For decades, Israel had solid bipartisan support for Israel from Capitol Hill. But progressive congressional Democrats have started to question support for the policies of the Israeli government. Palestinian rights activists also feel tied to the growing power of racial justice movements in the United States. NPR political correspondent Asma Khalid explains. Peter Beinart, editor-at-large of Jewish Currents , says more Americans are hearing Palestinian voices in the media, and some Democrats can...
May 24, 2021•11 min
We know that Americans in blue states are getting vaccinated at higher rates than those in red ones. But that gap obscures another growing divide in America's vaccine campaign — the divide within states between rural and urban areas. An NPR analysis of county-level data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that divide exists across age groups in almost every state. NPR's Austin Fast explains why. The Biden administration says it's making progress on closing the gap. Their ...
May 21, 2021•13 min
A week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance that vaccinated people can safely return to most activities without wearing a mask. But the announcement caught many local officials and business leaders off guard. One of them was Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. NPR's Andrea Hsu reports on the confusion among businesses, which now have to decide what to do on their own. NPR's Yuki Noguchi interviewed behavioral scientists about whether the new guidance may encoura...
May 20, 2021•14 min
The White House is courting influential Democratic senators and making a public relations push for President Biden's infrastructure proposal, while Republicans draw a red line around corporate tax increases. Biden also spent part of this week test-driving Ford's new electric F-150 Lightning. But for all the talk of energy innovation and electric cars, one part of Biden's infrastructure plan is based on a pretty old idea — one from another era when millions of Americans were out of work. NPR's Sc...
May 19, 2021•15 min
Over the past year, QAnon conspiracies have migrated from obscure corners of the internet into national headlines. The false belief that left-wing Satanists are controlling the government helped fuel the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6. These theories didn't come from nowhere. Back in the 1980s a similar "satanic panic" swept through the country and led to lawsuits that alleged preschool teachers were performing evil rituals with children. These claims were debunked but the accusations thems...
May 18, 2021•14 min
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has gone from bad to worse. The Biden administration says it's engaging in "quiet, intensive diplomacy" to broker an end to the violence. Leni Stenseth of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency tells NPR that the humanitarian situation in the region is "extremely alarming." NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro explains how the recent outbreak of violence began — and the historical seeds of the region's conflict. What is the diplomatic path toward some sort of peace...
May 17, 2021•15 min
Nine-year-old Hallel is the oldest of three children. They also identify as a "boy-girl," which was a revelation to their parents Shira and Ari when Hallel made the announcement to them. Through a series of family recordings and interviews with WBUR's Martha Bebinger , the family shared the story of how this realization unfolded, and what they're learning. Email us at considerthis@npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to m...
May 16, 2021•11 min
The promise of post-pandemic life is exciting, but that doesn't mean it won't get awkward at times. We asked for your questions about how to navigate this new normal and we have some answers. Dr. Lucy McBride , a primary care physician, and public theologian Ekemini Uwan have both written about this transitional moment Americans are living in and have some advice. To take a short, anonymous survey about Consider This , please visit npr.org/springsurvey . In participating regions, you'll also hea...
May 14, 2021•14 min
This week, House Republicans voted to expel Rep. Liz Cheney from party leadership after the Wyoming congresswoman repeatedly called out former President Trump's false claims about the 2020 election. Republican Congressman John Curtis of Utah told NPR the party's decision had nothing to do with her opposition to the former President. The fracture reminds Wall Street Journal Executive Washington Editor Gerald Seib of another era when Republican leadership tried to capture and control a growing pol...
May 13, 2021•16 min
Republicans say enhanced pandemic unemployment benefits are what's keeping people out of the workforce. That could be playing a role, but the complete picture is far more complicated. NPR chief economic correspondent Scott Horsley lays out the evidence for what's really behind the struggle to find workers. Stacey Vanek Smith , host of NPR's daily economics podcast The Indicator , explains why the problem may be specific to a certain subset of the economy. More from the Indicator on that topic he...
May 12, 2021•14 min
Three officers, each from a different generation, weigh in on Derek Chauvin's murder conviction and other recent acts of police violence. Isaiah McKinnon became a police officer for the city of Detroit in the 1960s, and eventually became chief of police. He also served two years as the city's deputy mayor starting in 2014. Cheryl Dorsey is a retired Los Angeles Police Department sergeant who first joined the force in the 1980s. Vincent Montague is president of the Black Shield Police Association...
May 11, 2021•14 min
Property ownership eludes Black Americans more than any other racial group. NPR's Ailsa Chang and Jonaki Mehta examine why. They tell the story of LA's Sugar Hill neighborhood, a once-vibrant black community that was demolished to make way for the Santa Monica Freeway. Their story is part of NPR's special series We Hold These Truths . To take a short, anonymous survey about Consider This , please visit npr.org/springsurvey . In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that wi...
May 10, 2021•16 min
Comic book publishers like Marvel and DC sit on a treasure trove: thousands and thousands of comic book characters. Pieces of intellectual property. You know the big ones--Superman, Ironman, Captain America. They each make millions off of movies and merchandise. But for every marquee character, there are hundreds of others sitting unused. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Priva...
May 09, 2021•22 min
Now 50 years old, NPR has grown up alongside American journalism. We take stock of some lessons learned along the way. In this episode: Linda Wertheimer , Robert Siegel , Brooke Gladstone , Ira Glass , Michele Norris , and Andy Carvin . Hear more from NPR's very first broadcast of All Things Considered. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for info...
May 07, 2021•14 min
Vaccine demand is beginning to slide in the U.S., but in other parts of the world, the pandemic is devastating countries where vaccines are more scarce. India is one of those countries. There only 2% of the population is fully immunized. There's an argument that waiving intellectual property rights could boost global vaccine production, and this week the Biden administration came out in support of that idea. Mustaqeem de Gama, South Africa's counsellor at the World Trade Organization, tells NPR ...
