In the months after World War I erupted, young men in Europe were killing each other by the tens of thousands. Yet on a frozen Christmas Eve in 1914, the guns briefly fell silent.
On the 100th anniversary of the truce, former All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro set out to reconstruct the events of that day using the accounts of the people who were there. We bring you that story. 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 Elena Burnett. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Marketplace All-in-One - The music industry vs. AI (rerun)
Hey smarties! We’re taking a short break for the holidays. So today, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from 2025. Enjoy!
Today we’re diving into the business of music. Trapital founder Dan Runcie joins Kimberly to explain what Anthropic’s recent copyright settlement with authors could mean for record labels who’ve sued AI companies, the “fair use” debates dominating the music industry, and why even the biggest stars are struggling to create chart-toppers these days. Plus, we’ll celebrate a win from one of our listeners.
State of the World from NPR - Looking Back: Canadians Grapple with the Wide Impacts of U.S. Tariffs
As we look back at our international reporters' most memorable stories of the last year, we revisit a report from America’s neighbor to the north last April. Canada has seen wide ranging impacts from the tariffs on goods sent to the U.S.— from Canadian identity to the country’s politics and of course the economy. Even small businesses are feeling the change. We go to the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia to see how tariffs are playing out.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Audio Poem of the Day - The Only Ones
By Harryette Mullen
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Focus on Africa - What’s Christmas without a home?
Christmas is often imagined as a season of homecoming, but for millions of people around the world, that idea of home doesn’t exist. In this episode, we meet Gopolang, one of an estimated 300 million people experiencing homelessness globally. He lives on the streets of Johannesburg, surviving through plastic recycling. Our reporter Mpho Lakaje spends time with him during the festive season, revealing what Christmas looks like when daily survival comes first.
The episode also looks at how Christmas traditions are changing in Nigeria. Many people remember a time of open doors and shared food, but rising costs and urban life have pushed some traditional dishes off the table. At a food festival in Lagos, chefs and organisers are working to revive those meals and the memories attached to them.
Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Ayuba Iliya, Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
Newshour - Bangladesh PM hopeful returns home
A senior leader of Bangladesh's biggest political group, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique Rahman, has returned to the country after 17 years in exile. Mr Rahman is seen as the leading contender to become prime minister in this February's elections. Greeted by hundreds of thousands of people, Mr Rahman addressed a huge crowd and called on citizens from all ethnic and religious groups to join in creating a secular and inclusive nation.
Also in the programme: Pope Leo highlights the plight of the people of Gaza in a Christmas address; and a Christmas meeting between a bone marrow donor and a cancer survivor.
(Picture: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman addresses his supporters. Credit: REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain)
Marketplace All-in-One - A Christmas present for drivers
Gas prices are at the lowest level since 2021, according to AAA, as millions of Americans are traveling for the holidays. The average price of gas has been below $3 a gallon for most of the month. Plus, from "Marketplace Tech," ChatGPT has become the new WebMD. And from the Marketplace podcast "How We Survive," we learn what an invisible longitudinal line has to do with farmers, the economy, and the global food supply.
Inside Europe - The magical world of fungi
This Living Planet takeover will take you on a magical journey into the world of fungi, the largely invisible organisms that are essential for our ecosystems but can also be dangerous. Then: How Norway has built a reputation as a climate leader while investing more than ever in its oil and gas industry.
Marketplace All-in-One - Why not just takeout for your holiday meal?
That's been the case for Thomas and Mariah Pisha-Duffly, a Portland foodie power couple with multiple James Beard Award nominations under their belt. Today, we chat with the Pisha-Duffys about their holiday meal planning, which focuses less on extravagance and more on family and serves as a departure from the stressors of the restaurant industry. But first, as you unwrap your Christmas presents, we check in on the supply chains that brought them to you.
Marketplace All-in-One - The Chinese city powering Christmas
From the BBC World Service: Have you ever wondered where your festive Christmas lights, ornaments, and toys all come from? Well, there's a good chance they originate in the Chinese city of Yiwu. It's home to a major the world's largest wholesale market and produces more than half of the world's Christmas decor. This Christmas morning, we'll take a trip to the city and hear how it's being affected by the latest U.S. tariffs