Month: August 2022

Bashar Murad’s danceable riffs and live concerts and videos – filled with bubbles, enormous hats, and layers and layers of veils – have earned him the nickname “Palestinian Lady Gaga” from his fans. And much like Born This Way is an anthem of equality, Murad’s songs challenge conservative social norms and push for LGBTQ rights while also challenging the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

Earlier this summer, Murad’s concert in the West Bank city of Ramallah was cancelled under threats by anti-LGBTQ activists. As an outspoken proponent of LGBTQ rights, Murad is challenging both the external conflict Palestinians face with Israel and the internal conflicts imposed by a conservative society.

This week, NPR’s Daniel Estrin speaks with Bashar Murad about his music, his activism, and how anti-LGBTQ events that unfolded during the summer have added to the complexities that can come with being a voice for both the Palestinian and the LGBTQ communities.

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.

This week the Biden administration declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency.

And as the number of cases in the U.S. continues to climb, there’s a lot of confusion about the disease, how it spreads and who’s most at-risk.

NPR health correspondents Pien Huang and Michaeleen Doucleff join us to discuss the current outbreak.

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

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

With House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the U.S. airstrike that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, there’s a lot to talk about with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan these days.

He weighs in on all three in a sit-down interview with NPR.

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

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, a dozen states have implemented laws banning or severely restricting abortion. Those laws have consequences for wanted pregnancies, too.

NPR’s Carrie Feibel brings us the story of a woman in Texas whose pregnancy took a sudden turn. Because of the state’s abortion law, her case became a medical crisis.

This episode also includes reporting from NPR’s Sarah McCammon and Melissa Block

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

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al Qaeda, was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan over the weekend. For years, al-Zawahiri was Osama Bin Laden’s deputy — and was known as the mastermind behind the 9-11 attacks.

NPR’s Greg Myre and Diaa Hadid discuss the implications of al-Zawahiri’s death for the U.S., Afghanistan, and America’s decades-long war on terror.

This episode also features reporting from NPR’s Steve Inskeep.

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

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Dee Davis remembers watching his grandmother float by in a canoe during the 1957 flood that hit Whitesburg, Ky. The water crested at nearly 15 feet back then–a record that stood for over half a century, until it was obliterated last week.

The water was more than six feet higher than the 1957 mark when floodwater destroyed the gauge.

The flooding took out bridges and knocked houses off their foundations. It had claimed at least 35 lives as of Monday afternoon.

And it was just the latest record-breaking flooding event to hit the U.S. this summer.

NPR’s Rebecca Hersher explains that climate change is making extreme floods more frequent. A warming atmosphere can hold more moisture, which means, when it rains, it rains harder.

This episode also features reporting from NPR’s Kirk Siegler, KJZZ’s Michel Marizco and St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Fentem.

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

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.