Consider This from NPR Folgen

President Richard Nixon has a plan: He wants to go to China. The only problem? The U.S. and China have had zero contact since the Communist Party took over China two decades before. In this episode of The Great Wager from NPR and WBUR's Here & Now, host Jane Perlez digs into the beginning of Nixon's improbable diplomatic mission. Listen to the rest of The Great Wager here. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There's a battle raging over the telling and teaching of Black history in the United States. Much of that fight has been playing out in schools. School board meetings erupt into fights as critics attack the teaching of what they call critical race theory or charge that teaching about racism is too upsetting to white children or casts students either as oppressors or the oppressed.At the heart of these arguments is a much larger issue - whether or not the country can face the truth about its painful legacy of systemic racism. In Montgomery, Alabama the National Memorial for Peace and Justice is dedicated to acknowledging America's history of racial terrorism factually, honestly, and completely. Civil rights attorney and memorial founder, Bryan Stevenson, believes that embracing this truth is the only path to healing.We tour the memorial with Stevenson, hear some of the stories immortalized there and discuss the ongoing battle over how students should be taught about race.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 one week into his presidency, Donald Trump announced an executive order banning people from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S., the so-called "Muslim Ban".This ban shut out travelers who were already on their way to the U.S. Visas were canceled, people were detained and sent back home, and protests ensued. Lawsuits were filed, but the Supreme Court upheld the policy.On his first day in office, President Biden reversed the ban. But five years later, hundreds of families that were separated by it are still waiting to be united. 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