Author: Matt

Artificial intelligence is now so much a part of our lives that it seems almost mundane. So is that something to be excited about? Or is the world a scarier place because of it?
NPR’s Bobby Allyn reports on how some new AI advances showcase both the power and the peril of the technology.
And NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks to Brian Christian, author of the book “The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values”, about what we might see in field of artificial intelligence in the year to come.

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.

You’ve heard the saying, ‘Blood is thicker than water,’ right? Yet for many people, family is not just about blood or DNA — it’s about deep connections .

For those people, chosen family could be close friends, people who share similar identities, people who went through similar experiences, or something else that forms a bond.

We hear stories from people about their chosen families.

We also speak with marriage and family therapist and sexologist Dr. Lexx Brown-James, about why chosen families are vital in people’s lives.

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.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy is the GOP leader in the House of Representatives and he’s campaigning to become Speaker in the next Congress. But a handful of House Republicans say they won’t support him.

Associated Press’ chief congressional correspondent Lisa Mascaro talks about McCarthy’s strategy.

And NPR’s Elena Moore reports on what young conservatives want from their party.

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.

Malcolm Alexander and Frederick Clay both spent decades in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. Both were eventually exonerated and released.

Clay has received compensation from the state of Massachusetts, but Alexander is still battling the state of Louisiana in court.

We hear from the two men about what it’s like to fight for compensation for their wrongful convictions — and why that fight is about more than just the money.

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.

Even if you don’t follow gossip sites, it was almost impossible this year to ignore the scandals, missteps, and legal woes of celebrities.

Gossip has been a part of the media landscape almost since the advent of newspapers, gaining popularity throughout the 20th century and expanding across new media platforms.

But this year, stories that might have once been relegated to sites like TMZ or Gawker became part of the mainstream news feed.

NPR’s Andrew Limbong speaks with media critic Eric Deggans, and Constance Grady of VOX, on the thin line between news and gossip.

Trauma is an inherent part of intelligence work. Think of undercover operatives deployed in dangerous places or investigating gruesome crimes. But getting help to process that trauma can be difficult.

We speak with Heather Williams, a former U.S. intelligence officer, about her own experience with trauma and what she learned about how best to cope with it.

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.

The number of Americans experiencing anxiety has been rising, especially since the start of the pandemic.

There also aren’t enough providers to meet the need, making it tough to access proper treatment for millions of Americans.

NPR’s Juana Summers talks to Catherine Ettman, a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, about how the pandemic caused anxiety to spike.

And NPR’s Rhitu Chatterjee shares some strategies that could help manage anxiety.

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.

More and more young people are moving back in with their parents — and staying there.

According to Pew Research, from 1971 to 2021, the number of adult Americans living in multigenerational households quadrupled.

There are several reasons that many young adults have moved back in with their parents, including: low pay, high housing costs, caring for loved ones – and more recently, the pandemic.

NPR’s Claire Murashima spoke with a handful of young adults between the ages of 25 and 34 who are experiencing the highs and lows of living with their parents.

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.

The Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by President Biden this year includes incentives for buying an electric vehicle, ideally to persuade people to ditch cars that run on gasoline and switch to EVs.

And as interest in electric vehicles grows, so is the demand for lithium – a key component of electric vehicle batteries.

One way to get more lithium is to open new mines — which could pose various environmental concerns.

But as NPR’s Camila Domonoske reports, new mines aren’t the only option.

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.

The House Select Committee investigating the deadly January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol held what is expected to be its final hearing.

Committee members voted to refer former President Donald Trump to the Justice Department for prosecution on four criminal charges. They include inciting an insurrection, obstructing an official government proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

We discuss the news with NPR justice correspondent Carrie Johnson and congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh.

And Republican strategist Ron Bonjean breaks down what this could mean for Trump and the GOP.

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.