They survived some of the Afghanistan war's most grueling and treacherous missions. But once they evacuated to the U.S., many Afghan fighters who served in "Zero Units" found themselves spiraling.Among their ranks was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man charged with killing one National Guard member and seriously injuring a second after opening fire on them in Washington, D.C., on Thanksgiving Eve.NPR's Brian Mann spoke to people involved in Zero Units and learned some have struggled with mental health since coming to the U.S. At least four soldiers have died by suicide. A previous version of this episode incorrectly says that more than 100,000 Afghan civilians died in a 2021 attack at a checkpoint outside the Kabul airport. More than 100 Afghan civilians died.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Erika Ryan and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Alina Hartounian and Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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The hosts of NPR's All Things Considered help you make sense of a major news story and what it means for you, in 15 minutes. New episodes six days a week, Sunday through Friday.Support NPR and get your news sponsor-free with Consider This+. Learn more at plus.npr.org/considerthis
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Folge vom 12.12.2025Afghan CIA fighters face stark reality in the U.S.
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Folge vom 11.12.2025How a once fringe idea became a Trump administration mantraThe Trump administration is leaning into the once fringe idea of "reverse migration." For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink and Brianna Scott.It was edited by Andrew Sussman, Justine Kenin and Courtney Dorning.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Folge vom 10.12.2025Chicago's Archbishop weighs in on immigration enforcementThe Catholic Church is wading into a deeply partisan issue. The Archbishop of Chicago weighs in.This fall, the Trump administration launched Operation Midway Blitz – an aggressive immigration crackdown campaign in Chicago.It was met with outcry from many communities around the city including the Catholic Church, and that sentiment goes all the way to the very top of the Church with Pope Leo calling on the government to treat undocumented people humanely. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink, featuring reporting from NPR domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef.It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Patrick Jarenwattananon.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Folge vom 09.12.2025View from VenezuelaVenezuela dominates the headlines, but very little attention is paid to what life is like inside the country.In September, the Trump administration began a series of strikes targeting what U.S. officials call "narcoterrorists" in small vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Those strikes are ongoing and have killed more than 80 people. Then, in October, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.She's been in hiding since last year, when Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory in an election widely seen as fraudulent.Machado is expected to receive her award on Wednesday, in Oslo. And if she does, she might not be let back into her country. Machado, who supports the Trump administration’s campaign in the region, says the end of the Maduro regime is imminent.While the world is focused on Oslo and María Corina Machado's Nobel Peace Prize. We wanted to get the view from inside her country. We speak with a journalist in Venezuela about what daily life is like. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Karen Zamora & Matt Ozug with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy