As a political correspondent, NPR's Ashley Lopez regularly speaks to voters about their worries, and their dreams. 

But finding swing voters in swing states — the people who can decide elections — can be a difficult assignment. 

For this week’s Reporter’s Notebook, Lopez talks about her larger takeaways from working on NPR’s Swing Voter Project. 


This episode was produced by Kai McNamee.

It was edited by Ben Swasey and Adam Raney.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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Cody and Kaleigh Brendle grew up just inland of the Jersey Shore. The siblings, who both have disabilities, came of age knowing it is their right to live, learn and work in their community.


Not long ago, millions of people like them could have been segregated in institutions. Then in 1999, in a case known as Olmstead, the Supreme Court ruled states must serve adults with disabilities in their communities when possible. Now, the Trump administration is trying to reverse course. 

NPR’s Jonaki Mehta spent time with the Brendles, who share what it means to live as disabled people integrated in their community.


This episode was produced by Janet Woojeong Lee, Erika Ryan and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. Our director is Jonas Adams.

It was edited by Steve Drummond, Nirvi Shah and Sarah Handel. 

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.


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The US national debt has soared to $40 trillion - a record high.

How does that figure affect the lives of everyday Americans?


This episode was produced by Megan Lim, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. Our director is Jonas Adams.

It was edited by Janaya Williams and Tinbete Ermyas.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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For decades, one of the most reliable trends in the American economy has been the growing number of women working.

But lately, government data shows women’s participation in the labor force has been falling.

What's behind this trend - and what does it tell us about the state of the US economy?


This episode was produced by Linah Mohammad and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna and Robert Rodriguez. 

It was edited by Sarah Handel and Tinbete Ermyas. Our director is Alejandra Marquez Janse.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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Concerns about social media have prompted a group of attorneys general to sue Meta. Could their case change the way social media is used?


Meta’s lawyers are in federal court to defend against accusations from four state attorneys general that the company’s social media platforms are designed to hook children.

Meta denies the allegations.

We hear what happened on the first day of court.

This episode was produced by Elena Burnett, Jeffrey Pierre and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Robert Rodriguez. Our director is Alejandra Marquez Janse.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning, who also edited this episode along with Ravenna Koenig, Kara Platoni, Diane Webber, Janaya Williams and Mallory Yu.

Note: The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a charity founded by Zuckerberg and his wife, is a financial supporter of NPR.


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Sociology professor Jason Arday was lauded as the youngest-ever Black professor appointed at the University of Cambridge in 2023. But since landing that position, he’d been, according to his family, “subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse,” stemming from scrutiny about his work and record.


Arday faced growing accusations of plagiarism and fraud, was found dead in London on August 14th, just days after he resigned from Cambridge. 

His death is raising new questions about how fairly Black academics are elevated and criticized in comparison to their peers. In this episode, we explore those questions with University of Southern California Professor Shaun Harper, whose research focuses on race, gender, and equity in education and other spheres. 

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 Michelle Aslam and Jeffrey Pierre, with audio engineering by Robert Rodriguez. Our director is Alejandra Marquez Janse.

It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Ashley Brown. 

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ruled Hungary with an iron fist for 16 years. After he was unseated in a landslide election last April, many Hungarians wonder if the new government led by Peter Magyar can mend the deeply damaged democracy. 


This episode was produced and edited by Michael Levitt.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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].

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This week, President Trump made headlines when he confirmed he was secretly removed from Air Force One in Turkey last month, following a credible threat from Iran.

The confirmation came days after The Washington Post reported on an elaborate ruse to keep the president safe.

This is just one of the quiet ways the Trump admin has tried to evade scrutiny. Are lawmakers doing anything to address it?


This episode was produced by Mia Venkat and Jordan-Marie Smith, with audio engineering by Damian Herring. Our director is Jonas Adams.

It was edited by Kelsey Snell, Sarah Handel and Tinbete Ermyas.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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This week, news broke that conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have deteriorated.

MS Now and other outlets have reported that service members have jumped overboard.

NPR has not independently verified this reporting. 

Congressional lawmakers are demanding answers about conditions on the naval carrier, but is there more they can do?


This episode was produced by Lauren Hodges, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. 

It was edited by Andrew Sussman and Tinbete Ermyas.

Our director is Jonas Adams. 

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

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Voters in half a dozen states went to the polls on Tuesday.

For Democrats – who hope to win back Congress in the fall – it was a night of mixed messages about which direction the party should embrace.

Did Tuesday's results hint at which path the Democrats may take?

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

It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Tinbete Ermyas.

Our director is Jonas Adams.

And our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

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The scene of President Trump boarding Air Force One after last month’s NATO summit in Turkey is one that TV cameras and photographers have captured countless times. 

What happened in the moments after that was far from routine, according to exclusive reporting from the Washington Post.


The Post reports that Trump was shuttled in an airport catering truck to a smaller military plane in which he then secretly departed, even as the White House announced he was flying aboard Air Force One.

The operation was prompted by an Iranian assassination threat, a U.S. official familiar with the operation told the Post.

We should note that NPR has not independently confirmed this reporting.

New information about how the White House handled the president’s security is raising questions about safety and transparency.

This episode was produced by Elena Burnett and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro and Ted Mebane. Our director is Kai McNamee.

Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning who also edited today’s episode along with Janaya Williams.


For tickets to a live taping of Sources & Methods, NPR’s national security podcast, visit this link: npr.org/sourcesliveshow.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

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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