Author: Matt

This past weekend, the United States went to war.

The president didn’t present his case in a primetime speech from the Oval Office or the White House’s East Room, but rather, in an edited video posted at 2:30 a.m. on the social media platform he owns.

And that video post came between others where President Trump has falsely claimed that elections were rigged and stolen, called for the prosecution of people who have opposed him, and lobbied to put his face on U.S. currency.

The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser has been tracking it all, week by week, since 2018. She talks about the myriad ways the presidency, and the norms surrounding it, continue to change under Trump.

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This episode was produced by Erika Ryan, with audio engineering by Becky Brown and Damian Herring. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The future of Iran hangs on an important question: Who will be its next leader? We’ll look at how succession could unfold.

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This episode contained reporting from NPR’s Ruth Sherlock. It was produced by Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Becky Brown. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Regime change, nuclear weapons, terrorism …Why is the U.S. at war with Iran?

In the days since the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran, the Trump administration has given a wide range of reasons why the US is now at war. On Saturday, Trump seemed to indicate the U.S. and Israel were trying to clear the way for regime change. On Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the conflict in Iran was not about regime change.  A couple of hours later in Trump’s first public comments, not prerecorded on video, he listed four objectives. Regime change wasn’t among them. 

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This episode was produced by Lauren Hodges and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.

It was edited by Andrew Sussman, Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Senator Mark Warner tells NPR that the families of sailors in the conflict area that he has met with “have no idea why their sons and daughters are being put in harm’s way.” Warner says that the president should appear before Congress and ask for a declaration of war.

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This episode was produced by Henry Larson. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khemenei is dead, according President Donald Trump. This comes after US and Israeli forces bombarded targets across Iran. Iran has retaliated, launching attacks throughout the Middle East.

Given these historic events, we’re dropping our National Security Podcast “Sources & Methods” into the feed today.

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This episode was produced by Erika Ryan, Karen Zamora, and Kai McNamee, with audio engineering by Neil Tevault. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Andrew Sussman. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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President Trump issued an executive order to increase domestic production of glyphosate, commonly used as a weedkiller. It’s the active ingredient in the weedkiller, Roundup.

That order immediately ignited an uproar in the Make America Healthy Again movement. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his supporters have long believed glyphosate is a health risk. But now, Kennedy says he supports Trump’s order.

Helena Bottemiller Evich, founder and editor-in-chief of the Food Fix newsletter, calls MAHA’s response a “marital spat” with the Trump administration, and explains how it could affect Trump’s base going forward.

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This episode was produced by Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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With the U.S. military amassing in the Middle East ahead of possible strikes in Iran, a Democratic lawmaker explains his effort to limit the president.

The United States Constitution empowers Congress, not the president, to declare war.

That hasn’t stopped plenty of presidents from commanding military combat.

It didn’t stop President Trump from ordering airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites last year – and building up the U.S. military in the Middle East while he mulls further action this year.

So far in this Trump administration, efforts to reclaim that Congressional authority have failed.

Sen. Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, explains why he is still pursuing a war powers resolution.

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

It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Correctional officers are leaving their jobs at federal prisons. 

And when these prisons are understaffed – psychologists and other staff are asked to act as guards. 

Recent reporting from The Marshall Project says it’s pushing mental health professionals out of prisons. 

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This episode was produced by Jason Fuller and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.

It was edited by Jeanette Woods and Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Gavin Newsom is in his final year as governor of California. He’s also widely considered a potential presidential candidate for 2028—a possibility he has not ruled out—and he sees himself as a leader of Democratic opposition to President Donald Trump, often mocking his brash style on social media. 

The governor sat down with NPR for an interview ahead of the release of his new memoir, Young Man in a Hurry. He talks about his early life as a kid in the San Francisco Bay Area, his strategy of simultaneously engaging with right-wing voices and ridiculing the president, and he explains why he refuses “to be a bystander to this moment.”

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Jonaki Mehta. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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AI CEOs talk a lot about the enormous potential of AI to cure diseases, generate enormous wealth and solve some of humanity’s most vexing problems.

But they are surprisingly direct in talking about the potential downsides.

A big one that we’re suddenly hearing a lot more about is what it could mean for our jobs. We’ll unpack whether and how much you should be worried.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 Connor Donevan. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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