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Hours after a gunman attempted to breach the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, details are slowly emerging about who he is, and how he was able to get into the Washington Hilton where the dinner was held.

Two sources familiar with the matter say Cole Allen has been identified as the alleged gunman, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press that Allen is believed to have been targeting administration officials.

The incident shocked Washington — and led to the safe evacuation from the scene of the president, much of his Cabinet, and members of Congress.

NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben and Ryan Lucas have more on the investigation into the shooting, while reporter Steve Futterman learned more about the suspect in his suburban-Los Angeles hometown.

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This episode was produced by Henry Larson. It was edited by Ashley Brown, Alfredo Carbajal, and Krishnadev Calamur. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Tucker Carlson was one of President Trump’s biggest defenders. Now, he’s one of his loudest critics. 

Tucker Carlson now says he is “tormented” by his previous support for President Trump.

The conservative media personality has criticized the president over the U.S. war with Iran, among other issues.  

New Yorker writer Jason Zengerle has followed Tucker Carlson for years. He’s the author of a book about Carlson, “Hated by All the Right People.”

Zengerle says that while from time to time Carlson’s support for Trump has wavered, this time is 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.

This episode was produced by Kai McNamee and Karen Zamora.

It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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More than a million Lebanese residents have found themselves without a place to call home since the war reignited in early March.

Now with a shaky temporary ceasefire in place – people are trying to return home – if there is a home to return to.

NPR went to southern Lebanon to assess what life is like in the Israeli-occupied region.

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.

This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam. It was edited by James Hider and Tinbete Ermyas. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Virginia voters delivered a major win to Democrats on Tuesday.

A narrow majority voted to allow lawmakers to bypass the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission. That means the Democratic-led legislature will create a map that’s more favorable to them in the midterms.

It’s the latest chapter in a redistricting saga that President Trump started last year, but is the tit-for-tat redistricting battle the future of US electoral politics?

We speak with Democratic Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger to hear her perspective.

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.

This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam and Matt Ozug. It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The U.S. estimates that Iran possesses nearly 1,000 pounds of highly-enriched uranium.

It’s not quite enriched to weapons-grade, but it’s not far off.

As part of its attempt to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, the U.S. is attempting to negotiate with Iran to give up this cache.

How would that even work?

We hear from Scott Roecker, vice president of the Nuclear Materials Security Program at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. 

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Kai McNamee and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, has saved 26 million lives since President George W. Bush launched the program in 2003. 

But the Trump administration has made major changes to the way the U.S. distributes foreign aid, disrupting HIV care — and leaving many health workers uncertain about the future of PEPFAR.

What do those changes to foreign assistance mean for the fight against HIV and AIDS around the world?

Host Juana Summers speaks with Dr. Deborah Birx, who once was the U.S. global AIDS coordinator in charge of PEPFAR.

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.

This episode was produced by Vincent Acovino and Karen Zamora.

It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. 

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The FIFA 2026 World Cup kicks off in June and 11 American host cities are getting ready for an influx of fans. Juliette Kayyem, a national security expert and former DHS official, examines how the partial government shutdown has impacted preparedness for the mega event.

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.

This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Jeffrey Pierre. 

It was edited by Sarah Robbins. 

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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President Trump has called the affordability crisis a hoax, but the data shows the burden of rising costs really matters to Americans. NPR’s Jennifer Ludden talks about covering affordability issues and meeting people who struggle to find secure housing – or enough food to eat. 

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.

This episode was produced by Henry Larson. 

It was edited by Sarah Robbins. 

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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The Strait of Hormuz is one of the global economy’s major arteries. It had been closed to most commercial traffic for about 6 weeks up to today.

The reopening is good news for hundreds of ships that have been stuck. 

But questions remain about the safety of the passage. Questions, like how many underwater mines are still out there? Or what happens if the ceasefire falls apart? 

And those questions are crucial for the people who insure these vessels. 

Hundreds of ships have been stuck in the Strait of Hormuz for weeks. Even though it’s now open, safety concerns remain. 

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.

This episode was produced by Avery Keatley and Karen Zamora.

It was edited by Barrie Hardymon and Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Almost a decade after the height of the #MeToo movement, intimacy coordinators are a fixture on film sets. As of this year, the job is now covered by SAG-AFTRA, the labor union that represents actors.

Their growing presence on set has led to more demand for intimacy coordinator training programs. NPR visited one of those programs in downtown Los Angeles, and met an assistant director  and a porn actor both training for the job.

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.

This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink and Karen Zamora.
It was edited by Christopher Intagliata.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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