Maybe you and your family are gathering round the new 65 inch TV that Santa brought and snuggling in with some hot cocoa for your yearly holiday movie marathon. Your tradition may include It's a Wonderful Life , or cheering on the Grinch's loyal dog Max, or fighting with your spouse over whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie. If you celebrate Christmas, you probably have a movie that you consider the best. There's personal preference, but what other elements give a Christmas movie staying...
Dec 24, 2023•13 min
Today we're sharing an episode of NPR's podcast Trump's Trials , hosted Scott Detrow . In this episode, Scott is joined by NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson . This week's focus: The Supreme Court and presidential immunity. The court decided they would not take up Special Counsel Jack Smith's request to fast-track arguments on whether former President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution for alleged crimes committed while in office. Instead, the case will continue to make its way throug...
Dec 23, 2023•13 min
It was the year of Beyoncé! It was the year of Taylor! Both musicians had highly successful tours, highly successful concert films and both women pumped billions into the economy. And each has been supportive of the other this year, and in the past. So why is there a narrative that they're rivals? NPR's Juana Summers revisits the year that was for Beyoncé and Swift, and talks to Miami University of Ohio Music Professor Tammy L. Kernodle about the tendency of society, and the media, to pit succes...
Dec 22, 2023•14 min
Nearly two years into Roe v. Wade being overturned, pregnant people continue to have a hard time accessing abortion and miscarriage care. This year saw the addition of new restrictive abortion laws in some states and protection of existing abortion laws in others. What does this mean for abortion care in 2024, and how might all of this affect the 2024 elections? NPR's Juana Summers digs into these questions with health policy reporter Selena Simmons-Duffin and national political correspondent Sa...
Dec 21, 2023•15 min
Americans are increasingly using drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro to lose weight. And they got a big endorsement last week when Oprah Winfrey announced that she, too was using weight loss drugs. And it's not just Oprah, the decades-old weight management company Weight Watchers is also embracing the drugs, integrating them into the business model. NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Weight Watchers CEO Sima Sistani about the company's decision, and talks to NPR consumer health correspondent Yu...
Dec 21, 2023•15 min
Former President Donald Trump has always embraced dehumanizing rhetoric, but now as he tries to capture the presidency again, he's making even more extreme statements. It's a strategy that gets him lots of attention and that fuels his base. NPR's Juana Summers talks to White House correspondent Franco Ordonez and domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef about Trump's use of increasingly autocratic statements and social media posts. Email us at considerthis@npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for i...
Dec 19, 2023•10 min
For Russian President Vladimir Putin, 2023 began with his war against Ukraine stagnating. It went on to deliver one of the most public challenges to his leadership, ever. Now as 2023 comes to a close, the man who lead the rebellion against Putin Yevgeny Prighozin is dead. US aid to Ukraine is on the Congressional chopping block, and Putin is getting ready to embark on a fifth campaign for the presidency of Russia. Odds are, he'll win. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to Russia correspondent Charles...
Dec 18, 2023•14 min
On January 15, Iowa will take center stage as the first leg of the Republican primary race to the presidential nomination. Usually, the caucuses signal the kickoff to primary season. But this year, there isn't a lot that is usual about the Republican race so far. Former President Donald Trump is vying for his party's nomination - against an increasingly smaller pool of challengers. And despite the fact that Trump is currently facing 91 felony charges from state and federal jurisdictions, and has...
Dec 17, 2023•12 min
Today we're sharing an episode of NPR's podcast Trump's Trials , hosted Scott Detrow with regular analysis from Domenico Montanaro . They are joined by former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman . This week's focus: the January 6th federal election interference case. Prosecutor, Special Counsel Jack Smith, made an unusual move, and sidestepped the appeals court and went straight to the Supreme Court to answer a fundamental question at the heart of the case:. Can presidents be criminal...
Dec 16, 2023•18 min
The auto industry, along with the Biden administration, has bet billions on the electric vehicle industry, but as 2023 comes to a close the auto industry is scaling back on its investment in EVs, prices are higher than many consumers can afford and charging stations can be hard to find. NPR's Scott Detrow digs into the state of EVs in the United States with Biden administration Infrastructure Czar Mitch Landrieu and Keith Barry senior writer with Consumer Reports. Email us at considerthis@npr.or...
Dec 15, 2023•14 min
Protests by students supportive of Israeli and Jewish communities, and protests by students supportive of Palestinian communities, have reignited the debate over free speech on college campuses. That debate only intensified when the Presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and MIT testified before a Congressional committee last week about antisemitism. NPR's Scott Detrow talks with NPR education correspondent Elissa Nadworny and first amendment lawyer Greg Lukianoff about the climat...
Dec 14, 2023•15 min
Hanukkah's origin story has been a moving target since the beginning says Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie , but throughout its evolution, it's been associated with bringing and sustaining light. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Lau-Lavie about the how the lights of Hanukkah can be a tool for those trying to find peace amidst the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Email us at considerthis@npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage you...
Dec 13, 2023•10 min
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spent Tuesday in Washington pressing American lawmakers to approve a new funding package for his country's war with Russia. Zelenskyy's lobbying effort comes as the current U.S. aid package is rapidly dwindling, and the fight between Ukraine and Russia has all but stalled. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to NPR Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman about the state of the war, what new funding would be used for, and what the country can – and can't – do without m...
Dec 12, 2023•9 min
Anyone who spends time on social media has seen it — the post from someone about a current event, or issue that's dividing people — abortions, mask wearing, the election. But do those posts change minds? Researchers have been gathering data on this question for years. They've found that social media affects opinions on these issues, but probably not the way you think. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with researchers, who've studied the relationship between social media posts and opinions, and outlines ...
Dec 11, 2023•11 min
If Donald Trump is elected next November, he's promising to use the power of the presidency to go after political enemies and perceived rivals. In a recent interview with Fox's Sean Hannity, the former President said he'd only be a dictator on "day one." At other moments, he's pledged to "root out the communists," and said he'd have his Attorney General go after people who run against him. Consider This host Scott Detrow and NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson breakdown what a second Trump ...
Dec 10, 2023•11 min
Today we're sharing an episode of NPR's podcast Trump's Trials , hosted by Scott Detrow with regular analysis from Domenico Montanaro . This week they're joined by NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson . Each week they'll break down the latest courtroom drama, testimony, and legal maneuverings in the criminal and civil cases facing former President Trump — and talk about what it all means for American democracy. This week we focus on the January 6th federal election interference case led by s...
Dec 09, 2023•19 min
Brenda Lee was just 13 years old when she recorded "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" in 1958. It's a true Christmas classic, a bouncy earworm — and pretty much everyone knows the lyrics. But it's never made it to number one on Billboard's Hot 100 — until now. NPR's Scott Detrow spoke with the 78-year-old about her long career and how she feels now that her iconic holiday tune is finally at the top of the charts. Email us at considerthis@npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our col...
Dec 08, 2023•9 min
A woman has never been president. Hillary Clinton has come the closest, but that highest, hardest glass ceiling is still intact. Now Republican Nikki Haley wants to succeed where her predecessors have not. The list of reasons a woman hasn't won is long — sexism, lack of representation in circles of power, and lack of representation in circles of money. But Nikki Haley has just scored an endorsement from the Koch Network that could change that. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to Political Scientist...
Dec 07, 2023•12 min
Diplomat and former US Ambassador Manuel Rocha is facing charges related to secretly serving as an agent of Cuba's government. Rocha is the latest in a long line of spies, who have worked for the federal government while spying for other countries. Some for decades at a time. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to former CIA officer Robert Baer about the charges against Rocha and how he might have managed to go undetected for four decades. Email us at considerthis@npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for infor...
Dec 06, 2023•10 min
Keffiyehs, checkered scarves most closely associated with Palestinians, have been in the news lately. In Vermont, three men of Palestinian descent, two of whom were wearing keffiyehs, were shot. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Wafa Ghnaim, a fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and curator for the Museum of the Palestinian People, about the history of the garment, what it means to Palestinian identity and what it means to her. Email us at considerthis@npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for informatio...
Dec 06, 2023•10 min
Israel has stepped up military operations in Gaza after the temporary ceasefire ended last week. Gaza health officials say several hundred Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more have been wounded since the fighting resumed, complicating how the U.S. maintains its alignment with Israel. NPR's Fatma Tanis speaks with analysts who say that U.S. support for Israel is undermining American interests and NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for the N...
Dec 04, 2023•13 min
Ranked choice voting has become the latest political change touted as a way to strengthen democracy. Instead of choosing one candidate, in ranked choice voting a voter picks a favorite candidate, a second favorite and so on. According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll conducted after the midterm elections, more than 8 in 10 Americans feel there is a serious threat to Democracy in the U.S. NPR's Miles Parks reports on whether ranked choice will live up to the hype as a cure-all for the country's...
Dec 03, 2023•13 min
Every year world leaders gather at the Conference of the Parties, or COP, to devise solutions to what amounts to a growing existential crisis for humankind: our rapidly heating planet. The United Arab Emirates is hosting COP28 this year. The goal of the conference is to decrease emissions and protect the planet. But leading the climate talks is the head of one of the biggest oil companies in the world, in a nation that derives much of its wealth from oil. Are the goals of this meeting truly in s...
Dec 01, 2023•10 min
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was viewed as brilliant by some and a war criminal by others. The only man to ever hold the jobs of National Security Advisor and Secretary of State at the same time died at his Connecticut home at the age of 100. NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to author and historian Jeremi Suri about Kissinger's complicated legacy. Listen to Throughline's deeper dive on Kissinger here. Email us at considerthis@npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...
Nov 30, 2023•14 min
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter leaves behind a rich and expansive legacy, including fierce and enduring advocacy for better mental health care in the US. But her commitment to the issue extended well beyond her role as First Lady. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to Anne Mahoney Robbins, a friend of the Carters and member of President Jimmy Carter's mental health commission, about how Rosalynn Carter supported her during her own crippling depression. Email us at considerthis@npr.org See pcm.adsw...
Nov 29, 2023•10 min
In different places throughout the country, police are pushing back against the policies of progressive prosecutors. NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer tells the story of one such struggle in St. Louis where a detective wouldn't testify in a case. That refusal may have helped a man charged with murder walk free. Email us at considerthis@npr.org 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 Polic...
Nov 28, 2023•13 min
Dozens of hostages have been released by Hamas over the last four days. Now after 50 days in captivity, and joyous reunions, the long journey of healing and rebuilding begins. NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to Hostage US executive director Liz Cathcart about that process. Email us at considerthis@npr.org 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...
Nov 27, 2023•9 min
Next year Gen Z and Millennials will make up nearly half of the electorate. What exactly that will mean in the 2024 election is an open question. Host Scott Detrow talks with NPR political reporter Elena Moore about the different ways new voters approach politics than older voters. Email us at considerthis@npr.org 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...
Nov 26, 2023•12 min
Consumer spending is a huge part of the economy and sends a strong signal about how Americans feel about the financial health of the country. Host Scott Detrow speaks with NPR business correspondent Alina Selyukh about what Black Friday shopping says about where the economy has been and where it might be headed. Email us at considerthis@npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. N...
Nov 24, 2023•8 min
For this holiday episode, we're bringing you a story from the Radio Diaries podcast, The Unmarked Graveyard: Stories from Hart Island . Hart Island is a narrow strip of land in New York, off the coast of the Bronx. More than a million people are buried there in mass graves, with no headstones or plaques. Annette Vega never met her biological father. She had been searching for him for decades. That search finally led to Hart Island. Along the way, she found the family that she never knew. See pcm...
Nov 23, 2023•15 min
