How to limit the rat numbers? Train the humans

Title: How to limit the rat numbers? Train the humans

URL Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5980436/rats-dc-new-york-rangers

Published Time: 2026-09-28T05:00:00-04:00

Markdown Content:

Accessibility links

• [Skip to main content](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5980436/rats-dc-new-york-rangers#mainContent)

• [Keyboard shortcuts for audio player](https://help.npr.org/contact/s/article?name=what-are-the-keyboard-shortcuts-for-using-the-npr-org-audio-player)

[Audio 2](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5980436/rats-dc-new-york-rangers)

****Play Live Radio****

• **Hourly News**

• **Listen Live**

• **My Playlist**

• Open Navigation Menu

• [](https://www.npr.org/)

• [Newsletters](https://www.npr.org/newsletters/)

• [Sign In](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5980436/rats-dc-new-york-rangers#)Personalize Your Experience

• [NPR Shop](https://shopnpr.org/)

• [Get NPR+](https://plus.npr.org/?utm_medium=nprweb&source=globalnav)

*

[Donate](https://donate.npr.org/)

• [Local Station](https://donate.npr.org/)

• [NPR Network](https://contribute.npr.org/)

Close Navigation Menu

• [Home](https://www.npr.org/)

• [News](https://www.npr.org/sections/news/)Expand/collapse submenu for News

• [National](https://www.npr.org/sections/national/)

• [World](https://www.npr.org/sections/world/)

• [Politics](https://www.npr.org/sections/politics/)

• [Business](https://www.npr.org/sections/business/)

• [Health](https://www.npr.org/sections/health/)

• [Science](https://www.npr.org/sections/science/)

• [Climate](https://www.npr.org/sections/climate/)

• [Race](https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/)

• [Culture](https://www.npr.org/sections/culture/)Expand/collapse submenu for Culture

• [Books](https://www.npr.org/books/)

• [Movies](https://www.npr.org/sections/movies/)

• [Television](https://www.npr.org/sections/television/)

• [Pop Culture](https://www.npr.org/sections/pop-culture/)

• [Food](https://www.npr.org/sections/food/)

• [Art & Design](https://www.npr.org/sections/art-design/)

• [Performing Arts](https://www.npr.org/sections/performing-arts/)

• [Life Kit](https://www.npr.org/lifekit/)

• [Gaming](https://www.npr.org/sections/gaming/)

• [Music](https://www.npr.org/music/)Expand/collapse submenu for Music

• [Tiny Desk](https://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/)

• [New Music Friday](https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/606254804/new-music-friday)

• [All Songs Considered](https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/)

• [Music Features](https://www.npr.org/sections/music-features)

• [Live Sessions](https://www.npr.org/series/770565791/npr-music-live-sessions)

• [Podcasts & Shows](https://www.npr.org/podcasts-and-shows/)Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows

Daily

• [ Morning Edition](https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/)

• [ Weekend Edition Saturday](https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/)

• [ Weekend Edition Sunday](https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/)

• [ All Things Considered](https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/)

• [ Up First](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510318/up-first/)

• [ Here & Now](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510051/here-x26-now/)

• [ NPR Politics Podcast](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510310/npr-politics-podcast/)

Featured

• [ Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me!](https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/)

• [ Fresh Air](https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/)

• [ Wild Card with Rachel Martin](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510379/wild-card-with-rachel-martin)

• [ It's Been a Minute](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510317/its-been-a-minute)

• [ Embedded](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510311/embedded)

• [ Get NPR+](https://plus.npr.org/?utm_medium=nprweb&source=globalsubnav)

• [More Podcasts & Shows](https://www.npr.org/podcasts-and-shows/)

• [Search](https://www.npr.org/search/)

• [Newsletters](https://www.npr.org/newsletters/)

• [NPR Shop](https://shopnpr.org/)

• [Get NPR+](https://plus.npr.org/?utm_medium=nprweb&source=globalnav)

• [Sign In](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5980436/rats-dc-new-york-rangers#)Personalize Your Experience

• [](https://www.npr.org/music/)

• [Tiny Desk](https://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/)

• [New Music Friday](https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/606254804/new-music-friday)

• [All Songs Considered](https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/)

• [Music Features](https://www.npr.org/sections/music-features)

• [Live Sessions](https://www.npr.org/series/770565791/npr-music-live-sessions)

• [About NPR](https://www.npr.org/about/)

• [Diversity](https://www.npr.org/diversity/)

• [Support](https://www.npr.org/support/)

• [Careers](https://www.npr.org/careers/)

• [Press](https://www.npr.org/series/750003/press-room/)

• [Ethics](https://www.npr.org/ethics/)

**How to control the rat numbers? Train the humans****D.C.'s Rat Rangers take anyone who is interested on night time safaris through some of the Capitol's filthiest back alleys to learn the way of the rats, and to be better humans.**

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5980436/rats-dc-new-york-rangers)

[Animals](https://www.npr.org/sections/animals/)

How to limit the rat numbers? Train the humans

September 28, 2026 5:00 AM ET

By

[Ava Berger](https://www.npr.org/people/nx-s1-63706/ava-berger)


Daniel Fishel for NPR

WASHINGTON, D.C. — They creep through dark alleyways, peer behind trash cans and look inside old takeout containers.

They're not rats, they're Rat Rangers.

[These rangers](https://www.dcratsolutions.com/rat-rangers) work to educate D.C. residents about ways to prevent rat infestations without using poison. They organized after a [2024 City Wildlife](https://citywildlife.org/)study showed large numbers of D.C. wildlife with blood-clotting issues tested positive for rodenticides.

On a weeknight in late September, head Rat Rangers Holly Gerberich and Gerard Brown, wearing matching t-shirts with a rat on the front, lead two dozen D.C. residents down a dimly lit alley. The group is equipped with head lamps, closed toe-shoes and not nearly enough mosquito spray.

Sponsor Message

Gerberich, an anthrozoologist, tells the crowd that a healthy pair of healthy brown rats living in a city can produce 15,000 descendants in a single year. Despite the use of poison, traps and even birth control, rat[numbers in Washington, D.C. are on the rise](https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/rat-population-increase-notice).


A group gathers for a rat walk in front of the Bruce-Monroe Elementary School in the Park View neighborhood of Washington D.C.. **Claire Harbage/NPR******hide caption****

****toggle caption****

Claire Harbage/NPR

But rats aren't really the problem, she says, humans are.

"The reason that they're here is because we provide an ideal environment for them," Gerberich says. "How do we make our environment less welcoming to rats?"

The answer, she says, is to get humans to understand why they can't leave garbage and waste out for rodents to feast on. And the best way to do that is to show people the problem up close.


Holly Gerberich, anthrozoologist and urban rodent specialist who leads rat walks with DC Rat Rangers in Washington D.C.. **Claire Harbage/NPR******hide caption****

****toggle caption****

Claire Harbage/NPR

The group doesn't have to look very hard for signs of rodents. The alleyway they've ventured down is crowded with overflowing garbage cans. They stop next to a squished bag of dog waste, dinner leftovers and the remnants of a stick of butter.

"Sanitation is rodent control, truly," Gerberich explains. "What we're seeing out there is that individuals have a much bigger role in rat population prevention than they realize."

Making the point for her, two long rat tails stick out from the top of a trash can. Sensing trouble, one plump rodent makes a run for it: It leaps on top of a sideways bin, then flings itself from can to can, dropping behind a fence and scurrying off in the dark.

Sponsor Message


Gerard Brown, head of The Rodent Man Consulting, leads a walk in Park View with the Rat Rangers. **Claire Harbage/NPR******hide caption****

****toggle caption****

Claire Harbage/NPR

"I kinda like seeing them," says 13-year-old Auggie Merritt. "I think it's pretty cool." In a quick flash, the second rat scampers away. "Oh there's one back there," Auggie whispers.

"As long as I'm standing over here, I'm OK," says Auggie's dad, Dennis Merritt, laughing while taking a considerable step back.

The group peppers the Rat Rangers with dozens of questions. What do rodenticides do to rats? What if we add snakes to the environment? Stray cats? What happened to the rats during COVID-19?


Rats hang out around a group of trash cans, sometimes hiding in a fence, in the Park View neighborhood of Washington D.C.. **Claire Harbage/NPR******hide caption****

****toggle caption****

Claire Harbage/NPR


Open trash and recycling bins sit in an alley in Park View attracting rats. **Claire Harbage/NPR******hide caption****

****toggle caption****

Claire Harbage/NPR

Many have empathy for the rats.

Zac Wood and his partner Lydia Barker came on the walk because they wanted to learn about alternatives to using pesticides. (Most rodenticides contain anticoagulants, causing whatever consumes it to painfully bleed to death.)

The couple says they saw rat poison kill a litter of foxes.

"We're animal lovers," says Wood. "It's not just seeing like the foxes, and the hawks, and the owls, and the animals that everyone loves suffer. I don't want the rats to suffer either."

Catrina Valente on the other hand is fed up. Her backyard has been invaded by rats, making it unlivable. (She has the phone numbers of the city's rat inspectors in her phone.)

"Rats are on this world like every other animal," Valente said. "But it's the disease, the uncleanliness, everything – I don't have the sympathy for them."

Rats are a public health risk, and the rangers say they want the rats gone too. Their focus is on behavioral solutions that do not use rodenticides. Their advice is simple — compost or use the kitchen garbage disposal to limit the food waste that is thrown out, put trash in outdoor bins right before pickup and make sure garbage cans are secure.

Andre Pitman, D.C.'s program manager for the Rodent and Vector Control Division, leads a team of 16 inspectors who respond to rat service (elimination) requests every day. They add up to thousands of calls a month. In addition to using poisons, they've started a pilot program, putting out liquid contraceptives in bait stations. But Pitman says even these measures are not enough.

Sponsor Message

"Not one person can do this," says Pitman. "We can come out and treat all day, but if we aren't removing the contributing factors then they are going to reinfest."

The key is educating residents about removing the rat's food and water sources, he says. Keep the yards and alleyways neat – no clutter, no trash. Other cities, like [Boston](https://www.boston.gov/departments/inspectional-services/boston-rodent-action-plan-brap) and New York, are also leaning into human rat education.


The Rat Rangers lead a walk around the Park View neighborhood of Washington D.C. to teach people about rat behavior and prevention. **Claire Harbage/NPR******hide caption****

****toggle caption****

Claire Harbage/NPR

The Rat Rangers teach residents that the rodents have an excellent sense of smell, they don't like new things, and they quickly develop resistance to poisons.

Bobby Corrigan, a rodentologist in New York City, says these creatures are smart. "[They're] among the most successful animals on planet earth," Corrigan says.

He says humans are right to be thinking how to outwit the rats. If he hears rats in his ceilings, he says, his first thought is not extermination but where did he go wrong, asking: "What did I do to cause you to move into my ceilings?"

So far, the Rat Rangers have taken hundreds of residents through D.C.'s labyrinth of alley ways, past rotting garbage and hungry rodents.

Will it make a difference?

After the rat safari, D.C.-resident Lizzie Stricklin says she's wants to make a group chat with her neighbors, to see what they can do to clean up their corner of the city.

"Do it as a community," said Stricklin.

**NPR does not offer or accept money for coverage or interviews.**

Anyone who makes such an offer or request is not an NPR employee and does not represent NPR.

• [rats](https://www.npr.org/tags/173426967/rats)

• [rat problem](https://www.npr.org/tags/473016791/rat-problem)

• [urban rats](https://www.npr.org/tags/1169861222/urban-rats)

• **Facebook**

• **Flipboard**

• **Email**

More Stories From NPR

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/26/nx-s1-5979047/us-thalidomide-survivors-want-recognition-government "The U.S. has more thalidomide survivors than the government admits")

##### [Health](https://www.npr.org/sections/health/)

[The U.S. has more thalidomide survivors than the government admits](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/26/nx-s1-5979047/us-thalidomide-survivors-want-recognition-government "The U.S. has more thalidomide survivors than the government admits")

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/18/nx-s1-5973098/rose-friedman-dies "Editor Rose Friedman, who helped shape NPR's cultural coverage, dies at 38")

##### [Obituaries](https://www.npr.org/sections/obituaries/)

[Editor Rose Friedman, who helped shape NPR's cultural coverage, dies at 38](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/18/nx-s1-5973098/rose-friedman-dies "Editor Rose Friedman, who helped shape NPR's cultural coverage, dies at 38")

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5983303/encampment-protest-madrid-housing-crisis "Eviction of 87-year-old sparks protests in Madrid over housing crisis")

##### [Europe](https://www.npr.org/sections/europe/)

[Eviction of 87-year-old sparks protests in Madrid over housing crisis](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5983303/encampment-protest-madrid-housing-crisis "Eviction of 87-year-old sparks protests in Madrid over housing crisis")

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/24/nx-s1-5950338/how-to-limit-rat-numbers-train-humans "How to limit rat numbers? Train humans")

##### [Health](https://www.npr.org/sections/health/)

[How to limit rat numbers? Train humans](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/24/nx-s1-5950338/how-to-limit-rat-numbers-train-humans "How to limit rat numbers? Train humans")

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/02/nx-s1-5925304/advocates-say-cities-aggressive-clearing-of-encampments-has-caused-more-problems "Advocates say cities' aggressive clearing of encampments has caused more problems")

##### [National](https://www.npr.org/sections/national/)

[Advocates say cities' aggressive clearing of encampments has caused more problems](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/02/nx-s1-5925304/advocates-say-cities-aggressive-clearing-of-encampments-has-caused-more-problems "Advocates say cities' aggressive clearing of encampments has caused more problems")

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/21/nx-s1-5972971/garden-vegetables-lettuce-food-safety "Is produce from a home garden safer than store bought? 'It depends'")

[Is produce from a home garden safer than store bought? 'It depends'](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/21/nx-s1-5972971/garden-vegetables-lettuce-food-safety "Is produce from a home garden safer than store bought? 'It depends'")

More Stories From NPR

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/22/nx-s1-5977044/fire-amoeba-extremophile-eukaryote-life)

##### [Research News](https://www.npr.org/sections/research-news/)

[This 'fire amoeba' pushes the limit of what's possible for complex life](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/22/nx-s1-5977044/fire-amoeba-extremophile-eukaryote-life)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/21/nx-s1-5944503/iowa-hog-farm-growing-specialty-mushrooms)

##### [Environment](https://www.npr.org/sections/environment/)

[This farm raised thousands of pigs for slaughter. Now it's growing mushrooms instead](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/21/nx-s1-5944503/iowa-hog-farm-growing-specialty-mushrooms)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/20/nx-s1-5975478/poison-suspected-in-deaths-of-ten-lions-in-game-reserve-in-tanzania)

##### [World](https://www.npr.org/sections/world/)

[Poison suspected in deaths of ten lions in game reserve in Tanzania](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/20/nx-s1-5975478/poison-suspected-in-deaths-of-ten-lions-in-game-reserve-in-tanzania)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/18/nx-s1-5973938/fat-bear-week-2026-bracket)

##### [Animals](https://www.npr.org/sections/animals/)

[Alaska's salmon-feasting bears face off in biggest Fat Bear Week ever](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/18/nx-s1-5973938/fat-bear-week-2026-bracket)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/16/nx-s1-5968873/lab-mouse-human-brain-cells-organoid-disease-ethics)

##### [Research News](https://www.npr.org/sections/research-news/)

[Mice with human brain cells offer a tool to study disease. Ethicists ask: What's next?](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/16/nx-s1-5968873/lab-mouse-human-brain-cells-organoid-disease-ethics)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/15/nx-s1-5968643/antarctic-krill-hydrothermal-vent-south-pole)

##### [Research News](https://www.npr.org/sections/research-news/)

[Tiny krill are turning up in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Scientists want to know why](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/15/nx-s1-5968643/antarctic-krill-hydrothermal-vent-south-pole)

Sponsor Message

Popular on NPR.org

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5983303/encampment-protest-madrid-housing-crisis)

##### [Europe](https://www.npr.org/sections/europe/)

[Eviction of 87-year-old sparks protests in Madrid over housing crisis](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5983303/encampment-protest-madrid-housing-crisis)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/26/nx-s1-5979047/us-thalidomide-survivors-want-recognition-government)

##### [Health](https://www.npr.org/sections/health/)

[The U.S. has more thalidomide survivors than the government admits](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/26/nx-s1-5979047/us-thalidomide-survivors-want-recognition-government)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5978973/protect-college-sports-act-senators-athletes)

##### [Politics](https://www.npr.org/sections/politics/)

[As Congress debates college sports, athletes-turned-senators have a seat at the table](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5978973/protect-college-sports-act-senators-athletes)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/26/g-s1-144667/hiv-crystal-meth-epidemic-fiji)

##### [Only on NPR](https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-139391/only-on-npr)

[Why this island paradise has the world's fastest-growing HIV epidemic](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/26/g-s1-144667/hiv-crystal-meth-epidemic-fiji)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5982785/nantucket-shipwreck-uncovered-by-noreaster)

##### [News](https://www.npr.org/sections/news/)

[Nantucket shipwreck uncovered by Nor'easter](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5982785/nantucket-shipwreck-uncovered-by-noreaster)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5981264/lung-cancer-treatment-mrna-affordability)

##### [Health](https://www.npr.org/sections/health/)

[From professor to patient: One man's journey on the frontier of lung cancer treatment](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5981264/lung-cancer-treatment-mrna-affordability)

NPR Editors' Picks

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5983317/hurricane-polo-hurricane-nolo)

##### [Weather](https://www.npr.org/sections/weather)

[Mexico's Baja California braces for Hurricane Polo as Hurricane Nolo threatens Hawaii](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5983317/hurricane-polo-hurricane-nolo)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5982026/new-sea-spider-species)

##### [Science](https://www.npr.org/sections/science/)

[Scientists discover two new species of sea spiders along Canadian coastline](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5982026/new-sea-spider-species)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5982488/south-africa-mass-shootings-killed-38-week)

##### [World](https://www.npr.org/sections/world/)

[South Africa reels from spate of mass shootings that killed 38 people in a week](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5982488/south-africa-mass-shootings-killed-38-week)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5973237/la-bamba-mexico-fandango)

##### [The Americas](https://www.npr.org/sections/latin-america/)

[Playing 'La Bamba' for an hour? Must be a Mexican fandango!](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5973237/la-bamba-mexico-fandango)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/g-s1-143582/night-school-shepherds-lesotho)

##### [Global Health](https://www.npr.org/sections/global-health/)

[Photos: This may be the most inspirational night school on Earth](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/g-s1-143582/night-school-shepherds-lesotho)

[](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5982480/multiple-arrests-suspicion-explosives-offenses-uk-base-us-forces)

##### [World](https://www.npr.org/sections/world/)

[5 arrested near a U.K. air base used by U.S. on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5982480/multiple-arrests-suspicion-explosives-offenses-uk-base-us-forces)

###### Read & Listen

• [Home](https://www.npr.org/)

• [News](https://www.npr.org/sections/news/)

• [Culture](https://www.npr.org/sections/culture/)

• [Music](https://www.npr.org/music/)

• [Podcasts & Shows](https://www.npr.org/podcasts-and-shows)

###### Connect

• [Newsletters](https://www.npr.org/newsletters/)

• [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/NPR/)

• [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/npr/)

• [Press](https://www.npr.org/series/750003/press-room/)

• [Public Editor](https://www.npr.org/sections/publiceditor/)

• [Corrections](https://www.npr.org/corrections/)

• [Transcripts](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/)

• [Contact & Help](https://help.npr.org/contact/s/)

###### About NPR

• [Overview](https://www.npr.org/about/)

• [Diversity](https://www.npr.org/diversity/)

• [NPR Network](https://www.npr.org/network/)

• [Accessibility](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/1136563345/accessibility)

• [Ethics](https://www.npr.org/ethics/)

• [Finances](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/178660742/public-radio-finances)

###### Get Involved

• [Support Public Radio](https://www.npr.org/support/)

• [Sponsor NPR](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/186948703/corporate-sponsorship)

• [NPR Careers](https://www.npr.org/careers/)

• [NPR Shop](https://shopnpr.org/)

• [NPR Extra](https://www.npr.org/sections/npr-extra/)

• [Terms of Use](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179876898/terms-of-use)

• [Privacy](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy)

• [Your Privacy Choices](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy#yourchoices)

• [Text Only](https://text.npr.org/)

• © 2026 npr

Sponsor Message

Sponsor Message

[Become an NPR sponsor](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/186948703/corporate-sponsorship)


##### Exclusive benefits

###### Give a little. Get a lot.

Support mission-driven journalism while getting something great in return. Enjoy bonus content, early access and sponsor-free listening from your favorite NPR podcasts.

[Get NPR+](https://plus.npr.org/?utm_medium=nprweb&source=mvpcta)

Already have NPR+?[Sign In](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/28/nx-s1-5980436/rats-dc-new-york-rangers#)

Close modal


Cookie Settings

When you visit our website or app, we store cookies on your browser, use similar tracking and storage technologies such as software development kits, and use information about the device you use to access our site or app (together "cookies"). The information these cookies collect might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site or app work as you expect them to and to provide a more personalized web or app experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site, app, and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You may opt out of the sharing of your information with our sponsorship vendors for delivery of personalized sponsorship credits and marketing messages on our website or third-party sites by turning off "Share Data for Targeted Sponsorship" below. If you opt out, our service providers or vendors may continue to serve you non-personalized, non-"interest-based" sponsorship credits and marketing messages on our website or app or third-party sites or apps, and those sponsorship credits and marketing message may come with cookies that are used to control how often you encounter those credits and messages, to prevent fraud, and to do aggregate reporting. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website or app (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary or Essential Cookies

Always Active

These cookies are essential to provide you with services available through the NPR Services and to enable you to use some of their features. For example, these cookies allow NPR to remember your registration information while you are logged in. Local station customization, the NPR Shop, and other interactive features also use cookies. Without these cookies, the services that you have asked for cannot be provided, and we only use these cookies to provide you with those services.

Share Data for Targeted Sponsorship

• [x] Share Data for Targeted Sponsorship

You may opt out of the sharing of your information with our sponsorship vendors for delivery of personalized sponsorship credits and marketing messages on our website or third-party sites by turning off "Share Data for Targeted Sponsorship." If you opt out, our service providers or vendors may continue to serve you non-personalized, non-"interest-based" sponsorship credits and marketing messages on our website or third-party sites, and those sponsorship credits and marketing message may come with cookies that are used to control how often you encounter those credits and messages, to prevent fraud, and to do aggregate reporting.

• ##### Performance and Analytics Cookies

• [x] Switch Label

These cookies are used to collect information about traffic to our Services and how users interact with the NPR Services. The information collected includes the number of visitors to the NPR Services, the websites that referred visitors to the NPR Services, the pages that they visited on the NPR Services, what time of day they visited the NPR Services, whether they have visited the NPR Services before, and other similar information. We use this information to help operate the NPR Services more efficiently, to gather broad demographic information and to monitor the level of activity on the NPR Services.

• ##### Functional Cookies

• [x] Switch Label

These cookies allow our Services to remember choices you make when you use them, such as remembering your Member station preferences and remembering your account details. The purpose of these cookies is to provide you with a more personal experience and to prevent you from having to re-enter your preferences every time you visit the NPR Services.

• ##### Targeting and Sponsor Cookies

• [x] Switch Label

These cookies track your browsing habits or other information, such as location, to enable us to show sponsorship credits which are more likely to be of interest to you. These cookies use information about your browsing history to group you with other users who have similar interests. Based on that information, and with our permission, we and our sponsors can place cookies to enable us or our sponsors to show sponsorship credits and other messages that we think will be relevant to your interests while you are using third-party services.

Cookie List

Clear

• – [x] checkbox label label

Apply Cancel

Consent Leg.Interest

• [x] checkbox label label

• [x] checkbox label label

• [x] checkbox label label

Confirm My Choices

[](https://www.onetrust.com/solutions/consent-and-preferences/)