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Sources & Methods

NPR
National Security
Donald Trump
Pentagon
Ukraine
Russia
Israel
Gaza
CIA
Venezuela
United States
US Military Operations
President Trump
Republican Party
Domestic Extremism
Dick Cheney
State Department
U.S. Military
National Guard
Qatar
Charlie Kirk

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 weeklyEpisodes45Founded8 months ago
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PoliticsNews

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Latest Episodes

At the 11th-hour, with President Trump’s self-imposed deadline looming, the United States and Iran entered into a truce. 

Will it hold? Is the war over? What’s the way ahead?

Host Mary Louise Kelly, NPR Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman and NPR Int... more

More than 30 days after President Trump launched a war against Iran, he addressed the American people in a primetime address and finally made a case for the war.

Host Mary Louise Kelly, NPR Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman and NPR National Security... more

We unpack the latest on Iran, Lebanon, troop movements in the region, and Iranian counterattacks. Then, Mary Louise Kelly and Greg Myre answer your questions about the latest news and their work on the national security beat, with a live Zoom audienc... more

The Pentagon is sending thousands of U.S. troops to the Middle East. Is this an escalation or a warning?

Host Mary Louise Kelly, NPR Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman and International Correspondent Aya Batrawy break down the latest about the war in... more

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Recent Guests

Michael Claesson
Sweden's Chief of Defense and Supreme Commander of Sweden's Armed Forces
Sweden; Swedish Armed Forces
Episode: Top Swedish General: NATO 'heeding the call' on its new reality
Katrina Manson
Bloomberg reporter who covers tech and national security
Bloomberg
Episode: Inside a secret Pentagon effort to bring AI to the battlefield
Arezou Rezvani
NPR correspondent in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq
NPR
Episode: Iran latest: View from the border / Trump strong-arms allies
Richard Haass
President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations; former State Department official
Council on Foreign Relations
Episode: Is Iran another Iraq?
Aya Batrawy
NPR international correspondent
NPR
Episode: Iran’s fight for survival / The widening war / Trump’s nebulous goals
Daniel Estrin
NPR International Correspondent
NPR
Episode: Iran's supreme leader is killed. What happens now?
Greg Myre
National Security Correspondent
NPR
Episode: Drone warfare / Iran on the brink? / Ukraine four years on
Tom Bowman
Pentagon Correspondent
NPR
Episode: Drone warfare / Iran on the brink? / Ukraine four years on
María Corina Machado
Venezuelan opposition leader
Episode: Europe's post-Munich exhale / Machado on gifting Nobel to Trump

Host

Mary Louise Kelly
Host of Sources & Methods

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 909 ratings
  • The context behind headlines

    Every day we hear headlines and it’s very easy to fall into in one ear, out the other behavior w/o ever thinking about what’s really going on, why it’s happening, and what the implications may be. Sources and Methods pauses the headlines and gives clear, thorough, and expert context. This is more important than ever considering the stifling of public info from public institutions, like the Pentagon.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MoranInRealLife
    United States15 days ago
  • I like that this podcast is short and to the point covering current events. There are always great recommendations for books and articles that coincide with the coverage.

    Audible
    5
    Meghan McClendon
    United States19 days ago
  • Top Podcast Favorite

    I guess I too am a National Intelligence nerd. I’ve been a subscriber from the very beginning and look forward to each Thursday for the next episodes of The Pitt and Sources and Methods. Great insights and reporting. Thank you.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Charles Vianey
    United States21 days ago
  • I appreciate the independence journalism that npr provides. Mary and her guests break down international news each week.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Lowe tep
    22 days ago
  • Mary Louise Kelly is in a class of her own.

    NPR journalists are among the very best out there. ML Kelly’s expertise as a longtime foreign correspondent provides unrivaled depth and analysis.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JJ Arkansas
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

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

Thoughtful, expert analysis of national security that goes beyond headlines.
Listeners appreciate accessibility of dense topics and credible sourcing.
Some listeners feel episodes occasionally become dense or lengthy, but many find the depth valuable.
The host and guests bring veteran reporting and clear context to complex issues.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#42
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#111
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#90
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#150
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#155
France/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#210
Italy/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Inside a secret Pentagon effort to bring AI to the battlefield
Q: Katrina Manson, how did you go about reporting this book given the secretive nature of Project Maven?
The hardest part was accessing information when meetings were closed, minutes were not released, FOIA requests were obstructed, and sources were reluctant to speak due to the sensitivity of working on Maven.
Live Q&A: Trump on Hormuz; Lebanon, counterattacks, the intel beat, and more
Q: Is there a path toward de-escalation or are we locked into escalation given current military deployments and political rhetoric?
The discussion outlines that both escalation and de-escalation are on the table, but both sides have made maximalist demands, making direct talks harder and complicating potential off-ramps.
Live Q&A: Trump on Hormuz; Lebanon, counterattacks, the intel beat, and more
Q: Explain to me how the US is helpless to prevent Iran from mining the Strait of Hormuz. How feasible is reducing Iran's disruption capabilities?
Greg explains that while reducing Iran's ability to disrupt is difficult, history shows naval escorts faced risky, multi-front challenges and that the Strait of Hormuz has long required a sustained, multinational approach rather than a quick fix.
Iran’s fight for survival / The widening war / Trump’s nebulous goals
Q: Why is the US at war with Iran, and what has been stated as the rationale by the administration?
Officials have framed it as preventing Iran from threatening regional stability, stopping Iran's nuclear ambitions, and dismantling proxies, but host and guests highlight that the stated goals are muddled and there is no clear end state being communicated.
U.S. and Israel strike Iran. Here's what we know
Q: What do we know about Iran's response and the broader regional reactions?
The discussion covered Iran's broad missile response across the region, potential expansion via proxies like Hezbollah, and the regional security recalibration as neighboring states reassess their positions amid the flare-up.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Sources & Methods

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

This program centers on national security and global politics, delivering weekly analysis of the biggest security or diplomatic developments with on-the-ground reporting and expert context. Episodes typically feature NPR correspondents from Washington, foreign bureaus, and Pentagon or State Department analysts, with occasional interviews from power players in the NatSec world. Listeners can expect deep dives into strategic questions, military posture, diplomacy, and the intelligence landscape, often tying global events to implications for U.S. policy and everyday life. A standout strength is its ability to translate complex security topics into accessible, evidence-based conversations, frequently supported by OSINT notes and historical cont... more

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

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Sources & Methods launched 8 months ago and published 45 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. Michael Claesson
2. Katrina Manson
3. Arezou Rezvani
4. Richard Haass
5. Aya Batrawy
6. Daniel Estrin
7. Greg Myre
8. Tom Bowman

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