Consider This from NPR

How California's Deadly Floods Are Tied To The State's Ongoing Drought

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Destructive flooding caused by torrential rains has created a deadly disaster in California. The death toll rivals the worst wildfires and points to a...

Attack On Brazil's Capitol Is Part of Transnational Extremist Movement

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The attack on Brazil's congress and presidential palace Sunday was reminiscent of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Both are part of ...

In Some States, An Unpaid Foster Care Bill Could Mean Parents Lose Their Kids Forever

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Parents who have their kids placed in foster care often get a bill to reimburse the state for part of the cost. NPR found that in at least 12 states t...

Why We Can't Resist 'Best Of' Lists

07 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

'Tis the season for lists! Best films of the year, best albums, best podcasts. Lists can provoke strong emotions- from spirited debate to outrage - ov...

The Lasting Impact Of The January 6th Insurrection

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's been two years since rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, leaving an indelible mark on American democracy. We speak to NPR Justic...

The Fight To Keep Climate Change Off The Back Burner

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The world faces key deadlines for climate action in coming decades. But most of us are more focused on the short term — today, tomorrow, maybe next ...

How GOP Hardliners Have Managed To Block Their Party's Path In Congress

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A small group of Republican hardliners set out to block Kevin McCarthy, their party's leader in the House of Representatives, from becoming Speaker. T...

How Buying A Home Became A Key Way To Build Wealth In America

03 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

High mortgage rates and a low supply of homes for sale has made homeownership feel out of reach for many Americans. And yet it remains an important w...

A New Grammy Category Puts Songwriters Like Tobias Jesso Jr. In The Spotlight

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Although not widely known, 37-year-old Tobias Jesso Jr.'s name pops up on the credits of some of today's biggest musical hits. He's written for Adele,...

How to Make Better New Year's Resolutions

31 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's that time of year - the ball has dropped, the champagne bottles are empty and you have a list of resolutions to start living your best life in 20...

Britain's 2022 Was A Year Of Epic Turbulence

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The United Kingdom is, for many, synonymous with stability. But 2022 has been a year of turbulence and change for the U.K.In one, chaotic four-month s...

Artificial Intelligence Made Big Leaps In 2022 — Should We Be Excited Or Worried?

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is now so much a part of our lives that it seems almost mundane. So is that something to be excited about? Or is the world a s...

They Say You Can't Choose Your Family, But Some Do

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You've heard the saying, 'Blood is thicker than water,' right? Yet for many people, family is not just about blood or DNA — it's about deep connecti...

What's Ahead for Rep. Kevin McCarthy and the Republican Party?

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rep. Kevin McCarthy is the GOP leader in the House of Representatives and he's campaigning to become Speaker in the next Congress. But a handful of Ho...

For These Exonerated Men, The Fight For Compensation Is About More Than Money

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Malcolm Alexander and Frederick Clay both spent decades in prison for crimes they didn't commit. Both were eventually exonerated and released.Clay has...

From 'Harry & Meghan' to 'The Slap', Celebrity Gossip Was Big News in 2022

24 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Even if you don't follow gossip sites, it was almost impossible this year to ignore the scandals, missteps, and legal woes of celebrities. Gossip has...

Coping With Trauma Is Part of the Job For Many In The U.S. Intelligence Community

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trauma is an inherent part of intelligence work. Think of undercover operatives deployed in dangerous places or investigating gruesome crimes. But get...

Anxiety Is Up. Here Are Some Tips On How To Manage It.

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The number of Americans experiencing anxiety has been rising, especially since the start of the pandemic. There also aren't enough providers to meet t...

When Your Parents Are Also Your Roommates

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

More and more young people are moving back in with their parents — and staying there. According to Pew Research, from 1971 to 2021, the number of ...

Interest In Electric Vehicles Is Growing, And So Is The Demand For Lithium

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by President Biden this year includes incentives for buying an electric vehicle, ideally to persuade peopl...

Jan. 6 Committee Issues Four Criminal Referrals For Trump

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The House Select Committee investigating the deadly January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol held what is expected to be its final hearing....

Making Wine More Inclusive and Less Pretentious

17 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The world of wine has long had a reputation for snobbery. And it has long been dominated mostly by white men. But that has slowly begun to change. Fro...

What China's New COVID Surge Could Mean—For China And The World

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Three years into the pandemic, the world could be on the cusp of the biggest outbreak yet — in China. The country had some of the strictest COVID po...

Big Money Swirls Around College Football's Star Coaches

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Deion Sanders' decision to leave Jackson State for the University of Colorado has stirred a lot of debate in the world of college football. LA Times s...

Remembering The Victims Of The Sandy Hook School Shooting, 10 Years Later

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Each mass shooting has a grim number attached to it. But that number is made up of individuals, each of whom had a full life and a family who continue...

The Parents Caught In The Middle Of The FTX Collapse

13 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Prosecutors say the former CEO of cryptocurrency giant FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, defrauded investors and customers for years, to the tune of billions of...

Tech Layoffs Throw Immigrants' Lives Into Limbo

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In November, Huy Tu found out they were one of 11,000 Meta employees being laid off. Tu is allowed to stay in the U.S. through the OPT program, which ...

Why Do We Love True Crime?

10 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you think about Jack the Ripper or In Cold Blood, true crime stories have always fascinated us. But the groundbreaking success of the 2014 podcast ...

How A Foiled Coup In Germany Came To Be

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, authorities in Germany arrested more than two dozen suspected far-right extremists over a plot to violently overthrow the government.The pl...

The Deal That Freed Brittney Griner

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden on Thursday announced the negotiated release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from a penal colony in Russia and her return to the U.S. She...

Democrats And Republicans Have Lessons To Learn From Georgia Runoff

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In Georgia, Democrat Raphael Warnock held on to his U.S. Senate seat, defeating Republican candidate Herschel Walker in a special runoff vote. Warnock...

Israelis And Palestinians Await A Far-Right Government With Bated Breath

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jewish ultranationalists are about to have a lot more power in Israel. Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to return to office after his f...

Children Are Grieving. Here's How One Texas School District Is Trying to Help

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's been more than a year now since many kids across the country returned to their classrooms. And many of them brought grief and trauma with them, t...

Punishing Player Misconduct: Will the NFL Ever Get it Right?

03 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Sunday, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will return to the field for the first time in nearly two years. This comes after an 11-game su...

Twitter's Safety Chief Quit. Here's Why.

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It didn't take long for Elon Musk's stated vision for Twitter—a "digital town square" where all legal speech flows freely—to run head long into re...

China's Outspoken Generation

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The protests in China may have been silenced, for now. But could this be the start of a new political awakening among young people in the country? H...

Can Newly Elected LGBTQ Lawmakers Shift The Landscape For LGBTQ Rights?

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The advocacy group Human Rights Campaign reports that in the past year, more than 300 bills targeting LGBTQ rights have been introduced by state legis...

The (Literally) Cold War In Ukraine

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Russian attacks have repeatedly targeted Ukrainian energy and heating infrastructure, threatening to leave millions vulnerable to the approaching bitt...

How Abortion Bans—Even With Medical Emergency Exemptions—Impact Healthcare

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Christina Zielke went to an ER in Ohio bleeding profusely while experiencing a miscarriage. This was in early September, before the state's 6-week abo...

Pulling Back The Curtain On Our Climate Migration Reporting

27 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For over a year, we've been working on a series of stories on climate migration that spans thousands of miles and multiple continents.Our team of jour...

When Does Comedy Cross the Line?

26 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Every time stand-up comic Dave Chappelle gets in front of a mic, he seems to reignite a debate over when, or whether, a comedian can go too far. Chapp...

Life Is Hard For Migrants On Both Sides Of The Border Between Africa And Europe

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are two tiny patches of Spain on the African continent. One is a city called Melilla that's surrounded by Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea.The ...

Our Picks For TV Shows And Movies You Should Watch This Holiday Weekend

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As people across the U.S. celebrate Thanksgiving and enjoy their long holiday weekend, Consider This provides listeners with a list of TV shows and mo...

A Triple Serving Of Flu, COVID And RSV Hits Hospitals Ahead Of Thanksgiving

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hospitals around the country are overwhelmed, but this time it's not just with COVID.Cases of the flu and RSV are also spiking earlier this year. We ...

Amid Missile Tests, What Is North Korea's Endgame?

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

North Korea says it has successfully tested its largest intercontinental ballistic missile. And experts say it could potentially deliver a nuclear war...

Meet The Everyday Crypto Investors Caught Up In The FTX Implosion

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jake Thacker of Portland, Ore. says he had $70,000 trapped in FTX when the the cryptocurrency exchange collapsed this month. That money may be gone. A...

How to Cook a Faster, Easier Thanksgiving Dinner

19 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Thanksgiving is probably the most celebrated meal of the year. But for a lot of home cooks or new cooks, or would-be cooks-- it's also the most daunt...

How Much Should Wealthier Nations Pay For The Effects Of Climate Change?

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

At COP 27, the annual U.N. conference on climate change, one of the big questions that's been raised is how some of the wealthier nations should be pa...

The Hidden Toll Of Working On Prison Executions

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

During the past 50 years, more than 1,550 death sentences have been carried out across the U.S.Many of the hundreds of people involved in carrying out...

What Happens To The Investigations Involving Now-Candidate Trump?

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Former President Trump is launching his 2024 campaign with a cloud of legal issues hanging over his head. They include the federal investigation into ...

Michelle Obama On Parenting, Partnerships And Political Action

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Even a former first lady who's lived an extraordinary life has ordinary and relatable fears. NPR All Things Considered host Juana Summers sat down wit...

How Rising Seas Turned A Would-be Farmer Into A Climate Migrant

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is a present tense disaster in some parts of the world. In Senegal, rising seas are destroying neighborhoods and once-fertile farm fiel...

Can Black Twitter survive Elon Musk?

12 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A surge in anti-Semitic and racist tweets, an incoherent rollout of a paid verification service, and thousands of layoffs. Then a scramble to rehire s...

How Hip-hop Is A Mirror That Reflects The Problem Of Gun Violence In America

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Takeoff, from the Atlanta trio known as Migos, was shot and killed at the beginning of November outside a bowling alley in Houston.The issue of violen...

For Many In Ukraine, The Struggle Doesn't End With Liberation

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As Russian forces have retreated in Ukraine, people in newly liberated towns and villages have been trying to pick up the pieces. But it's a process t...

No Red Wave But A Divided Government Is Still A Possibility

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The "red wave" of Republican gains that some predicted didn't come to pass during the midterm elections. As of Wednesday afternoon, control of both ho...

Haiti Is In Turmoil — But Is International Intervention The Right Solution?

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Haiti is a country in crisis. Armed gangs have overtaken the capital of Port-au-Prince. Electricity and clean drinking water are in very short supply ...

Five Big Issues Americans Are Voting On This Election

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

National issues are increasingly crowding out more local concerns in elections across the country. With that in mind, we hear from five NPR correspond...

Diversity After Affirmative Action

05 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last four decades, affirmative action has helped transform diversity on college campuses in the United States. But soon, affirmative action i...

What Happens When The Mighty Mississippi Becomes The Measly Mississippi

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The extremes of climate change are wreaking havoc on the Mississippi. Over the past two months, this critical waterway has seen below average rainfall...

Why Federal Security Agencies Are Warning About Potential Election Violence

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband and other recent incidents have security experts worried about the potential for political violence...

Qatar's Human Rights Record In The Spotlight Ahead Of 2022 World Cup

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Billions will be watching when the men's soccer World Cup begins in Qatar this month. But the country's human rights record will also be in the global...

How Ukrainian Soldiers Are Preparing For The Battle Over Kherson

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

More than eight months after the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, new challenges are emerging.NPR's Franco Ordoñez reports that Ukrainian soldiers a...

What Do Young Voters in Wisconsin Want?

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Elections are tight in many parts of the US these days. They certainly are in the battleground state of Wisconsin, where the last two presidential ele...

From Clergy to Veterans, Volunteers Rally To Fight Voter Intimidation

29 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Friday, federal authorities issued an internal bulletin that warned of the potential for violence from domestic extremists during the midterm elect...

Brazil's Presidential Vote Could Have An Impact Beyond The Country's Borders

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Sunday, Brazilians will go to the polls to choose between two very different presidential candidates. One is the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonar...

Black Vets Were Excluded From G.I. Bill Benefits. Congress Could Fix That.

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The G.I. Bill of 1944 provided free education, unemployment pay and home loans for millions of veterans returning from fighting in World War II. These...

Here's What We Know About The 12 Million Midterm Ballots Cast So Far

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 12 million people have cast ballots in the 2022 midterms, according to the United States Elections Project.Hidden...

For William Shatner, seeing Earth from space was moving and heartbreaking

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A year ago, William Shatner, the actor who played Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek series, boarded a Blue Origin rocket ship. At the age of 90,...

It's Not Just The U.S. There Are Signs Of A Global Economic Downturn.

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The war in Ukraine is stressing global energy and food markets. China's COVID-19 lockdowns continue to affect supply chains. Economies large and small...

Is Britain's Political Turmoil a Lesson in Democracy for the U.S?

22 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, politics in the UK looked a little — crazy. Outraged members of Parliament yelled their demands for Prime Minister Liz Truss to resign, ...

Former President Donald Trump Subpoenaed by House January 6 Committee

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot has subpoenaed former President Donald Trump for testimony under oath and records. We spe...

As Election Day Nears, Democrats Rest Hopes On Abortion Rights

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Election day is less than three weeks away, and Democrats are trying desperately to hold on to their slim majority in Congress by focusing on abortion...

What A Third Term For Xi Jinping Could Mean For China And The World

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, China's Communist Party Congress is expected to approve a historic third term in office for the country's leader, Xi Jinping. Xi has alread...

Ongoing Protests In Iran Echo A Century-Old Revolution

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's been more than a month since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after being detained by Iran's morality police – allegedly for breaking the rule requ...

How PPP Loan Forgiveness Became a Messy Process with Limited Scrutiny

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was designed to soften the financial impact of the pandemic for small businesses. It issued about $800 billion i...

What Does a Record Number of Black Candidates Really Mean for Republicans?

15 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a party not known for ethnic diversity, 22 Black candidates are running for Republican House seats this year. And for the first time, we could see...

Are We Ready for Another COVID Surge?

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Public health officials are warning of a possible surge in COVID cases this winter. How bad it could get depends on how many people take the right pre...

Does The U.S.-Saudi Alliance Have A Future?

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden met with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this summer — a man he had previously accused of ordering the killing of jo...

#Dementia TikTok Is A Vibrant, Supportive Community

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are more than 16 million people in the U.S. that are caring for someone with Alzheimer's and related dementias. More than two-thirds of them are...

A Russian Missile, A Little Pink Coffin And Unimaginable Grief

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the span of one morning this week, Russian airstrikes hit cities across Ukraine—some hundreds of miles from the frontline. Throughout the war, ev...

The Supreme Court Case That Will Decide if Voting Rights Should Be Race-Blind

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, the Supreme Court heard opening arguments in Merrill v. Mulligan, a case that could gut the Voting Rights Act of 1965 for the third time th...

Report on Pervasive Culture of Abuse in Women's Pro Soccer Incudes Youth Sports

08 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few years, we've heard shocking allegations from women athletes about experiencing sexual harassment and abuse. And earlier this week a ...

Chess, Fishing, Irish Dancing: Cheating Scandals Reveal Why We Care About Cheating

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cheating allegations have rocked many worlds over the last few weeks.Chess, fishing, poker, and even Irish dancing.These 'sports' cheating scandals ha...

Is Independence The Answer For Puerto Rico?

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is perpetually stuck in limbo.The people there are subject to federal laws, but don't have a vote for president or Co...

Prescribed Burns Started a Wildfire, But Experts Say They're A Crucial Tool

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After a prescribed burn became the largest wildfire in New Mexico history earlier this year, the U.S. Forest Service put a ninety day ban on controlle...

Migration Is Shifting. Who Is Crossing Where?

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The past twelve months have been the deadliest on record for the migrants crossing the Southern U.S. Border from Mexico. More than 800 have died in th...

As Mortgage Rates Climb, A Hot Housing Market Cools

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Higher mortgage rates are putting a damper on the U.S. housing market. Home prices are down and sales of existing homes have now fallen for seven mont...

Is the Electoral College Anti-Democratic?

01 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Electoral Count Reform Act is a bipartisan response to the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol where rioters and the former president attempted...

Russia's Illegal Annexation Ushers In A Dangerous New Phase Of The War

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the formal annexation of four territories in Ukraine on Friday, after the conclusion of what U.S. Secretary...

Hurricane Ian Tears Across Florida

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hurricane Ian carved a path of destruction through central Florida, with extreme winds, heavy rains and a torrent of waters flooding in from the Gulf ...

In Iran Protests, Anger At Hijab Rules Is "The Tip Of The Iceberg"

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The widespread protests in Iran were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She died after being detained by Iran's morality police for alle...

The Heartbreak And Cost Of Losing A Baby In America

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Every year, more than 300,000 U.S. families have infants who require advanced medical care in neonatal intensive care units. Specialized treatments an...

The Civil Rights Activist Sharing Her Story With A New Generation

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ruby Bridges was just six years old in 1960 when she became the first Black child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New...

What's Really Causing America's Mental Health Crisis?

24 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced recommendations that doctors screen all patients under 65 for anxiety. Since the beginning...

Scandals? What Scandals? The NFL Keeps Surging.

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The NFL has dealt with plenty of scandal this century, but this offseason was pretty rough. Accusations of racist hiring practices, star players charg...

The Stories Of People Serving Life Sentences, In Their Own Words

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

More than 55,000 people in the U.S. are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole, according to research from The Sentencing Project. B...

An Unfinished Recovery From Hurricane Maria Left Puerto Rico Vulnerable to Fiona

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has allocated billions of dollars to Puerto Rico to help it rebuild from Hurricane Maria with more resilient i...

The Experiment Aiming To Keep Drug Users Alive By Helping Them Get High More Safely

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As record numbers of people in the U.S. die from drug overdoses, communities are searching for tools to prevent them. A new program in Canada could se...

Britain And Its Former Colonies Debate The Monarchy's Future After Elizabeth

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For many in the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth was synonymous with the monarchy. As she's laid to rest, King Charles faces a potentially "existential...