Author: Matt

The FDA Advisory Committee decided not to approve boosters for people sixteen and up. Instead, they made a recommendation for those 65 and up, or younger people at high risk to get a booster shot right now from Pfizer-Biontech.

10 years ago, when the Syrian regime sent tanks and warplanes to stop a an uprising, it sparked a bloody civil war that is still ongoing.

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.

After a year away, Broadway’s lights are back on. Some of the biggest productions have returned for vaccinated and masked audiences. From “Wicked” to “Chicago” to “Hamilton,” theaters in New York are open at 100 percent capacity.

Heatwaves don’t have names or categories like hurricanes and wildfires, but they kill more people each year than any other weather event, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

It has been exactly one month since Kabul fell and the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. With U.S. troops gone from the region and the collapse of the Afghan Armed forces, thousands have been fleeing the country for safety.

In India, where arranged marriages are the norm, people typically marry within their religion or caste. But occasionally, some find love on their own and end up with a partner of a different faith.

Last week President Biden announced a six-pronged strategy to combat the newly surging pandemic — including a federal rule that all businesses with 100 or more employees must ensure their workers are vaccinated for COVID-19, or submit to weekly testing for the virus.

This weekend the nation marks 20 years since 9/11 — a day we are reminded to never forget. But for so many people, 9/11 also changed every day after.

In this episode, a special collaboration between NPR and StoryCorps, we hear stories about the lasting toll of 9/11, recorded by StoryCorps in partnership with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. You can learn more about that initiative and find out how you can record your reflections on the life of a loved one at storycorps.org/september11.

Also in this episode: the story of how an Afghan translator’s life was shaped by 20 years of conflict in his home country, culminating in a desperate attempt to help his family escape. Said Noor’s story first aired on Morning Edition and was originally produced by Steve Inskeep, Arezou Rezvani, and Danny Hajek. More here.

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, women protested in Kabul after the Taliban announced an all-male interim government. One woman who helped organized the protests told NPR “the world should feel” what Afghan women are facing. That woman — and another who was desperately trying to leave the country — spoke to Rachel Martin on Morning Edition. More from their interviews here.

While some women fear the rights they’ve gained in the last 20 years will disappear, other women — particularly in rural areas — are hopeful for a future with less violence and military conflict. Anand Gopal wrote about them for The New Yorker in a piece called “The Other Afghan Women.” He spoke to Mary Louise Kelly.

Special thanks to NPR’s Michele Keleman for production help on this episode.

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.