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Trump is once again threatening NATO allies. What would a reduction of U.S. troops in Germany mean for security and the U.S. military? Today, about 36,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany, and they’re a key part of the U.S. military ecosystem and the NATO alliance. Now, President Trump plans to reduce that number. Trump has grown increasingly and publicly frustrated with NATO allies. This time he’s taking it out on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the U.S. has been humiliated by Ir...
The war with Iran is in a deadlock. Despite a back and forth of peace plans, there is no permanent ceasefire. President Trump has oscillated between a willingness to engage in diplomacy and threats to resume the American bombing campaign if he doesn’t get a deal. All this has complicated negotiations, which the U.S. and Iran are holding through intermediaries. So, how do leaders try to negotiate with countries they’re in conflict with? For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C on...
Covering a war isn’t easy and it takes a whole team working both on the air and behind the scenes to bring you accurate, independent reporting from the frontlines. For this week’s Reporter’s Notebook we speak with two journalists about the challenges of covering the war in the Middle East. Durrie Bouscaren has been reporting from the Turkish-Iranian border and NPR reporter Kat Lonsdorf has been covering the war in southern Lebanon. Email us at considerthis@npr.org . This episode was produced by ...
The Trump administration has paused immigration applications for people from 39 countries, and for those already living in the U.S. the impact has been catastrophic. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people living in the country were thrown into limbo after the Trump administration paused their immigration applications in recent months. They were students, engineers, teachers and others living and working legally in the U.S. The pause affects those who were born in one of 39 countries the U....
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. thinks he has the answer to addiction treatment. The experts say otherwise. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. thinks he’s cracked the code for addiction treatment. Kennedy, who used heroin for more than a decade, believes wellness, work and abstinence like the methods practiced in a rural Italian facility are the keys to sobriety. But Kennedy is facing new criticism over his proposal to open government-run farm and work camps. NPR addiction correspon...
A New Hampshire Republican. A German Holocaust denier. A suspicious bottle of baby oil. An NPR investigation reveals how the alarming rise of antisemitic conspiracy theories reached a state capitol. 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 reported and produced by Tom Dreisbach, with help from Karen Zamora. It was edited by Barrie Hardymon with help from Monika Evstatieva, B...
The Illinois state government has been investigating the United States government. Specifically, a panel called the Illinois Accountability Commission has been conducting interviews and reviewing footage from last year's federal immigration enforcement crackdown in Chicago, known as Operation Midway Blitz. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker established the commission late last year to create a public record of the weeks-long immigration crackdown throughout the Chicago area. For sponsor-free episodes...
Within minutes of the news of a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, people claimed on social media that the incident was “STAGED." To be clear — these were conspiracy theories, not supported by what we know about the suspect. The most common of these theories claim the shooting was orchestrated in an effort to boost President Trump’s plans for a new White House ballroom. It isn’t surprising that rampant speculation would instantly surround an act of apparent politically-motivated...
Hours after a gunman attempted to breach the White House Correspondents' Dinner, details are slowly emerging about who he is, and how he was able to get into the Washington Hilton where the dinner was held. Two sources familiar with the matter say Cole Allen has been identified as the alleged gunman, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC's Mee...
Tucker Carlson was one of President Trump’s biggest defenders. Now, he's one of his loudest critics. Tucker Carlson now says he is “tormented” by his previous support for President Trump. The conservative media personality has criticized the president over the U.S. war with Iran, among other issues. New Yorker writer Jason Zengerle has followed Tucker Carlson for years. He’s the author of a book about Carlson, “Hated by All the Right People." Zengerle says that while from time to time Carlson’s ...
More than a million Lebanese residents have found themselves without a place to call home since the war reignited in early March. Now with a shaky temporary ceasefire in place – people are trying to return home - if there is a home to return to. NPR went to southern Lebanon to assess what life is like in the Israeli-occupied region. 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 p...
Virginia voters delivered a major win to Democrats on Tuesday. A narrow majority voted to allow lawmakers to bypass the state's bipartisan redistricting commission. That means the Democratic-led legislature will create a map that’s more favorable to them in the midterms. It's the latest chapter in a redistricting saga that President Trump started last year, but is the tit-for-tat redistricting battle the future of US electoral politics? We speak with Democratic Virginia governor Abigail Spanberg...
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...
