NPR to Launch Weekly National Security Podcast

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, August 25, 2025 | 3:39pm CT

Sources & Methods

NPR will debut Sources & Methods on Thursday, August 28, a weekly national security podcast hosted by All Things Considered co-host and veteran correspondent Mary Louise Kelly. New episodes will post each Thursday and feature Kelly in newsroom-style conversations with NPR reporters, plus interviews with current and former military leaders, intelligence experts, and diplomats.

Positioned to explain how decisions in Washington reverberate globally, the show will examine wars, rising authoritarianism, cyber threats, and conflicts exacerbated by climate, drawing on reporting from war zones, foreign capitals, and U.S. agencies.

"What you'll hear is some of the best nat-sec reporters working today, comparing notes with each other, trying to figure things out in real time," said Kelly. "I want listeners to walk away with a sense of curiosity about the world, inspired by our own curiosity."

Kelly has covered national security for 25 years, reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan and on U.S. intelligence, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation. The podcast extends her long-running effort to demystify complex topics by bringing listeners into conversations with NPR's beat reporters.

Frequent panelists will include Tom Bowman (Pentagon), Greg Myre (intelligence), Quil Lawrence (national security, climate, veterans), Odette Yousef (extremism), and Jenna McLaughlin (cybersecurity). Embedded international correspondents will join depending on events in regions such as Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East.

"We're centering our global network of correspondents at a time when fewer outlets are investing in international coverage," said Edith Chapin, NPR's Editor in Chief and acting Chief Content Officer. "With this show, we'll help listeners understand how America's global role is changing, with trusted, independent reporting and deep context."

Sources & Methods will be available on the NPR App, npr.org, and major podcast platforms starting August 28.