Consider This from NPR

On Our Watch: Perceived Threat

08 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Episode four of On Our Watch from NPR and KQED investigates the case of a plainclothes Stockton police officer who grabbed a Black 16-year-old, took h...

Biden Admin Sees Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill As A Win

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After months of bipartisan negotiation, the Senate may finally vote this weekend on a 2,700 page infrastructure bill that includes $1 trillion in spen...

A Resistant Gov. Cuomo Could Face Impeachment

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is refusing to resign after this week's explosive report from the state's attorney general. It detailed multiple allega...

Beirut's Deadly Port Explosion, One Year Later

04 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's been exactly one year since a massive explosion in Beirut's port killed over 200 people, injured thousands and caused billions of dollars in dama...

Eviction Protection Extended, But Millions Of Renters Still Face Uncertainty

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At the stroke of midnight last Saturday, a federal moratorium that had been in place for nearly eleven months expired. After the Supreme Court ruled t...

New Phase Of Pandemic Met With Confusion And Exhaustion

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The United States has reached yet another turning point in this pandemic—one that may feel particularly unrelenting and confusing.Learn more about s...

On Our Watch: 20-20 Hindsight

01 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In episode three of On Our Watch, we examine the records that were unsealed by this transparency law to piece together what exactly happened on Septem...

Vaccine Mandates Are Spreading Alongside Dangerous Delta Variant

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Delta variant is more dangerous and contagious than many experts initially realized. In response to the uptick in cases and hospitalizations count...

Black Olympians Often Have 'The Weight Of The World' On Their Shoulders

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Simone Biles dropped out of her Olympic competitions this week, the whole world took notice. At 24 years old Biles is the most decorated gymnast ...

Justice Department Struggles To Bring Jan. 6th Cases To Trial

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Four police officers offered harrowing testimony of their experiences protecting the U.S. Capitol on January 6th during the first hearing for a new De...

Who Pays When Sea Levels Rise?

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rising seas are threatening coastal communities around the world, which will need billions of dollars to protect themselves. It's clear the water is c...

Food Service Workers Are Quitting At Record Rates. Why? Because They Can

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Food service workers in America have newfound bargaining power, and they're using it — quitting jobs for better ones at record rates. NPR's Alina Se...

On Our Watch: Conduct Unbecoming

25 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One officer in Los Angeles used car inspections to hit on women. Three hundred miles away in the San Francisco Bay Area, another woman says an officer...

Rodrigo Amarante Throws a Musical Tantrum in Latest Album, 'Drama'

23 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Starting over can be scary. But not for Rodrigo Amarante. After an established musical career in Brazil, he made the jump to the U.S., where his relat...

Haiti's Unraveling: How A Mysterious Assassination Fanned Violent Unrest

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's still unclear who is responsible for planning and funding the assassination of Haiti's president Jovenel Moïse earlier this month. But violence ...

Will Delta Surge Sway Unvaccinated? Plus: The Truth About 'Breakthrough' Infections

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The delta variant now makes up an estimated 83% of coronavirus cases in the U.S., a sharp increase over recent weeks. Cases are rising more rapidly in...

The New Child Tax Credit Is Here. Will Millions Get Cash Permanently?

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tens of millions of American families are beginning to receive direct cash payments as part of the expanded child tax credit, which was part of the CO...

How The Pandemic Shaped Medical Education And, Ultimately, Your HealthCare

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Medical education must always keep up with the times. But the pandemic forcing medical students to learn virtually revealed new fault lines and opport...

On Our Watch: In Good Faith

18 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From police officer misconduct to deadly shootings, internal affairs investigations are how law enforcement agencies investigate their own and promise...

Cross-Cultural Casting: Noteworthy For Hollywood, But Not Exactly New

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jodie Turner-Smith in Anne Boleyn. Mindy Kaling in Scooby Doo. Dev Patel in The Green Knight, and last year's David Copperfield.It seems like Hollywoo...

How Cuba's Government Is Attempting To Silence Unprecedented Protests

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The protests that erupted in Cuba over the weekend are the biggest the country has seen in decades. Cubans are suffering through a summer of shortages...

Democrats Assail 'Jim Crow' Assault On Voting Rights. So What's Their Plan?

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a speech this week, President Biden said Democrats must 'vigorously challenge' what he described as the '21st Century Jim Crow assault' on voting r...

The U.S. Almost Out Of Afghanistan. What Happens There Next?

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. military will be fully out of the country by August 31. The Taliban already control more than half of it. A U.S. intelligence assessment repo...

Latest On Boosters; 'Trusted Messengers' Lead Vaccine Outreach

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Biden administration is emphasizing vaccine outreach by 'trusted messengers' — community volunteers, faith leaders, and primary care providers —...

Co-Opted And Weaponized, 'Cancel Culture' Is Just Today's 'Politically Correct'

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

'Cancelling' is a term that originated in young and progressive circles, where it was used to mean 'boycott,' University of Pennsylvania linguist Nico...

Why Wildfire Is Not Just A Western Problem

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

All over the east coast and Midwest, forests are getting hotter and drier. Many are also overgrown and overdue for wildfire. And increasingly, America...

NPR Traces California Yoga Teacher's Alleged Path To The Capitol Riot

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

NPR's Tom Dreisbach reports on the story of Alan Hostetter, a former police chief and yoga instructor from California who's now facing conspiracy char...

How Critical Race Theory Went From Harvard Law To Fox News

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Critical race theory is a legal framework developed decades ago at Harvard Law School. It posits that racism is not just the product of individual bia...

Questlove Unearths The Long-Forgotten 'Summer Of Soul'

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1969, during the same summer as Woodstock, another music festival took place 100 miles away. The Harlem Cultural Festival featured black musicians ...

BONUS: American Anthem

04 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Star-Spangled Banner is the official anthem for the United States, but there are plenty of songs that have become informal American anthems for mi...

How The Delta Variant Is Changing The Pandemic On A Global Scale

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cases are surging in countries around the world as the more transmissible delta variant spreads rapidly. Also growing: pressure on vaccine-rich countr...

What Donald Rumsfeld Left Behind

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The former Secretary of Defense was a chief architect of the conflict that came to be known as America's 'forever war.' After his death this week at a...

A 'Pandemic Of Unvaccinated People' As Delta Variant Spreads Rapidly

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Los Angeles County — America's most populous county — recently recommended mask wearing even for vaccinated people, just two weeks after the state...

What The Pentagon's UFO Report Reveals About Aliens — And Ourselves

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Late last year the Senate passed a bill that required U.S. intelligence agencies to share what they know about "unidentified aerial phenomena," the te...

What We've Learned In The First 100 Hours Since The Surfside Condo Collapse

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Susana Alvarez, a survivor of the condo collapse in Surfside, Florida, explained to NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro on Weekend Edition Sunday that residents...

BONUS: Battle Rattle

27 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alicia Argelia met Army veteran Matt Lammers when he rolled into the store where she worked. Matt had lost both legs and one arm during a deployment t...

What Hollywood Could Learn From The 20-Year Success Of 'Fast & Furious'

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's behind the 20-year success of the Fast & Furious franchise? Casting, storytelling and reinvention. NPR's Linda Holmes — who wrote an owner's ...

Not Just Wildfire: The Growing Ripple Effects Of More Extreme Heat And Drought

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For the second weekend in a row, parts of the American West will be gripped by historic heat, coming in the second decade of megadrought that has grip...

Millions Of Americans Could Be Facing Eviction

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Back in March, Congress approved nearly $50 billion in aid for people who need rental assistance to avoid eviction. At the same time a federal morator...

The Unproven Lab Leak Theory Puts Pressure On China — But It May Backfire

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From the beginning of the pandemic, the debate about the origins of the coronavirus was immediately politicized by former President Donald Trump. But ...

50 Years Later, Is America's War On Drugs At A Turning Point?

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In June 1971, then-President Richard Nixon said the U.S. had a new public enemy number one: addiction. It was the beginning of America's long war on d...

BONUS: Tom Hanks, Fox News, And A Debate About Whiteness In Hollywood

20 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This all started with a guest essay by Tom Hanks for The New York Times called "You Should Learn the Truth About the Tulsa Race Massacre," in which Ha...

Reparation Discussions Are Gaining Traction But Not Widespread Support

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Juneteenth, the celebration to commemorate the end of chattel slavery in the United States, is the newest federal holiday after President Biden signed...

Will The U.S. Meet Its July 4 Vaccination Goal? Your State May Already Have

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last month, President Biden laid out an ambitious goal: to get 70% of adults in the U.S. at least one vaccine dose by July 4. With less than three wee...

Parents Want Schools To Make Up The Special Education Their Kids Lost In The Pandemic

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Remote learning simply didn't work for many children with disabilities. Without the usual access to educators, therapists and in-person aides, the fam...

What's At Stake As President Biden Enters Negotiations With Vladimir Putin

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wednesday will be President Biden's first meeting with one of America's greatest adversaries. Drawing a contrast with his predecessor is the least of ...

Why Everything Is More Expensive Right Now

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From computer chips to rental cars to chicken breasts, a complex global supply chain is straining under pent-up post-vaccine demand. NPR's Scott Horsl...

BONUS: A World Where The NRA Is Soft On Guns

13 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

About two months after the coronavirus began spreading in the United States, groups of Americans began to protest the quarantine lockdown measures in ...

ProPublica's 'Secret IRS Files' Unveil How Richest Americans Avoid Income Tax

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The story made waves in Washington, D.C., this week: The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income T...

Back To The Office: Not Everyone Is Welcoming The Return

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For Americans who were able to work from home at the start of the pandemic, what felt like an extended snow day at first has now turned into 15 months...

Listener Q&A: Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy On Variants, Boosters And Vax Mandates

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More than half of U.S. adults have been fully vaccinated, and case rates are at their lowest point since the pandemic began. But there are still a lot...

Democrats' Path To Big Legislation Runs Through West Virginia. Is It A Dead End?

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Democratic proposals for immigration reform, gun control, infrastructure and voting rights are stalled in Congress. Standing in between Democrats and ...

How The Biden Administration Is Confronting A Surge In Cyberattacks

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cyberattackers have recently targeted a crucial fuel pipeline, a global meat distributor and a water treatment plant. The Biden administration likens ...

BONUS: A Looping Revolt

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Stockton, Calif., may represent the future of American news. The city's longtime newspaper, The Record, has lost reporters, subscribers and, therefore...

The U.S. Can't Agree On The Truth. Is It The Media's Job To Fix That?

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Freedom of the press is enshrined in the Constitution as crucial to a functioning democracy. But what role does the press serve when it feels like the...

Companies Made Racial Justice Promises Last Summer. Did They Keep Them?

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Corporations had a lot to say about racial justice last summer. They made statements. They donated millions to civil rights organizations. They promis...

Pressure On The World's Biggest Polluters Is Increasing. But Can It Force Change?

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Atlantic hurricane season began Tuesday and another "above average" number of storms is expected. And it's not just hurricanes — overall, scient...

Americans Are Feeling Optimistic And Uncertain As Second Pandemic Summer Begins

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From dating apps, to airline travel, to in-person high school classes, the U.S. is seeing evidence of a return to close-to-normal life.KUOW's Clare Mc...

Does America Have Its Own 'Civil Religion?'

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Much is said about how divided the U.S. is these days. But perhaps there is still something that unites Americans. Longtime NPR correspondent Tom Gjel...

BONUS: Barack Obama Talks About What It Means To Be A Man

30 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Former President Barack Obama is thinking a lot about our values as Americans. These days, in a divided America, he's particularly thinking about what...

Threats To Democracy Are Growing Around the World — And The U.S. May Be One Of Them

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

All over the world, democratic institutions are under threat. The United States isn't just part of that trend — it may also be one of the causes. Fo...

How Anti-Trans Bills Evoke The Culture Wars Of The 90s

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Proponents of trans female athlete bans struggle to cite examples of trans women or girls gaining an unfair advantage in sports competitions. But amid...

Fortnite Trial Tests Apple's 'Good Guy' Reputation

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Apple has always wanted to be one of the good guys in tech. But now a high-stakes lawsuit with Epic Games, the creator of the hit video game Fortnite,...

What's Changed — And What Hasn't — In The Year Since George Floyd Was Killed

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After his death on May 25, 2020, George Floyd became the face of a movement against police violence. But attorney Andrea Ritchie says, in some ways, ...

What's Behind The Progressive Push To Rethink America's Relationship With Israel

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, Israel had solid bipartisan support for Israel from Capitol Hill. But progressive congressional Democrats have started to question suppor...

NPR Analysis Finds Growing Vaccine Divide Between Urban And Rural America

21 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We know that Americans in blue states are getting vaccinated at higher rates than those in red ones. But that gap obscures another growing divide in A...

The CDC's Mask Guidance Created Confusion. Could It Also Boost Vaccinations?

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance that vaccinated people can safely return to most activities without w...

The Latest On Biden's Infrastructure Plan, With A Vision For A New 'Climate Corps'

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The White House is courting influential Democratic senators and making a public relations push for President Biden's infrastructure proposal, while Re...

Long Before QAnon Conspiracies, The U.S. Was Swept By 'Satanic Panic'

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past year, QAnon conspiracies have migrated from obscure corners of the internet into national headlines. The false belief that left-wing Sat...

The Conflict Between Israel And Hamas Is Getting Worse, Raising Humanitarian Alarms

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The conflict between Israel and Hamas has gone from bad to worse. The Biden administration says it's engaging in "quiet, intensive diplomacy" to broke...

BONUS: How One Family Is Learning To Support Their Non-Binary Child

16 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nine-year-old Hallel is the oldest of three children. They also identify as a "boy-girl," which was a revelation to their parents Shira and Ari when H...

How To 'Human' Again: Advice For The Long Transition To Post-Pandemic Life

14 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The promise of post-pandemic life is exciting, but that doesn't mean it won't get awkward at times. We asked for your questions about how to navigate ...

The Debate Is Over: Donald Trump Owns The Republican Party

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, House Republicans voted to expel Rep. Liz Cheney from party leadership after the Wyoming congresswoman repeatedly called out former Preside...

Why Are So Many Businesses Struggling To Find Workers?

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Republicans say enhanced pandemic unemployment benefits are what's keeping people out of the workforce. That could be playing a role, but the complete...

'It's Top-Down': Three Generations Of Black Officers On Racism And Police Brutality

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Three officers, each from a different generation, weigh in on Derek Chauvin's murder conviction and other recent acts of police violence. Isaiah McKin...

How One LA Neighborhood Reveals The Racist Architecture Of American Homeownership

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Property ownership eludes Black Americans more than any other racial group. NPR's Ailsa Chang and Jonaki Mehta examine why. They tell the story of LA'...

BONUS: We Buy A Superhero

09 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Comic book publishers like Marvel and DC sit on a treasure trove: thousands and thousands of comic book characters. Pieces of intellectual property. Y...

NPR Turns 50 Amid Reckoning In Journalism Over Who Tells Stories — And How

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Now 50 years old, NPR has grown up alongside American journalism. We take stock of some lessons learned along the way. In this episode: Linda Wertheim...

Supply Scarce Abroad, Demand Down At Home: Vaccine Access Is Starkly Unequal

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Vaccine demand is beginning to slide in the U.S., but in other parts of the world, the pandemic is devastating countries where vaccines are more scarc...

