There are few issues as highly debated and emotionally charged as abortion. And in the coming days, the Supreme Court will issue a ruling that could fundamentally change the landscape for abortion in the U.S. The possibility that the court could strike down Roe v. Wade has raised all kinds of legal questions, as people consider what a post-Roe America might look like. We asked members of the NPR audience what questions they had about abortion access and reproductive rights. Khiara Bridges, a law...
Jun 17, 2022•14 min
The war between Russia and Ukraine is reverberating in Taiwan, a self-governed island that China claims as its own and has threatened to invade if Taiwan declares independence. Residents of the island are watching intently as Ukraine defends itself against a much larger and more powerful adversary. And they are thinking about what it takes to galvanize international support. The U.S. has a longstanding policy of ambiguity when it comes to talking about Taiwan and independence, not wanting to ris...
Jun 16, 2022•13 min
It's been ten years since the Obama administration announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. The policy provided protection from deportation for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. President Obama called it a "temporary stopgap measure," at the time, but Congress hasn't passed any legislation in the intervening years to create permanent protection for the people covered by DACA. Last year, a federal judge in Texas ruled the program is ...
Jun 15, 2022•14 min
A bipartisan group of Senates say they have reached a deal on a package of safety and gun-related measures. The deal is not yet done, but lawmakers say they are closer than they've been in a long time. The package includes measures to enhance background checks for gun buyers under 21, incentivize states to pass so-called "red flag laws," and fund school safety and mental health initiatives. Is it enough? We put that question to Gabby Giffords, a former congresswoman who was injured in a 2011 sho...
Jun 14, 2022•13 min
Prices rose more than expected in May. Gas is averaging $5 a gallon. Food, rent, and housing all cost more, too. NPR's Scott Horsley spoke to consumers trying to cope. Some CEOs are predicting a recession — but not all. NPR's David Gura reports. Additional reporting in this episode from NPR's Chris Arnold on the growing cost of housing . Transportation company owner Dennis Briggs spoke to NPR's Ayesha Rascoe on Weekend Edition Sunday. Help NPR improve podcasts by completing a short, anonymous su...
Jun 13, 2022•13 min
After years of struggling to pay federal student loans used to attend the for-profit Corinthian Colleges, hundreds of thousands of student borrowers will have their debt canceled. Corinthian closed in 2015 after investigators found it had defrauded students with misleading claims about future job prospects. Earlier this month, The Department of Education discharged all outstanding debt for all Corinthian borrowers. With over a trillion dollars owed, federal student loan debt has been called a na...
Jun 11, 2022•12 min
On Thursday, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol began presenting its findings in the first in a series of high profile public hearings. The panel showed videos of aides to former President Trump testifying that his claims of a stolen election were simply not true. Some used more colorful language. The committee seeks to show that the mayhem at the Capitol was not spontaneous, but rather an orchestrated subversion of American democracy. And t...
Jun 10, 2022•12 min
There have never been more options for drivers who want an electric car. But the demand — fueled by high gas prices — is almost over-powering, and supply chain constraints aren't helping. NPR's Brittany Cronin reports on one of the biggest EV launches of the year: Ford's F-150 Lightning. NPR's Camila Domonoske explains why China dominates the market for electric car batteries. Also in this episode: General Motors President Mark Reuss, who spoke to NPR's Steve Inskeep on Morning Edition . Help NP...
Jun 09, 2022•12 min
Nearly everyone agrees the cryptocurrency industry needs regulation, but there are huge disagreements about what that should look like. A Senate bill proposes a new regulatory framework for the industry. Cosponsors Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) argue that their bill hits the "sweet spot" between allowing innovation and protecting consumers. Software engineer Molly White, who runs the blog Web3 is going just great , says that the bill is too industry-friendly, and put...
Jun 08, 2022•14 min
President Biden urged Congress to act and the House is preparing to pass multiple gun control measures. But the Senate is where a compromise must be made. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is reportedly discussing policies like enhanced background checks and a federal red flag law. While it's unclear what Congress might agree to, researchers do have ideas about what policies could help prevent mass shootings and gun violence. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce explains. Hear more from her reporting on Sho...
Jun 07, 2022•14 min
In the third summer of the pandemic, White House COVID response coordinator Ashish Jha tells NPR it's a good thing that many people feel less afraid of getting sick. But he says the Biden administration still has work to do. One of their latest challenges is managing the vaccine rollout for children under 5, which could begin in weeks — and educating parents and caretakers about the importance of vaccination. NPR's Rob Stein reports on another persistent public health challenge: long COVID. A re...
Jun 06, 2022•14 min
The mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX has parents and students worried about safety at school. Data gathered by the Washington Post estimates that more than 300,000 students have experienced shootings at school since the 1999 school shooting in Columbine, Colorado. But experts say the impact of school shootings is far more extensive, and even children who don't come into direct contact with violence can be traumatized. We speak with Hannah Rubin, a 16-year-old activist with M...
Jun 04, 2022•13 min
The UK is celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years on the throne with four days of pomp and tribute. But, as the nation thanks its queen for seven decades of service, there are questions about what the monarchy will look like after she's gone. NPR's Frank Langfitt takes a look at a royal family at a crossroads. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for in...
Jun 03, 2022•12 min
So many people in Uvalde, Texas have a shared history. Some of that history runs right through Robb Elementary School, a place that was part of the Mexican-American community's struggle for racial equality. NPR's Vanessa Romo spoke with Eulalio Diaz, Jr. He was the coronor on duty when a gunman massacred 19 children and two teachers at the school. Diaz also went to Robb Elementary and knew a lot of the victims' families. And NPR's Adrian Florido has the story of Robb Elementary's role in the fig...
Jun 02, 2022•10 min
NPR and The Marshall Project have uncovered violence, abuse and a string of inmate deaths at a new penitentiary in Thomson, Ill. The reporting in this episode comes from NPR Investigative Correspondent Joseph Shapiro and reporter Christie Thompson of The Marshall Project. Find more from their story here. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for informatio...
Jun 01, 2022•15 min
What happens if a medical condition threatens the life of a pregnant patient? What about a fetus with a lethal anomaly? Will treatment for miscarriage change? This episode we're answering those questions and others from listeners about what would happen if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade — with help from NPR health policy correspondent Selena Simmons-Duffin and Dr. Kristyn Brandi , an OB-GYN and family planning doctor who's also the board chair for Physicians for Reproductive Health. In p...
May 31, 2022•12 min
Some immigrants never look back. Some spend their lives look back. All Things Considered Senior Producer Miguel Macias has done both. For the last decade, Macias has documented his life as an immigrant from Spain. His story of migration, of being in limbo is, in some ways, unique, but also similar to that of many immigrants. Over the years, he has wondered time and time again about his decision to leave his country, and whether to return one day. In participating regions, you'll also hear a loca...
May 30, 2022•14 min
In the past two weeks the nation has borne witness to the tragedy of two mass shootings. In Uvalde, Texas, a gunman killed 19 students and their two teachers inside a fourth grade classroom at Robb Elementary School. At least 17 were wounded. In Buffalo, New York, a man is accused of shooting and killing 10 members of the Black community who were shopping at Tops supermarket. In a long internet screed, he wrote about how online racist ideology and white supremacist conspiracy theories fueled his...
May 28, 2022•15 min
This week marks two years since George Floyd's murder at the hands of a white police officer and the subsequent racial justice protests and calls for police reform that spread from Minneapolis across the country. President Joe Biden has signed a new executive order meant to change how police use force among other measures, which experts say is a small — but important — step in preventing more tragedies like Floyd's death. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Matt Sepic reports, some Minneapolis resid...
May 27, 2022•16 min
This is a fragile moment for the U.S. economy. Many people are feeling the steep rise of the cost of gas and groceries, and some are having to decide whether to buy food or fill up their tanks. Food banks and local non-profits are seeing more people than ever. And experts worry that the Federal Reserve's efforts to combat inflation by raising interest rates could tip the economy into recession. NPR's Scott Horsley covers the big-picture economy, Chris Arnold covers housing and Brittany Cronin co...
May 26, 2022•9 min
At least 19 children were shot and killed by a man who investigators say was armed with assault rifles legally purchased after his 18th birthday. It was the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut nearly 10 years ago. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy tells NPR that lawmakers in Washington — including himself — bear responsibility for inaction on gun violence over the last decade. Also in this episode, gun control activist Sandy Phillips , who spoke to NPR's Steve Inske...
May 25, 2022•14 min
Dozens of states could soon take steps to ban or restrict abortion. But there are a lot of unanswered questions about how those laws would be enforced if they vary from state to state, Kim Mutcherson tells NPR. That patchwork of laws is the most likely outcome if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade, leaving the U.S. without a federally-protected right to abortion. That's the reality in Poland, where abortion is almost entirely illegal. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports on an underground network of re...
May 24, 2022•15 min
It's 2022, but the 2020 election is on the ballot in Georgia, where several Trump-backed candidates are running in Republican primary races. WABE's Rahul Bali explains how the former President looms over Tuesday's elections, and WABE's Sam Gringlas looks at a race between two Democratic incumbents, forced to face off after their districts were redrawn by Republicans. For more political coverage from member station WABE, listen to Georgia Votes . In participating regions, you'll also hear a local...
May 23, 2022•16 min
Last year the remains of 215 children were found in unmarked graves on the site of a former residential school for Indigenous children in British Columbia. The news was shocking, but among Indigenous people of Canada and survivors of the country's boarding school system, it was not a surprise. For generations there had been stories of children taken away from their parents never to be heard from again. Those who did return told of neglect, abuse, and forced assimilation. It's a brutal history th...
May 21, 2022•14 min
Russian President Vladimir Putin has used possible NATO expansion to justify invading Ukraine. Now, that invasion might expand the alliance. Finland and Sweden, both formerly neutral Russian neighbors, are applying for membership. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Finland's ambassador to the U.S., Mikko Hautala, about the stakes of his country's bid to join. NPR's Emily Feng also talks to historian Mary Elise Sarotte about how we reached this impasse between NATO and Russia. You can also hear — an...
May 20, 2022•15 min
A Polish school in Warsaw has taken in Ukrainian refugee students and teachers. The school provides safety and a place of hope as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues. Poland's minister of education says the country has absorbed more than 75,000 Ukrainian students into Polish schools. NPR's Ari Shapiro visited schools in Poland and spoke to teachers and students about what their life is like right now. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense...
May 19, 2022•11 min
This week, the FDA announced new steps to ease a nationwide baby formula shortage prompted, in part, by a temporary shutdown of a facility that makes formula back in February. As millions of families who rely on formula wait for supplies to become more available, many are also looking for answers on the circumstances that gave rise to the shortage. NPR Chief Economics Correspondent Scott Horsley breaks down the tangle of supply chain issues and federal policies that are playing into the formula ...
May 18, 2022•14 min
As the U.S. marks one million people dead from COVID-19, scientists suggest that nearly one third of those deaths could have been prevented if more people had chosen to be vaccinated. NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin reports . And even though the unvaccinated continue to make up a majority of COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations, the number of Americans who say they won't get a COVID shot hasn't budged in a year. NPR's John Burnett spoke to a few of them. In participating regions, you'll also ...
May 17, 2022•13 min
A man accused of killing 10 people in Buffalo, New York was allegedly motivated by a racist doctrine known as 'replacement theory.' It's just a new name for an old set of racial hatreds, Kathleen Belew told NPR . Belew is an assistant professor of history at the University of Chicago and the author of Bring The War Home: The White Power Movement And Paramilitary America . NPR's Quil Lawrence reports from Buffalo on the aftermath of the shooting, and NPR's Adrian Florido takes a closer look at th...
May 16, 2022•14 min
The United States is experiencing an adolescent mental health crisis. Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Surgeon General are stressing the urgent need to address the mental health needs of children and teens. The pandemic focused attention on this issue as young people dealt with isolation, the uncertainty of lockdown and grief over the death of loved ones. But while the pandemic exacerbated the problem, it has been building for years. We speak with Judith Warner,...
May 14, 2022•12 min
