Is Pete Hegseth really in more trouble than he was last week? You'd think that from the network news, but it's probably wrong. Is anyone even watching network news? How about cable news? Or is everybody just listening to podcasts? We discuss these matters, and Trump's pardons, today, and Christine Rosen recommends a work of Japanese crime fiction called Out. Give a listen.
Bronx-based Public defender & DSA organizer Delourny Nemorin recently launched her campaign to unseat Ritchie Torres in New York's 15th district. She weighs in on the rest of the field, including Michael Blake, who is emerging as an establishment-left favorite, why she's running, and the needs of the district. But first, she engages in an extended debate on the value of running to become a Democratic congress member when so many progressives before her seem to have been more changed by the system than the other way around. Does Rashida Tlaib provide an example of what is possible through entryism, or does she remain an outlier who, despite her ideological consistency, has not made the party more like her? How does Delourny interpret various squad members' pro-Israel votes, and how does she intend to insulate herself against whatever influences caused AOC to, for example, claim that Kamala Harris was "tirelessly working for a ceasefire"? What does Delourny make of Zohran's endorsement of Hakeem Jeferries as speaker of the house? And as a prospective colleague of Jefferies, does does Delourny agree that it is not the right time for a challenger?
The Cato Institute's Jeff Singer and Michael Fox mark Repeal Day by examining how alcohol prohibition and the modern drug war share the same destructive logic: criminalizing peaceful people, fueling black markets, corrupting law enforcement incentives, and empowering violent traffickers. Drawing on real-world examples of overdose deaths, civil forfeiture, and policing excesses, they argue for a consistent, liberty-based framework that treats drug users with the same legal respect afforded to alcohol consumers.
It is a special edition of the Beigies Awards where one regional Federal Reserve Bank will receive lifetime achievement recognition. Today on the show, we speak to its President about the value of economic anecdotes.
Roughly 80,000 people of Somali descent now live in Minnesota. The vast majority of them are American citizens.
This week, President Trump attacked Somali immigrants in racist and xenophobic terms.
“I don't want 'em in our country,” he said at the end of a cabinet meeting. “Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks."
The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul defended their Somali community – and responded to reports that the Trump administration is targeting that community with extra immigration enforcement.
Minnesota Public Radio’s Matt Sepic has the latest from St. Paul.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
This episode was produced by Vincent Acovino, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane and Kwesi Lee. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Jesse Arm of the Manhattan Institute joins us as we examine the results of the special election in Tennessee that had a Republican candidate winning with a greatly reduced margin from Trump's showing in the district in 2024. Arm then shares with us some pathbreaking research into attitudes and ideas inside the Trump electoral coalition. And Abe Greenwald recommends a new HBOMax documentary called Paul Anka: His Way. Give a listen.
Sanae Takaichi was sworn in as Japan’s first female prime minister a little over a month ago, and she’s already making waves in the East and West. The first priority for the people of Japan is if her government can fix the country’s cost-of-living problem. Today on the show, we break down what Sanaeonomics could mean for the Land of the Rising Sun.
Nate and Maria game out the comparative benefits (and risks) of flying vs. driving vs. taking the train when traveling for the holidays. They also discuss Olivia Nuzzi’s new memoir, her ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza’s substack revelations about her, and the current state of journalistic ethics.
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President Trump is purging the immigration court system. About 140 immigration judges have been fired by the administration or resigned. Meanwhile, the case backlog is growing.
What does it mean for immigrants caught in the middle? We speak with one of the judges recently let go.
The firings are part of an ongoing effort by the White House to overhaul the U.S. immigration system. Now, those judges are being replaced by “deportation judges.”
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 and Karen Zamora, with additional reporting by Ximena Bustillo and Anusha Mathur. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.