Consider This from NPR Folgen

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, 2023 began with his war against Ukraine stagnating. It went on to deliver one of the most public challenges to his leadership, ever. Now as 2023 comes to a close, the man who lead the rebellion against Putin Yevgeny Prighozin is dead. US aid to Ukraine is on the Congressional chopping block, and Putin is getting ready to embark on a fifth campaign for the presidency of Russia. Odds are, he'll win.NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to Russia correspondent Charles Maynes about Putin's year that was, and how things are looking for 2024.Email us at considerthis@npr.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On January 15, Iowa will take center stage as the first leg of the Republican primary race to the presidential nomination.Usually, the caucuses signal the kickoff to primary season. But this year, there isn't a lot that is usual about the Republican race so far.Former President Donald Trump is vying for his party's nomination - against an increasingly smaller pool of challengers.And despite the fact that Trump is currently facing 91 felony charges from state and federal jurisdictions, and has not attended a single debate, he continues to lead the pack.The most recent Iowa polls show him at over 50%. If that number sticks, it would be impossible for any of his four challengers to pull ahead in any significant way.NPR's Scott Detrow speaks to Iowa Public Radio's Clay Masters and J. Ann Selzer, president of the Iowa based polling firm Selzer and Company, on what the candidates numbers say about the race and the overall state of the Republican party.Email us at considerthis@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Today we're sharing an episode of NPR's podcast Trump's Trials, hosted Scott Detrow with regular analysis from Domenico Montanaro. They are joined by former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman. This week's focus: the January 6th federal election interference case. Prosecutor, Special Counsel Jack Smith, made an unusual move, and sidestepped the appeals court and went straight to the Supreme Court to answer a fundamental question at the heart of the case:. Can presidents be criminally prosecuted for crimes they are allegedly committed while in office? Topics include: - Presidential immunity - Does presidential immunity apply to Trump's actions on January 6th - Predictions on how the Supreme Court may respond - New case timeline - An update on the New York Civil Fraud trial Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for new episodes each Saturday.Sign up for sponsor-free episodes and support NPR's political journalism at plus.npr.org/trumpstrials.Email the show at trumpstrials@npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy