Consider This from NPR

Nancy Pelosi is arguably the most powerful woman in American history. After her election to Congress in 1987, she accumulated more and more power, eventually rising to become Speaker of the House in 2007, the first and only woman to hold that office. Now in her 20th term, Pelosi announced Thursday morning that she will not seek reelection. Susan Page is Washington Bureau chief for USA Today and author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power. She joined Consider This host Juana Summers to talk about Pelosi's achievements -- and her 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 Michael Levitt, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata, Courtney Dorning and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Next year, the Supreme Court will decide whether the President can use a five decade old emergency powers act to shape the U.S. economy. Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or AYEEPA, last spring when he imposed sweeping tariffs of at least 10 percent across all countries. Wednesday, the nine justices heard oral arguments in the case. And however they decide it — the ruling could affect economic policy and presidential power for years to come. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a democrat, was at the Court and joined Consider This host Juana Summers to talk about the suit and the steps his state is taking to rein in the Trump administration. 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 Brianna Scott and Erika Ryan with engineering by David Greenburg. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a major case about the administration’s use of tariffs. President Trump has long touted the power of tariffs as a tool for trade negotiations and even for ending conflict. But now the justices will hear about how that tool may be misused. NPR's Scott Horsley and Danielle Kurtzleben discuss President Trump's tariff policy and its economic impact. 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 Karen Zamora. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Rafael Nam and Dana Farrington. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Every year the President of the United States determines how many refugees can enter this country. The law says he must consult Congress on this number. But last week President Trump announced just 7,500 refugees would be admitted in the coming fiscal year – a 94% cut from the 125,000 cap set by President Joe Biden. Sharif Aly leads the International Refugee Assistance Project - an organization that helps refugees and other immigrants navigate the legal process of resettlement. The International Refugee Assistance Project is also challenging Trump’s suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Aly joined Consider This host Juana Summers to discuss how this historic drop means for the US refugee resettlement system. 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 Jonaki Mehta, Connor Donevan and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Becky Brown and Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The legal definition of the term 'unlawful combatants' was used to justify detaining people at Guantanamo indefinitely, without ever charging them with a crime. Now, the president is using it to describe the alleged drug smugglers that the military is targeting with boat strikes. 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 and Gabriel Sanchez. It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

From recording a snoring elephant to figuring out how to be a mime during an interview, three former print journalists talk about how telling an audio story is special. 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. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Voters head to the polls next week in California, Virginia and New Jersey among other states. Senior national political correspondent Mara Liasson and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro explain what they are watching in these elections — and what voters’ choices might say about the 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 Kai McNamee and Connor Donevan. It was edited by Kelsey Snell, Ben Swasey, Jeanette Woods and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

It’s a critical week regarding the Affordable Care Act, which is at the center of the government shutdown impasse. “Window shopping" began for some people buying health insurance through the ACA – also known as Obamacare – giving enrollees estimates on how much their premiums could cost next year. Without the ACA tax credits that Democrats want to extend into 2026, many people could see big increases in their health care costs – 114%, on average, according to estimates by KFF, a nonprofit health policy think tank. While there’s still time for lawmakers to strike a deal on extending the subsidies, “the longer this goes on, the more damage there could be,” says Cynthia Cox, who conducts research on Obamacare for KFF. This episode was produced by Michael Levitt, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Ashley Brown, Diane Webber, and Nadia Lancy. 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. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

When companies need a loan, traditionally they turn to a bank. But increasingly they’re turning to financial firms that are not really banks, but do have a lot of cash. This is called the “private credit” market. It has exploded in the past 15 years. It’s now valued at around $2 trillion. Natasha Sarin, president of the Yale Budget Lab and former Biden administration official, argues that these private credit firms are making risky loans. So risky, that they’ve got her thinking about the 2008 financial crisis. 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 Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Andie Huether and Josephine Nyounai. It was edited by Adam Raney and John Ketchum. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Ashley and Nick Evancho say raising their 3-year-old, 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/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

