Consumer sentiment really ran the gamut this year. But right now, Americans are feeling almost as bad about the economy as they were when inflation was at its peak summer of 2022. In this episode, we chronicle 2025’s consumer vibes rollercoaster. Plus: Kansas City’s housing market preps for the 2026 World Cup, a college professor offers an AI-driven macroeconomic theory course, and we go over the week’s headlines.
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Comedian Jay Jurden explains why nine years of theater training is his "superpower" on the stand-up stage—and why he treats every punchline like a line of dialogue rather than a personal diary entry. His new special, Yes Ma'am, argues that physical specificity (from "rolling a wheelchair into affordable housing" to Marjorie Taylor Greene's hooves) is what separates a 300-level performer from a novice looking at their shoes. Along the way: memories of growing up in Canton, Mississippi, where movie sets for A Time to Kill. Plus, the greatest college football analogy ever delivered by a gay comedian—a warning against "scrambling" for viral crowd work instead of sticking to the designed play.
Family caregivers in the United States are increasingly under mental and financial stress. Elizabeth Miller, founder of the caregiver resource platform Happy Healthy Caregiver, is here to help. On today’s show, Miller joins Kimberly to talk about prioritizing self-care and how you start caregiving conversations with family. Plus, we’ll get in the holiday spirit with a round of This or That!
The US justice department has released hundreds of thousands of highly anticipated documents related to Jeffrey Epstein ahead of a Congressional deadline. The issue divided the Republican Party after the department initially refused to publish the files, despite President Trump's campaign promises.
Also in the programme: President Putin says Russia is ready to end the conflict in Ukraine, but only on his terms; and a comet, that's only the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system, is making its closest approach to Earth.
Photo: One of the Epstein files released today in Washington, DC USA Credit: US Department of Justice
The AI trade continues to be the biggest topic on the market and this week we got reports that OpenAI is looking to raise another $100 billion. We discuss that, Gemini’s comeback, and give top executives candy or coal in their stockings.
Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Asit Sharma discuss:
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Plus: Nike stock falls after predicting declining sales. And BioMarin Pharmaceutical shares rise after announcing a new acquisition deal. Katherine Sullivan hosts.
An artificial-intelligence tool assisted in the making of this episode by creating summaries that were based on Wall Street Journal reporting and reviewed and adapted by an editor.
2025 has proved that artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping online reality and that the “slop” is here to stay.
NPR’s Geoff Brumfiel and Shannon Bond have spent much of the year rolling around in that slop and join host Scott Detrow to break down some of the highlights and how to sort the real from the fake.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
When some people are wandering around in shorts and a t-shirt, others are wrapped up in warm coats and jumpers. How come our responses to cold weather are so different?
People have been living in cold environments for thousands of years. So why do some of us struggle with the cold more than others, and what, if any, adaptations have our bodies made to cope in freezing temperatures?
CrowdScience listener Anne from the UK is amazed by the warm houses of her neighbours, and wants to know whether her background might have affected her perspective on the cold.
Caroline Steel investigates, visiting a laboratory in Loughborough University, UK, that pushes the body to the extreme. Dr Matt Maley explains what happens inside our systems to help us survive the plummeting thermostat and how this adaption can vary from person to person.
But it’s not just biological. Our culture impacts our experience of cold too. CrowdScience heads to Norway to meet the global community on the icy Arctic island of Svalbard. There Caroline meets Associate Professor Gunhild Sætren at the Arctic Safety Centre to find out the important role appropriate clothing plays in being prepared for the chilly weather.
And we speak to Dr Cara Ocobock at the University of Notre Dame, USA, who tells us about her research comparing Finnish reindeer herders and office workers reactions to cold temperatures.
Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Hannah Fisher
Editor: Ben Motley
(Photo: Woman enjoying winter playing in fresh snow. Credit: Olga Pankova/Getty Images)
