Sources & Methods

A majority of Israeli voters went against sitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc, but he may not have to cede his office. It's not clear the opposition will be able to form a governing coalition. Guest host Scott Detrow talks with NPR International Correspondent Daniel Estrin and NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre about how the election could affect Netanyahu's calculus on the...

France has been rocked by protests and riots. The far-right is on the rise across Europe. All while, the United States is backing away from Ukraine. President Trump has been trying to obliterate the post-WWII order since his first term … is he finally succeeding?  Host Scott Detrow speaks with NPR Paris Correspondent Eleanor Beardsley and Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman about what's happening in...

A crucial military communication system was disrupted in Ukraine this week, as Russian attacks pounded energy sites. Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR Ukraine Correspondent Joanna Kakissis about what’s happening in Kyiv, and her long-awaited interview with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre joined too, to explain President Trump’s announcement of an e...

A German spy chief is arrested for treasonous espionage. What exactly is he accused of doing? Also, two tech billionaires are leading the Pentagon’s future of war project. Is that a problem? NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Esme Nicholson in Berlin about the case against August Hanning, and with NPR's Tom Bowman about how bases housing U.S. troops around the world could be vulnerable to drones....

For the second time since the 2003 invasion, the last American troops have left Iraq. Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR International Correspondent Jane Arraf who is in Baghdad to see how Iraqis are greeting the moment. And NPR Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman explains how this withdrawal and the ongoing war with Iran are changing the U.S. footprint in the region. He also discusses Defense S...

Russia threatens attacks beyond Ukraine's border and rattles Europe. Is it ready? This month Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned about intelligence assessments suggesting that Russia is planning drone and missile strikes against countries that support Ukraine, including Poland and Romania. How serious is that threat? And if that happens, is NATO ready to defend itself?  Would the U.S. honor i...

President Trump used his speech at the United Nations General Assembly to attack the principles the organization is built on. Does the U.N. stand a chance in a new era of great power rivalry? Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR Diplomatic Correspondent Michele Kelemen about what happened this week when leaders from around the world came to New York at a precarious moment for the U.N. And NPR Wh...

All a sudden everyone is talking about the risk of an AI catastrophe or, in the case of President Trump, an AI "hoax." Host Mary Louise Kelly talks with NPR Cybersecurity Correspondent Jenna McLaughlin about the risks cyber experts are worried about already. And NPR White House Correspondent Emily Feng explains why a global agreement on AI guardrails to protect against future existential risks loo...

It’s been 25 years since al-Qaida attacked the United States by hijacking airplanes and crashing them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, with a fourth plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. Sept. 11 represented a new kind of national security threat, and a new national security architecture was created to confront it. Before a live audience at NPR, host Mary Louise Kelly discussed...

The U.S. military is blowing up boats again. And it is taking a stake in the Venezuelan oil business. What is the administration trying to achieve in the Western Hemisphere? Guest host Scott Detrow talks with NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre and international reporter John Otis about how the Trump administration's "Donroe Doctrine" is playing out. They also discuss parallels between t...

President Trump and NATO allies met in Turkey this week, in a summit where European countries were anxious about appeasing the U.S. president. Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman and NPR Istanbul Correspondent Hadeel Al-Shalchi about what NATO members wanted to get out of this summit, and what they got. Plus, Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is over, though n...

Four years in and Ukraine is still giving Russia a run for its money. Four months in and Iran shows no sign of bowing to U.S. demands.  What do Russia’s fight with Ukraine and the U.S. war with Iran tell us about the limits of military might? Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR's Ukraine Correspondent Joanna Kakissis about the overnight attack in Kyiv, which comes on the heels of Ukraine's dron...

This September marks 25 years since terrorists hijacked planes and steered them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. They steered a third plane into the Pentagon. A fourth was headed for the U.S. Capitol, but crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after its passengers overpowered their attackers. In the days — and years — that followed America’s leaders walked a fine and sometimes blurry...

Another British prime minister is on his way out the door. That's six in 10 years. Now, the UK is once again looking for a new leader. Will that mean yet another reset of the “special relationship” with the United States? Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR's London Correspondent Lauren Frayer and Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman about Prime Minister Keir Starmer's successor, whether Britain i...

The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to end the war. The agreement extends the existing ceasefire, reopens the Strait of Hormuz, and opens negotiations for a final peace deal. Host Mary Louise Kelly gathers three NPR correspondents who are covering the region – Greg Myre in Tel Aviv, Jane Arraf in Beirut and Aya Batrawy in Cairo – to understand what's next and who has emerged as...

National security, unlocked. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly and a team of NPR correspondents discuss the biggest national security news of the week.  With decades of reporting from battlefields and the halls of power, they bring you inside the Pentagon, State Department, and intelligence community to help you understand America's shifting role in the world, and how events in faraway places...