Consider This from NPR

Last week British surgeon Nizam Mamode testified in front of a committee in the U.K. Parliament. Dr. Mamode had recently returned from working at a hospital in Central Gaza. He told parliamentary members what he witnessed, including drones that would come down and "pick off civilians, children. And we had description after description. This is not, you know, an occasional thing. This was day after day after day." For months, NPR has been collecting eyewitness accounts from Gaza that corroborate Dr. Mamode's testimony, saying the Israeli military has been using sniper drone technology and that they're not just shooting enemies, but also civilians.|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

What does it take to run the Department of Defense? That's a question that will be at the heart of Pete Hegseth's confirmation process early next year.Hegseth, a longtime Fox News host, is President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense. The department he's nominated to run is one of the biggest, most complex entities in the US government. It's an institution that former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel notes – has its "own judicial code, legal system and health care system."Pete Hegseth is about to oversee a Defense Department with an 800 billion dollar budget, and millions of service members. Is he qualified for the job?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

President-elect Trump has vowed to elimanate the Department of Education. The DOE oversees everything from college student loans to aid for public school special education. What would shutting it down mean for America's schools?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When compared to some of president-elect Trump's other cabinet picks, Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State is a pretty conventional choice.He's a veteran politician who served on the foreign relations and intelligence committees for over a decade, and he's been a loyal Trump backer throughout this year's campaign. But when you look back at Marco Rubio during his 2016 presidential campaign, there's a striking contrast. When he ran against Trump in 2016, Rubio called him a con artist, and described his style of leadership as dangerous. Now, he's going to work for him. Marco Rubio's political evolution is indicative of how the Republican Party has remade itself around Donald Trump, and it gives some clues about how he may operate as the nation's top diplomat.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

This week President-elect Donald Trump announced Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services.The nomination comes after Trump promised to let Kennedy "go wild on health" during the campaign.Kennedy holds a number of controversial opinions on health, and promotes a number of scientifically debunked claims like vaccines cause autism, fluoride is poisoning the public water system and AIDS isn't caused by the HIV virus.Kennedy has long wanted to remake health and healthcare policy in the United States. Soon, he may get his chance. 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

Vice President Kamala Harris made history as the first woman of color to lead the ticket of a major party. But despite her historic run, she ultimately lost. What will her legacy be?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

Since Donald Trump won the presidency last week, Democrats have been pointing fingers, laying blame and second-guessing themselves.All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro talked with three democratic strategists who are looking ahead and asking: Where does the party 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Wicked – the 20-year-old – smash hit on Broadway turns the story of the "Wizard of Oz" on its head. Now, the story of Elfaba the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the Good Witch, and the Wizard himself is making the shift from stage to screen. The director bringing the Broadway hit to screens across the country is Jon M. Chu, the director of the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians.The movie version of Wicked is in many ways the culmination of Chu's own story as a person of color. Chu always wanted to be a filmmaker. Chu says his life experience and career lead him to tell the story of a person of color in a new way.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

During the campaign, President-elect Trump called for reporters to be imprisoned and for media outlets to lose their licenses over unfavorable coverage, Will he make good on the threats?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Today, we're sharing an episode of Trump's Trials for listeners.Now that Donald Trump is headed back to the White House the three remaining criminal cases against him will most likely go away. Host Scott Detrow speaks with NPR justice correspondent Carrie Johnson. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for new episodes each Saturday.Sign up for sponsor-free episodes and support NPR's political journalism at plus.npr.org/trumpstrials.Email the show at trumpstrials@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Referred to as one of the most fascinating librarians in American history, Belle da Costa Greene is the figure who is responsible for the depth and legacy of the Morgan Library's collection, to this 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In just over 70 days, Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States will become the 47th, and he'll begin implementing his vision of an all powerful chief executive.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 the days leading up to election night, news outlets across the country were predicting a historically close race, one that could take days to call. But as election night progressed, it became clear former President Donald Trump was on a path to victory. So much so, that before anything was official, he thanked his supporters from his campaign headquarters in West Palm Beach.And then, Wednesday morning at about 5:30, it became official when the Associated Press called Wisconsin for Trump. We're still awaiting final tallies, but it appears Trump is on track to win the popular vote for the first time. Trump's agenda for a second term will be dissected over and over in the days ahead. Today, we break down how America sent him back to office --- how Trump won in 2024.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.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The homestretch of the presidential campaign means huge rallies, a final barrage of campaign ads, and massive multi-state get out the vote efforts. All of that costs money.And it seems like every successive presidential election ends up being the most expensive election in history.Open Secrets, a group that tracks election spending, estimates the 2024 federal election cycle will cost nearly $16 billion. It was around $15 billion in 2020.Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign raised a record billion dollars in just three months.And, according to Open Secrets, tech billionaire Elon Musk has poured more than $118-million into his America PAC in support of former President Donald Trump.As we publish this episode Tuesday afternoon, we don't know who will win this election. But we do know that outside money has played a bigger role than ever 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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Quincy Jones, the famed music producer who helped artists dominate popular music for half a century, has died. NPR's Walter Ray Watson described Jones' talent as one that produced music that hooked ears, warmed hearts and moved feet to dance.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 these closing days of the presidential election, polling across the board has nearly every swing state in a statistical tie, meaning the election may come down to just a couple thousands votes. No matter who wins, in the coming days we're going to hear a lot more from Donald Trump and his allies about the results. And if history is any guide we can expect a mix of misleading information, rumors and outright lies 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

When the 2024 presidential campaign began, it looked a lot like the last one. Former President Donald Trump and sitting President Joe Biden became the presumptive nominees for their parties in March. This year was set to be the first U.S. presidential rematch since 1956. We all know sequels are rarely more interesting than the original, and it seemed like this election might be downright boring. But the joke was on us, because Americans have just lived through the most dramatic, eventful, unexpected presidential campaign of our lives. We revisit the key moments that brought us to this point in the race.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

There are plenty of ways to encourage people to vote, as the presidential candidates and their supporters are demonstrating in this final stretch of the campaign.We dig into each campaign's voter turnout operation.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

On Tuesday night, one week before election day, Vice President Kamala Harris made her closing argument to the American people. 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

North Carolina has more rural voters than any other 2024 presidential swing state. As early voting continues across the state, canvassing groups are working to turn out voters — including in Nash County, a purple county President Biden won in 2020 and former President Trump won in 2016, both by razor-thin margins.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