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

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 Kira Sonbonmatsu about the inequities between men and women when it comes to fundraising and what the Koch Network endorsement could mean for Haley. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

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

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

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 New York Times, about how President Biden's history with Israel is shaping current U.S. policy. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

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 deep partisan divides. Email us at considerthis@npr.org

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 sync with the goals of the hosts? NPR's Miles Parks speaks with NPR international correspondent Aya Batrawy from COP28. Email us at considerthis@npr.org

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas announced details of a deal that calls for the freeing of at least 50 Israeli women and minors taken hostage during last month's Hamas attack on Israel in exchange for at least 150 Palestinian women and minors held in Israeli jails. NPR correspondents Brian Mann in Israel, and Lauren Frayer in the occupied West Bank, report on how Israelis and Palestinians are reacting to this moment. Email us at considerthis@npr.org

It's just a few days before Thanksgiving, but there's a good chance your holidays are already underway. Maybe you are hosting, or attending, a Friendsgiving celebration. The increasingly widespread alt-holiday meal and gathering happens in November. It's a time to eat, drink, and bask in the glow of our closest friends. But it turns out there can be just as much stress within our social circles as within our families. So what can you do to handle any potential stress or drama? NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with friendship coach Danielle Bayard Jackson about how to avoid unneeded stress and have an enjoyable holiday gathering with your friends.

It was announced on Sunday that former first lady Rosalynn Carter had died, at age 96. The Carter family had said she was suffering from dementia earlier this year. Although President Jimmy Carter only served for one term, Rosalyn Carter transformed the role of first lady. And her influence continued for decades after she left the White House. NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with journalist Judy Woodruff, who covered the Carter administration, about Rosalynn Carter's life and legacy.

Pope Francis says he will attend the COP28 climate conference in Dubai next month, which would make him the first pontiff to attend the annual UN gathering. The pope has made addressing the climate crisis an important focus since 2015, when he published an encyclical on climate change and the environment. Last month, he doubled down on his stance with a new document – Laudate Deum. It's a scathing rebuke of the inaction by world leaders over the last eight years. As Francis takes on an even bigger role in climate activism. What does he hope to achieve? And how does this all fit into his broader legacy as leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics. NPR's Scott Detrow spoke with Fordham professor Christiana Zenner, and Associated Press Vatican correspondent Nicole Winfield, about Pope Francis and his role in advocating for action on climate change. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Today we're sharing an episode of a new NPR podcast called Trump's Trials, hosted by Scott Detrow with regular analysis from Domenico Montanaro. 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. In this week's episode, Scott and Domenico spoke with NYU's Melissa Murray about leaked confidential videos of two former Trump lawyers — and what they could mean for the Georgia election interference case. Plus: a development in the January 6th case. Follow Trump's Trials on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for episodes available every Saturday.

In an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu often referred to post-WW II Germany as a possible road map for what he called the "de-militarizing" and "de-radicalizing" of Gaza. Netanyahu said Gaza needs a new 'civilian government,' but won't say who. NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre parses what Netanyahu said in a conversation with co-host Ari Shapiro. Email us at considerthis@npr.org