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More than half of U.S. adults have been fully vaccinated, and case rates are at their lowest point since the pandemic began. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the future of the pandemic. Questions about variants, vaccine booster shots and the idea of vaccine mandates in schools or publicly-funded universities.

We had a chance to put some of the questions — including ones from you — to the nation’s top doctor, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, in an interview conducted on Twitter Spaces, a new platform for live audio conversations on Twitter. To participate in future Twitter Spaces conversations, follow us on Twitter @nprAudie and @npratc. You can find our episodes on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #NPRConsiderThis.

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.

Democratic proposals for immigration reform, gun control, infrastructure and voting rights are stalled in Congress. Standing in between Democrats and much of their progressive wish list is one of their own, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who has signaled his opposition to eliminating the filibuster or passing an infrastructure plan without Republican support.

He’s not the only West Virginian with an outsized influence in Washington right now. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito is representing Senate Republicans in negotiations with the White House over infrastructure. Despite meeting with President Biden repeatedly in recent days, the two sides appear to be far apart.

For more on the two Senators’ role in national politics and what their mandate is from voters back home, congressional correspondent Sue Davis and Dave Mistich of West Virginia Public Broadcasting speak to NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly.

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.

Cyberattackers have recently targeted a crucial fuel pipeline, a global meat distributor and a water treatment plant. The Biden administration likens the surge in cyberattacks to terrorism — and says they plan to treat it like a national security threat. NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre details the administration’s plans.

When businesses are targeted by ransomware, someone like Bill Siegel steps in to help companies figure out if they have any options but to pay up. Siegel runs Coveware, a company that responds to ransomware attacks and often negotiates with hackers. He spoke to NPR’s Rachel Martin.

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.

Stockton, Calif., may represent the future of American news.

The city’s longtime newspaper, The Record, has lost reporters, subscribers and, therefore, power. Meanwhile a non-traditional news source, a controversial online outlet called 209 Times, has quickly become one of the most popular sources of news in town. It proudly doesn’t follow most journalistic norms and brags about tanking the previous mayor’s campaign. Critics say the 209 Times is filling Stockton with misinformation.

Yowei Shaw, host of NPR’s Invisibilia, investigates.

Find all three parts of “The Chaos Machine,” Invisibilia‘s series about 209 Times here.

Freedom of the press is enshrined in the Constitution as crucial to a functioning democracy. But what role does the press serve when it feels like the country can’t agree on basic facts? NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly speaks with a handful of journalists to hear how they’re navigating this divide.

This episode feature’s CBS‘s Leslie Stahl, CNN‘s Jake Tapper, NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe, Dawn Rhodes of Block Club Chicago and Sherry Liang of the University of Georgia’s Red & Black newspaper.

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.

Corporations had a lot to say about racial justice last summer. They made statements. They donated millions to civil rights organizations. They promised to address their own problems with diversity and representation.

A year later, NPR’s David Gura reports on Wall Street’s mixed progress.

Kim Tran tells NPR’s Sam Sanders that the diversity, equity and inclusion industry has lost its way.

And DEI consultant Lily Zheng talks about their front row seat to corporations varied efforts to change culture and practices.

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.

The Atlantic hurricane season began Tuesday and another “above average” number of storms is expected. And it’s not just hurricanes — overall, scientists are predicting more extreme weather events amplified by climate change this summer.

While there’s little to do in the short term to change this trajectory, recent actions by a Dutch court, the Biden administration and an activist hedge fund all suggest new pressure on large oil and gas companies could help in the long term. Pressure from these outside forces could signal a shift in how the companies operate.

Nell Minow, an Exxon shareholder, explains the direction she wants to see the company move in.

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.

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From dating apps, to airline travel, to in-person high school classes, the U.S. is seeing evidence of a return to close-to-normal life.

KUOW’s Clare McGrane reports on how that transition has been especially complicated for a choir in Washington state. Members were at the center of one of the earliest super-spreader events in the U.S. last year.

Saskia Popescu, infectious disease expert and assistant professor at George Mason University, says for as much progress as the U.S. has made against the coronavirus, many countries are still dealing with outbreaks and struggling to get vaccines.

Listen to GBH reporter Tori Bedford’s story on easing back into socializing 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.

Much is said about how divided the U.S. is these days. But perhaps there is still something that unites Americans. Longtime NPR correspondent Tom Gjelten reports on what he calls the country’s “civil religion” — a collection of beliefs, based on freedom, that should apply to every American equally.

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.

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Former President Barack Obama is thinking a lot about our values as Americans. These days, in a divided America, he’s particularly thinking about what it means to be a man.

Is a man thoughtful, caring? Are men held back by what society traditionally expects a man to be?

These are questions that Aarti Shahani recently asked Obama on a recent episode of her podcast, Art of Power, from member station WBEZ in Chicago.

Listen to Art of Power on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and NPR One.