Consider This from NPR - Robert Redford was his own kind of Hollywood icon

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.

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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.

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Up First from NPR - Vance and Charlie Kirk, Patel On The Hill, Fed Preview

Vice President JD Vance calls Charlie Kirk’s death personal and political, vowing to target groups he blames for fueling violence. FBI Director Kash Patel faces senators after his tweets during the Kirk investigation raised questions about his leadership. And the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates as President Trump reshapes the central bank’s governing board.

Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Roberta Rampton, Ana Yukhananov, Rafael Nam, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Olivia Hampton

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.



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NPR's Book of the Day - In her translation of ‘The Odyssey,’ Emily Wilson aimed for ‘a crystalline clarity’

In 2017, Emily Wilson became the first woman to translate Homer’s The Odyssey into English – more than three millennia after the epic’s inception. In the second installment of our Back to School series, Wilson talks with NPR’s Lauren Frayer about how she approached aspects of her translation, including social hierarchies and Homeric epithets.


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The Indicator from Planet Money - Why the Federal Reserve wants to avoid an aggressive rate cut

The Federal Reserve is expected to make a modest cut to interest rates this week of about a quarter or half a percentage point. President Trump, however, believes they should take a far more aggressive approach: a 3-percentage point cut. 

Today on the show, we examine what a 3-percentage point cut would actually look like, and why that outcome would likely backfire on the president. Related episodes: 

It's hard out there for a Fed chair 

Should presidents have more of a say in interest rates? 

Can the Federal Reserve stay independent? 

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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Short Wave - What Do Stem Cells Mean For The Future Of Parkinson’s?

Parkinson’s Disease affects around a million people in the United States. And that number is on the rise, in part because our population is getting older. 


Dr. Claire Henchcliffe, chair of neurology at the University of California, Irvine, is one of the scientists at the forefront of Parkinson’s research. She's working toward new treatment options for Parkinson’s, including recent discoveries about the potential use of stem cells. 


Science correspondent Jon Hamilton dives into this research — and even a future where scientists can prevent the disease altogether — on the show with Henchcliffe. 


Interested in more on the future of brain science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org – we may feature it in an upcoming episode!


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Consider This from NPR - Charlie Kirk’s chair is empty. Can MAGA harness his movement?

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. 

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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.

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State of the World from NPR - Donald Trump’s Roots in Scotland

Ahead of a Presidential visit to the United Kingdom this week, we learn about the heritage of Donald Trump’s mother, who was born and raised in one of the UK’s northernmost islands. Our correspondent takes us to the Scottish island where Mary Ann MacLeod was born and learned English as her second language after Gaelic.  

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1A - ‘If You Can Keep It’: The Shadow Of Political Violence

On Friday, law enforcement authorities announced the arrest of a 22-year-old for the shooting death of Charlie Kirk. Kirk, a Trump ally and the co-founder of Turning Point USA, died after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University. He was speaking to a large crowd at an outdoor “Prove Me Wrong” debate, where he invited students to challenge his political and cultural views. 

At a press conference, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox asked Americans to consider what happens from here – an escalation or an off ramp.

Kirk’s killing is the latest in a spate of rising political violence across the country. A Minnesota state legislator was murdered in her home in June. The Pennsylvania governor’s house was set on fire in April. And last year on the campaign trail, Donald Trump faced two assassination attempts.

Experts who study political violence say the frequency and seriousness is increasing significantly. So, how did we get here. And is it possible to pull back? We examine the effect political violence has on the health of our democracy.

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Up First from NPR - Kirk Probe Latest, Rubio in Israel, Emmys Recap

Authorities in Utah are still searching for a motive in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Jerusalem after Israel’s strike on Doha put the U.S. at odds with two close allies. And at the Emmys, Adolescence, The Studio, and The Pitt took top prizes.

Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Russell Lewis, Kevin Drew, Matteen Mokalla, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Olivia Hampton

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from David Greenburg. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

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The Indicator from Planet Money - Why beef prices are so high

Beef is getting more expensive, and it doesn’t look as though that’s going to change any time soon. That’s the view of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, which wrote in its Beige Book entry this month that the trend of rising beef prices continues. There’s solid demand for beef, but falling supply, as production decreases. Ranchers are making more per cow, but their costs are rising. We speak with a rancher in Wyoming to learn what high beef prices mean for him and other ranchers. 

Related episodes: 
What happened to US farmers during the last trade war 
How USAID cuts hurt American farmers 

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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