Consider This from NPR

98 high school students from across the country gathered in a mock student senate.  The goal was to come up with a bill that would guide schools on how to deal with the chaos created by AI. NPR's Cory Turner attended to see how things developed. 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 . T...

It’s a science fiction nightmare: What happens if the machines take over? The world got a potential taste of that last week, when OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, said two of its models had autonomously hacked into another AI company. OpenAI says its technology carried out the attack during a cybersecurity test. The incident has highlighted fears that losing control of AI could pose broader safety co...

When President Trump announced the creation of a federal task force to fight violent crime in Memphis, Tenn., and called for the deployment of the Tennessee National Guard, officials did not say immigration enforcement was a goal. Yet the influx of federal agents into Memphis has led to widespread immigration arrests – most involving people without criminal convictions. It has created constant fea...

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we gather information and communicate with one another. It’s also changing how some people seek out mental health care.  But what happens when this sophisticated technology is used to deal with serious mental health issues? For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This , sign up for Consider This + via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.  Email us at conside...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday. His visit comes amid a tumultuous time in Ukraine, where protests took place as a result of Zelenskyy firing a popular defense minister. As the two leaders prepare to meet, what's their relationship like - and how might it shape the war in Ukraine? For sponsor-free episodes of  Consider This,  sign up fo...

When President Trump invokes tariffs - he promises they’ll benefit Americans. But the experience of some small business owners tells a different story.  For this week's Reporter's Notebook, Host Debbie Elliott speaks with NPR Business Correspondent Alina Selyukh about what she learned about the unexpected costs small businesses are shouldering. For sponsor-free episodes of  Consider This,  sign up...

Just months after the Supreme Court struck down President Trump's sweeping tariffs, he's issued new ones. The new tariffs, enacted Friday, have two tiers, of 10 and 12.5%, imposed on goods from the United States' 60 biggest trading partners — 59 countries, plus the European Union. What makes these tariffs different - and how might they affect average consumers? For sponsor-free episodes of  Consid...

The Trump administration has reached a nuclear deal with the government of Saudi Arabia. It would allow the Gulf state to develop a nuclear program for civilian purposes. But the deal has already raised questions about nuclear weapons. What do we know about the agreement - and what effect could it have on US the Middle East? For sponsor-free episodes of  Consider This,  sign up for C onsider This+...

Despite promises the Iran war would be decided quickly and decisively, the fighting continues. Does the Trump administration have an exit strategy for Iran and is the US heading into another forever war? After more than two months without an Iran war update, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the senate and asked for billions more to fund the war in Iran. Hegseth is asking for $67 bil...

The crimes the Tate brothers are charged with are the foundation of a lucrative business believed to exploit women and young girls.  We talk to a reporter who's dug into a similar investigation. The Tates were arrested in Miami over the weekend after Crown Prosecutors issued 38 new criminal charges. This brings the total number of charges against the pair to 59, and and they include multiple count...

The Odyssey is a story that’s almost three thousand years old. With each iteration, a new generation of storytellers gets a chance to portray a complicated man trying to make his way to his wife Penelope after the Trojan War. Director Christopher Nolan talks with NPR's Scott Detrow about what his version offers contemporary audiences. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...

On Thursday, President Trump gave a primetime address in which he sowed doubts about the integrity of U.S. election. He tried to convince Americans that the election system was vulnerable to fraud, but offered no new evidence that details any fraudulent votes. Instead, he declassified intelligence documents that he says will demonstrate "shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure." Wh...

After weeks of competition, the World Cup final is set: Argentina and Spain will face off for the coveted title. Sunday's match will be the culmination of the biggest World Cup tournament to date. What has it taught 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 b...

Todd Blanche is President Trump's pick for Attorney General. He's currently in that role in an acting capacity and hopes to convince lawmakers to give him the job officially. But Blanche's nomination is facing pushback over criticisms that the Department of Justice has become politicized and over his handling of the Epstein files. What did we learn after the first day of his confirmation hearings?...

There have been at least 9 deaths tied to immigration enforcement actions since President Trump returned to the White House. Four of them have been this year. What's going on - and can anything be done to keep people safe? 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 produce...

By now, you've probably felt it: prices are up. The spike in gas prices have helped push annual inflation to its highest levels in three years — around 4.2 percent. With prices creeping up, how are Americans coping? 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 . NPR's Scott Horsley contributed...

The nation continues to react to the unexpected death of South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Graham was a veteran politician, a dealmaker and military hawk. He was also one of President Trump’s staunchest critics before his election, only to become one of Trump’s close allies on Capitol Hill after his victory. Former Republican Senator Jeff Flake served alongside Graham from 2013-201...

For this week’s Reporter’s Notebook, we’re listening back with Jackie Northam, one of NPR’s longest-serving international correspondents, about how she became a journalist, what kept her going, and why some stories never really left her. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy...

July has brought a lot of changes to how the federal government handles student loans. They include how much students are able to borrow. And now, the government is assessing loans through a test: Based on how much money students make after graduating. Could this change what students plan to study and the professions they enter? For sponsor-free episodes of  Consider This,  sign up for C onsider T...

What a difference three weeks makes. It’s been about that long since the US and Iran agreed on a framework to end their war, but this week that changed. President Trump said on Wednesday that the ceasefire is 'over' - and both sides have expressed deep mistrust in one another.  Is diplomacy still possible? For sponsor-free episodes of  Consider This,  sign up for C onsider This+  via Apple Podcast...

Heading into this week's NATO summit, the big agenda item was the future of the defense alliance and how President Trump would engage with it. But on Tuesday, the US struck Iran dozens of times, with President Trump saying that the ceasefire between the US and Iran is "over." At a meeting that was supposed to be about the unity of the transatlantic alliance, a conflict that’s further strained US-E...

US Senate candidate Graham Platner's campaign has been thrown into chaos. On Monday, Politico reported an allegation of sexual assault from Platner's former girlfriend. Platner has denied the claim. The accusations have led to cratering support from prominent Democrats for his candidacy, in a race that is important for Democrats' ambitions to take back the Senate in November. What's next for Platn...

FIFA's Disciplinary Committee suspended US striker Folarin Balogun's one-game red card ban in exchange for a probationary period of one year. The decision was announced after President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked him to review the red card. The suspended red card means Balogun can play in Monday night's win-or-go-home match in Seattle versus Belgium. But the decis...

An historic and dramatic shift is underway for NATO. As it tries to adapt to increasingly complex global threats and as the U.S. changes its priorities, there’s a push to create a more European NATO. David M. Cattler of the Center for European Policy Analysis talks about what to expect at this week's NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider T...

The town of Primm, Nevada was once a thriving tourist destination. Located on the Nevada-California border, the town has seen a sharp decline in tourism and has become like a ghost town, due in part to the proliferation of casinos across the country. Now, one family wants to revive Primm's glory days. But how? For sponsor-free episodes of  Consider This,  sign up for C onsider This+  via Apple Pod...