Episodes

  • How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America

    How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America
    Apr 29 2025
    Journalist David Graham says the aim of the creators of the conservative action plan Project 2025 aim is to push the federal government "as far to the right as they can." His new book is The Project.

    Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews a new PBS documentary about libraries.

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    45 mins
  • How Trauma Shapes Us

    How Trauma Shapes Us
    Apr 28 2025
    Daria Burke spent several years digging into the science of how our brains and bodies carry the imprint of early experiences. She wanted to understand the trauma she lived through growing up in 1980s Detroit with a mother who battled addiction. She suffered years of neglect before finding stability through school and rising in the corporate world. In her new memoir, Of My Own Making, she writes about the limits of success, how she was shaped by her past, and the work it took to change course.

    Plus, our critic at large, John Powers, reviews The Golden Hour.

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    46 mins
  • Best Of: 'The Pitt' Star Noah Wyle / 'Sinners' Director Ryan Coogler

    Best Of: 'The Pitt' Star Noah Wyle / 'Sinners' Director Ryan Coogler
    Apr 26 2025
    Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ryan Coogler's movies include both Black Panther films and Creed. His latest fillm, Sinners, is a vampire thriller about twins, both played by Michael B. Jordan, opening a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi. The film explores race, faith, and American history through the lens of horror.

    Also, Noah Wyle talks about his starring role in the MAX series The Pitt, about life at a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room. He also played a doctor on the long-running hit ER.

    Plus, contributor Carolina Miranda reviews Laila Lalami's suspenseful new novel, The Dream Hotel.

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    49 mins
  • Merle Haggard On Hopping Trains And Doing Time

    Merle Haggard On Hopping Trains And Doing Time
    Apr 25 2025
    Before he became a musician, Merle Haggard lived the kind of life that's often mythologized in song: Hopping freights and doing prison time. When he became a star, he acquired his own observation car. Now that coach is part of the Virginia Scenic Railway. Terry Gross spoke with Haggard in 1995.

    Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews two albums: one's a collection of recordings by Paul Robeson, and the other features the music of Paul Robeson, performed by singer Davóne Tines. Finally, Justin Chang reviews David Cronenberg's new thriller, The Shrouds.

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    45 mins
  • Are Kids With ADHD Being Treated Effectively?

    Are Kids With ADHD Being Treated Effectively?
    Apr 24 2025
    ADHD has been considered a medical disorder, treatable with drugs like Ritalin, but New York Times Magazine writer Paul Tough says recent studies question that assumption and treatment options.

    Also, Martin Johnson reviews a new tribute to Anthony Braxton, who Johnson says is one of the most polarizing figures in jazz.

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    45 mins
  • Ryan Coogler Paid A Steep Price For The Films He Made

    Ryan Coogler Paid A Steep Price For The Films He Made
    Apr 23 2025
    The director of Black Panther and Creed talks about his new genre-bending vampire movie that takes place in the Jim Crow South. It's called Sinners and it stars Michael B. Jordan as twins working a juke joint in Mississippi. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about blues music, the supernatural, and why he wanted to own the movie outright after 25 years.

    Also, book critic Carolina Miranda reviews The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami.

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    44 mins
  • America's Path To 'Competitive Authoritarianism'

    America's Path To 'Competitive Authoritarianism'
    Apr 22 2025
    Harvard professor of government Steven Levitsky studies how healthy democracies can slip into authoritarianism. He says the Trump administration has already done grave damage: "We are no longer living in a democratic regime."

    David Bianculli reviews season 2 of Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal.

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    46 mins
  • Noah Wyle Is At Home In 'The Pitt'

    Noah Wyle Is At Home In 'The Pitt'
    Apr 21 2025
    After 11 seasons on ER, Noah Wyle thought he was finished with medical dramas: "I spent 15 years avoiding — actively avoiding — walking down what I thought was either hallowed ground or traveled road." But then COVID happened, and he felt compelled to tell more of these stories. He spoke with Dave Davies about the making of The Pitt, the medical jargon, and his mom's feedback on the show.

    Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Poems by Dorothy Parker and The Usual Desire to Kill by Camilla Barnes.

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    45 mins
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