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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, hunti...
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 M...
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 ...
Facing the threat of a potential military court martial and possible questions from the FBI, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona spoke to NPR's Scott Detrow. This comes after Kelly, a Navy veteran and former astronaut, appeared with five other Democratic lawmakers in a video letting active duty troops know they do not have to follow illegal orders. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . T...
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...
Examining the impact of progressive mayors such as New York City's Zohran Mamdani and Boston's Michelle Wu, this episode delves into their strategies for connecting with voters and addressing critical urban challenges like housing affordability and public transit. It explores whether their local successes and charismatic leadership can offer a viable path forward for the broader Democratic Party, despite facing significant political and financial hurdles.
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 Conside...
Caregiving services for seniors can easily cost more each year than what the average American makes. And health insurers, both government and private, may not provide the coverage people need. That leads many people to step in and do the work for free. But caregivers need to take care of themselves, too. That's something Dawnita Brown knows all too well, as a caregiver to both her parents, and founder of The Binti Circle. It's a group she founded for Black daughters like her who are doing caregi...
Activists in Chicago have been tracking federal immigration enforcement agents' movements, following their cars and alerting neighbors with whistles. This resistance sprang into action in response to Trump's Operation Midway Blitz, but it's nearly a decade in the making. NPR's Odette Yousef has the story of a strategy that activists hope can be a blueprint. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr....
President Trump is deepening the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, despite the government coming under fire for human right abuses, despite the concerns the prince himself ordered the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Why is Saudi Arabia such an important ally for the United States? For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Gabriel Sanchez a...
Maine Family Planning clinics treat STDs, bronchitis and tick bites. Because they also provide abortions, they've been hit by a new federal law that cuts them out of Medicaid. Now, they're cutting back on services to try to survive. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Ava Berger, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Dian...
It's been six months since a tornado hit St. Louis and damaged more than five thousand buildings and homes. Residents and local officials say the Trump administration's new policy on federal disaster assistance has meant they have been left to do the work traditionally done by FEMA. Editor's note: After this story aired, the Federal Emergency Management Agency responded to NPR's request for comment. In a statement, FEMA said that it has not implemented any new policies or "experiments" related t...
NPR's concert series Tiny Desk, first launched on a whim in 2008, attracts millions of viewers. We hear from two members of the NPR music team on what they love about producing and sharing Tiny Desk performances with the world. Host Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Robin Hilton, host and Senior Producer of Tiny Desk and All Songs Considered and Kara Frame a video producer and director of Tiny Desk concerts. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorsh...
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...
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 Aco...
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 docume...
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 m...
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, dem...
‘Affordability’ was the word that resonated across America during elections last week, reflecting voters’ demand for elected officials to address the rising cost of living. But the wealth gap in America and globally is increasing. Nobel-prize winning economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz talks about the repercussions for democracies worldwide. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. This episode...
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 A...
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 S...
The Supreme Court is deliberating on President Trump's use of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, raising questions about presidential authority. California Attorney General Rob Bonta argues these tariffs unlawfully expand executive power, belonging instead to Congress. The episode delves into the constitutional implications of such actions and their significant economic impact on American households and businesses.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a major case about the administration’s use of tariffs. President Trump has long touted the power of tariffs as a tool for trade negotiations and even for ending conflict. But now the justices will hear about how that tool may be misused. NPR's Scott Horsley and Danielle Kurtzleben discuss President Trump's tariff policy and its economic impact. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at p...
This episode explores the significant reduction in U.S. refugee admissions under the Trump administration, a 94% cut from previous caps, and its departure from historical U.S. policy. Through a personal story and an interview with Sharif Aly from the International Refugee Assistance Project, the discussion covers the legal challenges, the vital contributions refugees make, and concerns about discriminatory practices, highlighting the human cost of these policy changes.
The legal definition of the term 'unlawful combatants' was used to justify detaining people at Guantanamo indefinitely, without ever charging them with a crime. Now, the president is using it to describe the alleged drug smugglers that the military is targeting with boat strikes. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Avery Keatley and Gabriel Sanchez. It was ed...
This episode explores the distinct art of audio storytelling through the experiences of former print journalists now at NPR. They discuss how writing for the ear requires a different approach than writing for the eye, emphasizing conciseness and evocative sound. The conversation delves into the unique interviewing styles needed for radio and how sound can convey emotion and scene in ways print cannot, offering creative solutions for challenging audio situations.
Voters head to the polls next week in California, Virginia and New Jersey among other states. Senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro explain what they are watching in these elections — and what voters’ choices might say about the political moment. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced b...
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...
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 fi...
Ashley and Nick Evancho say raising their 3-year-old, Sophia, is one of the most joyous things they've ever done. But the Evanchos also made a decision that's increasingly common for families in the U.S. and around the world: One is enough. The trend is leading to populations that are dramatically older, and beginning to shrink, in many of the world's biggest economies. Experts say a rapidly aging and gradually shrinking population in the world's wealthiest countries could force sweeping changes...
