Reporting assignments can often lead to unexpected joys and lessons. That was the case when NPR's Natalie Escobar and Ava Berger were sent on the road to tag along with three teenage boys competing in the World Series of Birding. The teens had 24 hours to crisscross New Jersey and tally up the number of bird species they spotted. For this week's Reporter's Notebook we hear from Escobar and Berger about how the assignment was both challenging and illuminating.

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SpaceX is now publicly traded, and it’s leaning heavily into space and AI. What does that mean for us humans here on earth?

Today, Elon Musk’s company SpaceX had a banner day in the stock market. The company is now valued at more than $2 trillion.

That is, after an already record-breaking initial public offering, or IPO.

That historic IPO is likely to make Musk the world’s first trillionaire.

And while SpaceX isn't profitable yet, investors have big expectations for the company’s ambitions in space and artificial intelligence.

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This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane and Becky Brown.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Patrick Jarenwattananon. 

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.


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Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is key to U.S. counterterrorism efforts.


It authorizes U.S. intelligence agencies to intercept the electronic communications of foreign nationals, outside the United States.

But foreign nationals also talk to Americans. And lawmakers in both parties have long protested that this collection of phone calls, text messages and emails allow government agencies to monitor the conversations of Americans without a judicial warrant.

And FISA 702 is on a path to expire after Friday.

Elizabeth Goitein of the Brennan Center for Justice explains her proposal for reform. 

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Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Vincent Acovino, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. It features additional reporting by Eric McDaniel. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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Some 43 million Americans hold federal student loans. 

If you're one of them - or planning to be - some major changes are coming beginning July 1, including new loan limits and an overhaul of repayment plans.

How might these changes affect you? NPR education correspondent Cory Turner spells out the changes that are coming and what to expect. 

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Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.

It was edited by Nicole Cohen and Tinbete Ermyas.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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The war with Iran is not popular in the U.S., and President Trump has been trying to negotiate a deal to resolve it.


In comparison, the Israeli public is pressing for military defeat of Iran and its allies, such as the militia Hezbollah in Lebanon. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a parliamentary election this fall which could unseat him from power.

So the war that Trump and Netanyahu launched together now sees the two leaders at odds on its potential end.

Daniel Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, explains the political calculus for Netanyahu right now.

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Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Erika Ryan and Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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With his claims about California voter fraud, President Trump is returning to a familiar playbook. Is this a preview of what the midterms could look like?

We are still waiting for some results from last Tuesday's primary in California.

That election will determine who is on the ballot this fall in the races for governor, Los Angeles mayor, and key congressional districts.

But the state is one of the slowest to count votes in the country, and in the meantime, President Trump is pushing familiar – and false – claims of election fraud. 

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This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Christopher Intagliata and Megan Pratz.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.


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The Trump administration is supercharging its aggression toward Latin America. What does the 'Donroe Doctrine' mean for the Western Hemisphere, and could it backfire for the U.S.? 

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Email us at [email protected]. 

This episode was produced by Henry Larson and Michael Levitt. 

It was edited by Sarah Robbins. 

Our executive producer is Courtney Dorning.




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This week, the Trump administration did a seemingly uncommon thing – it reversed course under pressure.


Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told a House subcommittee this week that the Justice Department would not go forward with its plans to implement a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.

Fellow Republicans in Congress who saw it as funneling federal money to the president’s supporters – possibly including Jan. 6 rioters – held up other legislation in protest.

For a president who claims broad authority over nearly everything, what can we make of his administration backing down?

The Atlantic’s Anne Applebaum, a historian of modern authoritarianism, weighs in.

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

Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad, Alejandra Marquez Janse and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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This month will mark two years since the beginning of the end for Joe Biden’s presidency – when the calls for him to end his campaign for a second term reached a fever pitch following a disastrous debate performance in 2024. 


And this month, for the first time, we’re hearing about that period of time from the person closest to the former president: his wife, Jill Biden.

In this episode, the former first lady discusses her view on her husband’s fitness for office during the campaign, and other moments and lessons described in her new memoir, “View From the East Wing.”

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Email us at [email protected]. 

This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam, with audio engineering by Cena Loffredo. 

It was edited by Ashley Brown. 

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.


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For six decades 60 Minutes has been one of the most trusted news programs in America… is CBS leadership making changes that could destroy the program’s future?


Over the last week, some of the biggest names at 60 Minutes have been fired from CBS News.

Executive Producer Tanya Simon, correspondents: Sharon Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and last night Scott Pelley.

Pelley was fired after he confronted CBS leadership for, as he put it, trying to gut and "murder" the show. 

Now, the most iconic show in broadcast journalism is in freefall.

One of the program's most prominent alumnae weighs in.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Tyler Bartlam.

It was edited by Sarah Handel and Courtney Dorning 

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.


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