Consider This from NPR Folgen

During the Super Bowl, clever ads from cryptocurrency companies urged a mainstream audience of 101 million viewers to buy now or regret it later. But besides high-minded rhetoric, what exactly were these ads selling? And why are some critics warning against investing? To understand the arguments for and against investing in cryptocurrency, you have to get a bit technical. YouTuber, Dan Olson helps us understand these digital currencies, how they function, what you can buy with them and the ideology behind the tech. We'll hear why Chinese dissident artist, Badiucao, thinks NFT's – non-fungible tokens – are the new frontier for political art. And critics explain why the crypto craze may be a market bubble and a scam. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Three weeks ago, semi trucks flooded the streets of Canada's capital city. Drivers were protesting a vaccine mandate at the U.S. border. But since then, the demonstration in Ottawa has evolved to be about much more and is spreading to other cities throughout the world. NPR correspondents Shannon Bond and Odette Youseff have been following this story and explain how the movement began and what has kept it going. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Just under three dozen of China's athletes competing at the Olympics this year were born in other countries. Most famously, ski prodigy Eileen Gu, who has dozens of brand sponsorships and is praised on Chinese social media. That's in contrast to skater Zhu Yi, who has been called a "disgrace" after she fell during her short program. And the rhetoric appears on both sides. Some U.S. commentators have criticized Gu for her decision to compete for China.Jules Boykoff is a political science professor at Pacific University and studies the politics of sports. He explains how politics play out in the Olympics. Amy Qin is a China correspondent for the New York Times. Her article on the subject is "The Olympians Caught Up in the U.S.-China Rivalry."In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy