Consider This from NPR

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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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 atplus.npr.org. 

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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 Week

Fighting AI with AI

What’s supercharging data breaches? 

When cartels start to diversify

How AI might mess with financial markets

Scam compounds, sewing patterns and stolen dimes

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 atplus.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.




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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 atplus.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.

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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 atplus.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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 atplus.npr.org. 

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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.

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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.

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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 atplus.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.

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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.

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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 atplus.npr.org. 

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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.

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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 atplus.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.

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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 atplus.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.

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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.

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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 atplus.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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.




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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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 atplus.npr.org. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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It's getting harder to get away with murder in Philadelphia.

Violent crime has fallen sharply -- like it has in many other cities.

And Philadelphia police are now solving homicides at the highest rate since 1984.

There's a connection there -- but there's also plenty more to the story.

Philadelphia Inquirer crime reporter Ellie Rushing shows what her team has found.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. It features additional reporting by Martin Kaste and WHYY’s Aaron Moselle. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The Trump administration's push to expand immigration enforcement -- as part of its deportation efforts -- has created job opportunities in small towns and cities.

We head to one of them -- Folkston, Georgia, a community of about 2,800 residents..

That number will soon swell as immigrant detainees fill up a growing ICE detention center at the edge of town. 

The center is in a old prison run by the private prison corporation, the GEO Group, and is set to become the nation’s largest detention facility.We hear about the hopes and fears of the town's residents.

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This episode was produced by Liz Baker, Elena Burnett and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna.  It was edited by Eric Westervelt and Justine Kenin. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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America’s farmers are getting walloped by the federal government shutdown.

The closing of government offices means they’ve lost access to data and loans that help keep them afloat —

Then there’s healthcare. More than a quarter of the nation’s farmers rely on the Affordable Care Act…along with the subsidies at the heart of the shutdown fight.

And add to that — the fact that farmers’ finances are taking a hit from bottom lines are also being slashed due to President Trump’s tariffs.

For generations – the federal government has worked to support American farmers. 

But as they lose access to vital loans and information.. as the trade war cuts into their bottom line… And as many face skyrocketing healthcare costs…that support seems to have all but disappeared.

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 Tyler Bartlam, with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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At President Trump’s public urging, the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against some of his perceived political enemies. NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson explains that for those targeted, a prosecution can mean steep financial and emotional costs, even if they ultimately win in court.


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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Michael Leavitt, with audio engineering by Damian Herring. It was edited by Anna Yukhananov and Justine Kenin. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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A ceasefire is now in effect between Israel and Hamas, and the Israeli military has pulled back from certain positions in the Gaza Strip. In the coming days, a hostage and prisoner exchange is set to begin, and hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks are expected to be allowed into Gaza.

It’s all part of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan – a plan that closely resembles the plan President Biden unveiled in the final days of his administration. 

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security advisor, helped negotiate the last ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which ultimately fell apart. Have circumstances on the ground in Gaza – and a change in U.S. presidential leadership – set the groundwork for a different path this time?

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink and Linah Mohammad, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata, Nadia Lancy and Tara Neill. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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After two years of bloodshed, Israel and Hamas have agreed to phase one of a ceasefire deal.

It’s a moment of hope — and some skepticism — amid a war that’s had an enormous toll.

Where might this 20-point peace plan lead?

You'll hear from NPR's Daniel Estrin, as well as some of the many people in Gaza and in Israel who’ve talked to our reporters over the last two years.

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink, Matt Ozug and Michael Levitt. It featured reporting from Aya Batrawy and Anas Baba. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The clock is ticking for Chicago and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

President Trump has deployed the National Guard to the country’s third largest city, and he says they’ll begin operations no later than Wednesday.

Pritzker, a democrat, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson are fighting the administration’s efforts in the courts.

Trump says Chicago and other cities need the National Guard on the streets. Illinois governor JB Pritzker says it’s an "invasion." What now?

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 Megan Lim.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Nearly a quarter century after the September 11th attacks, the Trump administration is using the language of terrorism to target a new enemy: Latin American drug cartels.

The president says we’re in armed conflict with drug cartels.

We talk to a Bush-era lawyer who says the powers of war are too extraordinary to use against crime.

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 Connor Donevan. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Eight years ago, Daniel Day-Lewis announced he was retired from acting. He offered no further comment. Retirement notwithstanding, the three-time winner of the Oscar for Best Actor stars in a new movie, out this week. He plays a man who long ago left the world he once knew – and then is contacted by a family member to come back.

