Mary Louise Kelly
Appearances
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
It's Consider This from NPR. This week, as we mark three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, among the many people offering up ideas for how to end that war is Alexander Vindman. Now, a little background here. Vindman was born in Ukraine, emigrated to the United States as a child. He
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
And if you recognize his name, there's a decent chance that is because of a moment back in 2019 when Vindman, by then a staffer in the Trump White House and an active duty officer in the U.S. Army, testified in impeachment hearings against his commander in chief.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
Well, Trump fired Vindman not long after that. Then Vindman retired from the army, but he has not stopped thinking about the relationship between the country for which he wore a uniform and the country where he was born. His new book is The Folly of Realism, How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine. Alexander Vindman, welcome.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
So the last time you and I spoke was three years ago. It was actually right before Russia invaded. Let's start with the case for hope. Do you find grounds for hope that this year, that 2025 may be the year this war ends?
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
The president has his eye on Ukraine's rich natural resources.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
I mentioned your own history that Trump fired you, that he had you marched out of his White House. For people listening and wondering if you have an ax to grind, do you?
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
policymaker and as an academic studying this issue well and what's interesting is that in this latest book you make the argument that the us and its allies have gotten ukraine wrong since the collapse of the soviet union like across six u.s presidential administrations of both parties and
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
I'm sure there are many moments that stand out, but is there a particular one that, if it had been navigated differently, might have led us to a very different outcome today?
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
The Trump administration wants hundreds of billions of dollars of rare earth metals and other critical minerals. Details are thin on what exactly Ukraine would get in exchange. After back and forth, it looks like there's a preliminary deal. Trump spoke Wednesday at the White House.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
Fast forward to this moment now, here we sit in 2025, with the world as it is, not as we wish it were, what counsel would you offer your successors at the White House, at the Pentagon, on trying to end this war?
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
I guess the pushback to that is that the Biden administration tried that, invested in the relationship with NATO, invested in Ukraine, and here we are with war still raging three years on.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
When you argue for investing in Ukraine, is part of that argument more weapons to Ukraine? You make that case in the book.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
The deal President Trump is talking about is a deal to end its war with Ukraine. What ultimately becomes of Ukraine, though, may depend on the compromises it's willing to make with the United States.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
Last thing, do you see any grounds for optimism in the U.S.-Russia relationship? Understanding, as you've made clear, that you don't agree with the way President Trump is handling it. Is it better to be talking than not to be talking?
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, his new book is The Folly of Realism. Alexander Vindman, thank you.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
This episode was produced by Mark Rivers and Alejandra Marquez-Hanse. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Nadia Lansi. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
But will a deal between the U.S. and Ukraine bring about an end to the grinding conflict between Ukraine and Russia? Consider this. It's been three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Coming up, we'll hear from Alexander Vindman, who knows both Ukraine and the Trump White House intimately, and who says that ending the war will not be so simple.
Consider This from NPR
Is there a deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine?
From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
The argument for international aid is in part a moral one, but it has also always been about U.S. interests. Here's then-Senator Marco Rubio making that argument back in 2017.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
It was launched in the Cold War to bring news to people living behind the Iron Curtain without access to a free press. It still serves listeners living under authoritarian governments. President and CEO Steve Kappas said the spending cut is a, quote, massive gift to America's enemies.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
He is suing to get the funding restored. Consider this. Soft power has been a pillar of American foreign policy. Is the Trump administration giving up on it? From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly. It's Consider This from NPR. The United States Institute of Peace is very explicitly about U.S. soft power. Its website proclaims it is dedicated to protecting U.S.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
interests by helping to prevent violent conflicts and broker peace deals abroad. It's a congressionally funded think tank here in Washington, and Trump is trying to shut it down. He fired most of its board and its acting president and CEO, George Moose, for failing to comply with an executive order that effectively eliminates the Institute. That led to a dramatic scene this week.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
Moose says he was holed up in his office after members of Elon Musk's Doge team broke into the building. D.C. police eventually helped escort Moose out, which is where our colleague Michelle Kellerman caught up with him. Standing outside on the steps of the Institute he had run until just a few days before, George Moose told Michelle it was a sad day for the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
Today, as Secretary of State, Rubio sounds more like his boss. President Trump calls the United States Agency for International Development a left-wing scam. Here's how he described it in his speech to CPAC last month.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
I wanted to talk through that mission with someone who sponsored the legislation that created the USIP. So I spoke with former Democratic congressman from Kansas, also former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
What went through your mind this week as you watched a hostile takeover of the USIP?
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
I mean, at the risk of oversimplifying, because obviously a lot of things go into what prevents or enables a conflict, but is there a specific example you would point us to where the USIP played a role in helping to avert a conflict?
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
So to the Trump administration's stated concern, take that head on. Why should Congress fund a think tank? I mean, what's the need in a town where there is no shortage of think tanks, plenty of which get by on private funding?
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
If I'm hearing you right, your argument boils down to the U.S. should fund this using taxpayer money because it directly benefits the United States?
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
The administration shuttered USAID, which a federal judge said this week may have violated the Constitution. What's left of USAID has been folded into the State Department. And Rubio announced last week that 83 percent of its contracts had been cut. He said they did not serve and in some cases even harmed the core national interests of the United States.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
So, Secretary Glickman, if the US IP is scaled back, if it outright disappears, what might be the impact?
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
It is indeed true that both Republican and Democratic lawmakers pushed to create this institute. It prompts a bigger question, though, which is can the U.S. Institute of Peace, can any institution truly be nonpartisan in such a hyperpartisan moment?
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
That's former Democratic Congressman Dan Glickman. He was the principal House sponsor of legislation which led to the creation of the U.S. Institute of Peace back in 1984. Dan Glickman, thank you. Thank you for having me. As we mentioned, the Trump administration is also gutting the Voice of America. This U.S.-funded broadcaster reached audiences in countries the U.S.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
government deemed autocratic without free media. That includes China. And Piers Emily Fang has this story about Voice of America's legacy there.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
It's part of a broader turn away from traditional sources of U.S. soft power and toward new ones like tariffs on allies.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
Trump has also effectively shut down the Voice of America, the editorially independent, government-funded broadcaster that brought the news to 360 million people around the world in nearly 50 languages. Taxpayer-funded radical propaganda, says the White House. Trump also terminated government funding for Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty.
Consider This from NPR
Trump is taking a hammer to traditional pillars of soft power
That was NPR's Emily Feng. This episode was produced by Erica Ryan, Gurjeet Kaur, and Connor Donovan. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata. Our executive producer is Samma Yinnigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal, and now... The U.S.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
The UN Human Rights Office said, "...any forcible transfer in or deportation of people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited." and Human Rights Watch deemed it a moral abomination. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan all oppose attempts to displace Palestinians. Also in opposition, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Brazil, China, Russia. The list goes on and on.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
And yet, despite the growing global condemnation of his plan, at another event on Wednesday, President Trump continued to insist.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
On Wednesday, the White House walked back some of the president's remarks, including whether the U.S. military could be deployed to Gaza. Consider this. President Trump's vague plan to make Gaza beautiful again could signal the largest shift in U.S. Middle East policy in decades. From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelley.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
That's right, Gaza. It's an addition to the growing list reflecting President Donald Trump's expansionist vision. The president did not offer many specifics for his Gaza plan, nor did he rule out the possibility of deploying U.S. troops to make it happen.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
It's Consider This from NPR. President Trump floated two stunning ideas about Gaza on Tuesday. The first is he said the U.S. would take over the territory, which has been devastated by the recent war. And he said the entire population of Gaza would be relocated to other countries. Trump offered no specifics for his plans, sending Palestinians and Israelis scrambling to understand what he means.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
from Tel Aviv. And here's Daniel Estrin reports.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
Trump made that announcement standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who offered no details of his own, only smiles and praise for Trump.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
That was NPR's Daniel Estrin reporting from Tel Aviv. In the first major Israeli-Arab war in 1948, many Palestinians were driven from their homes and sought shelter in Gaza. The direct descendants of those refugees make up most of Gaza's population today. So President Trump struck an extremely sensitive nerve when he called for uprooting all Palestinians in Gaza.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
NPR's Greg Myrie has made dozens of reporting trips to Gaza. We reached him in Damascus, Syria. Walk us back in the history and explain in a little more detail why so many Palestinian refugees came to be concentrated in this tiny strip, the Gaza Strip.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
Understanding that there's, of course, a range of views, if Palestinians in Gaza had their choice, how would they like to see this resolved?
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
President Trump called Gaza a demolition site and a symbol of death and destruction.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
So when President Trump comes along and says Palestinians in Gaza should be uprooted because the U.S. is going to take over, based on your experience, is there any reason to think some Palestinians would be willing to leave Gaza?
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
So if Trump gets his way, if the US were to take over Gaza, just give us a quick rundown, some of the practical and some of the political issues that you'd have to get past.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
And so he floated another idea.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
And peers Greg Myrie and Damascus will leave it there for now. Thank you.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
This episode was produced by Mia Venkat, Alina Burnett, Michael Levitt, and Alejandra Marquez-Hanse. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, James Heider, Nishant Dehia, Ryland Barton, Patrick Jaron-Wadananen, and Nadia Lancey. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR.
Consider This from NPR
Trump's Plan for Gaza: American intervention and mass relocation
It's not clear who Trump is talking about when he says many want to do this. The list of those who don't is long. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said, "...we will not allow the rights of our people, for which we have struggled for decades and made great sacrifices to achieve, to be infringed upon."
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
The political scandal gripping New York City and its mayor can be summed up in a series of numbers. Five. That's the number of criminal charges filed against Eric Adams late last year. The charges were part of a sweeping case alleging that Adams used the power of various city offices over nearly a decade to solicit lavish vacations and improper campaign contributions.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
It's Consider This from NPR. It has been a tense day in New York City as Governor Kathy Hochul and other top officials weigh the political future of the city's embattled mayor, Eric Adams. Adams faces growing calls to step down over allegations of corruption and over criticism that his deepening ties with the Trump administration have compromised his ability to govern independently.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
NPR's Brian Mann is following this. Hey there.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
So get us up to speed. Governor Hochul was signaling yesterday that she was weighing using her power to force Adams out. Did she move in that direction today?
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
OK, tell me more about the conversations that she was having and just the tone.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
Taking orders from the Trump administration. Brian, just refresh our memory on what Hakeem Jeffries is referring to.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
Five is also the number of criminal charges that acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bovee ordered federal prosecutors to drop earlier this month. Bovee said the criminal indictment restricted Mayor Adams' ability to address illegal immigration and violent crime in the city.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
And is there any kind of deadline for Governor Hochul? Do we know when she might act?
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
NPR's Brian Mann, he is watching developments in New York City. Thank you.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
We are now about one month into President Trump's term, and Justice Department veterans are starting to notice a pattern. They say the DOJ seems to be more lenient with people who appear loyal to the president. NPR Justice Correspondent Kerry Johnson has been reporting on some of those cases. Hi there. Hey there. So we're talking, obviously, about politically sensitive cases.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
What exactly are you hearing from people both in and outside the Justice Department?
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
I will inject a reminder here that Trump, of course, was himself investigated by the Justice Department, was charged twice by the Justice Department. Prosecutors dropped those charges against him after he won the election in November. Is that experience echoing through the Justice Department now?
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
The number four, that's the number of Adams deputies who resigned in protest yesterday, effectively wiping out the mayor's top leadership. They follow a string of Adams officials who have exited his administration. And one final number to think about, 235.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
Stay with the Mayor Adams case for a sec, because that's a big one, and I know the fallout is continuing. What is the latest?
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
Hmm. That reminds me of something that current Attorney General, this is Pam Bondi, something she said, which is that she wants to go after weaponization.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
Thanks, Kerry. Thanks for having me. This episode was produced by Mark Rivers, Megan Lim, and Tyler Bartlam. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Sarah Handel, Nadia Lancey, Christian Monroe, and Cheryl Corley. Our executive producer is Sammy Yinnigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
That is the number of years that the governor of New York State has had the power to remove the mayor of New York City if he or she deems they are unable to govern. No governor has ever used that power, but that could change at any moment. Consider this. The nation's biggest city has been all but paralyzed by the legal and political problems of its mayor. What's next for Eric Adams?
Consider This from NPR
Will New York's mayor survive widening scandal?
And what does the scandal tell us about the Trump Justice Department? From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Consider This from NPR
Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
We've had an entire community swept away. I can't even think of all the people that I know that have died.
Consider This from NPR
Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
So I heard you live in New York.
Consider This from NPR
Fentanyl deaths are plunging, but it's just the first step
I mean, so many people are dead. My daughter died. Our mentors are dead. I can barely stand to be here sometimes because of all the trauma and all the people that we've lost.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
It's been hard to turn on the news lately or scroll through your news feed and not come across something like this.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst also participated in the discussion. She praised one of Doge's most high-profile moves, freezing funding for USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
Whether or not you buy that there's a need for an entity like Doge, Democrats warn of the precedent, it says, its early efforts have sowed chaos and fear throughout the federal workforce. Consider this. The White House says that Musk is a, quote, special government employee tasked with cutting the size of the federal government.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
He was not elected, and he seems to be accountable to no one but the president. From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
It's Consider This from NPR. In Washington these days, Elon Musk seems to be everywhere. In the 15 days that Donald Trump has been back in the White House, Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have been moving to change every corner of the federal government.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
The billionaire entrepreneur and his team have gained access to a sensitive government payment system in the Treasury Department. They're pushing to drastically reduce the number of federal employees. So how did the world's richest man come to have such a big role in the federal government? And why does he want it? To help us answer those questions and more, I am joined by Zoe Schiffer of Wired.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
X. And now head of the Department of Government Efficiency, commonly referred to as DOJ, where he is making changes at a number of government departments.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
She's the author of Extremely Hardcore Inside Elon Musk's Twitter. Zoe Schiffer, welcome.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
To that basic question of why does Elon Musk want this? This is a man with plenty to keep him busy. He owns Tesla. He owns X. He owns SpaceX. What's the allure of adding the federal government to his portfolio?
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
So how does he square his politics with this role? Because at one point he was a moderate Democrat and now he is Donald Trump's arguably strongest ally.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
Hmm. To the question of his status, the White House says Musk is a, quote, special government employee. Trump himself Monday in the Oval Office was praising Musk's abilities, but said, look, we have to approve what he does. The bottom line is no one elected him. He has not been confirmed by the Senate. Should he have this much power?
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
That is Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer speaking on the Senate floor on Monday. He, like many federal employees and others with stakes in the workings of the federal government, have been decrying the work of Doge.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
That moves me to ask, what does Musk stand to gain personally from his work with Doge?
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
So where does this go? How does this end for him and for the citizens of the United States?
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
Zoe Schiffer, she is the Director of Business and Industry at Wired. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. This episode was produced by Mia Venkat. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sammy Yinnigan.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
Doge was created by executive order on day one of Donald Trump's second term. The goal slash government spending to make it more, well, efficient. And Musk has President Trump's support.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
Two top security officials at the agency attempted to block personnel from the Elon Musk run department. Reportedly granting Elon Musk's Doge team access to the federal government's payment system, which handles. Elon Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur, owner of Tesla, SpaceX.
Consider This from NPR
What does Elon Musk get out of remaking the government?
Musk has also got support from Republicans like Utah Senator Mike Lee, who joined Musk Monday morning for an online discussion on his social media platform, X. It's going to be a huge relief to the American people.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
Before he was even tapped by President Trump to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth laid out how he thought the incoming administration should overhaul the armed forces.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
And Senator Reed had this question for Brown's successor. Will he have the ability to speak truth to power? Consider this. The Trump administration says it wants a military built on meritocracy. Critics say it's building one governed by political loyalty. From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
All Songs Considered It's Consider This from NPR. So this weekend saw six senior officers ousted by the Trump administration, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Also included the top lawyers for the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. And Trump named his new pick for chairman, retired Air Force Lieutenant General Dan Kaine.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
This was on the Sean Ryan Show podcast. And at the top of Hegseth's list?
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
To get a sense of what this shakeup at the Pentagon will mean for the military, I spoke with Frank Kendall. Until about a month ago, he was a top Pentagon official as Secretary of the Air Force. Secretary, welcome to All Things Considered. Hello, Mary Louise. It's good to be with you. Hey, so to be clear, your departure was part of the regular turnover when a new administration takes over, right?
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
Okay. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as you well know, this is the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Armed Forces. They are appointed to serve four-year terms. They also serve at the pleasure of the president. So it is within a president's powers to pick a new head of the Joint Chiefs, correct?
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
You have concerns about General Brown being fired. Just lay out for us what they are.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
That would be General C.Q. Brown, who was the nation's highest-ranking military officer until Friday night when he was fired. Hegseth had attacked Brown for promoting diversity initiatives in the armed services. In his book, War on Warriors, he questioned whether General Brown got the job because he was black.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
I want to play a little bit of what this is. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who went on Fox yesterday and spoke about CQ Brown. Here's what he said.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
Hegseth has in past shared his view that the Pentagon needs to be purged of, and I quote, the woke stuff. And he said that doing so would start with firing C.Q. Brown, who I will note is black. How do you think, Secretary, that this may fit into the stated overt efforts by the Trump administration to scale back DEI?
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
And just to stay with the questions about wokeness, I hear you saying you don't even understand what that means. I think the Trump administration would argue that means diversity initiatives have been pursued at the expense of performance. In your long experience at the Pentagon, did you see that?
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
Do you know General Cain, President Trump's pick for chairman? Is he qualified?
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
I also want to ask about the removal of some of the Defense Department's top military lawyers in this purge. This is not generating headlines as big as removing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Why is it worth paying attention to?
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
On Fox News, over the weekend, Secretary Hegseth said he has, quote, a lot of respect for Brown, but that Trump had the right to dismiss him.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
Retired Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, thank you for speaking with us.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
This episode was produced by Jason Fuller and Connor Donovan. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Nadia Lancey. Our audio engineer is Ted Meebane. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
Other presidents have fired high-ranking generals, though none has fired a chairman of the Joint Chiefs. They serve four-year terms, often across administrations. And though they do serve at the pleasure of the president, they take an oath to the Constitution. Some Democrats say Trump's move undermines that.
Consider This from NPR
Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
That's the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, speaking there on ABC's This Week.
Consider This from NPR
Why are Israel's deals to exchange hostages so lopsided?
On Sunday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem. At the press conference afterwards, Netanyahu hugged Rubio and was enthusiastic about Israel's relationship with the U.S.
Consider This from NPR
Why are Israel's deals to exchange hostages so lopsided?
As talks move toward the second phase of a ceasefire deal, we look at the politics of these exchanges. From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Consider This from NPR
Why are Israel's deals to exchange hostages so lopsided?
It's Consider This from NPR. An Israeli delegation is in Cairo, Egypt today, to talk about the conditions for a second phase of the ceasefire deal. Under the first phase, Hamas agreed to release a total of 33 Israeli hostages, and Israel said it would free around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. NPR's Jerome Sokolovsky looked into why Israel repeatedly accepts deals like this.
Consider This from NPR
Why are Israel's deals to exchange hostages so lopsided?
Netanyahu also praised what he called Trump's bold vision for Gaza, a vision that includes relocating Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries and rebuilding the strip under U.S. ownership. And Netanyahu insisted that he and Trump are on the same page about the urgency of releasing the remaining Israeli hostages.
Consider This from NPR
Why are Israel's deals to exchange hostages so lopsided?
This episode was produced by Mia Venkat, Michael Levitt, and Christine Arrowsmith. It was edited by James Heider, Nishant Dehia, Jeanette Woods, and Tommy Evans. Our executive producer is Sammy Yinnigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Consider This from NPR
Why are Israel's deals to exchange hostages so lopsided?
My name is Willie and my question is, is magic real?
Consider This from NPR
Why are Israel's deals to exchange hostages so lopsided?
Before this past weekend, 24 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners had been freed during phase one of the ceasefire deal. This weekend, three more were released, all civilian men, in exchange for more than 360 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli jails. There are nearly 10,000 Palestinians in custody in Israel and the West Bank, many held without charge.
Consider This from NPR
Why are Israel's deals to exchange hostages so lopsided?
The current phase of the ceasefire deal ends in less than two weeks, and an Israeli delegation traveled to Cairo today to hash out details for a second phase, even as the number of Palestinian prisoners released, especially ones convicted of serious crimes, has sparked debate among Israelis. Consider this.
Consider This from NPR
A pastor's sermons on social justice causes conflict among congregation
In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country. We're scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families. Some who fear for their lives.
Consider This from NPR
A pastor's sermons on social justice causes conflict among congregation
Good morning. We are glad that you are here with us.
Consider This from NPR
A pastor's sermons on social justice causes conflict among congregation
I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away.
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
President Donald Trump is now chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Prior to taking the helm, he told reporters he was doing it because Kennedy Center shows were, quote, terrible and a disgrace. He also admits that he has never been to a show at the Kennedy Center.
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
The Kennedy Center
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
It's Consider This from NPR. For a decade, Deborah Rutter served as president of the Kennedy Center. This week, she was ousted from that position. In her first interview since, she came to our studios to talk about the abrupt end to her tenure. Deborah Rutter, welcome. Thank you so much.
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
And what was the phone call? What did they tell you and what went through your mind?
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
Did you have any idea this was coming?
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
The Kennedy Center is prestigious. It's very well known. It is also one institution inside the Beltway in Washington, D.C. Why should the rest of the country, the rest of the world care about who's in charge?
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
To your knowledge, can President Trump do this? Is there any law, any statute that would prevent him from ousting the board, ousting you?
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
True to his word, he ousted 18 members of the Kennedy Center board, replaced them with his own supporters. On Wednesday, the new board elected Trump chairman.
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
I mean, just to cut to the chase, it's been, what, two days since you were ousted. How are you thinking about things?
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
Yeah, you used the word sad just now. Why sad? What is it that is giving you pause?
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
There is no precedent for this move. Most presidents have been hands-off with the Cultural Center since it opened in 1971. That includes President Trump himself during his first term. Now he seems all-in, posting on Truth Social that, at his direction, quote, we're going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. great again.
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
Renee Fleming, the famous soprano, has announced she is stepping down as artistic advisor. Yesterday, I saw the actor and director Issa Rae says she is canceling what was supposed to be a sold-out show at the Kennedy Center next month. What is your advice to artists going forward? Should they come to the Kennedy Center? Should they perform?
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
That prompts me to ask about a comment that President Trump made. As you know, he criticized the Kennedy Center for being woke. He has also said, and I'm quoting, no more drag shows or other anti-American propaganda, only the best. Deborah Rutter, how do you understand those words? How do you react?
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
Thank you. She was president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for a decade. This is her first interview after being fired this week. This episode was produced by Elena Burnett and Mia Vincat. It was edited by Ashley Brown, Jeanette Woods, and Nadia Lancey. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan.
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
And I want to say thank you to our Consider This Plus listeners who support the work of NPR journalists and help keep public radio strong. Supporters also hear every episode without messages from sponsors. You can learn more at plus.npr.org. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.
Consider This from NPR
Ousted Kennedy Center president says artists must feel "welcome and safe"
Already, artists affiliated with the center have departed, and performers are canceling shows. Writer, director and actor Issa Rae canceled her upcoming sold-out show at the center, citing an infringement on the values of the institution. Consider this. The Kennedy Center hosts more than 2,000 performances that play to 2 million patrons every year.
Consider This from NPR
A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
The sentence that she is currently serving is 33 years on corruption and other charges. I will note that human rights groups have called those charges a sham. You are calling for them to be dropped?
Consider This from NPR
A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
We mentioned the earthquake, a terrible event, obviously, with so many people killed and survivors desperate, even more desperate than they were for food, for medicine, for vital supplies. The quake has made what sounds like an already difficult situation in your country far more difficult.
Consider This from NPR
A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
We had the Myanmar country acting director for a major aid organization on the program who was describing that his teams are able to move, they are getting access, but it's incredibly difficult and there is vast need for medical supplies. Acknowledging the horror of the situation, does it open any doors, any opportunities for a change in your mother's circumstances?
Consider This from NPR
A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
I need to ask about a part of your mother's record. She won, as we said, the Nobel Peace Prize. She has also come under criticism for her response to the Rohingya crisis for refusing to acknowledge the military's role in massacres.
Consider This from NPR
A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
Well, I will ask you with no narrative or agenda, but just part of what has prompted criticism are the basic facts that there was a horrific exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh. The Secretary General of the United Nations called what was happening in Myanmar ethnic cleansing. And your mother was the de facto leader.
Consider This from NPR
A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
My question for you, did she ever express any regrets about how she handled that situation, whether she might have been able to do more?
Consider This from NPR
A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
When were you last in Myanmar?
Consider This from NPR
A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
Is that because you were not able to return because of security reasons?
Consider This from NPR
A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
You call your country Burma?
Consider This from NPR
A devastating earthquake brings more uncertainty to Myanmar
In this moment, do you see a way out for Myanmar?