The summer of 2023 saw skylines choked by Canadian wildfire smoke, coral cooked in hot tub-warm ocean water and a month straight of 110-degree Fahrenheit high temperatures in Phoenix. Scientists say 2024 will likely bring another hotter-than-normal summer and, with it, the potential for more climate-driven disasters. NPR's Rebecca Hersher says forecasters predict an extremely active Atlantic Hurricane season. And NPR's Kirk Siegler reports on a shortage of federal wildland firefighters ahead of ...
May 27, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast It seems like every year we hear the same thing: that this will be the busiest summer travel season ever. But this one really stands out. AAA projects that this Memorial Day weekend will see the highest number of travelers in nearly two decades. What will that mean? Congested roads, crowded airports and a lot of headaches. Hannah Sampson , who covers travel news for The Washington Post , shares some tips to survive summer vacation season. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C...
May 26, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast We bring you a special episode of Trump's Trials. Host Scott Detrow speaks with former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman. Although Litman is convinced the jury will convict Trump in the New York hush money trial he also gives a rundown of other possible outcomes in the case. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 24, 2024•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Abortion Rights has been a motivating political issue for generations, and this year might be the most intense for those on both sides of the issue. NPR's Sarah McCammon reports on the anti-abortion rights activists who want to ramp up restrictions, criminalize patients who pursue abortions, and ban procedures like IVF. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . Learn more about sponsor message...
May 23, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Everyone says you live through history, but "I don't think anyone prepared us for this much history," say the students in the Class of 2024. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 22, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, state laws on abortion have been changing constantly. It will all be part of the picture as voters go to the polls in November. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 21, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has died in a helicopter crash, according to state media. Here's how his death might contribute to instability in Iran and the region. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 20, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast A little less than six months out from the general election, it seems like a new poll comes out every few minutes. In the constantly shifting data, every presidential candidate wants to know how to attract voters under 30. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
May 19, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hollywood depictions have long helped inform America's understanding of the Vietnam War. But there was usually one thing missing from these Vietnam War stories: the Vietnamese perspective. For Vietnamese Americans, like author Viet Thanh Nguyen, that experience left him feeling confused as a child. In his Pulitzer-winning debut novel The Sympathizer, Nguyen filled that gap by telling the story of a Vietnamese double agent who struggled with his involvement in all parts of the conflict. And with ...
May 17, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast For American Jews who grew up thinking antisemitism was a thing of the past, the last several years have been startling. White supremacists marched in Charlottesville. A gunman massacred worshippers at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Then came the Hamas attacks of October 7th and Israel's war in Gaza. The Anti-Defamation League says since then, antisemitic incidents in the US are up 361% over the same period a year ago. Both Congress and the White House have tried to address antisemitism in recent we...
May 16, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast A conservative group posted a social media thread showing flyers in a border encampment in Mexico urging migrants to vote for Joe Biden. Now, the woman caught up in it, speaks to NPR. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 15, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Girl Scouts have been part of American childhood for generations. And now that quintessential experience is helping young girls, who are new to the United States get a sense of belonging. It comes through a Girl Scout troop based in one of New York City's largest migrant shelters. The shelter has around 3,500 migrants, and all of the Girl Scouts are children of families seeking asylum. For the last few weeks, NPR's Jasmine Garsd has been spending time with them, and brings us their their sto...
May 14, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast America is a land of contradictions; while we're known as a nation that loves to eat, we also live within a culture that has long valued thinness as the utmost beauty standard. Over the last several years the body positivity movement has pushed back on that notion. But then came a new class of weight-loss drugs. New York Magazine contributing writer Samhita Mukhopadhyay grapples with the possible future of a movement like this in her recent article, So Was Body Positivity All A Big Lie? She join...
May 13, 2024•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have turned their attention on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently. And the fact that the major party candidates are either trying to criticize him or praise him is a sign that his independent candidacy could have a real impact. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR P...
May 12, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast When Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace hit screens across the country in 1999, Return of the Jedi felt like ancient history to Star Wars fans. But after 16 long years, the movie let down fans and critics alike. Twenty-five years have changed how a lot of people feel. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Priv...
May 10, 2024•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Louis Sahagún first arrived at the Los Angeles Times in his early twenties as a utility worker, sweeping lead dust around the printing machines. But it was the buzzing newsroom that inspired Sahagún to soon spend his lifetime writing stories about the undiscovered characters and corners of California. Now after 43 years, he's retiring from the paper, and reflecting on what motivated him to cover a side of the Golden state that remained unknown to many. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This,...
May 09, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Biden administration has put a hold on an arms shipment to Israel. A senior administration official speaking on the condition of anonymity told NPR it was due to concerns the bombs could be used in Rafah. Rafah is the site of Israel's latest campaign in its war against Hamas. It's also home to some 1.3 million Palestinians. More than half of those people have fled fighting in other parts of Gaza. On Monday night, Israeli tanks rolled into Rafah taking control of the Palestinian side of the b...
May 08, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Brittney Griner didn't know the flight she was taking to Moscow in February 2022 would upend her life. But even before she left for the airport, Griner felt something was off. It was a premonition that foreshadowed a waking nightmare. She had accidentally left two vape cartridges with traces of cannabis oil in her luggage. What followed was nearly 10 months of struggle in a cell, and diplomatic efforts from the U.S. to get her home. Griner reflects on the experience in her new memoir, 'Coming Ho...
May 07, 2024•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast The term "outside agitator" has staying power. It's been used against protestors throughout history, from the Civil Rights Movement, to the anti-Vietnam War protests and now during the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses. "Outside agitator" was also used to describe some of the people who protested the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri In 2014. Who exactly are the "outside agitators" and what purpose does it serve to call them out? For sponsor-free episodes of Conside...
May 06, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast On Friday, China launched its Chang'e-6 mission carrying a probe to the far side of the moon to gather samples and bring them back to Earth. If successful, it would be a first, for any country. The race to get astronauts back on the moon is in full swing. The U.S. has serious competition. China wants to put astronauts on the moon by 2030. Other countries are in the race, too. If the U.S. stays on schedule it will get humans back on the moon before anyone else, as part of NASA's Artemis program. ...
May 05, 2024•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to Wild Card with Rachel Martin . In this first episode, Rachel talks to Jenny Slate, known for her roles in Obvious Child , Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Parks and Recreation . Jenny opens up about whether fate brought her to her husband, what she's sacrificed for motherhood and what's so special about margarine and white bread sandwiches. Subscribe to Wild Card here. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 04, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Larry Demeritte is the first Black trainer participating in the Kentucky Derby in 35 years. And while the betting-books have his colt West Saratoga running at long odds, Demeritte, who is battling chronic illness and cancer, is feeling confident. For the 70-something veteran trainer, this is his first time at the Derby, but he is part of a rich history of Black horsemen who helped shape the Kentucky Derby into the iconic race it is today. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C...
May 03, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you go by headlines, the last 12 months have delivered major wins to organized labor. But despite well publicized victories the rate of U.S. union membership fell to a record low in 2023. Just 10%. And in southern states, the push to unionize can still be a grinding, uphill battle. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
May 02, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast From New York — to Illinois — to Los Angeles — encampments in support of Palestinians dot campuses across the country. And over the last couple of days the tension has only increased as police have intervened on several campuses, including Columbia University, UCLA and the University of Texas. Hundreds of protestors have been arrested. Pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses are growing in scope and intensity, and colleges are calling on law enforcement to help. Is it the right decision, an...
May 01, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dame Judi Dench has played everyone from the writer Iris Murdoch to M in the James Bond films. But among the roles the actress is most closely associated, are Shakespeare's heroines and some of his villians. Amongst those roles are the star-crossed lover Juliet, the comical Titania and the tragic Lady Macbeth. Now she's reflecting on that work, and Shakespeare's work in Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent . The book is comprised of Dench's conversations with her friend, the actor and director...
Apr 30, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Protests against Israel's war in Gaza on college campuses have expanded across the country. They're the biggest student protests, since college students demonstrated against the Vietnam war in the late sixties and early seventies. What do the campus protests of today have in common with those of the sixties? How might they affect the policies of their universities and the US government? Thirty years ago, South Africa became an emblem of a multiracial democracy. Decades on, how is that legacy hol...
Apr 29, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Three decades ago, South Africa held its first democratic election, closing the door on the apartheid era. And Nelson Mandela was elected its first Black president. Today, the country is still led by Mandela's political party - the African National Congress. But polls show that voters are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the party's leadership, and next month's national elections could lead to the ANC having to share power with opposition parties. Thirty years ago, South Africa became an e...
Apr 28, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast During the early days of the pandemic, former NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins became a familiar voice steering the country through an unprecedented public health crisis. Now, he is going through his own health crisis, an aggressive form of prostate cancer. By talking about it publicly he hopes to draw attention to routine screening. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . Learn more about s...
Apr 26, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a strict immigration law making it harder to hire undocumented workers. But like much of the country, Florida is dealing with a tight labor market and some employers are struggling to find workers. NPR's Jasmine Garsd reports on how the law is affecting the state's economy, from construction sites, to strawberry fields. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at conside...
Apr 25, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast One of Richard Nixon's most famous quotes...right up there with "I am not a crook"... had to do with presidential immunity. "When the president does it" he said "that means that it is not illegal." That idea – that you can't prosecute someone for actions taken as president - the Supreme Court has never actually ruled on it. On Thursday, the Justices will take a crack, with the federal election interference case against former president Donald Trump hanging in the balance. We preview how things m...
Apr 24, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