In a public roundtable, President Trump asked his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, to apply the designation to Antifa. NPR's Ryan Lucas reports that it could have enormous consequences, including making it illegal to provide something as meager as a bottle of water to what the Trump administration deems to be Antifa. 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 Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Josephine Nyounai. It was edited by Justine Kenin and Krishnadev Calamur. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

A delegation of high-level US officials were recently sent to Israel to try to hold the fragile Gaza truce together. The Israeli press called them the 'BibiSitters,' a nod to the Israeli prime minister's nickname. What does Benjamin Netanyahu's political future look like and how tied is he to the Trump administration's interests? 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 and Gabriel Sanchez, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

U.S. citizens have been arrested in the Trump Administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown. According to ProPublica, at least 170 have been arrested or detained by immigration agents since President Trump took office for his second term. In response, Texas Rep. Robert Garcia and Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut — both Democrats — have announced an investigation into these detentions. It is incredibly concerning that now anyone can be targeted,” Rep. Garcia tells NPR. “It’s important that we begin documenting all of this.” 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 Michael Levitt, with audio engineeringfrom Damian Herring. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwatananon and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The FBI arrested multiple people tied to the NBA in a wide-ranging illegal gambling probe. The NBA and other major sports leagues have been deepening ties with the lucrative sports-betting industry. Washington Post sports columnist Kevin Blackistone explains the implications of this scandal on the NBA and sports betting in general. 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 and Daniel Ofman. Additional reporting in this episode from Becky Sullivan. It was edited by Russell Lewis, Justine Kenin and our executive producer Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

For many years, the far right has been the most lethal and persistent source of domestic terrorism in the U.S. But the assassination of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk last month and attacks against immigration enforcement efforts have fueled a talking point for Republicans about concerns over left-wing political violence. The political motivations behind these attacks are still unclear, but one study says that violence from the left has been the greater threat so far this year. NPR’s domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef looks into whether this claim is correct. 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 Jonaki Mehta and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Damian Herring. It was edited by Andrew Sussman and Sami Yenigun, who is also our executive producer. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

It's getting harder to get away with murder in Philadelphia. Violent crime has fallen sharply -- like it has in many other cities. And Philadelphia police are now solving homicides at the highest rate since 1984. There's a connection there -- but there's also plenty more to the story. Philadelphia Inquirer crime reporter Ellie Rushing shows what her team has found. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or atplus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. This episode was produced by Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. It features additional reporting by Martin Kaste and WHYY’s Aaron Moselle. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration's push to expand immigration enforcement -- as part of its deportation efforts -- has created job opportunities in small towns and cities. We head to one of them -- Folkston, Georgia, a community of about 2,800 residents.. That number will soon swell as immigrant detainees fill up a growing ICE detention center at the edge of town. The center is in a old prison run by the private prison corporation, the GEO Group, and is set to become the nation’s largest detention facility.We hear about the hopes and fears of the town's residents. 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 Liz Baker, Elena Burnett and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Eric Westervelt and Justine Kenin. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Following repeated U.S attacks on boats off the coast of Venezuela, Senator Tim Kaine has partnered with fellow Democrat Senator Adam Schiff and Republican Senator Rand Paul to force a vote to prevent war on Venezuela without approval from Congress. Senator Kaine speaks to NPR about the role he says Congress must play to keep the president from unilaterally leading the country into a military conflict. 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 Valentina Rodriguez and Tiffany Vera Castro. It was edited by Adam Raney and Anna Yukhananov. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Veteran Middle East correspondent Jane Arraf has seen peace deals fall apart many times in her decades covering the region. She talks about what she is watching for to see if the ceasefire can hold. 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 Avery Keatley. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

America’s farmers are getting walloped by the federal government shutdown. The closing of government offices means they’ve lost access to data and loans that help keep them afloat — Then there’s healthcare. More than a quarter of the nation’s farmers rely on the Affordable Care Act…along with the subsidies at the heart of the shutdown fight. And add to that — the fact that farmers’ finances are taking a hit from bottom lines are also being slashed due to President Trump’s tariffs. For generations – the federal government has worked to support American farmers. But as they lose access to vital loans and information.. as the trade war cuts into their bottom line… And as many face skyrocketing healthcare costs…that support seems to have all but disappeared. 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 by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy