Consider This from NPR

More than a hundred countries have committed to fresh plans to curb pollution, with one big holdout: the U.S. NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with the EU Commissioner for Climate, Wopke Hoekstra, about how global leaders are moving forward on climate goals with the U.S. on the sidelines. 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. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

After 25 years at NPR and 10 years hosting All Things Considered and the last few years hosting Consider This, Ari Shapiro is moving on to his next adventure. We’re saying bye. 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, Matt Ozug, Mia Venkat, Mallory Yu and Alejandra Marquez Janse. It was edited by Ashley Brown. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

A superhuman artificial intelligence so smart it can decide to get rid of slower-witted humans is a pretty terrifying concept. What was once strictly the stuff of science fiction is now closer than ever to being a reality. And if it does, some A-I researchers have gloomy predictions about humanity’s chances of survival. While the A-I boom continues and companies across the country are heavily investing in the technology, some researchers are begging humanity to pump the brakes. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The federal government’s approach to public health has changed more in the last eight months than it has in decades. Since President Trump returned to office, he and members of his administration have challenged the safety of the covid vaccine, the overall childhood vaccine schedule, and the causes of autism. This has upended public health guidance that doctors and patients have relied on for years. Jen Brull, the President of the American Academy of Family Physicians talks about how doctors and patients are navigating this 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 Elena Burnett, Brianna Scott, and Megan Lim, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump is promising to sweep homeless people off America’s streets. One controversial part of his plan could force thousands of people into institutions where they would be treated “long-term” for for addiction and mental illness. Critics say the policy raises big concerns about civil liberties and cost. But parts of this idea - known as “civil commitment” are gaining traction with some Democratic leaders. 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 Erika Ryan, with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Andrea de Leon and Courtney Dorning. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration is moving fast on a plan to create several holding centers around the country for people detained in a nationwide immigration crackdown. One facility in particular has been rife with problems. 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. With audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by John Ketchum and William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Governor Spencer Cox of Utah, who has been in the national headlines just about every day since Charlie Kirk's killing, has long wanted to bring community harmony to national politics. That outlook comes in part from his upbringing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The governor was a critic of President Trump during Trump’s first term, but later endorsed him after the president survived an assassination attempt. Will Charlie Kirk’s killing change Cox’s approach? 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 Avery Keatley, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Ahmad Damen and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

NPR's Don Gonyea reports from across the country, engaging with a wide range of people and in places as distinct and different as political rallies and automotive shops. Gonyea explains the importance of really listening, especially during this time of deep divides in America. 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 Kira Wakeam. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

A 30 second video clip shows a boat bobbing in the water. Then, a fireball and a huge plume of smoke. President Trump posted the footage on social media this week, saying he ordered the U-S military to attack what Trump called “narcoterrorists from Venezuela.” It’s at least the second time this month that President Trump has ordered this sort of a deadly strike on a boat that he claims carried illegal drugs. It's an example of the new ways Trump is deploying military force. The President has used the National Guard in American cities. Do the strikes on Venezuelan vessels signal a new way of using the military abroad, and is it legal? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

President Trump has said for years that he wants Jimmy Kimmel off the air. Now, ABC and its parent company Disney have put the show on indefinite hiatus. One key player here is the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr. Today he applauded ABC’s decision, posting on X, “Broadcast TV stations have always been required by their licenses to operate in the public interest.” Kimmel’s cancellation reopens questions about free speech, the role of the FCC, and the relationship between the commission and the White House. NPR political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro and former FCC chairman Tom Wheeler shed some light on those questions. 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 Marc Rivers, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane and Tiffany Vera Castro. It was edited by Megan Pratz and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The first day of President Trump’s historic trip to the UK was dominated by ceremony. A carriage procession around the grounds of Windsor Castle with the royal family. Inspection of the guards. Exhibits from the Royal Collection. A lavish banquet preceded by a joint US- UK military flypast. All the royal pomp and pageantry that might be expected for the first ever second state visit by an elected politician to a British monarch. But the sights and sounds beyond the castle were far different. Thousands of protestors filled London’s streets with chants, signs and Trump baby blimps. Protestors told us they were demonstrating over what’s happening in the United States over what’s happening in Gaza and over Trump’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The U.K.'s response to Trump is like America's: divided Coming up, opposing perspectives on President Trump’s visit to the United Kingdom. This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink and Beth Timmins in London and by Tyler Bartlam and Elena Burnett in Washington. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Nick Spicer, Roberta Rampton and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Robert Redford died early Tuesday morning, according to his publicist. He was 89 years old. Redford was a golden child of Hollywood, starring in dozens of movies. But he was never content just being an all-American matinee idol. He became an Oscar-winning director, founded the Sundance Institute and grew the Sundance Film Festival, and advocated for environmental causes before activism became a Hollywood cliche. Linda Holmes, host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, and film critic Bob Mondello look back on Robert Redford’s work and legacy. 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 and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Jay Cyzs 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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

