Sources & Methods

Episoder

• Jake Sullivan: 'Hard to see' what U.S. has gained in Iran 01.06.2026 39min

  Jake Sullivan, former National Security Advisor under President Biden, says it's hard to see what the United States gains in the war with Iran. He spoke with host Mary Louise Kelly before a live audience at the 2026 WBUR Festival last week for a wide-ranging conversation that included China, Ukraine, Greenland, Cuba, Afghanistan and of course, Iran."In the weeks leading up to the start of the bombing, they were putting proposals on the table that actually look more forward leaning than what we're seeing now in some ways. And the Strait of Hormuz was open," he said. "Now, today, the Strait of Hormuz is closed. The nuclear deal seems to be getting further away, not closer."Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.orgNPR+ supporters hear every episode without sponsor messages and unlock access to our complete archive. Sign up at plus.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
• U.S., Iran trade strikes / Trump 'won't rush' / Obama nuclear deal 2.0? 28.05.2026 30min

  Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week that there's been "some progress" in current negotiations with Iran. But both sides exchanged fire this week, so what gives?Today, host Scott Detrow steps in for Mary Louise Kelly. He speaks with NPR International Correspondent Aya Batrawy and NPR Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman about whether these diplomatic efforts can finally break the impasse between the two countries, and why a nuclear deal with Iran feels like déjà vu.  Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.orgNPR+ supporters hear every episode without sponsor messages and unlock access to our complete archive. Sign up at plus.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
• Trump counterterror plan: cartels, left-wing violence / San Diego and the far right 21.05.2026 33min

  The attack at a mosque in San Diego underscores larger problems: the rise of far right extremism and the rise of Islamophobia. But a new White House document on rising threats make no mention of right-wing extremist groups.Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre and NPR Domestic Extremism Correspondent Odette Yousef about what radicalized the two teens involved in the San Diego attack. They also look into the latest version of the United States Counterterrorism Strategy, which does not list far-right extremism as a threat to Americans. Plus, an update on Iran and Cuba.Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.orgNPR+ supporters hear every episode without sponsor messages and unlock access to our complete archive. Sign up at plus.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
• Beijing Summit / Trump and Xi as allies, rivals and frenemies 14.05.2026 30min

  President Trump visits Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the first time since 2017. What’s changed? And what does each man want from this meeting?Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR White House Correspondent Franco Ordoñez and NPR China Correspondent Jennifer Pak about Trump's big summit with Chinese leaders in Beijing and how the U.S.-China relationship has evolved since their last meeting. Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.orgNPR+ supporters hear every episode without sponsor messages and unlock access to our complete archive. Sign up at plus.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
• 2084: A cautionary tale about the future of war and a changing planet 12.05.2026 23min

  Laser weapons, advanced drone warfare, and nation states around the globe redefined by climate change: this is the world in 2084, envisioned by authors Jim Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman. Both are veterans -- Ackerman, a former Marine, did five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan; Stavridis is a retired four-star admiral and a former supreme allied commander of NATO. Their novel 2084 is the third in a trilogy. They compare their work to cold war fiction like Dr. Strangelove -- stories that imagined disasters specifically so society would work to avoid them. In this episode, they unpack what dangers they see on the distant horizon. Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.orgNPR+ supporters hear every episode without sponsor messages and unlock access to our complete archive. Sign up at plus.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
• Introducing Sources & Methods 25.08.2025 1min

  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 matter here at home. Additional episodes feature interviews with power players from the NatSec world -- current and former military officials, intelligence experts, diplomatic leaders, and more. Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.org. NPR+ supporters hear every episode sponsor-free and can access our complete archive. Learn more and support public media at plus.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