It was written with and directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis.

Father and son speak about their new film, Anemone.

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The government shutdown is on. Already, it’s being felt across the country.

National Parks are preparing to scale back or close. Furloughed federal workers are facing tough choices about how to pay the bills when they can’t count on their paychecks. Some people trying to access government services have found locked doors. 

Democratic and Republican lawmakers are at an impasse after dueling proposals on the senate floor failed Wednesday.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has vowed that his party is in the shutdown fight to win it. He weighs in on Democrats’ strategy and what he’s hearing from his constituents.

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When President Trump came into office, he promised to fuel an economic boom with a magic bullet: tariffs. They're taxes added to a wide range of imports. And money is coming in, more than $30 billion a month so far. 

Eight months into Trump's second term, it’s unclear what the larger impact of these tariffs will have on the economy. Despite that, the president keeps promising to roll out new ones. NPR's Chief Economic Correspondent Scott Horsley explains.

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NPR’s National Security Correspondent Greg Myre spent the summer reporting on the war in Ukraine. He saw the devastation of the conflict. But he also saw something else: the country leveraging its resources at home to meet the moment…including in Lviv where they’re racing to make as many of their own weapons as fast as they can.

And at a hospital near the frontlines in central Ukraine where Ukraine's neurosurgeons are conducting state-of-the-art operations with cutting-edge technology.

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More than a hundred countries have committed to fresh plans to curb pollution, with one big holdout: the U.S.

NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with the EU Commissioner for Climate, Wopke Hoekstra, about how global leaders are moving forward on climate goals with the U.S. on the sidelines.

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After 25 years at NPR and 10 years hosting All Things Considered and the last few years hosting Consider This, Ari Shapiro is moving on to his next adventure.

We’re saying bye.

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Connor Donevan, Matt Ozug, Mia Venkat, Mallory Yu and Alejandra Marquez Janse.

It was edited by Ashley Brown.

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A superhuman artificial intelligence so smart it can decide to get rid of slower-witted humans is a pretty terrifying concept.

What was once strictly the stuff of science fiction is now closer than ever to being a reality.

And if it does, some A-I researchers have gloomy predictions about humanity’s chances of survival.

While the A-I boom continues and companies across the country are heavily investing in the technology, some researchers are begging humanity to pump the brakes.


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The federal government’s approach to public health has changed more in the last eight months than it has in decades.

 
Since President Trump returned to office, he and members of his administration have challenged the safety of the covid vaccine, the overall childhood vaccine schedule, and the causes of autism.

This has upended public health guidance that doctors and patients have relied on for years.

Jen Brull, the President of the American Academy of Family Physicians talks about how doctors and patients are navigating this moment.

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It was edited by Courtney Dorning.

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President Trump is promising to sweep homeless people off America’s streets. One controversial part of his plan could force thousands of people into institutions where they would be treated “long-term” for for addiction and mental illness. Critics say the policy raises big concerns about civil liberties and cost. But parts of this idea - known as “civil commitment” are gaining traction with some Democratic leaders.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Erika Ryan, with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Andrea de Leon and Courtney Dorning.

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The Trump administration is moving fast on a plan to create several holding centers around the country for people detained in a nationwide immigration crackdown. One facility in particular has been rife with problems.

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This episode was produced by Jeffrey Pierre. With audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by John Ketchum and William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Governor Spencer Cox of Utah, who has been in the national headlines just about every day since Charlie Kirk's killing, has long wanted to bring community harmony to national politics. That outlook comes in part from his upbringing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The governor was a critic of President Trump during Trump’s first term, but later endorsed him after the president survived an assassination attempt. Will Charlie Kirk’s killing change Cox’s approach?

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This episode was produced by Avery Keatley, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Ahmad Damen and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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A 30 second video clip shows a boat bobbing in the water.

Then, a fireball and a huge plume of smoke.

President Trump posted the footage on social media this week, saying he ordered the U-S military to attack what Trump called “narcoterrorists from Venezuela.”

It’s at least the second time this month that President Trump has ordered this sort of a deadly strike on a boat that he claims carried illegal drugs.

It's an example of the new ways Trump is deploying military force.  The President has used the National Guard in American cities.

Do the strikes on Venezuelan vessels signal a new way of using the military abroad, and is it legal? 


