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It’s been six months since a tornado hit St. Louis and damaged more than five thousand buildings and homes. 

Residents and local officials say the Trump administration’s new policy on federal disaster assistance has meant they have been left to do the work traditionally done by FEMA.

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, in collaboration with Hiba Ahmad and Jason Rosenbaum from St. Louis Public Radio. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. 

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NPR’s concert series Tiny Desk, first launched on a whim in 2008, attracts millions of viewers. We hear from two members of the NPR music team on what they love about producing and sharing Tiny Desk performances with the world. 

Host Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Robin Hilton, host and Senior Producer of Tiny Desk and All Songs Considered and Kara Frame a video producer and director of Tiny Desk concerts.

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At a recent gathering of Swiss business executives in the White House, the CEO of Rolex presented President Trump with a gold-plated desk clock.

The CEO of a precious-metals company presented the president with an engraved gold bar.

They were not the official representatives of Switzerland’s economic agenda – but the following week, their government announced a trade deal that drastically lowered the U.S. tariff on imported Swiss goods from 39 percent to 15 percent – now on par with the European Union.

So were the gifts appropriate for the U.S. president to accept?

We hear from University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter – formerly the chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush.

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This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam and Brianna Scott, with audio engineering from Simon Laslo-Jansson. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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A group of National Guard members in Ohio are using an encrypted group chat to work out how they’re feeling as President Trump deploys Guard troops to several U.S. cities.

It’s become a place for existential questions about their service, careers…and country. 

NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf flew to Ohio to meet some of them.

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, Erika Ryan, and Connor Donevan with audio engineering by Simon-Laslo Janssen. It was edited by Alina Hartounian and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released emails to and from Jeffrey Epstein that suggest Donald Trump may have known about Epstein’s sex-abuse operations.

In one, Epstein writes that Trump “knew about the girls.”

The White House has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by Trump or meaningful connection to Epstein’s alleged crimes, and downplayed the new revelations as part of a “fake narrative.”

But House Democrats are pressing for a vote on legislation to release more Epstein documents.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democratic member of the Oversight Committee, speaks on the latest developments.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. 

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Alejandra Marquez Janse. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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When John Fetterman won Pennsylvania’s senate seat in 2022, Democrats across the country treated him as a hero and an example of a path forward for the party in the populist Trump era. 

Three years later, he often finds himself at odds with his party – most recently, on the government shutdown, Israel, and working class voters.

He delves deeper into his political views and experiences in a new memoir out this week, titled Unfettered. In the book, he’s also deeply honest about his struggles with mental health.

“Honestly, I know millions of Americans suffer,” Fetterman told NPR. “And to really understand what […] true deep depression is like […] that’s part of the conversation in the book.”

This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam with audio engineering from Andie Huether. It was edited by Ashley Brown and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

You can also watch the full conversation between NPR’s Scott Detrow and Fetterman here.

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The FDA is removing the black box warning on estrogen therapy after two decades. Should it?

Women who want to use estrogen to treat menopause symptoms often face a difficult choice.

That’s because those hormone treatments contain a “black-box warning.”

The Food and Drug Administration uses black box warnings to indicate a medication has potentially life threatening side effects.

In the case of estrogen for menopause symptoms, an increased risk of endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disorders, dementia and breast cancer.

Well those warnings are going away.  

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 Mia Venkat and Erika Ryan. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Scott Hensley.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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‘Affordability’ was the word that resonated across America during elections last week, reflecting voters’ demand for elected officials to address the rising cost of living. But the wealth gap in America and globally is increasing. Nobel-prize winning economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz talks about the repercussions for democracies worldwide.

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 Jordan-Marie Smith, with engineering by Peter Ellena.

It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Tuesday’s election was the first time voters registered how they’re feeling since President Trump entered the White House.

And after Democratic candidates won marquee races in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City, the answer was clear: they are not happy with the party in power.

So what are the two major political parties taking away from this week?

NPR correspondents Domenico Montanaro and Tamara Keith break it down.

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 Michael Levitt, Casey Morell, Connor Donevan and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Peter Ellena. It was edited by Kelsey Snell and Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Nancy Pelosi is arguably the most powerful woman in American history. After her election to Congress in 1987, she accumulated more and more power, eventually rising to become Speaker of the House in 2007, the first and only woman to hold that office. 

Now in her 20th term, Pelosi announced Thursday morning that she will not seek reelection. 

Susan Page is Washington Bureau chief for USA Today and author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power. She joined Consider This host Juana Summers to talk about Pelosi’s achievements — and her legacy.

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 Michael Levitt, with audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata, Courtney Dorning and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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