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The U.S. estimates that Iran possesses nearly 1,000 pounds of highly-enriched uranium. It’s not quite enriched to weapons-grade, but it’s not far off. As part of its attempt to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, the U.S. is attempting to negotiate with Iran to give up this cache. How would that even work? We hear from Scott Roecker, vice president of the Nuclear Materials Security Program at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsid...
PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, has saved 26 million lives since President George W. Bush launched the program in 2003. But the Trump administration has made major changes to the way the U.S. distributes foreign aid, disrupting HIV care — and leaving many health workers uncertain about the future of PEPFAR. What do those changes to foreign assistance mean for the fight against HIV and AIDS around the world? Host Juana Summers speaks with Dr. Deborah Birx, who once was the...
The FIFA 2026 World Cup kicks off in June and 11 American host cities are getting ready for an influx of fans. Juliette Kayyem, a national security expert and former DHS official, examines how the partial government shutdown has impacted preparedness for the mega event. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Jeffrey Pierre. It was edited by Sar...
President Trump has called the affordability crisis a hoax, but the data shows the burden of rising costs really matters to Americans. NPR's Jennifer Ludden talks about covering affordability issues and meeting people who struggle to find secure housing - or enough food to eat. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Henry Larson. It was edited by Sarah Robbins....
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the global economy’s major arteries. It had been closed to most commercial traffic for about 6 weeks up to today. The reopening is good news for hundreds of ships that have been stuck. But questions remain about the safety of the passage. Questions, like how many underwater mines are still out there? Or what happens if the ceasefire falls apart? And those questions are crucial for the people who insure these vessels. Hundreds of ships have been stuck in the Strait ...
Almost a decade after the height of the #MeToo movement, intimacy coordinators are a fixture on film sets. As of this year, the job is now covered by SAG-AFTRA, the labor union that represents actors. Their growing presence on set has led to more demand for intimacy coordinator training programs. NPR visited one of those programs in downtown Los Angeles, and met an assistant director and a porn actor both training for the job. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider Thi...
Unease is growing in the ranks of the US military. Since President Trump began his second term, his controversial use of the armed forces both at home and abroad has left some service members unsettled and demoralized. The Iran war made those feelings worse. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Andrew Sussm...
Two entertainment and media powerhouses are likely to become one. So why aren’t the artists happy about it? Backlash against a possible merger between the media companies Paramount Skydance and Warner Brothers Discovery increased this week when more than 2,000 actors, writers and directors signed a letter opposing the deal. The letter warns that the merger will result in “fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in ...
Rep. Eric Swalwell, of California, is the latest member of Congress accused of sexual misconduct. How common is a story like this? Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with PBS NewsHour Congressional Correspondent Lisa Desjardins, who reported on the patterns of abuse in Congress eight years ago. In her reporting, Desjardins spoke to former staffers who were working to change the rules around reporting and consequences. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple P...
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of both President Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin, conceded defeat in an historic election in Hungary. The results of the vote will have far reaching consequences, potentially reshaping the central European country's relationship with the EU and laying bare the weaknesses of Orban's style of far-right, nationalist populism. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at consid...
It took more than 50 years for humans to return to the moon. Will it take another 50 years before NASA can get back? Fifty-four years. That is how long it has been since human last traveled beyond Earth’s orbit — since the crew of Apollo 17 left the moon behind in December 1972. This week, NASA’s Artemis II mission changed that. Why did it take so long? And given everything we know about the agency’s plans, budget battles and the growing shadow of China’s lunar ambitions — is the road ahead actu...
As a fragile ceasefire holds in the Middle East, all eyes are turning to Islamabad for high-stakes talks to end the war in Iran. Pakistan has emerged as a key player in bringing Iran and the US to the negotiating table. But will that be enough to bring peace? For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Jeffrey Pierre and Tyler Bartlam. It was edited by Tinbete Ermya...
The landscape of Montgomery, Alabama is a monument to Civil Rights, but is America losing touch with the lessons of that movement? Montgomery, Alabama was the setting for much of the battle for Civil Rights. As the country celebrates its 250 anniversary, NPR’s Debbie Elliot went to Montgomery to see what it can teach us. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by T...
As President Trump's ultimatum for Iran approaches, the episode details his escalating threats of "civilization" destruction if a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz isn't met. It covers recent US and Israeli military strikes, Pakistan's mediation efforts, and the lack of progress in indirect talks. The political ramifications in the US and Iran's continued defiance are also explored.
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have stood shoulder to shoulder in their war on Iran — both men have said they want to end Iran’s nuclear ambitions, destroy its ballistic missiles and end Tehran’s support for proxy militias across the region. But are they still on the same page on how to end it? Please help us out by completing a short survey telling us what you like and how we could improve our podcast. You can find it right now at https://npr.org/springsurvey This...
After a dramatic rescue of a U.S. airman in Iran, President Trump posted a profanity-laden threat to Iran that if it didn't open the Strait of Hormuz it would be "living in Hell." Representative Madeline Dean, Democrat from Pennsylvania told NPR that Trump's handling of the war in Iran - and the recent budget he proposed to fund it - are troubling and un-American. Please help us out by completing a short survey telling us what you like and how we could improve our podcast. You can find it right ...
As the U.S. pulls out of providing billions of dollars of aid for programs globally, NPR's reporters find out what that looks like on the ground - and how China is moving in to take America's place. Please help us out by completing a short survey telling us what you like and how we could improve our podcast. You can find it right now at https://npr.org/springsurvey This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad. It was edited by Adam Raney and Gisele Grayson. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun....
Some of the most memorable speeches in American history have been delivered in wartime, with presidents seeking to unify the country, explain their strategy and, often, make a moral case for war. But President Trump has always spoken differently than his predecessors, so what does that mean when there’s a war on? Help us improve Consider This by taking a short, anonymous survey at npr.org/springsurvey . This episode was produced by Connor Donevan. It was edited by Mallory Yu. Our executive produ...
Attacking civilian infrastructure is a war crime under international law. So when President Trump threatened to attack power plants and potentially all desalination plants in Iran earlier this week, it raised concerns among some legal experts. Kuwaiti officials also accused Iran of destroying one of its desalination plants earlier this week. If a war crime were to be committed during the conflict with Iran, what would accountability look like? Would there be any at all? For sponsor-free episodes...
The quest to reach the Moon has always been a key part of the American myth. So has the country's embrace of immigrants, and its vision of itself as a defender of democracy around the world. On a day all three are in play, we'll meet the crew headed out toward the moon. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . NPR’s Scott Neuman contributed to this episode. This episode was produced by Micha...
A series of Trump administration policy decisions – deportations, tariffs, and the Iran war – are ratcheting up the pressure on American farmers. It’s a group that tends to support the president, but persistent challenges may test their patience. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Christine Arrasmith, Alejandra Marquez Janse and Karen Zamora, with audio eng...
Israel’s invasion in Lebanon is rapidly widening and could outlast the war in Iran. People in southern Lebanon are living through a war within a war. The war is of course the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran. The war within Lebanon started with a series of strikes from the militant group Hezbollah. They launched rockets and drones from Lebanon into Israel. Israel responded with strikes in Lebanon. And with that, a conflict that has flared on and off for decades reignited. For sponsor-free epis...
At the heart of the war against Iran is a question about the fate of the Iranian government. Adrian Ma speaks with Ramtin Arablouei, host of the NPR podcast Throughline, about what Iranians in the United States want from regime change in Iran - and the history of why. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Michael Levitt. It was edited by Tinbe...
Americans are keeping their driver’s licenses longer than ever and driving well into their old age. But how long is too long? And who decides when to take away the keys? NPR’s transportation correspondent, Joel Rose, has been looking into those questions and found that there is no single national standard when it comes to older adults and driving. And the laws vary greatly from state to state. Often, the decision on whether it is time to take away the keys is left to family members. And that can...
Anytime tensions are high in the Middle East, oil prices can be expected to spike. So a war in the region is pretty much guaranteed to mean higher prices at the pump. And that is particularly painful for anyone whose living depends on what it costs to fill up. Host Scott Detrow speaks with NPR’s economics correspondent Scott Horsley about how the U.S. economy is faring, almost a month since the U.S. and Israel launched the first strikes against Iran. Plus, we hear from American business owners w...
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has a new book. Unlike much of his public speaking of late – like his record-breaking 25-hour Senate floor speech – it isn’t directly about the politics of the current moment. It’s an argument for civic ideals – for ten virtues he sees as critical to American life, like agency and patriotism, but also vulnerability and humility. What does that mean for his political future? Sen. Booker addresses that question among others in our interview. For sponsor-free episodes of C...
Airline travelers across the U.S. have been experiencing long wait times because of the partial government shutdown. TSA workers are calling off sick or quitting altogether because they haven’t been paid. Now, ICE agents have been deployed to some airports to mitigate wait times. What role could the agency play as officials in Washington continue to spar over government funding? And what could the next few weeks look like for travelers? A former TSA security chief weighs in. For sponsor-free epi...
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has voted to approve the design for a new commemorative gold coin. On one side, an eagle in flight – on the other, a portrait of President Trump, staring directly at the viewer. Federal law prohibits living people from being featured on U.S. coins – though the Trump administration believes the Treasury Department has authority here. Moreover, it breaks a norm that dates to the beginning of the country. Caroline Turco, a curator at the Money Museum of the American...
The Israeli government has said it has the ability to find and assassinate top leaders in the Iranian government. But that strategy may end up hurting any effort to actually end the war, says Yossi Melman, co-author of the book “Spies Against Armageddon.” For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Daniel Ofman. It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas and S...
Emily Kwong talks with Camila Domonoske, who covers cars and energy for NPR, about how countries and companies that have bet big on electric vehicles are facing new, quickly moving variables in the market and the world. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad and Gabriel Sanchez. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenig...
