Latest Episodes

As big corporations make public statements of outrage over the death of George Floyd, black employees are dealing with complicated workplace dynamics around race and police brutality. Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts explains her research on how workplaces should confront race, and two employees describe what it's like at their workplaces right now.

The protests sparked by the death of George Floyd have spread widely across the U.S. for the last week. Today, a protestor shares why he decided to demonstrate, and a professor explains the pandemic's relationship to the protests.

When Medaria Arradondo became the police chief of Minneapolis, he moved quickly to reform the force's policing tactics. WSJ's Dan Frosch explains why it's easier to change the policies of a police force than its culture.

This weekend, SpaceX and NASA successfully launched the first crewed spacecraft from U.S. soil in almost a decade. Preparing for a mission to space takes astronauts years, but listener Daniel wants to know — what does the other end of that journey look like? What happens when space travelers come home? Guest: record-holding NASA astronaut Christina Koch.

Amid a still raging global pandemic, the nation has been reeling over the most recent spate of killings of Black people at the hands of police. Brittany and Eric sit down to process their feelings and memorialize the lives we lost. #BlackLivesMatter

This week, actor Danny Pudi and author Carmen Maria Machado join us to talk about the sci-fi/horror classic Alien.

For the first time, Twitter took steps to fact check and shield from view certain tweets from President Trump. In response, the President signed an executive order targeting Section 230, which protects social media companies from legal liability for content posted on their sites. Deepa Seetharaman explains what's behind the fight.

Life is on pause for many of us right now. But scientists don’t want to stop! Researchers have had to figure out how to keep experiments going and keep lab animals alive — all while keeping themselves safe. To find out how they’re managing it, we talk to evolutionary biologist Dr. Ximena Bernal, plant biologist Professor Frank Telewski, marine conservation biologist Christine Figgener, and station ...

After China announced plans to impose new national security laws on Hong Kong, the U.S. declared the city was no longer autonomous. WSJ's James Areddy explains the significance of the back and forth over Hong Kong's status.

Lee blows off steam in the ship’s simulroom. Featuring two new stories: “The Poisonous Butterfly,” a story about a bold scientist who has to save the town, written by Vivian, an 8 year old from Colorado, and “Cartwheel Girl,” the tale of a very happy girl with a very strange condition, written by a 6 year old from Arizona named Gabriella.

A bar in the Swiss Alps. A megachurch in South Korea. Scientists are focusing on certain superspreading events that might be responsible for an outsized portion of coronavirus cases. Bojan Pancevski explains how this understanding could be key to reopening.

The pandemic has forced almost everyone to change the way they work. Many of those changes have been emotionally challenging. Today, a listener shares her story about how her work has been affected, and therapist Esther Perel helps make sense of it all.

President Trump threatened to cut off funding for the World Health Organization this week over its response to the coronavirus. Betsy McKay and Andrew Restuccia explain how the WHO drew the ire of the president.

While a lot of countries have put in strict measures, like lockdowns, to stop the coronavirus, there’s been a conspicuous outlier: Sweden. The country has carved a different path, trying to keep its hospitals from being overrun while allowing society to function as normally as possible. So, is the Swedish model working? To find out, we talk to medical epidemiologist Dr. Emma Frans, Professor Anneli...

Mix by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, Bobbly Lord, and Blue Dot Sessions.

As states consider their options for holding an election in a pandemic, a political battle is brewing over proposals to expand mail-in balloting this November. WSJ's Alexa Corse explains what it would take for states to switch to mail-in balloting and why it's such a contentious idea.

Peter and Lee learn the shocking truth about Smitty. Featuring two new stories: “Chicken on a Motorcycle,” a tale about a new kind of hero and the explosive power of jazz, written by two brothers from Arizona, Mason, age 10 and Stanford, age 6, and “The Donut Gymnast,” a story about a pastry that learns to roll, written by a 10 year old from Colorado named Addy.

Consumer debt had climbed to record levels before the pandemic. WSJ's AnnaMaria Andriotis explains what's happening now that millions of people are unable to make payments on credit cards and auto loans.

Airlines have strained to survive after travel dried up because of the coronavirus pandemic. WSJ's Alison Sider explains how airlines are adjusting, and the CEO of Southwest Airlines paints a picture of what the future of flying might look like.

We’re celebrating the little things you miss from life before quarantine. Those small joys you can’t stop thinking about, in the midst of such big sadness. Thanks to listeners Ron, Sophia, Karen, Hayden, Priyanka, Melissa, Kim, Kai, Will, and everyone who called in to share, shout, and sob into the void.

Uber and Grubhub are in talks for a takeover. WSJ's Cara Lombardo explains why it took a pandemic to shake up the crowded food delivery business, and why there may be more deals-in more industries-before the crisis is over.

It’s 1990. The Berlin Wall just fell. The Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse. And the soundtrack to the revolution is one of the best selling songs of all time, the metal ballad “Wind of Change,” by the Scorpions.

The FBI seized Sen. Richard Burr's cellphone as part of its investigation into stock trades he made before the coronavirus pandemic hit markets. WSJ's Sadie Gurman explains the investigation into Burr and other senators, and the insider-trading rules for members of Congress.

This week, we tackle A Nightmare On Elm Street with screenwriter and horror fan Katie Dippold and film director Rachel Talalay.