With the assasination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, there’s a great deal of speculation about who will fill his seat, literally and metaphorically. Vice President JD Vance hosted the Charlie Kirk Show on Monday. He talked with a variety of Trump administration heavyweights and conservative media figures, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and political commentator Tucker Carlson. The guests reflected on their personal and professional relationships with Kirk, and his many contributions to the second Trump presidency. NPR Senior Political Editor and Correspondent Domenico Montanaro and NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik share what they learned from the show about how Charlie Kirk’s legacy is being shaped in real time. 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 Kira Wakeam, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Megan Pratz, Emily Kopp and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The Supreme Court has cleared the way for federal immigration enforcement agents in Los Angeles to use race and other profiling factors in deciding who to stop and potentially detain. NPR’s Scott Detrow and Jasmine Garsd discuss how the expansion of ICE operations around the country has changed the way people interact with law enforcement, and their community. 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 Avery Keatley. It was edited by Adam Raney and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Sometimes the stories that help us understand the full impact of war are told through a child’s voice. And sometimes the most powerful stories of war are not just of destruction and rising death tolls, but also of humanity, optimism and hope. Reporter Ari Daniel visited a clinic and captured a moving scene between a doctor and his patient, a young girl from Gaza. 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 Sarah Robbins and Rebecca Davis. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

HIV has been in retreat around the world. Fewer people are dying of the disease. New infections are decreasing. More HIV positive people have access to life saving medicine. Those trend lines have been moving in the right direction for decades. And US investment is one big reason. The Trump Administration dismantled foreign assistance through USAID, it continued PEPFAR — the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief — but much of the work is either no longer happening or happening at a very reduced capacity. For decades, the United States led global efforts to end HIV/AIDS. That's no longer happening. Where will the trend lines go from here? 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. You also heard reporting in this episode from NPR’s Gabrielle Emanuel from Zambia. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Rebecca Davis. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

For many young conservatives, Charlie Kirk was more than just another political activist or online personality. He was the face of their movement -- a glimpse at how life for their generation could look by embracing a more hard-right, MAGA worldview. Charlie Kirk's followers are in shock and grief over his assassination. As they try to make sense of his killing, many are also asking what's next for the movement he started. 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 and Mia Venkat. It was edited by John Ketchum and Courtney Dorning. . Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The 9/11 terrorism case has been in legal limbo for more than a decade and many doubt the case will ever make it to take to trial. That’s partly because the defendants were tortured in secret CIA prisons, so there are ongoing legal fights over what evidence is admissible. Meanwhile, the accused men are at the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and thousands of 9/11 family members wait for a resolution. NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with two young people whose fathers died in the World Trade Center attacks, as they debate whether the 9/11 defendants should get plea deals. 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 Michael Levitt, with audio engineering by Becky Brown. It was edited by Barrie Hardymon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Six years after his death in prison, sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to dominate the news. A House committee has released a suggestive note sent to Epstein for his 50th birthday that is signed "Donald J. Trump." The White House continues to deny now President Trump wrote or signed it. Separately, a New York Times investigation tracked Epstein's relationship to the country's leading bank, JPMorgan Chase. It concludes that the bank enabled his sex crimes, even as evidence against him piled up. Times reporter Matt Goldstein explains. 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 J. Czys and Ted Mebane. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Chris Hugues has what he calls an interesting job. He’s an assistant operator at a wastewater treatment plant in Cavendish, Vermont. On a recent August afternoon he gave NPR’s Jenna McLaughlin a tour of the plant. Hughes loves his work, in all its technical, mathematical, chemical, and yes, dirty, glory. But lately, Hughes has had to worry about a new hazard: cyberattacks. The threat of someone cutting water off for Americans is real. Chinese hackers recently spent nearly a year inside a Massachusetts utility company that provides power and water. And last October, hackers targeted American Water, the largest wastewater utility company in the country. Water is an appealing target for hackers. People like Chris Hughes are working to make sure a cyber-attack doesn’t stop the flow. 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. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Andrew Sussman. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy