Consider This from NPR Folgen

Former President Barack Obama is thinking a lot about our values as Americans. These days, in a divided America, he's particularly thinking about what it means to be a man. Is a man thoughtful, caring? Are men held back by what society traditionally expects a man to be?These are questions that Aarti Shahani recently asked Obama on a recent episode of her podcast, Art of Power, from member station WBEZ in Chicago.Listen to Art of Power on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and NPR One.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

All over the world, democratic institutions are under threat. The United States isn't just part of that trend — it may also be one of the causes. Former Obama administration foreign policy adviser Ben Rhodes examines why in a new book called After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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

Proponents of trans female athlete bans struggle to cite examples of trans women or girls gaining an unfair advantage in sports competitions. But amid a lot of debate about fairness, there's been less attention on science. NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman spoke to a pioneering trans researcher who explains why — in most sports — trans women can compete fairly against cisgender women. Behind a recent spate of anti-trans state laws, LGBTQ communities see a new chapter in a familiar story: the culture wars that broke out in America in the 1990s. A new episode of the FX documentary miniseries Pride examines that era. It was directed by Academy-Award nominee Yance Ford, who tells NPR why the culture wars of the 90s are so relevant today. Additional reporting on the legal debate over Idaho's ban on trans female athletes from our colleague Melissa Block. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will 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