Scotland May Try To Break Away From The United Kingdom — Again

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Thursday, Scots vote in Regional Parliamentary elections. That's not usually an international story, but the ruling Scottish National Party is runn...

Is The Biden Rescue Plan Working? 'American Indicators' Weigh In On The Recovery

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic economy has left different people in vastly different situations. Today, we follow up with four American indicators — people whose path...

How Brazen Smugglers Are Fueling Record Numbers At The Southern Border

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A record 172,000 migrants were apprehended at the southern border in March. Those numbers are fueled, in part, by smuggling organizations that exploit...

How India's COVID-19 Outbreak Got So Bad, And Why It May Be Even Worse Than We Know

30 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Things have gone from bad to worse in the pandemic's global epicenter. India reported nearly 400,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday — and the death co...

What Makes President Biden's Massive Spending Pitch So Historic

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Any one of President Biden's multi-trillion-dollar spending packages would be among the largest ever enacted by Congress. He has passed one — the Am...

The CDC's New Mask Guidance, Explained, And A Look At How Long Vaccines Protect Us

28 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Fully vaccinated people can ditch the mask outdoors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week — unless they're at a crowded eve...

New Census Numbers Mean A Political Power Shift For Some States

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The first set of results from the 2020 census are in, and according to the count, the official population of the United States is 331,449,281.Learn mo...

How Faith Leaders In Israel And The U.K. Are Fighting Vaccine Hesitancy

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Israel and the United Kingdom are among the most-vaccinated countries in the world. Their success is due in part to public health campaigns designed t...

BONUS: Policing In America

25 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Black Americans being victimized and killed by the police is an epidemic. As the trial of Derek Chauvin plays out, it's a truth and a trauma many peop...

The Story Behind The SolarWinds Cyberattack

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, hackers believed to be directed by the Russian intelligence service, the SVR, slipped a malicious code into a routine software update from ...

How To Navigate Life When You're Vaccinated And Others Aren't (Or Vice Versa)

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A little more than half of adults in the U.S. have had at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. That means a growing number of Americans are figuring ...

Will Justice For George Floyd Lead To Lasting Change?

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As crowds gathered Tuesday evening after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd, tw...

Jury Finds Derek Chauvin Guilty On All Counts In Killing Of George Floyd

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted on three counts in the trial over George Floyd's killing. The jury announced their ...

With All U.S. Adults Eligible, How Can More Be Convinced To Get Vaccinated?

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Starting Monday, every person in America 16 and older is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 40% already have. Now public health officials ...

BONUS: Workin' 9 To 5

18 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Flexible hours for working parents, daycare centers at the office, equal pay. Between the 1960s and 1980s, there was a real sense that big workplace c...

What Amazon's Defeat Of Union Effort Means For The Future Of American Labor

16 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A movement to unionize workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., was seen as a potential turning point for the American labor movement. But th...

'I Wish There Was An Easy Ending:' Afghanistan's Murky Future After Longest U.S. War

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden announced this week that all U.S. troops if Afghanistan will be withdrawn by Sept. 11, marking the end of America's 20-year war there....

Minneapolis Lives In 'A State Of Continuous Trauma' After Another Police Killing

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There have been nightly protests in Brooklyn Center, Minn., following Sunday's killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who was shot by former police off...

The J & J Pause, Explained — And What It Means For The U.S. Vaccination Effort

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration announced a recommended pause in use of Johnson & Johnson's single...

The Biden Administration's Women-Led Push For Investment In 'Care Infrastructure'

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden wants to make a massive investment in infrastructure, and not just in roads and bridges. His administration is proposing big investmen...

BONUS: 'We Already Belong'

11 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"To Asian women, not for—there's no speaking for us, splendidly vast and manifold as our people are." So writes Korean-American novelist R.O. Kwon i...