Consider This from NPR

About this podcast

Every weekday afternoon, the hosts of NPR's <em>All Things Considered</em> help you make sense of a major news story and what it means for you in 15 minutes. In participating regions, you'll also hear from local journalists about what's happening in your community.

Consider This from NPR

Episodes

2021
Stacey Abrams On The Continuing Fight For Voter Access
The Supreme Court heard arguments this week about voting laws in Arizona that would make ballot access harder for people living in rural areas like the Navajo Nation. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports that the conservative court isn't likely to strike down the laws which could pave the way for more legislation that cuts into future election turnout. The push for legislation that would restrict voter access comes primarily from Republican lawmakers in state houses across the country. This is despite the fact that many GOP candidates benefited from record turnout last November. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with voting activist Stacey Abrams about her role in turning Georgia blue during the last election and the challenges that new legislation may pose for the future. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
March 3, 2021
16 min
The Growing Threat Of Disinformation And How To 'Deprogram' People Who Believe It
Disinformation isn't new. But in the last decade, the growth of social media has made it easier than ever to spread. That coincided with the political rise of Donald Trump, who rose to power on a wave of disinformation and exited the White House in similar fashion. NPR's Tovia Smith reports on the growing threat of disinformation — and how expert deprogrammers work with people who believe it. Other reporting on disinformation in this episode comes from NPR correspondents Joel Rose and Sarah McCammon. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
March 2, 2021
13 min
Post-Trump, New U.S. Intel Chief Seeks To Rebuild Trust — And Fight Domestic Terror
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines has taken over after a turbulent time. Former President Donald Trump was frequently at odds with the American intelligence community, including some of his hand-picked intel chiefs. In her first interview after a month on the job, Haines tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly "it has been a challenging time" for the U.S. intel community. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
March 1, 2021
15 min
BONUS: The Man Behind the March on Washington
Bayard Rustin, the man behind the March on Washington, was one of the most consequential architects of the civil rights movement you may never have heard of. Rustin imagined how nonviolent civil resistance could be used to dismantle segregation in the United States. He organized around the idea for years and eventually introduced it to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But his identity as a gay man made him a target, obscured his rightful status and made him feel forced to choose, again and again, which aspect of his identity was most important. Listen to more episodes of NPR's Throughline on Apple Podcasts, NPR One or Spotify.
February 28, 2021
72 min
America's Next Generation Of Legal Marijuana: New State Laws Focus On Racial Equity
It's been almost a decade since Washington and Colorado became the first states in America to legalize recreational marijuana. Now a new generation of states are wrestling with how to do it with a focus on racial equity that was missing from early legalization efforts. WBEZ reporter Mariah Woelfel reports from Chicago on why legalization plans in Illinois are still leaving Black businesses behind. VPM reporters Ben Paviour and Whittney Evans explain how lawmakers in Virginia are designing new marijuana legislation with equity in mind. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 26, 2021
14 min
The Challenge To Stop The Next Outbreak Of Homegrown, Extremist Violence In The U.S.
Just because the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is done, it doesn't mean the story of what happened on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol is over. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to set up a commission, similar to the one created after the Sept. 11 attacks, to investigate what happened that day and what measures might prevent a future attack. That's not so easy in this moment, when Congress is often gridlocked over the most basic things. And when lawmakers themselves are also witnesses to the attack — and make partisan arguments about what motivated the Trump extremists who were involved. NPR national security correspondent Hannah Allam was at the Capitol the day it was attacked. She shares how her beat and coverage of domestic extremism has changed over the years, from when she was a teenager living in Oklahoma City during the 1995 bombing to present day. You can follow more of her work here. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 25, 2021
14 min
America's Energy Future: How Gas Companies Are Fighting To Block Climate Rules
Natural gas utilities face a bleak future in a world increasingly concerned about climate change. An NPR investigation shows how they work to block local climate action and protect their business. More from NPR's Jeff Brady and Dan Charles: As Cities Grapple With Climate Change, Gas Utilities Fight To Stay In Business. Additional reporting in this episode from NPR's Nathan Rott. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 24, 2021
13 min
Optimism About Case Rates, Vaccines, And Future Of The Pandemic
After more than 500,000 deaths and nearly a full year, experts say there are a growing number of reasons to be optimistic about the direction of the pandemic. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths have all fallen dramatically in recent weeks. Among those falling numbers, a vaccine from Johnson & Johnson that may be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration this week. Dr. Ashish Jha of Brown University explains why the shot is just as desirable as already-authorized vaccines from Pzifer and Moderna. Here's NPR's tool for how to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccination in your state. The Biden administration has promised to ramp up vaccination efforts even more as soon as Congress authorizes more money to do so. NPR congressional correspondent Kelsey Snell has an update on the $1.9 trillion rescue package speeding through the House. Additional reporting on the drop in COVID-19 case rates in this episode came from NPR's Allison Aubrey and Will Stone. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 23, 2021
13 min
Update On A Movement: How 'Defunding Police' Is Playing Out In Austin, Texas
Last summer, the city of Austin, Texas, slashed the budget for its police department. More recently, the city council voted on a new way to spend some of that money. KUT reporter Audrey McGlinchy explains what other changes have taken place in Austin. A powerful new player is joining calls for reparations for Black Americans: the American Civil Liberties Union. Civil rights attorney Deborah Archer — the ACLU's newly elected board president and the first Black person to assume that role — explains the organization's new stance. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 22, 2021
14 min
BONUS: Why 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths May Not Feel Any Different
Why is it so hard to feel the difference between 400,000 and 500,000 COVID-19 deaths — and how might that impact our decision making during the pandemic? In this bonus episode from NPR's daily science podcast Short Wave, psychologist Paul Slovic explains the concept of psychic numbing and how humans can often use emotion, rather than statistics to make decisions about risk. To hear more about new discoveries, everyday mysteries, and the science behind the headlines, listen to Short Wave via Apple or Spotify.
February 21, 2021
12 min
Memorializing The Deaths Of More Than 500,000 Americans Lost To COVID-19
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 is on track to pass a number next week that once seemed unthinkable: Half a million people in this country dead from the coronavirus. And while the pandemic isn't over yet, and the death toll keeps climbing, artists in every medium have already been thinking about how our country will pay tribute to those we lost. Poets, muralists, and architects all have visions of what a COVID-19 memorial could be. Many of these ideas are about more than just honoring those we've lost to the pandemic. Artists are also thinking about the conditions in society that brought us here. Tracy K. Smith, a former U.S. poet laureate, has already written one poem honoring transit workers in New York who died of the disease. Smith says she wants to see a COVID-19 memorial that has a broader mission, that it needs to invite people in to bridge a divide. Paul Farber runs Monument Lab, an organization that works with cities and states that want to build new monuments. He says he wants to see a COVID-19 monument that is collective experience and evolves over time. He also wants it to serve as a bridge to understanding. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 19, 2021
14 min
Texas Is Defined By Energy. How Did The State's Power Grid Fail So Massively?
Millions of people in Texas have gone three or more days without power, water or both. Texas has had winter weather before, so what went so wrong this time? Reporter Mose Buchele of NPR member station KUT in Austin explains why the state's power grid buckled under demand in the storm. And Marshall Shepherd, director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program at the University of Georgia, explains the link between more extreme winter weather and climate change. Additional reporting in this episode from NPR's Camila Domonoske, who reported on the Texas power grid, Ashley Lopez of KUT, Laura Isensee of Houston Public Media, and Dominic Anthony Walsh of Texas Public Radio. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 18, 2021
14 min
Impeachment Fallout At Home And Abroad: GOP Fractured, America 'Tarnished'
After the Senate vote failed to convict former President Donald Trump, a clearer picture of the political consequences is emerging — both for the Republican party and for the United States on the world stage. NPR's Don Gonyea reports on Republican infighting the national, state and local level. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tells NPR that the events of Jan. 6 have came up in conversations he's had with diplomatic counterparts around the world. Read more of Blinken's wide-ranging interview with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly here. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 17, 2021
14 min
The Intensifying Race Between Coronavirus Variants And Vaccines
There's evidence of at least seven U.S. variants of the coronavirus, while another that emerged from the U.K. is poised to become the dominant strain here by the end of March. One adviser from the Food and Drug Administration tells NPR there's a tipping point to watch for: when a fully vaccinated person winds up hospitalized with a coronavirus variant. NPR science correspondent Richard Harris reports on concerns that COVID-19 vaccines themselves could cause the virus to mutate. NPR science reporter Michaeleen Doucleff explains why the story of one COVID-19 patient may hold clues to how variants develop in the first place. For a deeper dive on variants, listen to Michaeleen's recent episode of NPR's Short Wave on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 16, 2021
14 min
Asylum-Seekers Are Being Unlawfully Shut Out During The Pandemic
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, says more than 60 countries around the world are using COVID-19 as an excuse to skirt international law by closing borders and ports to asylum-seekers. That has contributed to an increase in delayed rescues and unlawful expulsions of refugees to dangerous places. NPR's Joanna Kakissis tells the story of one teenage survivor. And NPR's Ruth Sherlock reports on a doomed journey of Lebanese refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean sea — where over 1,000 migrants died in 2020. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 15, 2021
12 min
Q & A: Expert Advice On Love, Dating, And Pandemic Relationships
We asked for your questions on navigating love and dating during the pandemic. Therapist and sexologist Dr. Lexx Brown-James has answers. She's joined by Sam Sanders, host of NPR's news and pop culture show, It's Been A Minute. Listen via Apple or Spotify. And University of Georgia social scientist Dr. Richard Slatcher shares some findings from his global research project, Love In The Time Of COVID. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 12, 2021
15 min
Scenes From A Pandemic Economy: 4 American Indicators
The pandemic economy has left different people in vastly different situations. Today, we introduce four American indicators — people whose paths will help us understand the arc of the recovery. Hear their stories now, and we'll follow up with them in a few months: Brooke Neubauer in Nevada, founder of The Just One Project; Lisa Winton of the Winton Machine Company in Georgia; Lee Camp with Arch City Defenders in Missouri; and New Jersey-based hotel owner Bhavish Patel. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 11, 2021
16 min
Public School Teachers Weigh In On Vaccines, Masks And Returning To The Classroom
The Biden administration has set a goal: a majority of public schools open "at least one day a week" by the 100th day of his presidency. But it's possible the country is already there — and decisions about when to reopen largely fall to cities and school districts, where administrators and teachers sometimes don't see eye-to-eye. This week, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to release new guidelines about how schools can reopen safely, three public school teachers weigh in: Mike Reinholdt of Davenport, Iowa; Maxie Hollingsworth of Houston, Texas; and Pam Gaddy of Baltimore, Md. For more education coverage, follow NPR's Anya Kamentez on Twitter, and check out her recent story "Keep Schools Open All Summer, And Other Bold Ideas To Help Kids Catch Up." In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 10, 2021
14 min
What Donald Trump's Impeachment Means The 2nd Time Around
In the weeks after Jan. 6. insurrection, even top Republicans like Mitch McConnell said Donald Trump provoked the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol, leaving five people dead. But it appears unlikely enough Republican Senators will find that he bears enough responsibility to warrant conviction in his second impeachment trial — which could prevent him from ever holding office again. Charlie Sykes, founder and editor at large of the conservative site The Bulwark, argues that Republicans are failing to hold themselves accountable. NPR's Melissa Block reports on the future of Trump's "big lie" about the results of the 2020 election. For more impeachment coverage, listen to the NPR Politics Podcast via Apple or Spotify. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 9, 2021
14 min
Who's Getting Vaccinated And Who Isn't: NPR Analysis Finds Stark Racial Divide
Using data from several states that have published their own maps and lists of where vaccination sites are located, NPR identified disparities in the locations of COVID-19 vaccination sites in major cities across the Southern U.S. — with most sites placed in whiter neighborhoods. KUT's Ashley Lopez, Shalina Chatlani of NPR's Gulf States Newsroom, and NPR's Sean McMinn explain their findings. Read more here. Also in this episode: how one county in Washington state is trying to make vaccine distribution more equitable. Will Stone reports. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
February 8, 2021
15 min

