Consider This from NPR

A New Jersey immigration detention center on edge. What comes next? 01.06.2026 8min

A New Jersey immigration facility is the latest hot spot for protests against Trump's immigration policy. What's happening inside, and could the situation outside worsen?The Delaney Hall Detention Facility has been the site of intense protests since last month, and they’ve become increasingly violent in recent days.Family members of detainees say a hunger and labor strike has begun inside the prison, over poor living conditions and alleged human rights violations.To control the tension outside, Newark’s mayor issued an indefinite curfew around the facility.Mayor Ras Baraka joined NPR to talk about the curfew and where things go from here.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Tinbete Ermyas.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.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 Policy

Misinformation, porous borders and aid cuts challenge Ebola's frontline workers 31.05.2026 9min

As aid groups warn that the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa is worsening, Nicholas Enrich, the former acting assistant administrator for global health at US AID, worries the U.S. capacity to stop this crisis - or future ones - is less robust than it was.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 Henry Larson.It was edited by Sarah Robbins.Our executive producer is Courtney Dorning.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 Policy

Here's how many Americans are cutting their food costs 30.05.2026 9min

For his series What's Eating America, NPR reporter Joe Hernandez has been examining how people across the country are adapting to high food prices. In this week's Reporter's Notebook, Hernandez discusses how he got Americans to share their very personal stories connected to the food and affordability.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 Gurjit Kaur.It was edited by Adam Raney.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

How is U.S. immigration policy hurting a key Louisiana industry? 29.05.2026 8min

Louisiana leads the country in crawfish production, bringing more than $300 million to the state each year. What happens when there aren't enough employees to get them to buyers? Farmers, landscapers and the hospitality industry have long argued that the U.S. government doesn’t issue enough temporary visas to meet seasonal labor needs. Current limits under Trump’s second term have worsened that problem. And farmers in rural Louisiana are feeling that pinch. NPR’s Debbie Elliott went to Louisiana to find out how.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 Christine Arrasmith and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro.It was edited by Russell Lewis and Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

How the Trump administration uses the Bible to justify its actions 28.05.2026 8min

American presidents have long used scripture as a rhetorical resource to frame important moments in the nation’s history. But the Trump administration has used the Bible in different ways to publicly frame policies such as immigration crackdowns and military actions abroad.NPR religion correspondent Jason DeRose explores specific instances when Trump administration officials have invoked the Bible to back the president’s agenda.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 Sarah Ventre and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Daniel Burke and William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

How a health clinic in South Africa is navigating Trump's cuts to HIV funding 27.05.2026 8min

Community health programs in South Africa have been heavily impacted by U.S. cuts to global aid. Which means there are fewer community and health workers to support low-income people with HIV and AIDS.We recently visited one of those programs, called We Care, to learn more about the experiences of the few employees who still remain.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 story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.This episode was produced by Matt Ozug, Karen Zamora and Elena Burnett, with audio engineering by Peter Ellena.It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and William Troop.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

Amid fresh strikes, what does diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran entail? 26.05.2026 8min

U.S. forces struck Iranian boats and missile launch sites in southern Iran on Monday, in what U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins has called "self-defense strikes ... to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces." Iran says it shot down three U.S. drones. Despite the violence, neither Iran nor the United States appear to be pulling back on diplomatic efforts to reach an interim deal to end the almost three-month long war. But what does that look like?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 Alejandra Marquez Janse and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.It was edited by James Hider, Rebekah Metzler and Tinbete Ermyas.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

Warning flags about the Trump administration and alleged corruption 25.05.2026 14min

In recent days, the news has been filled with some eyebrow-raising choices by the Trump administration.Like the disclosure of thousands of stock trades, being granted immunity from IRS audits, and the DOJ's nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.These actions have raised questions from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice, a non-partisan legal think tank, says these actions amount to "corruption in plain sight." 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 Tyler Bartlam and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Peter Ellena and Ted Mebane.It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

Has the U.S. lost the war in Iran? 24.05.2026 9min

Throughout the war, the U.S.’ main objectives have fluctuated from regime change, to stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, to reopening the strategic straight of Hormuz. Robert Kagan, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution, explains why the U.S. will likely come out of the war weaker than before.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 Daniel Ofman, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna.It was edited by Sarah Robbins.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. 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 Policy

Meet Byron Allen: The new host jumping into Stephen Colbert’s time slot 22.05.2026 9min

Media mogul Byron Allen owns the Weather Channel, a bunch of local TV and cable channels and also recently acquired a majority stake in Buzzfeed.And on Friday, he’s bringing his show Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen to the CBS time slot long held by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.Host Ailsa Chang spoke with Byron Allen about his plans for Comics Unleashed and why he thinks there’s still more than enough political comedy after the cancellation of Colbert.This conversation is part of NPR’s Newsmakers video podcast series. For more, follow or subscribe to Newsmakers on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen. You can also find the show in the NPR app.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 Erika Ryan and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Kwesi Lee and Maggie Luthar. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

