Consider This from NPR

Veteran Middle East correspondent Jane Arraf has seen peace deals fall apart many times in her decades covering the region. She talks about what she is watching for to see if the ceasefire can hold. 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 . This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad and Avery...

America’s farmers are getting walloped by the federal government shutdown. The closing of government offices means they’ve lost access to data and loans that help keep them afloat — Then there’s healthcare. More than a quarter of the nation’s farmers rely on the Affordable Care Act…along with the subsidies at the heart of the shutdown fight. And add to that — the fact that farmers’ finances are ta...

Is the AI boom an AI bubble? Wall Street and Silicon Valley increasingly think so. This week JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said "a lot of assets" appear to be "entering bubble territory." Earlier this month Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said the AI market was an "industrial bubble" where stock prices were "disconnected from the fundamentals" of their businesses. But big tech shows little sign of paus...

“A New and Beautiful day is rising.” That’s what President Trump told a gathering of world leaders this week. He was speaking of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas…meant to pave the way to a permanent end to the war that has left much of the Gaza strip in rubble. Now, Trump said, the rebuilding begins.  There are huge questions about what comes after the ceasefire. Who will govern Gaza? Will H...

At President Trump’s public urging, the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against some of his perceived political enemies. NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson explains that for those targeted, a prosecution can mean steep financial and emotional costs, even if they ultimately win in court. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts...

As a justice on the Supreme Court, Anthony Kennedy wrote some big opinions. He was appointed by President Reagan, and most often voted with conservatives. But his vote was often pivotal in controversial cases about hot-button issues like same-sex marriage and abortion, and in several key instances he voted with the court's liberals. In a new memoir, he opens up about his time on the court -- and h...

NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with Moshe Lavi, the brother-in-law of Omri Miran, who has been held hostage by Hamas since October 7, 2023. Lavi explains the challenges ahead for Israelis and Palestinians in healing from the events of the past two years - and whether he thinks the peace brokered by President Trump is sustainable. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+...

A ceasefire is now in effect between Israel and Hamas, and the Israeli military has pulled back from certain positions in the Gaza Strip. In the coming days, a hostage and prisoner exchange is set to begin, and hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks are expected to be allowed into Gaza. It’s all part of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan – a plan that closely resembles the plan President Biden unv...

After two years of bloodshed, Israel and Hamas have agreed to phase one of a ceasefire deal. It’s a moment of hope — and some skepticism — amid a war that’s had an enormous toll. Where might this 20-point peace plan lead? You'll hear from NPR's Daniel Estrin, as well as some of the many people in Gaza and in Israel who’ve talked to our reporters over the last two years. For sponsor-free episodes o...

It's been a week since a federal shutdown ground work at numerous government agencies to a halt. There's no indication that an agreement could come soon, as Republicans and Democrats in congress trade continue blame. Meanwhile, federal workers are stuck in limbo, and its unclear when or if they'll be able to return to their jobs.  NPR's Labor Correspondent Andrea Hsu and political reporter Stephen...

The clock is ticking for Chicago and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. President Trump has deployed the National Guard to the country’s third largest city, and he says they’ll begin operations no later than Wednesday. Pritzker, a democrat, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson are fighting the administration’s efforts in the courts. Trump says Chicago and other cities need the National Guard on the stree...

Nearly a quarter century after the September 11th attacks, the Trump administration is using the language of terrorism to target a new enemy: Latin American drug cartels. The president says we’re in armed conflict with drug cartels. We talk to a Bush-era lawyer who says the powers of war are too extraordinary to use against crime. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider Th...

As peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas made significant progress over the weekend, many in the region are expressing some cautious optimism about an end to the two-year war.  NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with James Elder, a UNICEF spokesman, about what he is seeing in Gaza now and the urgent need for food and medical supplies.  For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Conside...

Federal workers across the United States are feeling the impact of the government shutdown. This comes after months of turmoil for federal workers as agencies have slashed their workforces as part of the Trump administration's large-scale government job cuts. NPR's Andrea Hsu talks to Andrew Limbong about her reporting on the federal workforce and the challenge of finding people willing to talk ab...

Eight years ago, Daniel Day-Lewis announced he was retired from acting. He offered no further comment. Retirement notwithstanding, the three-time winner of the Oscar for Best Actor stars in a new movie, out this week. He plays a man who long ago left the world he once knew – and then is contacted by a family member to come back. It was written with and directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis. Father...

The government shutdown is on. Already, it’s being felt across the country. National Parks are preparing to scale back or close. Furloughed federal workers are facing tough choices about how to pay the bills when they can’t count on their paychecks. Some people trying to access government services have found locked doors.  Democratic and Republican lawmakers are at an impasse after dueling proposa...

When President Trump came into office, he promised to fuel an economic boom with a magic bullet: tariffs. They're taxes added to a wide range of imports. And money is coming in, more than $30 billion a month so far.  Eight months into Trump's second term, it’s unclear what the larger impact of these tariffs will have on the economy. Despite that, the president keeps promising to roll out new ones....

NPR’s National Security Correspondent Greg Myre spent the summer reporting on the war in Ukraine. He saw the devastation of the conflict. But he also saw something else: the country leveraging its resources at home to meet the moment…including in Lviv where they’re racing to make as many of their own weapons as fast as they can. And at a hospital near the frontlines in central Ukraine where Ukrain...

The deadline for a government shutdown is quickly approaching. If Democrats and Republicans can't make a deal, the government will run out of money after Sept. 30. A government shutdown is always a political gamble. For Democrats, the stakes of this one are even higher.  For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at consi...

More than a hundred countries have committed to fresh plans to curb pollution, with one big holdout: the U.S. NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with the EU Commissioner for Climate, Wopke Hoekstra, about how global leaders are moving forward on climate goals with the U.S. on the sidelines. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at  plus.npr.org . Ema...

After 25 years at NPR and 10 years hosting All Things Considered and the last few years hosting Consider This, Ari Shapiro is moving on to his next adventure. We’re saying bye. 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 . This episode was produced by Connor Donevan, Matt Ozug, Mia Venkat, Mallory...

A superhuman artificial intelligence so smart it can decide to get rid of slower-witted humans is a pretty terrifying concept. What was once strictly the stuff of science fiction is now closer than ever to being a reality. And if it does, some A-I researchers have gloomy predictions about humanity’s chances of survival. While the A-I boom continues and companies across the country are heavily inve...

The federal government’s approach to public health has changed more in the last eight months than it has in decades.   Since President Trump returned to office, he and members of his administration have challenged the safety of the covid vaccine, the overall childhood vaccine schedule, and the causes of autism. This has upended public health guidance that doctors and patients have relied on for ye...

President Trump is promising to sweep homeless people off America’s streets. One controversial part of his plan could force thousands of people into institutions where they would be treated “long-term” for for addiction and mental illness. Critics say the policy raises big concerns about civil liberties and cost. But parts of this idea - known as “civil commitment” are gaining traction with some D...

The Trump administration is moving fast on a plan to create several holding centers around the country for people detained in a nationwide immigration crackdown. One facility in particular has been rife with problems. 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 . This episode was produced by Jeffre...