President Trump had a busy first year of his second term. From upending global trade with tariffs to major domestic efforts on immigration and taxes, the Trump administration’s policies affected the lives of millions of Americans. So what’s in store for this year? Alex Ossola spoke with WSJ White House correspondent Natalie Andrews and Washington coverage chief Damian Paletta about Trump’s priorities for 2026.
On January 7, 2025, the Palisades and Eaton Fires erupted, eventually burning down more than 16,000 structures and killing at least 31 people, becoming among the most destructive and deadly wildfires in California’s history.
Two Wirecutter writers, Gregory Han and Mike Cohen, lived through the Eaton fire. Both lived in Altadena, just outside Los Angeles. Gregory’s home was damaged, while Mike’s burned to the ground. They collaborated on an article sharing their biggest lessons of recovery, which Wirecutter published last July, as part of our emergency preparation coverage.
Now, in a special podcast series, they are sharing the biggest lessons they’ve learned from the past year–—and what they can teach you about how to prepare for a disaster.
Unfortunately, climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent, more intense, and more unpredictable. In the last year alone, we’ve seen cataclysmic floods in the Texas Hill Country, deadly tornadoes in many parts of the U.S., and increasing flash floods across the country, just to name a few. No one is completely insulated from these types of events.
In this first episode, we’ll introduce you to Gregory and Mike, and why they think it’s imperative to invest in your community before a disaster.
You can listen to parts two and three of this series here. Part three will be published on Jan. 12.
Actionable steps you can take from this episode:
Invest in your community before a disaster. Information can be hard to come by during and in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. This is when knowing your neighbors can be invaluable. Both Gregory and Mike relied on neighbors and others in their community for information before, during, and after the fires. They’ve continued to share resources with this community as they’ve worked toward recovery over the past year.
Create an easy way to communicate with your neighbors. This could be a text chain or a group chat–through something like WhatsApp or GroupMe. Maybe you’re already involved with a group that may eventually help in an emergency. Mike’s neighborhood thread started as a group of local dog owners before the fire.
Join a volunteer organization in your community. After the fires, Gregory joined a group to do brush cleanup, which has helped deepen his connection with the people who live close to him.
You can find out more about Gregory Han on his website and on Instagram @typefiend
The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel.Engineering support from Maddy Masiello and Nick Pitman. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Efim Shapiro, Rowan Niemisto, Sophia Lanman, and Sonia Herrero. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.
Will the Supreme Court destroy what remains of the Voting Rights Act? How much influence will America's 250th anniversary have on the midterm elections? If the Democrats win those elections, who in the administration will they investigate first? Jon Favreau and Alex Wagner share their biggest questions for year two of Trump 2.0 in search of some hope for the year ahead.
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Since President Trump’s second inauguration, more liberals, people of color and LGBTQ folks say they are buying guns and getting training. This is the latest in a trend that researchers, gun clubs and trainers say they’ve been watching for years. No longer do firearm buyers fit the old stereo-type of being white, rural and Republican. Today on The Sunday Story, NPR’s Frank Langfitt shares his reporting on the changing face of American gun ownership.
To kick off the new year, users on X have been asking Grok to nudify people - and kids - at an astonishing rate. And X leadership is egging them on.
Guest: Jason Koebler, founder of 404 Media and host of the 404 Media Podcast
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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.
A medic at one Tehran hospital reported "direct shots to the heads of the young people, to their hearts as well", while a doctor said an eye hospital in the capital had gone into crisis mode. Despite this, large crowds have returned to the streets of Iran's capital, including entire families with children, defying increasingly severe warnings from the authorities.
Also: the US military has carried out 'Operation Hawkeye' strikes in Syria against the Islamic State, as revenge for the killing of two American soldiers. We hear from Venezuelans who have fled to Colombia, after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. Why a deadly train crash in 2023 in Greece could lead frustrated voters to turn to new political options in the 2027 election. The case of a Google employee made redundant after reporting sexual harassment. Why a rare Superman comic that was once stolen from Nicolas Cage has sold for $15m. And how much are dogs eavesdropping on us?
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.
Elon Musk hit back at critics of his social-media platform X, saying they are looking for “any excuse for censorship” after the site’s AI tool, Grok, sparked outrage for allowing users to generate sexualised images of people without their consent (including children)
NPR International Correspondent Eyder Peralta has covered conflicts and crises from East Africa to Latin America. Sometimes just getting in place to cover a story is the hardest part of reporting. His latest deployment has taken him to Colombia where he has been covering the fallout from the U.S.’s intervention in Venezuela.
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 Gabriel Sanchez. It was edited by Adam Raney.