May 06, 2021•13 min
On Thursday, Scots vote in Regional Parliamentary elections. That's not usually an international story, but the ruling Scottish National Party is running on a platform to hold another independence referendum. Another vote on whether Scotland should leave the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland and Wales could follow their lead. Scotland voted to stay in the U.K. during the last independence referendum in 2014. But then the Brexit vote happened. Scots heavily voted against leaving the European Union...
May 05, 2021•14 min
The pandemic economy has left different people in vastly different situations. Today, we follow up with four American indicators — people whose paths will help us understand the arc of the recovery. You first heard their stories back in February. Now, we're talking to them again to ask how the American Rescue Plan has affected their lives — or not. Brooke Neubauer in Nevada, founder of The Just One Project ; Lisa Winton of the Winton Machine Company in Georgia; Lee Camp with Arch City Defenders ...
May 04, 2021•12 min
A record 172,000 migrants were apprehended at the southern border in March. Those numbers are fueled, in part, by smuggling organizations that exploit desperate migrants, most of them from central America. NPR's John Burnett and KTEP's Angela Kocherga report on their tactics. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tells NPR about a new multi-agency effort to crack down on smugglers. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in ...
May 03, 2021•14 min
Things have gone from bad to worse in the pandemic's global epicenter. India reported nearly 400,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday — and the death count is likely higher than current estimates. Lauren Frayer, NPR's correspondent in Mumbai, explains why. Follow more of her work here or on Twitter @lfrayer . The surge in India may be due, in part, to new coronavirus variants circulating in the country. NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff reports on one that's been referred to as a "double mutant." In partici...
Apr 30, 2021•12 min
Any one of President Biden's multi-trillion-dollar spending packages would be among the largest ever enacted by Congress. He has passed one — the American Recuse Plan — and proposed two others in his first 100 days. NPR Congressional correspondent Susan Davis explains his latest proposal — the American Families Plan. Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin tells NPR that in times of crisis, past Presidents have had success enacting ambitious agendas. In participating regions, you'll also hea...
Apr 29, 2021•14 min
Fully vaccinated people can ditch the mask outdoors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week — unless they're at a crowded event. Dr. Anthony Fauci explains the new guidance to NPR and weighs in on how soon children under 16 might be eligible for vaccines. NPR's Joe Palca reports on the scientific effort to learn more about how long vaccines protect us. Additional reporting in this episode from NPR's Allison Aubrey . In participating regions, you'll also hear from local jou...
Apr 28, 2021•13 min
The first set of results from the 2020 census are in, and according to the count, the official population of the United States is 331,449,281. 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
Apr 27, 2021•12 min
Israel and the United Kingdom are among the most-vaccinated countries in the world. Their success is due in part to public health campaigns designed to fight vaccine disinformation in faith and minority communities. As part of NPR's series on fighting disinformation, London correspondent Frank Langfitt visited a mosque-turned-vaccination center on the frontline of that battle. In Israel, NPR's Daniel Estrin followed the man who helped lead the public health campaign for vaccines. In participatin...
Apr 26, 2021•14 min
Black Americans being victimized and killed by the police is an epidemic. As the trial of Derek Chauvin plays out, it's a truth and a trauma many people in the US and around the world are again witnessing first hand. But this tension between African American communities and the police has existed for centuries. This week, the origins of policing in the United States and how those origins put violent control of Black Americans at the heart of the system. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about ...
Apr 25, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Last year, hackers believed to be directed by the Russian intelligence service, the SVR, slipped a malicious code into a routine software update from a Texas- based company called SolarWinds. They then used it as a vehicle for a massive cyberattack against America and successfully infiltrated Microsoft, Intel, Cisco and other companies, and federal agencies including the Treasury Department, Justice Department, Energy Department and the Pentagon. The Biden administration recently announced a ros...
Apr 23, 2021•14 min
A little more than half of adults in the U.S. have had at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. That means a growing number of Americans are figuring out how to navigate life in a hybrid society where some people are vaccinated and some are not. Two experts offer advice on how to do that: Dr. Leana Wen with George Washington University, and Dr. Monica Gandhi with the University Of California San Francisco. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening i...
Apr 22, 2021•12 min
As crowds gathered Tuesday evening after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd, two themes emerged. Many expressed joy and relief for the verdict delivered by the 12-person jury. But they also said the work isn't over, and the national debate over police violence and accountability can't end with a single criminal trial. That message was also shared by the White House and Vice President Harris. On Wednesday, Attorney General Merri...
Apr 21, 2021•14 min
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted on three counts in the trial over George Floyd's killing. The jury announced their verdict on Tuesday and found Chauvin guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of per...
Apr 20, 2021•12 min
Starting Monday, every person in America 16 and older is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 40% already have. Now public health officials will begin to focus more on those who have not. WHYY's Nina Feldman reports on the effort in Philadelphia, which is focused on racial equity. Two groups of people who are most likely to say they won't get a shot are Republicans and white evangelical Christians. Blake Farmer of member station WPLN in Nashville reports on outreach to those groups. In...
Apr 19, 2021•14 min
Flexible hours for working parents, daycare centers at the office, equal pay. Between the 1960s and 1980s, there was a real sense that big workplace changes were just beyond the horizon.At the time a very common job for women was clerical work. And in 1973, a group of secretaries in Boston formed a women's labor organization. They called themselves the "9to5."Actress Jane Fonda then decided to turn the real life struggles of working women into a hit Hollywood movie. Starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tom...
Apr 18, 2021•24 min
