Episodes

  • Can Kamala Harris find her footing on immigration?

    Can Kamala Harris find her footing on immigration?
    Jul 22 2024
    In just a matter of hours, a Kamala Harris for President campaign has gone from a far-flung possibility, to all but certain likelihood.

    It puts the Vice President in a tricky spot. She's got to run on President Biden's achievements, while avoiding the more challenging aspects of his record.

    Biden entrusted Harris with some of the most challenging parts of his portfolio, including voting rights, the rollback of reproductive rights and immigration.

    Harris has struggled to find her footing on immigration. Early on, she faced criticism for having not visited the southern border.

    As Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbott started bussing migrants to northern cities, the Vice President's mansion in Washington DC became a drop-off point.

    Even though Kamala Harris isn't yet the official nominee, both voters and the republican party will force her to answer for the Biden administration's immigration policies in this year's election.

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    7 mins
  • Biden's out. Here's what's next.

    Biden's out. Here's what's next.
    Jul 21 2024
    President Biden has made a historic decision to endorse his vice president, Kamala Harris, to take his spot at the top of the Democratic ticket.

    The move comes after weeks of calls for Biden to step aside after concerns about his fitness for the job.

    NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Senior White House Correspondent Tamara Keith and National Political Correspondent Mara Liasson about what this means for the Democratic Party in the months ahead to the election.

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    11 mins
  • 'Twister,' 'Twisters' and the actual practice of storm chasing

    'Twister,' 'Twisters' and the actual practice of storm chasing
    Jul 21 2024
    A plucky meteorology heroine; a male rival with no shortage of hubris; and some very, very big storms: that's the basic formula behind the new disaster action movie Twisters, which follows storm chasers around Oklahoma amid a tornado outbreak.

    It's a standalone sequel to the 1996 film Twister, a box-office hit in its day which also spurred a lot of real-life research into severe storms.

    We've since learned a lot about how tornadoes behave, and the technology of storm chasing has improved dramatically.

    But behind these summer blockbusters is a mystery that scientists are still trying to solve: why do tornadoes form at all?

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    12 mins
  • USA Gymnastics made a miraculous comeback — but is it actually safer for Olympians?

    USA Gymnastics made a miraculous comeback — but is it actually safer for Olympians?
    Jul 19 2024
    In 2017, the Larry Nassar scandal rocked the Olympic community.

    Hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse against the former USA Gymnastics doctor underscored how vulnerable athletes are — particularly when they're minors.

    That year, Congress and the U.S. Olympic Committee had a solution.

    The U.S. Center for SafeSport was founded to investigate and respond to allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. The goal was for predators like Larry Nassar to never harm young athletes again.

    Now, seven years later, SafeSport is facing scrutiny of its own — over whether it's made good on that promise.

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    12 mins
  • Home insurance rates are rising due to climate change. What could break that cycle?

    Home insurance rates are rising due to climate change. What could break that cycle?
    Jul 18 2024
    A warming planet is making storms and wildfires more intense, and more destructive. That's making homeowners insurance more expensive and harder to find.

    Insurance companies are raising their rates because, they say, they need to cover increasing losses from extreme-weather-related property damage.

    This week the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is holding a summit to address this spike in premiums. HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman explains what the federal government is looking to learn.

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    8 mins
  • What will Trump tell the RNC after an attempt on his life?

    What will Trump tell the RNC after an attempt on his life?
    Jul 17 2024
    Donald Trump's message for America has long been one of grievance and retribution.

    What will he say at the Republican National Convention this week, after an attempt on his life?

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    10 mins
  • The political evolution of J.D. Vance

    The political evolution of J.D. Vance
    Jul 16 2024
    When President Biden heard that Donald Trump had picked J.D. Vance to be his running mate, he called the Ohio senator "a clone" of Trump. But when Vance first gained national attention, he was one of Trump's loudest critics.

    Vance first drew the national spotlight in 2016 with the publication of his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy." The book served as a biography of his upbringing in America's Rust Belt and social commentary on the white working class at a time when many were trying to understand those voting for Donald Trump.

    On the press tour for that book Vance had a lot of negative things to say about Donald Trump. He said Trump was unfit for the nation's highest office, and in unearthed private messages, he compared Trump to Adolf Hitler.

    J.D Vance went from New York Times bestselling author, to senator, to Vice Presidential candidate. That political journey has brought him closer and closer to a presidential candidate he once professed to despise.

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    9 mins
  • After the assassination attempt, Trump gets a string of wins

    After the assassination attempt, Trump gets a string of wins
    Jul 15 2024
    In the days after the assassination attempt, Donald Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination, announced his VP pick and had a legal case dismissed.

    Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed the entire federal case against the former president involving his handling of classified documents.

    Consider This host Ailsa Chang spoke with NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson about the legal issues in the ruling and its implications.

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    7 mins