Why A Growing Number Of Haitian Migrants Are Headed To The U.S.

Thousands of Haitian migrants who had gathered on the southern border were deported back to their home country last week, even though some of them haven’t lived there for a decade. They’d been living in Chile. But increasingly, Haitians in that country are fleeing, in response to a pandemic-battered economy, rising anti-immigrant sentiment, and new government policies.

All those factors are not disappearing any time soon — and neither is the flow of migrants out of the country, says Chilean journalist Ignacio Gallegos. NPR’s John Otis reports on one part of their perilous journey north.

Additional reporting in this episode from Stephania Corpi. Special thanks to Texas Public Radio news director Dan Katz.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

The Global Supply Chain Is Still A Mess. When Will It Get Better?

Retail experts are already warning of delays, shortages, and price hikes this holiday shopping season as the pandemic continues to disrupt global supply chains.

NPR’s Scott Horsley reports on the interconnected nature of those chains — and what happens when a single part delays manufacturing by months at a time.

University of Michigan economist Betsey Stevenson explains why labor-related delays and shortages are not going away any time soon.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Religious Exemptions To Vaccines: Who Wants Them And What’s Legal

Some city and state workers around the country have already begun to resist workplace vaccination rules on religious grounds. Soon those rules will be the norm in the private sector too, with the Biden administration’s announcement this month that businesses with 100 or more employees must require those employees to be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing.

NPR correspondents Andrea Hsu and Shannon Bond explain what the law says about religious exemptions to vaccine rules in the workplace.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

BONUS: A Friendly Ghost Story

It’s one of the most common and perplexing friend mysteries out there – when friends ghost friends. In this episode of NPR’s Invisibilia, they examine a contemporary real-life ghost story to see why we’re so haunted. Also, a listener attempts to find the friend who got away. And finally, we offer a new way to think about friendship endings.

Lessons Learned From Flint

The infrastructure bill moving through Congress includes billions to replace lead pipes. In Flint, Mich., NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with residents on how governments can tackle a water crisis equitably.

BONUS: The Lost Summer

Twenty years ago, during the dog days of summer, a fledgling journalist named Shereen Marisol Meraji — maybe you’ve heard of her? — headed to Durban, South Africa. Her mission: to report on the meeting of thousands of organizers and ambassadors at the United Nations Conference Against Racism.