The idea that social media use has helped fuel an increase in anxiety, depression and loneliness among teenagers was once controversial. But a series of studies are helping researchers understand how much of a correlation exists between the two. NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff tells us about Jean Twenge, a researcher who first raised the alarm in 2017, and about other researchers who have recently released studies on this topic. And NPR's Allison Aubrey shares some advice from another study looking in...
Apr 27, 2023•14 min
Fox's statement announcing the departure of Tucker Carlson, it's most watched primetime host, was a terse four sentences. "FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways," it read. Carlson's brand of divisive and conspiracy theory-laden rhetoric helped fuel Fox's audience numbers. So what happens now that he is gone? And where will Carlson go? Mary Louise Kelly discusses all of the above with correspondents Shannon Bond and David Folkenflik , who cover misinformation and media matter...
Apr 26, 2023•14 min
President Biden has officially ended the national emergency that was declared during the COVID-19 pandemic. But so far there's been no official commission to look into how the country could be better prepared for the next pandemic. Now, the non-partisan Covid Crisis Group has issued a report titled "Lessons from the Covid War." NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with the group's director, Philip Zelikow, about the report's findings. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to ...
Apr 25, 2023•12 min
Even amid mass layoffs in tech and other sectors, the economy is still adding jobs. Even tech jobs. NPR's Andrea Hsu reports on a program that recruits and trains workers to enter the tech pipeline. And NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Dana Peterson, chief economist with the Conference Board, about some of the broader trends in the labor market and what they could mean for job seekers. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in you...
Apr 24, 2023•13 min
Newspapers and intrepid reporters are at the heart of hundreds of movies - think Citizen Kane, All The President's Men -and have always been a big part of American culture. But in recent decades, the rise of digital news has led to the steady decline of print. And while big papers like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post still distribute print editions – small, local papers have been disappearing at an alarming rate. Add to that the consolidation of news outlets by b...
Apr 22, 2023•14 min
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is back at work on Capitol Hill after taking leave to seek treatment for clinical depression. It is rare for a sitting politician to publicly discuss their mental health. But Sen. Fetterman sat down with NPR's Scott Detrow to talk about what the past few months have been like and what comes next. 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.adswiz...
Apr 21, 2023•13 min
The past seven years in the United Kingdom have been intense. The country struggled through Brexit, royal scandals and the pandemic - and then Queen Elizabeth II died. NPR's global democracy correspondent Frank Langfitt covered the U.K. through all of this and more. As he wraps up his time in London, Frank reflects on all the history and drama he's covered in the last seven years. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your co...
Apr 20, 2023•10 min
As Earth's climate warms, more ice is melting near the poles. And that is a huge driver of sea level rise around the globe. But some coastal communities are threatened by this more than others. Places like the Gulf coast of Texas, for example, are feeling the impact of melting ice in West Antarctica, thousands of miles away. NPR Climate Correspondent Rebecca Hersher traveled to Galveston, Texas, to see how that ice melt is affecting sea levels there and what experts are doing to prepare. This re...
Apr 19, 2023•11 min
Just a few years before the violence and chaos currently engulfing Sudan, it seemed to be on a tenuous path toward democracy. NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu explains how two rival generals who had promised to transition the country to civilian rule are instead tearing it apart in a bloody power struggle. 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 information about...
Apr 18, 2023•12 min
While the country seemingly moves on from the pandemic, an estimated 15 million U.S. adults are suffering from long COVID. Scientists are trying to understand what causes some people to develop long COVID while others do not. NPR's Will Stone spoke with researchers and reports on a growing body of evidence that points to one possible explanation: viral reservoirs where the coronavirus can stick around in the body long after a person is initially infected. In participating regions, you'll also he...
Apr 17, 2023•10 min
Millions of children have left Ukraine since the Russian invasion. They have relocated across the country and the globe. And while these children are survivors, for many the emotional scars are difficult to heal. A team of NPR journalists spent months following the stories of 27 kindergarten students - 6-year-olds - who were forced to leave their homes and school in the northeast city of Kharkiv in Ukraine when Russian troops invaded. Two of the children, Aurora and Daniel, were best friends. Al...
Apr 15, 2023•19 min
The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled ambitious new emissions rules this week. The agency estimates car makers would need up to 67% of their new vehicle sales to be electric by 2032 in order to comply with the stricter standards. Michelle Krebs, executive analyst with Cox Automotive says the changes "reinvent the vehicle" and will require a reinvention of the auto industry. In the face of these impending changes, Keith Barry, an automotive reporter for Consumer Reports, walks through what...
Apr 14, 2023•15 min
Syria is buckling under the stresses caused by civil war, a brutal dictatorship, punishing international sanctions, and most recently the devastation caused by earthquakes in the region last February. At the same time, the effectiveness of sanctions meant to hurt and isolate the regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad is being questioned. Recently, a group of former U.S. officials and Syria experts urged President Biden to rethink U.S. policy and make sanctions more effective. NPR's Aya Batrawy trave...
Apr 13, 2023•11 min
Millions of Ukrainian children had their schooling interrupted by Russia's invasion. The war has also shaped their childhood in lasting ways. NPR's Elissa Nadworny visited a kindergarten classroom in Kharkiv, Ukraine, that was hit by Russian artillery last August. She set out to find out what happened to the children who had been students there. 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@np...
Apr 12, 2023•13 min
Democrats and Republicans disagree on a lot of issues. But there's a growing consenus in both parites that China represents a threat to the U.S. And some worry that the rise in anti-China rhetoric could pave the way for xenophobia against Asian-Americans. Congresswoman Judy Chu, D-Calif., is concerned about that. She herself has been accused of disloyalty by a fellow lawmaker, and she says she worries about a "new McCarthyism," in the Republican Party. And Erika Lee, a professor of history and A...
Apr 11, 2023•15 min
A majority of the Nashville Metro Council supports reappointing former state Representative Justin Jones to the seat he was expelled from last week. Jones was one of two Democrats ousted by the Republican-controlled Tennessee state legislature after taking part in protests calling for stricter gun control in the state. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Nashville Council Member-At-Large Zulfat Saura about her vote to send Jones back to the State House. In participating regions, you'll also hear a loc...
Apr 10, 2023•13 min
Whether you're a politician, a mental health expert, or a parent, it seems everyone has a problem with TikTok. Some concerns stem from the social media platform's addictive qualities or its effects on one's mental health. Critics have also noted dangerous video trends. Members of Congress in both parties are calling for a ban over fears that the Chinese government could harvest Tik Tok user information. And many states and colleges have taken steps to regulate the platform. But for tens of milli...
Apr 08, 2023•15 min
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, a 19th century abortion ban took effect in Wisconsin and forced those practicing and seeking reproductive healthcare to travel across state lines. Earlier this week, voters elected Judge Janet Protasiewicz to become a justice on Wisconsin's Supreme Court, flipping control of the court to liberals for the first time in 15 years. That could have big implications on the future of abortion in the state. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Dr....
Apr 07, 2023•11 min
2023 is on track to beat last year's record when it comes to book bans. The free speech group PEN America counted 2,500 instances of book bans in U.S. schools during the 2021-22 academic year. Author Judy Blume has had a number of her books banned. She spoke to NPR ahead of the release of a documentary about her life, "Judy Blume Forever," streaming on Amazon Prime April 21. And NPR's Tovia Smith spoke to other authors of banned books about how the scrutiny has negatively impacted their sales - ...
Apr 06, 2023•12 min
Black Americans are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White Americans. And there's a growing number of Black families who have to live with the pain of losing a loved one at the hands of police. NPR's Juana Summers speaks with two women who have been living that reality for years. 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 information about ou...
Apr 05, 2023•11 min
The legal and political worlds officially moved into uncharted waters when former President Donald Trump was arraigned on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. NPR's Carrie Johnson breaks down the case against Trump, and the difficult path to conviction for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. And Peter Skinner, an attorney who worked alongside Bragg for several years in the Southern District of New York, talks about what Bragg is like as a prosecutor. In participating regions, yo...
Apr 04, 2023•14 min
The FDA has approved over-the-counter sales of Narcan, a nasal spray version of the life-saving medication naloxone. The medication is known for its ability to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. The FDA's move will make Narcan more widely available than ever before. But experts say this is just one step in the right direction, when it comes to preventing overdose deaths. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at the University of North Carolina who has been studying ...
Apr 03, 2023•13 min
In the twenty-five years since the Japanese media franchise Pokémon launched in the US, it has become a staple of American culture — from trading cards to t-shirts, from action figures to videogames, from Oreo cookies to McDonald's Happy Meals. And of course, the animated series. Since the launch of that series the biggest stars have undoubtedly been aspiring Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum and his adorable pocket monster sidekick Pikachu. But now fans must say goodbye to these iconic heroes as the s...
Apr 01, 2023•14 min
Former President Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury, making him the first former president in American history to face criminal charges. The case involves hush money paid by Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump. NPR's Andrea Bernstein says the lengths Trump's company went to cover up the hush money payment is part of a larger pattern of how Trump has long operated his businesses. In participating regions,...
Mar 31, 2023•13 min
It's been another month of impressive and unsettling AI breakthroughs. And, along with excitement, these breakthroughs have also sparked concerns about the risks AI could pose to society. Take OpenAI's release of GPT-4, the latest iteration of its ChatGPT chatbot. According to the company, it can pass academic tests (including several AP course exams) and even do your taxes. But NPR's Geoff Brumfiel test drove the software, and found that it also sometimes fabricated inaccurate information. Wedn...
Mar 30, 2023•13 min
Some officials in Democratic-led jurisdictions around the country are pushing to use involuntary commitment as a tool to tackle a surge in homelessness. We hear what officials in New York City, California and Portland, Oregon are proposing - and some of the pushback they are getting. Ailsa Chang speaks with April Dembosky with KQED in San Francisco and Amelia Templeton with Oregon Public Broadcasting about how the conversation about involuntary commitment is playing out in California and Oregon....
Mar 29, 2023•14 min
The United Nations says time is running out to avoid the worst effects of climate change. At the same time, countries like Bangladesh have no choice but to adapt to an already changing climate. Bangladesh is prone to flooding from rising sea levels and melting glaciers. And it is in the path of some of the world's most powerful cyclones. NPR's Lauren Frayer reports from northern Bangladesh on how the country is becoming a hot spot for climate solutions. In participating regions, you'll also hear...
Mar 28, 2023•10 min
A task force set up by the California state legislature is studying how the legacy of slavery has harmed the state's Black residents. This summer it will submit recommendations for how the state legislature should compensate African-Americans for that harm. The task force has to answer thorny questions like who should qualify for reparations, how to measure the suffering that Black people have endured and how to attach a dollar figure to that suffering. The chair of the task force, Kamilah Moore...
Mar 27, 2023•15 min
Donald Trump was the first president in American history to be impeached twice. Now, he may be the first modern president, current or former – to be charged with criminal conduct. The New York investigation into hush money paid to adult entertainment actor Stormy Daniels is just one of several criminal probes currently faced by Donald Trump, And it's the one that is closest to issuing charges. Amid all the legal drama Trump has announced his third bid for the White House. A pending indictment wo...
Mar 25, 2023•15 min
On March 24, 2018, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Washington, D.C. to demand an end to gun violence. That was also the start of the March For Our Lives movement, which continues to call on young people to make their voices heard through the ballot box. Survivors of a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida organized that first march. One of them was David Hogg. NPR's Adrian Florido speaks with Hogg about the triumphs and frustrations of the past five years and...
Mar 24, 2023•13 min
