It's Been a Minute

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...

What's Next For Biden And Democrats?

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Biden appears to be inching closer to a victory, but there wasn't a blowout for Democrats this election. Sam talks to New York Times national poli...

What's Next For Trump And Republicans?

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With the election still too close to call, The Atlantic reporter McKay Coppins joins Sam with the latest on what we know about the results, what they ...

How To Take Care Of Yourself This Election Season

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's Election Day, but instead of the latest politics news, we're giving you some therapy. Sam shares listener questions around mental health issues w...

"Everything's Fine" With Sarah Cooper

30 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With 2020 progressing the way it has, comedian Sarah Cooper wants you to know that Everything's Fine in her new comedy special. Sam talks to Sarah Coo...

Election Night(mare): Bush v. Gore and Why It Matters in 2020

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Election Night 2020 is a week away. It's hard to know whether we'll have results that night, in a week or maybe even a month. But that's exactly what ...

Presenting 'Rough Translation': Dream Boy And The Poison Fans

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On this bonus drop, we feature an episode from the NPR podcast Rough Translation. A Chinese idol had millions of fans who adored him for his kindness ...

Getting Gamers To The Polls, Plus The Pandemic Economy

23 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Voter outreach took on an unconventional form Tuesday night when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez streamed her gameplay of the hit game "Among Us" on Twi...

'They've Dismissed Us': How Latino Voter Outreach Still Falls Short

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Latinos are the second largest group of eligible voters by race or ethnicity in the United States, but they continue to be misunderstood and underappr...

Voting In Texas, Plus John Paul Brammer Gives Advice

16 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From fights over early voting applications to ballot drop-off sites, voting in Texas has drawn national attention. Sam talks to Texas reporters Ashley...

Presenting Throughline: 'James Baldwin's Fire'

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Writer and thinker James Baldwin used the power of his words to confront in order to connect, something that feels especially relatable in a year when...

Joel Kim Booster On Religion, Identity, and Coming Out

09 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of Coming Out Day this weekend, Sam talks to comedian and actor Joel Kim Booster about his experience coming out to his evangelical Christian...

'Radio Ambulante' Host Daniel Alarcón On The Immigrant Experience

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sam revisits his 2017 chat with author and Radio Ambulante host, Daniel Alarcón. They discuss Alarcón's book of short stories, The King Is Always Ab...

The Dangers of White Supremacy, Plus Demi Adejuyigbe Brings Joy

02 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When President Trump told white supremacists to "stand back and stand by," the country responded with heavy criticism. Sam talks with Kathleen Belew, ...

Bowen Yang on 'SNL,' Diversity, and Culture

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sam chats with comedian Bowen Yang about becoming the first Chinese American cast member on Saturday Night Live, what it was like to do the show durin...

Supreme Court Misconceptions

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When the biggest news stories happen all at once, it's easy to miss what each of them really means. Since Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's ...

The Life And Legacy Of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away last week at the age of 87. The conversation has quickly moved to the politics around her replac...

Coronavirus And Teachers

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This school year is proving to be unlike any other. Teaching might be a nightmare in schools doing hybrid learning, a success for those doing virtual ...

Movie Industry Adapts, Plus LeVar Burton Reads

18 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The movie industry is hurting. Most theaters in the U.S. are still shut down, and who knows when—or if—audiences will pack into theaters again. Ad...

Larry Wilmore's Return to Late Night

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Larry Wilmore has a resume that could rival pretty much anyone's in Hollywood. Name a show and he probably had his hands in it. He created The Bernie ...

West Coast On Fire, Plus Comedian Sam Jay

11 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The smoke, the flames, the creepy orange and red skies. It's fire season out west and it's already one for the books. Sam talks a resident of Napa Cou...

Poet Claudia Rankine And 'Just Us'

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Poet Claudia Rankine is back with a new book called Just Us: An American Conversation. Much like her acclaimed 2014 book of poetry, Citizen: An Americ...

Pandemic Childcare; Plus Mukbang Meets True Crime

04 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Guest host Elise Hu looks at how the pandemic has exacerbated existing problems when it comes to the care of small children. A Massachusetts childcare...

How Bill Nye Became the 'Science Guy'

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sam revisits his 2017 chat with Bill Nye the Science Guy. They discuss climate change (and climate change deniers), how Nye got his start in TV, and w...

Bonus Episode: 'Truth Be Told'

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A special bonus feed drop from the KQED podcast Truth Be Told, hosted by Tonya Mosley. A conversation about parenting during the pandemic — there's...

Protests, Yesterday And Today

28 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're talking protests, both old and new. On Wednesday, Milwaukee Bucks players refused to play their NBA playoff game in protest of racial ...

'Pose' Star Billy Porter: 'Love Always Wins'

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Billy Porter is a force to be reckoned with. A Tony Award-winning Broadway performer. A fashion icon with unforgettable red carpet looks. An Emmy Awar...

Another Wrench In The (Voting) Works, Plus Robin Thede On 'A Black Lady Sketch Show'

21 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone's talking about obstacles to voting this year, from the post office to the pandemic. Sam talks with NPR's Miles Parks about how everything's ...