Will Jan. 6 defendants go from prison to payday? 21.05.2026 5min

With Trump's DOJ anti-weaponization fund, Jan. 6 defendants may go from prison to payday. Can the police officers who defended the Capitol stop them?The new “Anti-Weaponization Fund” from the Trump Department of Justice is a pot of money worth almost $1.8 billion from a settlement between President Trump, and the government he leads. Trump officials say anyone who believes they were victims of “weaponized” law enforcement can apply for this taxpayer-funded compensation.And that includes the hundreds of people who assaulted police at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.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 Monika Evstatieva and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro. It was edited by Barrie Hardymon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

Could artificial intelligence improve special education? 20.05.2026 8min

Special education teachers are using artificial intelligence to manage crushing paperwork. Could it help instructors spend more time with their students?Millions of students qualify for special education and they need qualified teachers to help them.But burnout for these teachers has caused many to leave the profession – one reason – the paperwork Now, a growing number of special educators are using A-I to speed up that paperwork and some research shows that despite the risks – it could help them spend more time with students.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 Tyler Bartlam. It was edited by Steven Drummond, Nirvi Shah and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

Former ‘Ebola czar’ on the current outbreak in Africa 19.05.2026 8min

More than a decade ago, Ron Klain helped orchestrate the U.S. response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, as the White House Ebola response coordinator under President Obama. Now, with a fast-growing outbreak of a different strain of Ebola, in a different part of Africa, the public health infrastructure to address an outbreak has vastly changed, following the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID. In this episode, Klain talks about the role USAID played in responding to the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, and assesses whether today’s outbreak poses more or less of a risk to people in the United States.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 Christopher Harland-Dunaway, Kathryn Fink and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Gisele Grayson. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

Is Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg ready to lead? 18.05.2026 11min

Is Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg ready to lead? We ask him.Schlossberg seems to be trying to follow the path his grandfather John F. Kennedy took when he was elected to Congress almost eight decades ago.And his campaign has momentum. Lots of attention, favorable press and the endorsement of Speaker of the House emeritus Nancy Pelosi.But now after the New York Times article – he’s speaking out – a lot. 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 Mia Venkat, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.It was edited by Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

A prayer festival calls for more religion in politics, not less 17.05.2026 14min

A prayer festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC was partially organized and funded by the federal government. Its evangelical Christian messaging and call for more religion in politics not less, aligns with the Trump administration's fusion of faith and governance. NPR's Emily Feng went to the event to understand the audience for this approach, and she spoke with author Eric Metaxas, a speaker at the Rededicate 250 festival.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 Henry Larson, with audio engineering by It was edited by Sarah Robbins and Daniel Burke.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

How to separate the signal from the noise when covering the midterms 16.05.2026 9min

NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro has spent years covering elections and parsing through voter data. With the midterm elections approaching Montanaro talks about how he relies on both polling and stories from voters to report as accurately as possible on the current political moment.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 Gabriel Sanchez and Michael Levitt. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

Trump isn’t talking about deportations, but they’re still happening 15.05.2026 9min

The Trump administration hasn't been talking much about its mass deportation policy, but that doesn't mean efforts have stopped.Back in February, support for President Trump’s mass deportation policy had plummeted. Two thirds of Americans polled by NPR said immigration enforcement had gone too far after agency officers killed two American citizens in Minneapolis.The Trump administration has spent the past several months trying to regain public support ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.But what has actually changed about the policy?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 Tyler Bartlam. It was edited by Kelsey Snell, Tinbete Ermyas and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

Is the US running out of weapons in the Iran War? 14.05.2026 8min

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is butting heads with Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona again — this time, over Kelly’s recent statements that the U.S. is depleting its weapons supply in this war with Iran.Secretary Hegseth says that in discussing information from Pentagon briefings, Senator Kelly violated protocol. But the back-and-forth does raise the question: What's the status of the Pentagon's weapons stockpile amid the war with Iran? Barbara Starr, former CNN Pentagon correspondent and current senior fellow at the The USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy, provides insight.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 Lauren Hodges, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna.It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Tinbete Ermyas.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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.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 Policy

Is there anything new to learn from the ‘alien files’? 13.05.2026 8min

Flying discs, metallic orbs, and a mysterious cylinder tumbling past the Apollo spacecraft. Those are just a few of the unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP, contained in a batch of government files the Department of Defense released this month. The DoD report, coming on President Trump’s orders, is another step towards the federal government taking the question of UAPs more seriously. But how much of this is really new – and what more can we learn from the files?Astrophysicist Adam Frank of the University of Rochester, who’s involved in the search for intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, weighs in on this new trove of ‘alien files.’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 Gabe Sanchez and Jordan-Marie Smith, with audio engineering by Damian Herring. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.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 Policy

Trump promised Americans impartial justice. Is he delivering? 12.05.2026 8min

President Trump promised Americans, fair, equal and impartial justice…is that what he’s delivering?President Trump campaigned on a promise to undo the levers of the justice system that he said were weaponized against him. His administration has gutted the Justice Department unit that investigates and prosecutes public corruption.But since the beginning of Trump’s second term investigations into corrupt public officials have dropped nearly 90 percent. Meanwhile, pardons of officials convicted of corruption have risen. 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.It was edited by Kelsey Snell, Jeanette Woods and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. 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 Policy