As lawmakers, and people around the country, grapple with what federal immigration enforcement should look like, Janet Napolitano, former DHS Secretary under President Obama, talks about the future - and the past - of ICE.
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 Henry Larson and Kai McNamee. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Iran's deputy foreign minister has told the BBC that Tehran is ready to consider compromises to reach a nuclear deal with the US, if Washington is willing to discuss lifting sanctions. The US has sent two aircraft carrier groups to the Middle East, ratcheting up pressure on Iran to reach an agreement.
Also in the programme: The French navy seizes a large shipment of cocaine in the Pacific; and how Artificial Intelligence has helped create a new voice for a folk singer with motor neurone disease.
(Photo: Iranian protesters and supporters rally against Iran's ruling establishment during a demonstration in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, February 14, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Wa Lone)
Two weeks after the latest release of the Epstein files, the headlines keep pouring in.
In just the past few days, revelations in the documents have nearly brought down a British prime minister, and implicated politicians and royals from around the world. The files are even fuelling speculation about whether the late sex offender could have been a spy.
We speak to Nomia Iqbal, BBC World Affairs Correspondent, about what we’ve learned this week about the international fallout of the Epstein scandal.
The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.
Producers: Viv Jones, Valerio Esposito and Xandra Ellin
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Epstein files. Credit: Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA/Shutterstock
The U.S. job market is a study in contradictions. While a new report shows January saw the highest level of layoffs since 2009—driven by corporate downsizing and AI integration—the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a surprising gain of 130,000 jobs. Meanwhile, recent data revisions suggest that hiring over the past two years was significantly weaker than previously thought, with workers and employers starting to question the reliability of official figures. WSJ reporters Justin Lahart and Lindsay Ellis discuss listener questions on the state of hiring, and whether the labor market is better or worse than the official data suggests.
How do you find the strength to face the unimaginable? In September of 2024, Gisèle Pelicot took the stand in an unprecedented mass rape trial in France. On trial was her former husband, along with 50 other men. Police had found images and videos of her husband and dozens of men raping Pelicot while she was drugged and unconscious. In this episode of The Sunday Story, Gisèle Pelicot sits down with NPR’s Michel Martin to talk about the pain of discovering what had happened to her, the harm it did to her family, and her decision to reject shame and speak up on behalf of victims of sexual assault.
Pelicot’s new memoir, “A Hymn to Life,” will be published on February 17th.
European countries say tests show Russia's Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a substance developed from a toxin found in Ecuadorian dart frogs. But the Kremlin denies killing the opposition leader. Also: Marco Rubio delivers a softer line to America's European allies at the Munich Security Conference; there are more global protests against the Iranian government; families of Venezuelan political prisoners go on hunger strike; the "Trump slump" affects US tourism; Cuba's cigar festival is snuffed out; palaeontologists discover giant sloth and elephant-like mastodon fossils; and we visit the British inmates learning how to garden.
The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.
Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.
Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Several European countries, including the UK, have blamed the Kremlin for the killing of the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. They say his murder was likely carried out, using a poison developed from a toxin in a rare frog. We get reaction to these updates from a friend of Navalny’s, alongside on Oscar-winning director who produced a documentary on him.
Also in the programme: Mass rape survivor Gisele Pelicot speaks to the BBC about trauma and healing ahead of her memoir being published; and an an exciting paleontological discovery has been made in Costa Rica.
(Photo: Flowers lay near a portrait of Russian late opposition leader Alexei Navalny in front of the Russian embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, February 2024. Credit: David Mdzinarishvili, EPA-EFE, REX, Shutterstock).
The US Secretary of State has told the Munich Security Conference that Washington is seeking to "revitalise" its alliance with European countries. Marco Rubio said the US would always be a "child of Europe", insisting that his country wants to preserve that relationship rather than end it. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said she was "very much reassured" by his remarks, adding that Europe "needs to step up" and take more responsibility for its own security. A day earlier, the leaders of Germany and France had warned of frictions in the transatlantic alliance.
Also in the programme: Newshour's Lyse Doucet speaks to traders at a market in Iran about protests, the dire economy and the possibility of a nuclear deal; and on Valentine's Day - we talk about the science behind a good kiss.
(Credit: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks to a meeting of G7 foreign ministers at the Munich Security Conference, Germany, February 14, 2026. Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters)
We meet a Ghanaian woman who is challenging stereotypes of beauty and disability by modelling with her prosthetic leg wrapped in colourful kente fabric. Abena Christine Jon'el had her leg amputated when she was just two years old because of an aggressive form of cancer. She says she's fought through so much to survive that she's determined to fight for anyone who's ever felt defeated by life.
Also: A mobile gaming app that's helping teenagers in Brazil learn how to support their friends with mental health issues.
A scheme teaching gardening skills to prisoners in the UK to help cut the numbers who reoffend after their release.
The Washington museum curator who's adopted Gen Z slang to get younger people interested in its works of art. Alison Luchs has attracted over nine million views with two social media posts, and is challenging others to submit similar videos about other exhibits.
Plus big baby elephant news, some unusual guard animals, and how one new family helped bring an entire community together, just by showing they cared.
Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.
(Photo: Abena Christine Jon'el on the catwalk in Ghana. Credit: Vino Studio / Nineteen57 Events)
We get the latest from the Munich Security Conference, where U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a speech before European leaders. We also look at the reasons behind why the FDA rejected Moderna's new flu vaccine and how that decision could shape future clinical trials. Plus, we'll look at the what happened with U.S Olympic figure skater Illia Malinin, dubbed the "Quad God," on the ice yesterday. Tipped to win the gold, Malinin didn't end up even medaling.
