It's Been a Minute

'LuLaRich' reveals how MLMs mirror the American economy

08 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam interviews women's work and economic justice writer Meg Conley about the documentary series LuLaRich and how vulnerable people still get sucked in...

Janet Jackson's Legacy After 'Control'

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the 35th anniversary of Janet Jackson's first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, we look back at Control, her career-defining album that changed the traj...

Has immigration changed much under Biden?

01 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How much has really changed in U.S. immigration policy since President Biden came into office? After seeing graphic images of Haitian migrants being c...

The Lasting Legacy Of 'Soul Train'

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Soul Train was first nationally syndicated in October 1971, there was nothing else like it on TV. It became an iconic Black music and dance show ...

COVID Forever? Plus, Broadway's Back

24 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ever since the pandemic hit, life has been split into two timelines: before the pandemic and after the pandemic. But when will the "after" truly be af...

Brandon Taylor Wrote 'Real Life' And 'Filthy Animals' For His Queer, Black Friends

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author Brandon Taylor used to spend most of his hours studying nematodes under a microscope as a grad student. He wrote his first novel over a period ...

'Machiavelli for Women'; Plus, 'What We Do in the Shadows'

17 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam is joined by NPR's The Indicator host Stacey Vanek Smith to talk about her new book, Machiavelli for Women and how women in the workplace are stil...

Yebba Sheds Old Beliefs With A New Album

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was 2016, and Yebba's career was beginning to take off. But 2016 was also the year that something awful happened: Yebba's mother committed suicide...

20 Years Of The War On Terror; Plus, Redemption For Mariah Carey's 'Glitter'

10 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam talks to Washington Post security and terrorism reporter Souad Mekhennet about what the war on terror has—and hasn't—achieved in the two decad...

Michaela Coel On 'Misfits' And 'I May Destroy You'

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Writer and actor Michaela Coel wrote, created and starred in HBO series I May Destroy You, which is up for nine Emmy nominations. Her new book, Misfit...

Songs Of The Summer With 'Morning Becomes Eclectic'

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam talks to Novena Carmél and Anthony Valadez, hosts of KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, about their end of summer song picks and the best albums of...

Presenting 'Code Switch': To Love And Not Forgive With Ashley C. Ford

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode from our friends at the Code Switch podcast, we feature author Ashley C. Ford. For much of her childhood, Ford's father was in...

How Do We Make Sense Of Afghanistan? Plus, 'Reservation Dogs'

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For the last 20 years, the U.S. has been wrapped up in a costly war in Afghanistan, initially in response to the attacks on September 11. But America'...

Jonathan Van Ness On 'Queer Eye,' Cats, And Overcoming Trauma

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Van Ness stepped into the spotlight in 2018 as a walking, talking bundle of energy, optimism and positivity as the grooming expert on Queer E...

Maya Rudolph On SNL, Self-Acceptance, And Seeing Yourself On Screen

20 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Maya Rudolph has had a successful career, spanning decades as a Saturday Night Live cast member and well-loved actor and entertainer. She chats with S...

Kathryn Hahn On Birth, Politics And 'Private Life'

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kathryn Hahn dazzled audiences in one of the biggest streaming hits of the year, WandaVision— and she just earned an Emmy nom for her performance. I...

Hygiene Debates, Skipping Showers, And Climate Change, Oh My!

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

#ShowerGate. Sam talks to Carl Zimring, professor of sustainability studies at Pratt Institute and author of Clean and White, about the online debate ...

Tracee Ellis Ross On Playing A 'Thriving, Not Surviving' Character On 'Black-ish'

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tracee Ellis Ross won a Golden Globe in 2017 for her role on ABC's Black-ish. She's also been nominated five times for that role at the Emmys. In this...

What's Your Monoculture Moment: The Olympics Or Bennifer 2.0?

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam is joined by LA Times television editor Matt Brennan to understand why ratings for this year's Olympics are not just dismal, but symbolic of chang...

Prince's Intimate Moments

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Prince's posthumous album, Welcome 2 America, came out last weekend. In honor of the release, Sam revisits his 2020 conversation with Prince's photogr...

Vaccine Disinformation For Hire; Plus, Hannah Waddingham Of 'Ted Lasso'

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines abounds on social media, but there's more to it than meets the eye. Sam talks to Max Fisher, international repo...

Emilia Clarke On Mothers Of Madness And Dragons

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The "Mother of Dragons" is out with a new comic book, Mother of Madness. Actress Emilia Clarke talks with guest host Ayesha Rascoe about superpowers i...

The Joy Of Black Hair; Plus, What's In The Biden Spending Plans?

23 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Black Hair Experience is a pop-up visual exhibit dedicated to the beauty, history and nostalgia of Black hair. Guest host Ayesha Rascoe takes a tr...

'Space Jam 2' Star Sonequa Martin-Green

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Actress Sonequa Martin-Green has made a career of otherworldly roles. She survived a zombie apocalypse in The Walking Dead, she explores space — the...

Why Workers Are Quitting; Plus The Comfort Of Horror Movies

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Americans are quitting their jobs in record numbers. Guest host Ayesha Rascoe brings on CBS MoneyWatch editor Irina Ivanova to break down some of the ...

Trump's America And Why 'The Cruelty Is The Point'

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Cruelty Is The Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump's America, is journalist Adam Serwer's new book, based on a popular essay he wrote fo...

The Weight On Black Women In Sports; Plus, 'We Are Lady Parts'

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With Sha'Carri Richardson's recent disqualification, and the controversy surrounding the banning of natural hair swimming caps, there's a lot to talk ...

Tiffany Haddish Stays Busy: 'I Want to See Our Stories'

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tiffany Haddish has had a busy year. From starring in prank film Bad Trip, to hosting Kids Say the Darndest Things, to voicing a self-confident toucan...

Pop Culture Happy Hour: F9 Is Somehow Faster And Furious-er

04 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam sits in the guest seat at Pop Culture Happy Hour to discuss the glue that holds this nation together — The Fast and the Furious franchise. Along...

Trump's Bad Business Comes Back To Bite

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer were charged with fraud and tax related crimes by the Manhattan District Attorney as...

Riley Keough On 'Zola' And Finding Empathy For Anti-Heroes

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam interviews Riley Keough, one of the stars of Zola— a new movie adapted from a viral 148-tweet thread story full of sex work, guns and plot twist...

Culture Wars Then and Now; Plus, The Creators of 'Hacks'

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The furor over critical race theory fits into a longer history of culture wars in schools. Sam talks to Adam Laats, a professor of history and educati...

'Where We Come From': Priya And Ritu Krishna On Indian Cooking And Assimilation

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Where do you come from? It's a question that immigrant communities of color get asked constantly. But the answer is often not simply about a place on ...

ACT UP: A History Of AIDS/HIV Activism

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Forty years ago this month, the CDC reported on patients with HIV/AIDS in the United States for the very first time. The disease was understudied, und...

Presenting 'Fresh Air': Actor John Boyega On Hollywood, Police And 'Star Wars'

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam sits in the Fresh Air host chair to talk to actor John Boyega. Since finishing his star-making role in the Star Wars franchise in 2019 and after t...

What's This Arizona Recount About? Plus, Summer Movie Picks

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We've witnessed plenty of historic moments with Joe Biden as president: widespread COVID-19 vaccinations, the reunion of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Afflec...

Zakiya Dalila Harris And 'The Other Black Girl'

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Zakiya Dalila Harris was working as an editorial assistant at a New York publisher when she ran into another Black woman for the first time on her off...

Kink, Cops And Corporations At Pride? Plus, Natalie Morales On 'Plan B'

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Pride comes around every June, the same arguments start up again— should there be kink, cops and corporations at Pride? And who is Pride for? S...

Malcolm Gladwell And 'Talking To Strangers'

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam revisits his chat with best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell about his book, Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Kn...

Hot Book Summer

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's almost summer, and whether you're at a beach, at a park, or at home, it's a great time to get lost in a book. Sam is joined by Barrie Hardymon, s...

The Real Justices Of SCOTUS

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam previews this summer's Supreme Court rulings with Slate's Mark Joseph Stern and why some of those cases could potentially have big repercussions o...

Labor Market Mysteries; Plus, Signs Of Life

21 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. unemployment rate is still high... so why are we in a labor shortage? Sam chats with Stacey Vanek Smith, host of NPR's The Indicator, and Car...

'Let's Talk About Hard Things' With Help From Anna Sale

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you bring up something that might be easier left unsaid? Anna Sale, host and creator of WNYC's Death, Sex & Money podcast, has answers in her n...

After Defunding The Police; Plus, Michelle Buteau On 'The Circle'

14 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What does defunding the police really look like? Sam talks to Austin City Council Member Greg Casar about how decreasing the city's police budget has ...

Is Biden The Next FDR? or LBJ?

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How transformative are President Biden's economic and infrastructure proposals? Depends on what gets passed. The comparisons to FDR and LBJ miss the v...

Housing Boom For Whom? Plus, 'Ziwe' Premieres

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The housing market is booming— but who actually benefits? Sam talks to Jerusalem Demsas, politics and policy fellow for Vox, about what so many are...

Mj Rodriguez On 'Pose' And Perseverance

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the groundbreaking series Pose comes to a close in its third and final season, Sam talks to Mj Rodriguez about the end of her role as Blanca, the l...

India And The Unequal Distribution Of Vaccines; Plus, 'Invisibilia' Returns

30 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Even as vaccine access expands in the the US, the pandemic is far from over globally. Sam talks to Aarti Singh, a resident of New Delhi, about what it...

Patti Harrison Takes The Lead In 'Together Together'

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Patti Harrison is known for bringing her absurd, caustic, yet charming comedy to supporting roles on shows like Search Party, Broad City and Shrill. B...

The "Must-See TV" Of Black Trauma, Plus Ashley Nicole Black On Making Black Joy

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam chats with NPR's TV critic Eric Deggans about constant images of Black pain in news and in entertainment. Then, he turns to comedian Ashley Nicole...

The Warped Reality of Eric André's 'Bad Trip'

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam talks to actor and comedian Eric André about the evolution of the prank genre with his Netflix hidden-camera comedy Bad Trip. They chat about the...

The 'Thin Blue Line' In Minnesota, Plus 'Tell Them, I Am'

16 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's it like to cover the Derek Chauvin trial against the backdrop of continued police violence? Guest host Ari Shapiro talks to Minnesota activist ...

Bowen Yang's Rules of Culture

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bowen Yang often plays delightfully weird characters on SNL. But recently he appeared as himself on the show to address the uptick of Asian American v...

What's The Strategy? Corporate Activism And Anti-Trans Bills

09 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Corporations have spoken out against the new restrictive voting law in Georgia, but to what end? Sam talks to Slate writer Dahlia Lithwick about wheth...

The Human Cost of Family Separation

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a few years now since President Trump adopted (and then later reversed) his administration's zero-tolerance policy that separated parents an...

Is 'Diversity And Inclusion' Far From Its Roots? And What's An NFT?

02 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam talks to Kim Tran, an anti-racist author and consultant, about her article in Harper's Bazaar on how the diversity, equity and inclusion industry ...

Hanif Abdurraqib's Rabbit Holes Into Great Black Performance

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hanif Abdurraqib's latest book is A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance. In it, Abdurraqib researches the impact of Black pe...

Gun Violence Never Went Away, Plus The Overlooked Talent Of Asian Actors

26 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It might have seemed like mass shootings were down last year, but 2020 was actually one of the deadliest years for gun violence in decades. Sam talks ...

The Fight To Transform Criminal Justice

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There are few paths to freedom for people serving life sentences in prison on federal drug charges. Guest host Ayesha Rascoe talks with Brittany K. Ba...

