Month: February 2023

More than three years since the start of the COVID pandemic, infectious disease experts are studying other viruses with pandemic potential. Their goal is to understand how pandemics begin and how they can be prevented.
This is the focus of the NPR series “Hidden Viruses: How Pandemics Really Begin.” In this episode, NPR’s Ari Daniel takes us to Bangladesh, where researchers studied a dangerous virus called “Nipah” and how it spreads.
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 Memphis Police Department has disbanded its special SCORPION unit, after five of the unit’s officers were involved in the death of Tyre Nichols. But similar units are still operating across the U.S.

Specialized police units are often created after a spike in crime, as officials come under pressure to do something about it. The units often operate with little oversight and develop a reputation for using aggressive tactics.

We speak with journalist Radley Balko, author of “Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces.” He has studied police tactics and whether special units work to keep communities safe.

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.

Pamela Anderson has had an incredibly rich, and varied, career. She’s an actress, the author of several books, and a prominent activist – especially for animal rights.
But many people still see her primarily as a sex symbol, the archetypal “blonde bombshell.”
In a new memoir titled “Love, Pamela”, Anderson takes control of the narrative, telling her story in her own words.
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.

Signs of a forthcoming recession seem to be everywhere: from grocery stores, where food prices are soaring, to Fortune 500 companies, where workers are being let go by the thousand.

Survey after survey shows fears of recession are high. And if one does come, navigating the downturn can be tricky.

NPR’s Arezou Rezvani shares advice from economists and personal finance experts on how to prepare for a potential recession.

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.