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Sources & Methods

NPR
Iran
United States
Ukraine
Venezuela
National Security
Israel
Russia
Donald Trump
Pentagon
CIA
Trump Administration
China
NATO
Gaza
Espionage
Nicolás Maduro
Drug Trafficking
Europe
National Guard
Trump

National security, unlocked. Each Thursday, host Mary Louise Kelly and a team of NPR correspondents discuss the biggest national security news of the week. With decades of reporting from battlefields and the halls of power, they bring you inside the Pentagon, State Department, and intelligence community to help you understand America's shifting role in the world, and how events in faraway places m... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes71Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNews

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Latest Episodes

It’s been six months since the U.S. and Israel went to war with Iran.

Is anyone winning?

On the one-year anniversary of this podcast, Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR National Security Correspondent Greg Myre and two of NPR’s International Cor... more

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This week, President Trump ordered that annual military drills between the U.S. and South Korea be scaled back. He also said he’d like to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

As Trump closes one door with a key U.S. ally, is he also trying to open o... more

YouTube

A president is stashed away in a catering truck -- a ruse to escape a threat from Iran. The White House press corps was clueless. 

Who else remained in the dark and how did this happen?

Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with NPR Correspondents Kat Lons... more

YouTube

In the past week, seven U.S. states have reported cyberattacks on their water facilities.

Some in the cybersecurity industry suspect Iran was responsible. Is this a new element of the war between the two countries? And how big is the risk?

Host Mar... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Daniel Estrin
NPR International Correspondent, Tel Aviv
NPR
Episode: Six months of Iran war / Gains and losses / CIA Chief in Moscow
Hadeel Al-Shalchi
NPR International Correspondent, Istanbul
NPR
Episode: Six months of Iran war / Gains and losses / CIA Chief in Moscow
Tom Bowman
NPR Pentagon correspondent
NPR
Episode: South Korea military drills / Pivot to Asia? / USS Lincoln
Emily Feng
White House correspondent; China watcher
NPR
Episode: South Korea military drills / Pivot to Asia? / USS Lincoln
Lauren Frayer
London correspondent
NPR
Episode: Trump’s AF1 ruse / Military at the polls? / Civilian casualties abroad
Jenna McLaughlin
NPR Cybersecurity Correspondent
NPR
Episode: Did Iran hack U.S. water systems? / Cyberwarfare abroad / Ukraine’s air defense gap
Hannah Lucinda Smith
Veteran foreign correspondent and author of Hinterlands
The Times of London, The Economist
Episode: A trip to the world’s frayed edges with Hannah Lucinda Smith’s 'Hinterlands'
Condoleezza Rice
Former Secretary of State, contributor in OSINT segment
Aspen conference participant
Episode: Hormuz blockade / Trump’s mixed messages / Who is Jay Clayton?
Joanna Kakissis
NPR Ukraine correspondent
NPR
Episode: Ukraine latest / Limits of military might / Can major powers regain dominance?

Host

Mary Louise Kelly
Host of Sources & Methods; long-time NPR foreign correspondent with expertise in national security and policy.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 1k ratings
  • Big fan of the new angle

    I’ve always appreciated NPRs mostly objective reporting (sometimes too Isr*** pro-biased) but this is a great new perspective that I like a lot.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Md713
    United States3 months ago
  • Great

    Bugs in the most recent Thursday episode though. Repeats at parts

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wallywonka0188
    United States3 months ago
  • Can’t miss weekly podcast

    As a contextual person, I appreciate the manner and way information is presented. Love the show!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CarlyL98
    United States3 months ago
  • More!

    Wish it came out more than weekly (plus the bonus npr+ podcasts I LOVE)

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Whitpmo
    United States3 months ago
  • Always solid reporting from npr, particularly good jake Sullivan interview

    Podcast Addict
    5
    nickl1
    3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests and hosts are seen as well-connected and informed on security issues.
Listeners praise the depth and credibility of analysis.
Some critique a preference for in-depth reporting over lighter, narrative formats.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#87
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#243
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#230
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#141
France/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#223
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#75
Austria/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

A trip to the world’s frayed edges with Hannah Lucinda Smith’s 'Hinterlands'
Q: What would you say is your top nomination for a place we should pay attention to today, and why?
The Balkans remain a critical barometer of European stability and European–North American relations because they combine historical grievances with evolving external influence, making them a focal point for understanding regional resilience and the risk of renewed instability.
A trip to the world’s frayed edges with Hannah Lucinda Smith’s 'Hinterlands'
Q: Hannah, welcome to Sources & Methods. What drew you to write about Hinterlands and how do you choose which places to visit?
I was attracted by under-reported places where major powers' interests intersect with local life, and I started chasing stories that offered a broader geopolitical lens beyond frontline headlines; the goal is to uncover how peripheral regions reflect larger power shifts and how stories emerge from people on the ground.
The broken promises of the 1979 Iranian Revolution
Q: How did you approach gathering stories from six Iranians with diverse views?
We deliberately sought a range of voices, including supporters and opponents, and conducted interviews in Persian over years to build trust and safety for participants to share their experiences.
Jake Sullivan: 'Hard to see' what U.S. has gained in Iran
Q: In 2021, you said you were briefed that Iran had no nuclear capability. How has that belief shifted since, and how does it affect current negotiations?
The position has evolved from whether Iran has decided to build a bomb to whether they have the capability and the leverage to deter the United States; while the intelligence community suggested they hadn't formally decided to build a bomb, they have pursued enrichment and other capabilities that could enable a future breakout, which changes the calculation for negotiations and deterrence.
2084: A cautionary tale about the future of war and a changing planet
Q: What is this one alerting and warning about?
2084 projects the great geopolitical challenges as the globe changes, with AI, distributed operations, and evolving geography shaping future conflicts and national resilience, presented through a character-driven narrative.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Sources & Methods

What is Sources & Methods about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A rigorous, expert-led briefing on national security, defense, and foreign policy, with weekly deep dives into the Pentagon, State Department, and intelligence community. The show features veteran NPR correspondents and on-the-ground guests dissecting the week's biggest security stories, from cyber operations and drone warfare to alliance politics and international law. Episodes frequently include OSINT and first-hand reporting, plus interviews with current and former officials, providing context-rich explanations of complex geopolitics. The mix of strong reportage, thoughtful analysis, and access to high-level guests is likely to appeal to policy professionals, defense practitioners, and journalists who want deep, credible perspectives on ... more

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1. The NPR Politics Podcast
2. Trump's Terms
3. Consider This from NPR
4. Throughline
5. Up First from NPR

How many episodes of Sources & Methods are there?

Sources & Methods launched a year ago and published 71 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Sources & Methods?

Recent guests on Sources & Methods include:

1. Daniel Estrin
2. Hadeel Al-Shalchi
3. Tom Bowman
4. Emily Feng
5. Lauren Frayer
6. Jenna McLaughlin
7. Hannah Lucinda Smith
8. Condoleezza Rice

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