inside the prison, over poor living conditions and alleged human rights violations.To control the tension outside, Newark's mayor issued an indefinite curfew around the facility.Mayor Ras Baraka joined NPR to talk about the curfew and where things go from here.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Tinbete Ermyas.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

As aid groups warn that the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa is worsening, Nicholas Enrich, the former acting assistant administrator for global health at US AID, worries the U.S. capacity to stop this crisis - or future ones - is less robust than it was.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.It was edited by Sarah Robbins.Our executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

For his series What's Eating America, NPR reporter Joe Hernandez has been examining how people across the country are adapting to high food prices. In this week's Reporter's Notebook, Hernandez discusses how he got Americans to share their very personal stories connected to the food and affordability.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 Gurjit Kaur.It was edited by Adam Raney.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Louisiana leads the country in crawfish production, bringing more than $300 million to the state each year. What happens when there aren't enough employees to get them to buyers? Farmers, landscapers and the hospitality industry have long argued that the U.S. government doesn't issue enough temporary visas to meet seasonal labor needs. Current limits under Trump's second term have worsened that problem. And farmers in rural Louisiana are feeling that pinch. NPR's Debbie Elliott went to Louisiana to find out how.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 Christine Arrasmith and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro.It was edited by Russell Lewis and Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

American presidents have long used scripture as a rhetorical resource to frame important moments in the nation's history. But the Trump administration has used the Bible in different ways to publicly frame policies such as immigration crackdowns and military actions abroad.NPR religion correspondent Jason DeRose explores specific instances when Trump administration officials have invoked the Bible to back the president's agenda.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 and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Daniel Burke and William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Community health programs in South Africa have been heavily impacted by U.S. cuts to global aid. Which means there are fewer community and health workers to support low-income people with HIV and AIDS.We recently visited one of those programs, called We Care, to learn more about the experiences of the few employees who still remain.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 story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.This episode was produced by Matt Ozug, Karen Zamora and Elena Burnett, with audio engineering by Peter Ellena.It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and William Troop.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

U.S. forces struck Iranian boats and missile launch sites in southern Iran on Monday, in what U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins has called "self-defense strikes ... to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces." Iran says it shot down three U.S. drones. Despite the violence, neither Iran nor the United States appear to be pulling back on diplomatic efforts to reach an interim deal to end the almost three-month long war. But what does that 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.This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.It was edited by James Hider, Rebekah Metzler and Tinbete Ermyas.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In recent days, the news has been filled with some eyebrow-raising choices by the Trump administration.Like the disclosure of thousands of stock trades, being granted immunity from IRS audits, and the DOJ's nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.These actions have raised questions from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice, a non-partisan legal think tank, says these actions amount to "corruption in plain sight." 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 Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Peter Ellena and Ted Mebane.It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Throughout the war, the U.S.' main objectives have fluctuated from regime change, to stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, to reopening the strategic straight of Hormuz. Robert Kagan, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution, explains why the U.S. will likely come out of the war weaker than before.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, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna.It was edited by Sarah Robbins.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Media mogul Byron Allen owns the Weather Channel, a bunch of local TV and cable channels and also recently acquired a majority stake in Buzzfeed.And on Friday, he's bringing his show Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen to the CBS time slot long held by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.Host Ailsa Chang spoke with Byron Allen about his plans for Comics Unleashed and why he thinks there's still more than enough political comedy after the cancellation of Colbert.This conversation is part of NPR's Newsmakers video podcast series. For more, follow or subscribe to Newsmakers on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen. You can also find the show in the NPR app.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 Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Kwesi Lee and Maggie Luthar. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

With Trump's DOJ anti-weaponization fund, Jan. 6 defendants may go from prison to payday. Can the police officers who defended the Capitol stop them?The new “Anti-Weaponization Fund” from the Trump Department of Justice is a pot of money worth almost $1.8 billion from a settlement between President Trump, and the government he leads. Trump officials say anyone who believes they were victims of “weaponized” law enforcement can apply for this taxpayer-funded compensation.And that includes the hundreds of people who assaulted police at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.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 Monika Evstatieva and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro. It was edited by Barrie Hardymon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Special education teachers are using artificial intelligence to manage crushing paperwork. Could it help instructors spend more time with their students?Millions of students qualify for special education and they need qualified  teachers to help them.But burnout for these teachers has caused many to leave the profession – one reason –  the paperwork Now, a growing number of special educators are using A-I to speed up that paperwork and some research shows that despite the risks – it could help them spend more time with 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 Tyler Bartlam. It was edited by Steven Drummond, Nirvi Shah and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

More than a decade ago, Ron Klain helped orchestrate the U.S. response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, as the White House Ebola response coordinator under President Obama. Now, with a fast-growing outbreak of a different strain of Ebola, in a different part of Africa, the public health infrastructure to address an outbreak has vastly changed, following the Trump administration's dismantling of USAID. In this episode, Klain talks about the role USAID played in responding to the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, and assesses whether today's outbreak poses more or less of a risk to people in 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 Christopher Harland-Dunaway, Kathryn Fink and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Gisele Grayson. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Is Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg ready to lead? We ask him.Schlossberg seems to be trying to follow the path his grandfather John F. Kennedy took when he was elected to Congress almost eight decades ago.And his campaign has momentum. Lots of attention, favorable press and the endorsement of Speaker of the House emeritus Nancy Pelosi.But now after the New York Times article – he's speaking out – a lot.  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, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.It was edited by Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A prayer festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC was partially organized and funded by the federal government. Its evangelical Christian messaging and call for more religion in politics not less, aligns with the Trump administration's fusion of faith and governance. NPR's Emily Feng went to the event to understand the audience for this approach, and she spoke with author Eric Metaxas, a speaker at the Rededicate 250 festival.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, with audio engineering by It was edited by Sarah Robbins and Daniel Burke.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro has spent years covering elections and parsing through voter data. With the midterm elections approaching Montanaro talks about how he relies on both polling and stories from voters to report as accurately as possible on the current 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 Gabriel Sanchez and Michael Levitt. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration hasn't been talking much about its mass deportation policy, but that doesn't mean efforts have stopped.Back in February, support for President Trump's mass deportation policy had plummeted. Two thirds of Americans polled by NPR said immigration enforcement had gone too far after agency officers killed two American citizens in Minneapolis.The Trump administration has spent the past several months trying to regain public support ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.But what has actually changed about the policy?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. It was edited by Kelsey Snell, Tinbete Ermyas and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is butting heads with Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona again — this time, over Kelly's recent statements that the U.S. is depleting its weapons supply in this war with Iran.Secretary Hegseth says that in discussing information from Pentagon briefings, Senator Kelly violated protocol. But the back-and-forth does raise the question: What's the status of the Pentagon's weapons stockpile amid the war with Iran? Barbara Starr, former CNN Pentagon correspondent and current senior fellow at the The USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy, provides insight.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 Hannah Gluvna.It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Tinbete Ermyas.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Flying discs, metallic orbs, and a mysterious cylinder tumbling past the Apollo spacecraft. Those are just a few of the unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, contained in a batch of government files the Department of Defense released this month. The DoD report, coming on President Trump's orders, is another step towards the federal government taking the question of UAPs more seriously. But how much of this is really new – and what more can we learn from the files?Astrophysicist Adam Frank of the University of Rochester, who's involved in the search for intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, weighs in on this new trove of ‘alien files.'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 Gabe Sanchez and Jordan-Marie Smith, with audio engineering by Damian Herring. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump promised Americans, fair, equal and impartial justice…is that what he's delivering?President Trump campaigned on a promise to undo the levers of the justice system that he said were weaponized against him. His administration has gutted the Justice Department unit that investigates and prosecutes public corruption.But since the beginning of Trump's second term investigations into corrupt public officials have dropped nearly 90 percent. Meanwhile, pardons of officials convicted of corruption have risen. 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.It was edited by Kelsey Snell, Jeanette Woods and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, for her work to promote democracy in her country.Many Venezuelans expected Machado would eventually become their president once authoritarian ruler Nicolas Maduro was ousted from power. But Maduro has been out of power and in a U.S. prison since January, and Machado is still on the outside looking in. Host Mary Louise Kelly spoke with Maria Corina Machado about her plans to return to Venezuela, her relationship with President Trump and the burden Machado's political career has placed on her own family.This conversation is part of NPR's Newsmakers video podcast series. For more, follow or subscribe to Newsmakers on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen. You can also find the show in the NPR app. 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 Tiffany Vera Castro, David Greenburg, and Robert Rodriguez. It was edited by William Troop and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

China's nuclear weapons capabilities are small compared to that of Russia and the U.S. However, China has been expanding its nuclear arsenal under the leadership of Xi Jinping, doubling in size in just the last decade. NPR's Emily Feng explains the current state of China's nuclear program and why the country is seeking to further develop it. 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.It was edited by Hannah Bloch, Sarah Robbins and Michael Levitt.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Skiing star Lindsey Vonn was on the cusp of capping off one of the most remarkable career comebacks the Olympics has ever seen. Then it all changed. It had been six years since she stepped away from competitive skiing due to injuries and made her triumphant return at the 2026 Winter Olympics. But then it came all tumbling down. Millions watched as the 41-year-old had the worst crash of her career. Most people wouldn't want to show their face in public again — not Lindsey Vonn.NPR's Becky Sullivan sat down with her and shares her story. 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 Chad Campbell and Karen Zamora.It was edited by Russell Lewis and Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The number of antisemitic incidents is on the rise in the UK.  What is driving it, and – how is the British government trying to combat it? The United Kingdom faces an antisemitism emergency.That's according to the government there.This week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there is a plan to fight it.Brendan McGeever co-director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism in London breaks down what's happening. 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.It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

When the U.S. and Israel bomb Iran and start a war, we know about it moments after it's started — sometimes even moments before. When Russian tanks cross the border into Ukraine, we watch as it's happening. This access to immediacy — our ability to be there as history is unfolding — much of that is possible, thanks to the vision of CNN founder Ted Turner.Turner transformed the media industry and revolutionized television news when he launched the Cable News Network — CNN — in 1980. It was the country's first 24-hour news channel. Turner died Wednesday. He was 87. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour about Turner's 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 Erika Ryan and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.It was edited by Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

There already was an affordability crisis in the U.S. How the war with Iran is making life more expensive. President Trump says the economy is “roaring.” That as Americans are paying an average price of $4.48 a gallon for gas on Tuesday. A year ago it was $3.17.  The reason for that increase — the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, which resulted in the closing of the Strait of Hormuz.Gas prices are just one measure of the cost of living in the United States. But they're a significant one. Martha Gimbel, executive director at the Budget Lab at Yale, weighs in on how the war with Iran is affecting American's bottom line. 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 Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Trump is once again threatening NATO allies. What would a reduction of U.S. troops in Germany mean for security and the U.S. military?Today, about 36,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany, and they're a key part of the U.S. military ecosystem and the NATO alliance.Now, President Trump plans to reduce that number.Trump has grown increasingly and publicly frustrated with NATO allies. This time he's taking it out on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the U.S. has been humiliated by Iran.Among the many questions raised by this: What are U.S. troops doing in Germany anyway?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 Fio Geiran, Tyler Bartlam and Karen Zamora.It was edited by Sarah Handel and Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The war with Iran is in a deadlock. Despite a back and forth of peace plans, there is no permanent ceasefire. President Trump has oscillated between a willingness to engage in diplomacy and threats to resume the American bombing campaign if he doesn't get a deal.All this has complicated negotiations, which the U.S. and Iran are holding through intermediaries.So, how do leaders try to negotiate with countries they're in conflict with?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. It was edited by Sarah Robbins and Tinbete Ermyas. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Covering a war isn't easy and it takes a whole team working both on the air and behind the scenes to bring you accurate, independent reporting from the frontlines. For this week's Reporter's Notebook we speak with two journalists about the challenges of covering the war in the Middle East. Durrie Bouscaren has been reporting from the Turkish-Iranian border and NPR reporter Kat Lonsdorf has been covering the war in southern Lebanon.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Gabriel Sanchez and Henry Larson. It was edited by Adam Raney.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration has paused immigration applications for people from 39 countries, and for those already living in the U.S. the impact has been catastrophic.The lives of hundreds of thousands of people living in the country were thrown into limbo after the Trump administration paused their immigration applications in recent months.They were students, engineers, teachers and others living and working legally in the U.S.The pause affects those who were born in one of 39 countries the U.S. says pose a national security risk. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy