Consider This from NPR

During the 2000 Presidential election season, it took 36 days and a Supreme Court decision before George W. Bush became the 43rd president of the United States.Before that final Supreme Court decision, there was a five-week battle over the ballots, the rules, the laws and the courts. The amount of litigation and lawyers involved has been called "unprecedented." But what was unprecedented two decades ago looks quaint in 2020.This year campaigns and political parties have staffed up their legal war rooms, making this election season one of the most litigated ever. A lot of the on-going lawsuits are due to coronavirus-related election issues, with at least 248 nationwide.Three of the lawyers preparing for this election season take us from where they were on election night in 2000 to the work they're doing now. 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.orgSpecial thanks to Sam Gringlas and Courtney Dorning for reporting featured in this episode.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police in March. Her killing in Louisville, Ky., was part of the fuel for the nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism this spring and summer. On Tuesday, an announcement came that the city of Louisville had reached a $12 million settlement in a civil lawsuit brought against it. But Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, says this is only the beginning when it comes to getting full justice. There are on-going state and federal investigations, but still no criminal charges against any of the officers involved. Before she became the face of a movement, Taylor was a daughter, a niece and a treasured friend. Ahead of what would have been Taylor's 27th birthday, NPR's Ari Shapiro went to Louisville to speak with her family and friends about how they remember Taylor. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at considerthis@npr.orgSpecial thanks to Becky Sullivan, Sam Gringlas, Sarah Handel, Jason Fuller and Ari Shapiro for the reporting featured in this episode.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Wildfires in Western states aren't slowing down and conspiracy theories about who started them are only making things harder for responders. Conrad Wilson from Oregon Public Broadcasting reports on how claims of Antifa arsonists have clogged up the phone lines for 911 dispatchers in some Oregon towns. And NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Nick Clegg, Facebook's Vice President of Global Affairs and Communication, about the company's decision to remove some misinformation about the fires — and their broader attempts to stop the spread of misinformation online.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at considerthis@npr.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

If President Trump knew how contagious and potentially deadly the coronavirus was back in February, why didn't he express that to the American public? That's the question Trump has been facing since last week, when a recording of him expressing a desire to "play down" the virus went public. The audio came from interviews with Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward that he conducted for his latest book, Rage. In an interview with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly, Woodward comes to the conclusion that the president failed to protect the country from the virus and is "the wrong man for the job."Listen to more of the Bob Woodward interview.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at considerthis@npr.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

More than 3 million acres have burned in California this wildfire season. The previous record in a single season was 1.7 million, two years ago. Towns are being decimated across California, Oregon and Washington — and firefighting resources are maxed out, as NPR's Kirk Siegler reports from Boise, Idaho. In California, NPR's Lauren Sommer reports on an effort to fight fire with fire — something some Native American tribes have been doing for a long time.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at considerthis@npr.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As trials continue for a coronavirus vaccine, some of the world's biggest drug companies have come together in an unusual way. This week, nine drugmakers released a joint statement pledging to not submit a coronavirus vaccine to the Food and Drug Administration unless it's shown to be safe and effective in large clinical trials. NPR's Sydney Lupkin reports that the statement comes as a commitment to science, at a time when some Americans have expressed concern that the trials are being rushed.Part of this concern comes from those who feel politics are influencing the processes vaccines must go through. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have told states a potential vaccine may be ready for distribution as soon as late October — right before Election Day. But when speaking with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser to Operation Warp Speed, said there is a "very low chance" a vaccine will be ready by then. While some Americans are skeptical about a coronavirus vaccine, it doesn't seem like many of those people work on Wall Street. Each time a new vaccine trial phase is announced or a new scientific hurdle is cleared, drug company stock goes up. NPR's Tom Dreisbach reported that executives at one company took advantage of those rising stock prices.Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at considerthis@npr.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Youth voter turnout exceeded expectations in 2018 and may do so again in 2020. Generation Z — those born after 1996 — is the most pro-government and anti-Trump generation, according to the Pew Research Center. But Democrats can't count on those voters to be automatic allies. Gen Z voters in the LA area spoke with NPR host Ailsa Chang ahead of November's election. They discussed today's Democratic party, and why they will — and won't — be voting for Joe Biden.While Gen Z Democrats are split on Biden, young Republicans are deciding whether they will support President Trump. NPR political reporter Juana Summers spoke to young Republicans about their choices and the future of the GOP.Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, told NPR that young voters are more concerned with issues and values than with identity and branding. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at considerthis@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

With Labor Day weekend gone, summer is unofficially over — and millions of children head back to school this week, many virtually. Two teachers — Rosie Reid in California and Lynette Stant in Arizona — share how things are going in their schools so far. Many states have decided to allow high school football to go forward, even if kids are not in school. NPR's Tom Goldman reports that one coach in Alabama is demanding a coronavirus testing program for his players. Students who are not in school are not just missing out on in-person education. Many are missing free or reduced-cost meals. NPR's Cory Turner reports on how some school districts are trying to feed students when they're not in school. And for many parents who can't work at home, no school means a need for child care. But a recent study suggests millions of child care centers may not reopen after the pandemic, as Kavitha Cardoza with member station WAMU reports. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at considerthis@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

California set a new record high this week for the most acres burned in a single wildfire season. In an average season, 300,000 acres burn. This year more than 2 million acres have been scorched — and the season isn't over yet. Some communities have taken actions to prevent fires from spreading, but as NPR's Nathan Rott and Lauren Sommer report, those efforts may not be enough.Fire itself isn't the only threat to people. NPR's daily science podcast Short Wave looked into the science of wildfire smoke and how far-reaching it can be. Listen on Apple or Spotify. Reporter Erika Mahoney from member station KAZU has more on dual threats facing farmworkers: wildfire smoke and COVID-19. As these fires have been burning, other regions across the country have also faced extreme weather. Hurricane forecasters are watching multiple storm systems in the Atlantic that could develop into tropical storms in what has already been an extremely busy hurricane season. NPR's Rebecca Hersher, Nathan Rott, and Lauren Sommer on the growing threat of extreme weather due to climate change. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at considerthis@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, told NPR today that keeping people in their houses and 'connected to the economy' will cost money now, but pay dividends later. But the White House and Congress have been unable to agree on a deal for additional economic relief, millions of people are still unemployed, and many states now have no eviction protection. The Trump administration issued an eviction ban through the CDC this week. NPR's Chris Arnold and Selena Simmons-Duffin reported on the CDC's temporary halt on evictions and the legal issues that will likely follow. Find and support your local public radio station.Email us at considerthis@npr.org Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy