Consider This from NPR

Donald Trump returns to Washington newly empowered. The Republican party has remade itself in his image. The Supreme Court has granted him sweeping immunity for his official actions. And, unlike last time, he narrowly won the popular vote. And Trump is prepared to exercise his new power almost immediately. He's pledged to sign an unprecedented wave of executive actions – many of which will be challenged in court. These actions include one making it U.S. policy to recognize only two biologically distinct sexes – male and female. And his administration would end birthright citizenship — a right explicitly protected by the Constitution. President Donald Trump's executive actions could make fundamental changes to some of the foundations of American government. 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

When he ran for office in 2020, President Joe Biden vowed to turn the page on then president Donald Trump. But it's Trump who is returning to the White House for a second term in office. We speak with NPR's Asma Khalid, who covered the Biden administration, on the legacy he leaves behind. 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. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Will Rogers State Historic Park is a vast stretch of natural space in the Santa Monica Mountains. It's a treasure to Angelenos. People get married there, picnic there, and have kids' birthday parties on the great lawn. The park's namesake, Will Rogers, was a vaudeville performer, radio and movie star, and was known as America's "cowboy philosopher." His nearly century-old ranch house is the park's centerpiece. It's survived a near miss with wildfire before. Last week, as firestorm engulfed large parts of Los Angeles, this piece of American history was reduced to rubble. 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

At the time we publish this episode, Israel's government has yet to accept the terms of the long-negotiated and hard fought ceasefire deal announced yesterday. The deal is still on, but the quarreling over the details demonstrates how difficult it is to keep the agreement on track. On Thursday morning Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed a cabinet vote on the deal, accusing Hamas of "reneging" on parts of the agreement. A Hamas official said on social media that the group is committed to the agreement announced Wednesday. After more than 15 long months, tens of thousands dead, and close to 2 million people displaced, will we finally see an end to the war in Gaza? 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Confirmation hearings for Trump's cabinet picks are in full swing on Capitol Hill with a number of them appearing before the Senate this week. Nominees including Pam Bondi, Trump's pick to run the Justice Department, John Ratcliffe, his pick to run the CIA, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio Trump's nominee for Secretary of State have all answered questions about what they'll do and what they won't do if confirmed. Rubio and Ratcliffe will play key foreign policy roles under the 47th president. Those are the people, but what do they tell us about the policy? 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

On a shelf in his office at CIA headquarters, Director Bill Burns keeps a tiny scaled model of a house. It's the house in Kabul, Afghanistan, where Al Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2022. When NPR went out to interview him last week, Burns pointed to the exact balcony on which Zawahiri was standing. There was pride in his voice. The CIA had never stopped looking for the guy even more than two decades after 9/11. But it was also a reminder of challenges, of adversaries that will outlast any single CIA director. Now, as Burns wraps up four years running the Central Intelligence Agency, the challenges have multiplied and intensified. 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

"Wildfire" is the word we tend to use when we talk about what Los Angeles has been dealing with the past week. But Lori Moore-Merrell, the U.S. Fire Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency used a different word, when she spoke to NPR this morning. She described a "conflagration." Saying they're not wildland fires with trees burning. They're structure to structure fire spread. They may have started at the suburban fringe, but they didn't stay there. Which prompts a question: what happens when fire meets city? 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

From handling crises in the rail and airline industries to overseeing the distribution of billions of dollars in infrastructure funding, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has taken on a lot over the last four years. Now, his tenure is coming to an end. Host Scott Detrow speaks with Buttigieg about what the Biden administration accomplished, what it didn't get done, and what he's taking away from an election where voters resoundingly called for something different. 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

While the debate over homeless policy plays out across the country, Project HOME has offered resources to homeless people in Philadelphia for decades. We talk with the co-founder, who just retired after 35 years. 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. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Jimmy Carter's four years in the White House were largely defined by an event that took place halfway through his term. On November 4th, 1979 Iranian college students took over the US Embassy in Tehran, and took 52 Americans hostage. For the next 444 days, the Carter administration tried to secure the hostages' release. In April, 1980 they even commissioned a rescue mission that ended in failure. While Carter was trying to end the hostage crisis, he was also campaigning for a second term. A year to the day after the Americans were taken hostage, Ronald Reagan beat Carter in a landslide. The hostage crisis played a key role in Carter's defeat. The Iranian Hostage crisis helped doom Jimmy Carter's presidency, but for some of the people he helped free, he was a hero. 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Extremely dry conditions coupled with high winds have led to an explosive wildfire situation in southern California. Multiple fires have erupted across the Los Angeles area since Tuesday. Tens of thousands of people have had to evacuate, and firefighters are struggling to contain the flames. Adria Kloke is one of the of people who has had to flee. She packed up her belongings, along with her cat, and left her home in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday. Kloke shares her story with NPR. 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

In Washington, D.C., the federal government is closed – as are most of the schools in the area. That's because the first major snow storm in about three years barreled in Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Southern U.S. is preparing for another storm that could paralyze parts of Texas, Arkansas and Northern Louisiana. And Southern California is preparing for "life threatening, destructive gusts" driving wildfires. That's a lot of wild weather...so what's going on? 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

What happened on January 6, 2021? There have been news reports, documentaries and witness testimonies all trying to put that question to rest. But despite an impeachment trial and a House Select Committee investigation, the fight over how that day will be remembered isn't over. 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 Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Billionaire Elon Musk begins 2025 as one of the most influential people in the United States. He's developed a close relationship with President-elect Donald Trump, and has been advising the incoming administration on policy and staffing. And Musk is now increasingly weighing in on European politics as well. Host Scott Detrow speaks with reporter Rebecca Collard about Musk wading into European politics. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

As president, Jimmy Carter promised always to tell the American people the truth about what was happening in the country. We'll look at how that affected his presidency as we remember Carter's life and legacy. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

New Orleans is still reeling from the New Year's Day attack that killed 14 people on Bourbon Street. We ask a counterterrorism expert how attacks like this can be prevented and hear the latest from New Orleans. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

So much can happen in a year. While we all wish for a happy New Year, that's not always the case. We talk to author and podcaster Kelly Corrigan about the lessons she learned from a challenging year. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Most years bring both good and bad experiences. But sometimes, it's the challenges of a bad year that show us our hidden strengths. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Every year, more and more Americans embark on Dry January – a whole month of giving up alcohol. It's easy to imagine the benefits: no hangovers, better sleep, happier wallet. But like with any resolution for the new year, staying committed can be hard. Today, we're bringing you an episode from our friends at the "Life Kit" podcast that's all about how to get through Dry January – and reexamine your relationship with alcohol. 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. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Former President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. He was the nation's 39th president, in office from 1977 to 1981. He will of course be remembered for his accomplishments in office. But also for all that he accomplished in the four decades after he left the White House. Host Andrew Limbong speaks about Jimmy Carter's legacy with two NPR journalists who have covered the White House for years: national political correspondent Mara Liasson and senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith. 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. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy