Consider This from NPR Folgen

As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is perpetually stuck in limbo.The people there are subject to federal laws, but don't have a vote for president or Congress.This is a major problem when it comes to responding to disasters like Hurricane Fiona, which hit the island last month.Many Puerto Ricans are deeply frustrated by what they claim has been a slow and inefficient response from a federal government that they have no say in.Some want statehood, some want more autonomy. A small, but growing, group of people want independence.Jaquira Diaz's essay "Let Puerto Rico Be Free" for The Atlantic looks back at key moments in the history of Puerto Rico and argues for the island's independence. 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

After a prescribed burn became the largest wildfire in New Mexico history earlier this year, the U.S. Forest Service put a ninety day ban on controlled burns.But while these kinds of burns do carry risk, very few escape, and they are a crucial tool in reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires. Forest ecologists are worried the ban added to the wildfire risk in areas that desperately need maintenance.An investigation by CapRadio and the California Newsroom found that proper fire mitigation could have protected the Northern California town of Grizzly Flats from the Caldor Fire last year. CapRadio's Scott Rodd reports on how the U.S. Forest Service failed to execute its own mitigation plan in time, despite recognizing the danger decades ago.KCRW's Caleigh Wells looked into all of the obstacles that stand in the way of prescribed burns and fire preparation in California's Big Bear Valley, which could be the next disaster.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

The past twelve months have been the deadliest on record for the migrants crossing the Southern U.S. Border from Mexico. More than 800 have died in the last fiscal year. This past year also saw a shift in migration. More and more are coming from Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela. Past entry points have given way to more remote locations on the border, like Eagle Pass and Del Rio, Texas. These were sleepy border towns, now they are some of the busiest junctions on the border. Who is arriving and what happens when they get there?NPR's Marisa Peñaloza and Joel Rose report. 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