A History Of Anti-Asian Racism, Plus 'Married At First Sight'

19 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of Tuesday's mass shooting in Atlanta, guest host Ayesha Rascoe talks to critical race theorist and professor Jennifer Ho about the histor...

Can't Let It Go

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A special episode from our friends at NPR's Planet Money: A show all about the things we're obsessed with. Sam joins Planet Money co-host Karen Duffin...

Our Pandemic Year

12 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We take stock of a year that challenged us emotionally, culturally and politically. Sam talks to Hira Deol, a former contestant on Big Brother Canada,...

Sohla El-Waylly on Race, Food and 'Bon Appétit'

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sohla El-Waylly called out her previous employer, Bon Appétit, during the magazine's racial reckoning last summer and resigned. The chef and food sta...

Pop Culture Happy Hour: L'Amour For 'Lupin'

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam joins the Pop Culture Happy Hour team to talk about the French Netflix series Lupin with culture writer Bedatri D. Choudhury and co-hosts Aisha Ha...

Voting Rights Under Threat, Plus Do We Still Need Sports?

05 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A new case before the U.S. Supreme Court could jeopardize the power of the Voting Rights Act. Sam talks to Mark Joseph Stern, staff writer for Slate, ...

Author Torrey Peters On Seeing Through A Trans Lens

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Torrey Peters' new book Detransition, Baby, is about navigating identity, commitment, parenthood and divorce. The three main characters, a pregnant ci...

A Weird Awards Season, Plus "Anything for Selena"

26 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's an awards season when many theaters are still closed and it's harder to track which movies and shows deserve buzz? Louis Virtel and Ira Madison...

Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction‬

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A special episode from our friends at NPR's history podcast Throughline: Octavia Butler's alternate realities and 'speculative fiction' reveal strikin...

Your Vaccine Questions, Answered

19 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Will the vaccine make me feel sick? Is it OK if I see grandma if she's vaccinated but I'm not? And what's the deal with double masking? Listeners had ...

The (Not So?) Wonderful World of Disney

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam talks to filmmaker and activist Abigail Disney, daughter of Roy E. Disney, about her views on inequality in the U.S., corporate greed and why, des...

The Union Fight At Amazon, Plus 'Your Korean Dad'

12 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, has become ground zero in a battle that could change Amazon as we know it. Sam chats with a worker ...

Desus And Mero On Politics, Fame And Life In The Pandemic

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Desus Nice and The Kid Mero went from calling up "anyone in their phone book" in the early days of their podcast Bodega Boys, to booking big names in ...

Presenting 'Snap Judgment': Money Truck

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What would you do if a truck full of money flung its doors open right in front of you? Our friends at the Snap Judgment podcast tell six stories that ...

The Lasting Power Of Whitney Houston's National Anthem

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why does Whitney Houston's 1991 Super Bowl national anthem still resonate 30 years later? Sam chats with author and Black Girl Songbook host Danyel Sm...

Presenting 'Fresh Air': Angela Bassett On Drama, Music And 'Soul'

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam sits in the Fresh Air host chair to chat with actor Angela Bassett. She talks about her most recent film, Disney and Pixar's Soul, what drew her t...

Immigration Under Biden, Plus Preet Bharara 'Doing Justice'

29 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What does immigration look like under President Biden? Sam talks to Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer at The Atlantic, about the likelihood Biden can pu...

The Future Of Fashion

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hello, sweatpants. With scaled-down Fashion Weeks, department stores hurting, and more and more people opting for loungewear rather than workplace att...

Lessons from 9/11 for Today's Extremism; Plus 'Crazy Stories About Racism'

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How will the response to far-right extremism compare to the response after 9/11? Sam talks to Hannah Allam, NPR national security correspondent, about...

After Trump, What's Next For Fox News?

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What will happen to Fox News after President Trump leaves office? Fox News is facing Trump's anger for not being sufficiently "loyal," and it's seeing...

What's Next For Social Media After Trump? Plus The Lie Of 'Laziness'

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of the pro-Trump extremism behind the attack on the Capitol flourished online. Sam talks to Bobby Allyn and Shannon Bond, who both cover tech fo...

We've Had Insurrections Before

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

History has a way of repeating itself. Last week's storming of the U.S. Capitol has parallels to an incident dating back to 1874, when a paramilitary ...

The Capitol, Mobbed

08 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol this week, at the same time that Congress was set to certify the presidential election results, 20...

Why 'Better Things' Pamela Adlon Is Everyone's Mother

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam revisits his conversation from 2020 with actress Pamela Adlon. Adlon is the writer, star, director and co-creator of the acclaimed comedy-drama Be...

Claudia Rankine On The Uneasy Conversations Between 'Just Us'

01 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a year that offered many moments of reflection—from the coronavirus pandemic, to protests for racial justice, to the long election season—ac...

Presenting 'Fresh Air': Aaron Sorkin on 'The Trial of the Chicago 7'

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sam sits in the Fresh Air host chair to talk with writer and director Aaron Sorkin. His latest film The Trial of the Chicago 7 covers the events at th...

The Best — And Worst — Of Christmas Culture

25 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sam shares holiday recommendations with Audie Cornish, co-host of All Things Considered and Consider This, and Bob Mondello, NPR's film critic. They d...

The Best Things That Happened to You

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This year has been hard for pretty much everyone, but that still hasn't stopped people from getting married, having babies, starting new jobs, and tel...

The Year in Celebrity Culture with 'Who? Weekly'

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Without movies or TV shows to shoot or music to record, celebrities were restless in 2020 and eager to connect with a public that, at least for a whil...

'I Can't Wait To Hate Tour Again': Phoebe Bridgers On Her Breakout Year

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Songwriter Phoebe Bridgers has had a big year, but it's also been bittersweet. With four Grammy nominations for work on her acclaimed 2020 album Punis...

The Internet Culture Of Quarantine, Plus Selena's Legacy

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Coronavirus has transformed pop culture and placed its creation in the hands of anyone who has social media. Sam chats with E. Alex Jung, a writer at ...

Pod Fatigue: How Coronavirus Lockdown Has Tested Friendships

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are you sick of the friends and family you've been stuck with? Sam teams up with Anna Sale, host of the WNYC podcast Death, Sex & Money, to explore ho...

Life in the Time of Coronavirus

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"What has this pandemic been like for you?"When we put that question to people, the answers we got depended a lot on where they were in life — if th...

Cathy Park Hong's Asian American Reckoning

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cathy Park Hong talks with Sam about her book Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning. She discusses how watching comedian Richard Pryor influence...

James McBride On Hope, Community And 'A Place Of Miracles'

27 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For the holiday, Sam revisits his conversation with award-winning author James McBride. McBride's latest book Deacon King Kong tells the story of how ...

Presenting Life Kit: How To Have Better Conversations

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With the holidays coming, we're all trying to figure out how to celebrate with loved ones from a distance. When all we have to connect this year are p...

Georgia's Senate Runoffs, Plus W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu Talk Politics

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Georgia's Senate runoffs have become national races as control of the Senate depends on who wins. Sam asks Tia Mitchell, Washington correspondent for ...

Why Donald Trump Is The Houdini Of Bad Business

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What's next for President Trump once he leaves the White House? And what's next for his business? And what's he being investigated for again? And by w...

Louder Than A Riot: 'The Badder, The Better: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 1)'

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The rapper Bobby Shmurda had a big viral hit in 2014, and it looked like he was going to be a star. But just months later, Bobby and his friends were...

Biden's Coronavirus Response, Plus Comedian Matt Rogers

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What could a new president mean for the coronavirus pandemic? Sam talks to Ed Yong, staff writer at The Atlantic, about President-elect Joe Biden's co...

White Supremacy And Its Online Reach

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Talia Lavin went undercover in white supremacist online communities, creating fake personas that would gain her access to the dark reaches of the inte...