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President Trump has said for years that he wants Jimmy Kimmel off the air. 

Now, ABC and its parent company Disney have put the show on indefinite hiatus. 

One key player here is the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr. 

Today he applauded ABC’s decision, posting on X, “Broadcast TV stations have always been required by their licenses to operate in the public interest.”

Kimmel’s cancellation reopens questions about free speech, the role of the FCC, and the relationship between the commission and the White House.

NPR political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro and former FCC chairman Tom Wheeler shed some light on those questions. 

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This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse and Marc Rivers, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane and Tiffany Vera Castro.

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The first day of President Trump’s historic trip to the UK was dominated by ceremony.

A carriage procession around the grounds of Windsor Castle with the royal family.

Inspection of the guards.

Exhibits from the Royal Collection.

A lavish banquet preceded by a joint US- UK military flypast. 

All the royal pomp and pageantry that might be expected for the first ever second state visit by an elected politician to a British monarch.

But the sights and sounds beyond the castle were far different.

Thousands of protestors filled London’s streets with chants, signs and Trump baby blimps. 

Protestors told us they were demonstrating over what’s happening in the United States over what’s happening in Gaza and over Trump’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The U.K.'s response to Trump is like America's: divided

Coming up, opposing perspectives on President Trump’s visit to the United Kingdom.

This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink and Beth Timmins in London and by Tyler Bartlam and Elena Burnett in Washington. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Nick Spicer, Roberta Rampton and Nadia Lancy.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Robert Redford died early Tuesday morning, according to his publicist. He was 89 years old.

Redford was a golden child of Hollywood, starring in dozens of movies. But he was never content just being an all-American matinee idol.

He became an Oscar-winning director, founded the Sundance Institute and grew the Sundance Film Festival, and advocated for environmental causes before activism became a Hollywood cliche.

Linda Holmes, host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, and film critic Bob Mondello look back on Robert Redford’s work and legacy.

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With the assasination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, there’s a great deal of speculation about who will fill his seat, literally and metaphorically.

Vice President JD Vance hosted the Charlie Kirk Show on Monday. He talked with a variety of Trump administration heavyweights and conservative media figures, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and political commentator Tucker Carlson. 

The guests reflected on their personal and professional relationships with Kirk, and his many contributions to the second Trump presidency.

NPR Senior Political Editor and Correspondent Domenico Montanaro and NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik share what they learned from the show about how Charlie Kirk’s legacy is being shaped in real time. 

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The Supreme Court has cleared the way for federal immigration enforcement agents in Los Angeles to use race and other profiling factors in deciding who to stop and potentially detain. 

NPR’s Scott Detrow and Jasmine Garsd discuss how the expansion of ICE operations around the country has changed the way people interact with law enforcement, and their community. 

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This episode was produced by Erika Ryan and Avery Keatley.

It was edited by Adam Raney and Sarah Robbins.

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Sometimes the stories that help us understand the full impact of war are told through a child’s voice.

And sometimes the most powerful stories of war are not just of destruction and rising death tolls, but also of humanity, optimism and hope.

Reporter Ari Daniel visited a clinic and captured a moving scene between a doctor and his patient, a young girl from Gaza. 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 Michael Levitt. It was edited by Sarah Robbins and Rebecca Davis. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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HIV has been in retreat around the world. 

Fewer people are dying of the disease.

New infections are decreasing. 

More HIV positive people have access to life saving medicine.

Those trend lines have been moving in the right direction for decades. 

And US investment is one big reason.

The Trump Administration dismantled foreign assistance through USAID, it continued PEPFAR — the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief — but much of the work is either no longer happening or happening at a very reduced capacity.

For decades, the United States led global efforts to end HIV/AIDS. That's no longer happening. Where will the trend lines go from here? 

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This episode was produced by Jeffrey Pierre. You also heard reporting in this episode from NPR’s Gabrielle Emanuel from Zambia.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Rebecca Davis.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.


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For many young conservatives, Charlie Kirk was more than just another political activist or online personality.

He was the face of their movement -- a glimpse at how life for their generation could look by embracing a more hard-right, MAGA worldview. Charlie Kirk's followers are in shock and grief over his assassination.

As they try to make sense of his killing, many are also asking what's next for the movement he started.

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This episode was produced by Kai McNamee and Mia Venkat. 

It was edited by John Ketchum and Courtney Dorning. .

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The 9/11 terrorism case has been in legal limbo for more than a decade and many doubt the case will ever make it to take to trial. That’s partly because the defendants were tortured in secret CIA prisons, so there are ongoing legal fights over what evidence is admissible. Meanwhile, the accused men are at the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and thousands of 9/11 family members wait for a resolution.

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with two young people whose fathers died in the World Trade Center attacks, as they debate whether the 9/11 defendants should get plea deals.

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Six years after his death in prison, sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to dominate the news.

A House committee has released a suggestive note sent to Epstein for his 50th birthday that is signed "Donald J. Trump." The White House continues to deny now President Trump wrote or signed it.

Separately, a New York Times investigation tracked Epstein's relationship to the country's leading bank, JPMorgan Chase. It concludes that the bank enabled his sex crimes, even as evidence against him piled up.

Times reporter Matt Goldstein explains.

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Chris Hugues has what he calls an interesting job.

He’s an assistant operator at a wastewater treatment plant in Cavendish, Vermont.

On a recent August afternoon he gave NPR’s Jenna McLaughlin a tour of the plant.

Hughes loves his work, in all its technical, mathematical, chemical, and yes, dirty, glory.  

But lately, Hughes has had to worry about a new hazard: cyberattacks.  

The threat of someone cutting water off for Americans is real.

Chinese hackers recently spent nearly a year inside a Massachusetts utility company that provides power and water.

And last October, hackers targeted American Water, the largest wastewater utility company in the country.

Water is an appealing target for hackers. People like Chris Hughes are working to make sure a cyber-attack doesn’t stop the flow. 

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This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse.

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President Trump has vowed to abolish the Department of Education. He’s pressured schools to end DEI initiatives and protections for transgender students. He's rescinded guidelines that barred immigration enforcement at schools. 

So what could Trump’s policies mean for kids in public schools? We get answers from NPR education correspondent Cory Turner and NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

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This episode features reporting by Frank Langfitt. It was produced by Tyler Bartlam and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane and Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by William Troop, Nicole Cohen, and Kelsey Snell. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a scathing line of questioning from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the Senate on Thursday.

Kennedy is a vaccine skeptic and is using his position as Secretary of Health and Human Services to radically change vaccine policy. 

In recent weeks, there have been a number of public health officials who have resigned or been fired, creating chaos at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies. 

Federal employees are also speaking out, including more than 1,000 former and current HHS employees who penned a letter urging Kennedy to resign. 

Now, some states are taking vaccine policy into their own hands

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink, Marc Rivers, and Manuela Lopez Restrepo, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.

It was edited by Jonaki Mehta, Diane Webber, and Scott Hensley.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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“Chief diversity officer” was once Corporate America’s hottest job. 

Now corporate America has retreated from DEI and slashed thousands of jobs. So where does that leave the people who’ve built careers around that work? 

Hear the story of one veteran executive who’s been job-hunting for more than a year.

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink and Christine Arrasmith.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Rafael Nam.

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So many movies are made about the beginning of a relationship. That first spark of attraction. That first kiss. 

The new dark comedy “The Roses” is about the other end – when it's all falling apart. 

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman star as Theo and Ivy, a couple who was once very much in love. Two children and a transatlantic move later, they’re now struggling to save their marriage.

No one thinks it’s going to work – including their therapist.

Cumberbatch and Colman sit down with host Mary Louise Kelly to discuss how they leveraged their real-life friendship to play two people who love to hate each other.

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This holiday episode was produced by Kira Wakeam and Kathryn Fink. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.


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The Trump Administration has made significant changes to the departments in charge of public health. So what does that mean for the health of average Americans and to the future of public health research?

NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with Dr. Craig Spencer, an emergency medicine physician who also teaches public health policy at Brown University.

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Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans twenty years ago this week, leaving a trail of destruction across the city and the Gulf Coast. NPR journalists were on the ground covering the developing story of what became the costliest storm in U.S. history. 

NPR’s Greg Allen reflects on covering the catastrophe and digs into the archives to remember the feel of the city after the storm.

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This episode was produced by Kai McNamee, Daniel Ofman and Tyler Bartlam. It was edited by Adam Raney and Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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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. 

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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 atplus.npr.org.

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This episode was produced by Mia Venkat and Daniel Ofman.

It was edited by Andrew Sussman, Courtney Dorning and William Troop.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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