Consider This from NPR

As the deputy chief of staff for policy and one of President Trump’s longest-serving aides, Stephen Miller has been the driving force behind many of Trump’s core policies. Ashley Parker, staff writer for The Atlantic, explains why Stephen Miller has President Trump’s ear.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. It was edited by Sarah Robbins and Rebekah Metzler. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

NPR International Correspondent Eyder Peralta has covered conflicts and crises from East Africa to Latin America. Sometimes just getting in place to cover a story is the hardest part of reporting. His latest deployment has taken him to Colombia where he has been covering the fallout from the U.S.’s intervention in Venezuela.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. It was edited by Adam Raney.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump raised eyebrows when he told the New York Times that there was only one thing that could stop him on the global stage: his own morality.So what do Americans think about the moral standing of the United States? Well, a new NPR-Ipsos poll finds Americans still want the U.S. to be a moral leader in the world — but far fewer think it actually is. Senior Political Editor and Correspondent Domenico Montanaro shares more from the poll, and Senior International Affairs Correspondent Jackie Northam helps make sense of what it means globally.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 Kai McNamee. It was edited by Vincent Ni, Nick Spicer and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

"Make America great again." That phrase has been in our political ecosystem for 10 years now.But it's never been clear what time period in American history President Trump was referencing?Is it the 1980s? Or maybe the 1950s?What about further back, say the 1890s?As we enter the second year of Trump’s second term, is a 19th century presidency emerging? 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, with audio engineering from Tiffany Vera Castro. It was edited by Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Today in Minneapolis, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer allegedly shot and killed a woman.ICE says she was shot in her car after attempting to run over immigration agents. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the woman’s actions a domestic act of terrorism. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the narrative that the shooting was done in self-defense “garbage.”An immigration crackdown gone wrong. What do we know? 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 Michael Levitt, Alejandra Marquez Janse and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.It was edited by Cheryl Corley, Ahmad Damen, Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For almost three years, a civil war has decimated Sudan’s Darfur region. Bob Kitchen, who leads emergency humanitarian programs for the International Rescue Committee, just returned from the region. He described what he saw in a series of audio diaries that he shared with NPR.A warning — the audio you are about to hear contains graphic descriptions of violence and rape against women and children.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 Michael Levitt, with audio engineering by Jay Czys. It was edited by Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and his wife, politician and attorney Cilia Flores, made their first court appearance in New York City Monday afternoon, when they both pleaded not guilty to all charges.As Nicolás Maduro faces narco-terrorism charges in the US, Venezuelans try to figure out what it means for their future, and the rest of the world wonders what it could mean for theirs. 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In this NPR investigation, we take a close look at the brutal violence that took place on Jan. 6, 2021, the investigation that followed, and the campaign Trump has waged to whitewash it.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, with audio engineering by Robert Rodriguez.It was edited by Barrie Hardymon.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In this NPR investigation, we take a close look at the brutal violence that took place on Jan. 6, 2021, the investigation that followed, and the campaign Trump has waged to whitewash it.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, with audio engineering by Robert Rodriguez.It was edited by Barrie Hardymon.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In early morning hours of January 3rd, the US military launched an operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro.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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ashley and Nick Evancho say raising their young daughter, Sophia, is one of the most joyous things they've ever done. But the Evanchos also made a decision that's increasingly common for families in the U.S. and around the world: one is enough. The trend is leading to populations that are dramatically older, and beginning to shrink, in many of the world's biggest economies.Experts say a rapidly aging and gradually shrinking population in the world's wealthiest countries could force sweeping changes in people's lives, causing many to work longer before retirement, making it harder for business owners to find employees and destabilizing eldercare and health insurance programs.This story is part of NPR's Population Shift series.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 Paige Waterhouse and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Andrea de Leon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The new year is a time to set goals. But daily life often gets in the way of meeting our ambitions. NPR’s Life Kit podcast host Marielle Segarra give us some practical, daily life tips that can set us up for success in 2026. 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 Michael Levitt. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This summer, the island of Puerto Rico was under the thrall of Bad Bunny. His 31-concert residency at a stadium in San Juan was a homecoming for the global superstar.It's also a homecoming for many thousands of people who left home – but are flocking back for the shows.NPR’s Adrian Florido reports on how the concerts resonated with Puerto Ricans on and off the island.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 Kathryn Fink, Elena Burnett, Liz Baker and Marc Rivers. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Gigi Douban. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hollywood had another quiet year at cinemas. Box office income hasn’t bounced back to pre-pandemic highs. But ticket sales aren’t always an indication of quality. As proof, critic Bob Mondello shares his top movies that are worth the watch.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 Chloee Weiner, Marc Rivers and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Zo vanGinhoven and Ted Mebane.It was edited by Clare Lombardo and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Eight years ago, Daniel Day-Lewis announced he was retired from acting. He offered no further comment. Retirement notwithstanding, in October, Daniel Day-Lewis appeared in a new movie. He plays a man who long ago left the world he once knew – and then is contacted by a family member to come back.It was written with and directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis. Father and son spoke with host Mary Louise Kelly about their film, Anemone.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 Kathryn Fink and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley and Neisha Heinis. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is using his position to access sporting events across the country and embed himself with teams and fans. And he’s leveraging sports and American sports culture to build up and amplify his political brand. NPR’s Tamara Keith speak with Christine Brennan, a longtime sports columnist and author, about the president and the significance of his strong ties to sports.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 Jeffrey Pierre and Henry Larson. It was edited by Sarah Robbins, Dana Farrington and Rebekah Metzler. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Day in and day out - it’s NPR’s Newscast team delivering the most immediate news to our audience more than anyone else. NPR's Tamara Keith talks to Korva Coleman about what it takes to get the story and get it right every hour of every day.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 Linah Mohammad and Daniel Ofman. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On the night of his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order that froze almost all international assistance.What followed was the termination of billions of dollars in aid programs — and the dismantling of the U-S Agency for International Development. Now, the future of U.S. foreign assistance looks very different.NPR global health correspondents Fatma Tanis and Gabrielle Emanuel have been following this all year and break down the impact of this move both on the ground and for the U.S.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 Mallory Yu, with additional reporting by Jonathan Lambert. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Rebecca Davis. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In the months after World War I erupted, young men in Europe were killing each other by the tens of thousands. Yet on a frozen Christmas Eve in 1914, the guns briefly fell silent. On the 100th anniversary of the truce, former All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro set out to reconstruct the events of that day using the accounts of the people who were there.  We bring you that story. 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 Elena Burnett. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Singer Brenda Lee reflects on the enduring power of her Christmas classic "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." 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 Connor Donevan and Brianna Scott.It was edited by Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy