Do federal agents have ‘absolute immunity?’

Vice President J.D. Vance says the ICE officer who shot and killed Renee Macklin Good last week has “absolute immunity.” Some legal experts have pushed back.

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Reflections on an ‘electrifying’ round of protest in Iran

What began two weeks ago as a demonstration against an economic crisis has become a broader antigovernment movement, in cities and towns across Iran.

Iran’s authoritarian government has responded with violent repression. More than 2,500 people have been killed, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. NPR has not been able to independently verify that number.

Many who watch Iran now believe the current round of protests feels different.

We hear from the Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian, who was imprisoned by the Iranian government while serving as a foreign correspondent for the newspaper. His op-ed this week is titled: “I’ve waited for this electrifying moment in Iran for 10 years.”

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This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad with engineering support from Ted Mebane. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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What happens if the Fed loses its independence?

The Trump Justice Department has subpoenaed the Federal Reserve for information related to its multibillion-dollar renovation of the Fed’s headquarters in Washington.

The move comes on the heels of months of President Donald Trump trying to influence Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates.

And while he told NBC News he doesn’t know anything about the Department of Justice investigations, members of Congress, including some Republicans, say they’re concerned the independence of the Federal Reserve is now at risk.

The Federal Reserve decides monetary policy across the United States. Its decisions help shape the global economy. What happens if that independence is threatened? 

President Trump has been trying to influence Federal Reserve policy, since his first term.

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This episode was produced by Henry Larson. Audio engineering by Ted Mebane.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning and John Ketchum.

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What do we know about what’s happening in Iran?

What do we know about what’s happening in Iran?

The country has been rocked by days of large antigovernment protests. First, sparked by the crippling economy, now anger at the theocratic regime. 

More than 500 people have been killed, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. NPR is unable to independently confirm that figure.

And now President Trump is considering whether to weigh in – and how. 

Sanctions. Cyber attacks. Military strikes. 

President Trump keeps suggesting the United States may get involved. If so, when and how? 

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This episode was produced by Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Becky Brown and Josephine Nyounai.

It was edited by Andrew Sussman, Rebekah Metzler and Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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How powerful is Stephen Miller?

As the deputy chief of staff for policy and one of President Trump’s longest-serving aides, Stephen Miller has been the driving force behind many of Trump’s core policies. Ashley Parker, staff writer for The Atlantic, explains why Stephen Miller has President Trump’s ear.

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This episode was produced by Mia Venkat. It was edited by Sarah Robbins and Rebekah Metzler. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Reporting on the invasion of Venezuela

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.

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This episode was produced by Gabriel Sanchez. It was edited by Adam Raney.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Poll finds Americans concerned as Trump accelerates global intervention

President Trump raised eyebrows when he told the New York Times that there was only one thing that could stop him on the global stage: his own morality.

So what do Americans think about the moral standing of the United States? Well, a new NPR-Ipsos poll finds Americans still want the U.S. to be a moral leader in the world — but far fewer think it actually is. 

Senior Political Editor and Correspondent Domenico Montanaro shares more from the poll, and Senior International Affairs Correspondent Jackie Northam helps make sense of what it means globally.

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This episode was produced by Kai McNamee. It was edited by Vincent Ni, Nick Spicer and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Is the Trump foreign policy back to the future?

“Make America great again.”

That phrase has been in our political ecosystem for 10 years now.

But it’s never been clear what time period in American history President Trump was referencing?

Is it the 1980s? Or maybe the 1950s?

What about further back, say the 1890s?

As we enter the second year of Trump’s second term, is a 19th century presidency emerging? 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 Tyler Bartlam, with audio engineering from Tiffany Vera Castro. 

It was edited by Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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An immigration crackdown gone wrong. What do we know?

Today in Minneapolis, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer allegedly shot and killed a woman. 

ICE says she was shot in her car after attempting to run over immigration agents. 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called it a domestic act of terrorism. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey says it was an act of self defense.

An immigration crackdown gone wrong. What do we know? 

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This episode was produced by Michael Levitt, Alejandra Marquez Janse and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.

It was edited by Cheryl Corley, Ahmad Damen, Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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What it’s like inside a Darfur camp

For almost three years, a civil war has decimated Sudan’s Darfur region.

Bob Kitchen, who leads emergency humanitarian programs for the International Rescue Committee, just returned from the region. He described what he saw in a series of audio diaries that he shared with NPR.

A warning — the audio you are about to hear contains graphic descriptions of violence and rape against women and children.

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This episode was produced by Michael Levitt, with audio engineering by Jay Czys. It was edited by Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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