Commentary

Thousands gather at Denver's City Center Park on Saturday for a rally in support of the Muslim community and to protest President Trump's executive order to temporarily ban some refugees from seven mostly Muslim countries.

Politics & Government

What If 'Something Happens' After Judge's Ruling On Trump's Travel Ban?

2:46pm February 07, 2017

by Steve Inskeep

President Trump has said on Twitter that any terrorist attack would be the fault of the federal judge who ruled against the government. But history and the law suggest otherwise.

Writer James Baldwin at home in Saint Paul de Vence, South of France, in 1985.

Did I Get James Baldwin Wrong?

6:04pm February 05, 2017

by Stephen Casmier

The new film I Am Not Your Negro paints a picture of the prophetic writer's racial outlook that challenges the feeling of hope I once found in his words.

While medical advances have allowed us to live longer, it's important to think about what you want before a health crisis hits.

Health & Safety

Why Immortality Is Overrated

5:54am February 04, 2017

by John Henning Schumann

Before a health crisis hits, think deeply about the care you want and what you'd like to avoid. Make sure your family and your doctor understand your wishes, says John Henning Schumann.

Week In Politics: Iran Sanctions, Supreme Court Nominee

4:37pm February 03, 2017

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with political commentators E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution and Kristen Soltis Anderson of The Washington Times. They discuss the Trump administration's sanctions on Iran, Trump's Supreme Court nominee and new executive actions signed this week.

A child drags a crate at a refugee camp for Syrians and Kurds north of Athens. Children under age 14 make up nearly half of the Syrian refugees resettled in the U.S.

Commentary: Trump Travel Ban On Syrians Should Exempt Kids Under 10

4:06pm January 31, 2017

by Amitai Etzioni

Amitai Etzioni, who escaped Nazi Germany as a child, proposes a way for the U.S. to bring in young Syrian refugee children. A similar past program brought in thousands of unaccompanied Cuban minors.

Bilal Askaryar's parents were engaged in Kabul in 1984. The family fled Afghanistan in 1990, when Askaryar was five, and they were granted asylum in the United States.

'We Weren't Looking For A Better Life, We Were Just Looking For Life'

2:03pm January 28, 2017

by Bilal Askaryar

Bilal Askaryar fled Afghanistan with his parents and grandmother when he was five, as the country was descending into civil war. He reflects on his family's experience as refugees in this commentary.

Week In Politics: Trump's First Week In Office

4:36pm January 27, 2017

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with our regular political commentators, David Brooks of The New York Times, and E.J. Dionne, of The Washington Post and the Brookings Institution about President Trump's first week in office.

Commentary: If Trump Builds His Wall, We'll Be 'Trapped Inside With Him'

4:36pm January 27, 2017

In light of the president's plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, author Peter Behrens has this commentary.

President Trump, shown here in an ad for a Chinese magazine in Shanghai, continues to attack the integrity of reporters who challenge him — even as he keeps making false claims.

For Journalists Who've Worked In China, New White House Tactics Seem Familiar

1:00pm January 25, 2017

by Frank Langfitt

China tries to discredit the press and to convince citizens not to believe their own eyes. Trump's White House seems to favor similar tactics, writes Frank Langfitt, NPR's former China correspondent.

Sports

Commentator Mike Pesca On Redeeming Football's 'Lousy Season'

5:06am January 25, 2017

It was a rocky year for the NFL. TV numbers were down and the season lacked a great story. Commentator Mike Pesca of The Gist podcast wonders if the Super Bowl can salvage things.