Consider This from NPR

About this podcast

Categories

About this podcast

Categories

Consider This from NPR

Episodes

Stacey Abrams On The Continuing Fight For Voter Access

The Growing Threat Of Disinformation And How To 'Deprogram' People Who Believe It

Post-Trump, New U.S. Intel Chief Seeks To Rebuild Trust — And Fight Domestic Terror

BONUS: The Man Behind the March on Washington

America's Next Generation Of Legal Marijuana: New State Laws Focus On Racial Equity

The Challenge To Stop The Next Outbreak Of Homegrown, Extremist Violence In The U.S.

America's Energy Future: How Gas Companies Are Fighting To Block Climate Rules

Optimism About Case Rates, Vaccines, And Future Of The Pandemic

Update On A Movement: How 'Defunding Police' Is Playing Out In Austin, Texas

BONUS: Why 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths May Not Feel Any Different

Memorializing The Deaths Of More Than 500,000 Americans Lost To COVID-19

Texas Is Defined By Energy. How Did The State's Power Grid Fail So Massively?

Impeachment Fallout At Home And Abroad: GOP Fractured, America 'Tarnished'

The Intensifying Race Between Coronavirus Variants And Vaccines

Asylum-Seekers Are Being Unlawfully Shut Out During The Pandemic

Q & A: Expert Advice On Love, Dating, And Pandemic Relationships

Scenes From A Pandemic Economy: 4 American Indicators

Public School Teachers Weigh In On Vaccines, Masks And Returning To The Classroom

What Donald Trump's Impeachment Means The 2nd Time Around

Who's Getting Vaccinated And Who Isn't: NPR Analysis Finds Stark Racial Divide