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This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.
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23The coronavirus has now fully arrived in the United States. This week, stories of people trying to rise to that challenge, in some pretty extreme situations.
This week, as the staff creates the episode from their apartments and houses, with our host in quarantine, in this moment when everyone’s reaching out to the people they love, we put together a collection of family stories, with some timely stuff at the top.
Things do not seem fine at all, but it’s hard to say why.
Some information is so big and so complicated that it seems impossible to talk to kids about. This week, stories about the vague and not-so-vague ways we teach children about race, death, and sex.
People squirming in a world where everything is rated and reviewed.
People looking everywhere to find a place—any place—where, for once, they don't have to be the odd man out.
We return to our story about Abdi Nor from 2015, with some big news about his life today. When we first broadcast the story, Abdi was a Somali refugee living in Kenya desperately trying – against long odds – to get to the United States. Then he got the luckiest break of his life: he won a lottery that puts him on a short list for a U.S. visa. But before he could cash in his golden ticket, the police started raiding his neighborhood, targeting refugees.
In these dark, combative times, we attempt the most radical counterprogramming we could imagine: a show made up entirely of stories about delight.
Stories of other universes that are just like our own, but with one small difference.
For the holidays, stories of families finally addressing the thorny thing they’ve never really talked about.
No Christmas can ever be as good as the ones you had as a kid. But this week we go all in and bring the joy, the spontaneity, the sense that anything can happen back to Christmas.
Stories of the mysterious hold supers have on their buildings, or their buildings have on them.
There's a lot that can be gained from unearthing the past -- learning about oneself, learning about others. But, it doesn't always go how you'd expect.
During the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's - the highest turkey consumption period of the year - we bring you an annual This American Life tradition: stories of turkeys, chickens, geese, ducks, fowl of all kinds, real and imagined, and their mysterious hold over us.
Stories about getting back together with your parent, your spouse, your ... Brahman bull. And how it never goes the way you think it's going to.
Reports from the frontlines of the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" asylum policy. We hear from asylum seekers waiting across the border in Mexico, in a makeshift refugee camp, and from the officers who sent them there to wait in the first place.
Stories about being little. Secret writings in tiny letters. The power of a very small number. And a medication that's supposed to cure shortness.
Stories of people who are lost, histories that are lost, and things that are lost. This show was recorded onstage in front of audiences on a five-city tour in May 2003. The cities: Boston, Washington DC, Portland Oregon, Denver and Chicago. Featuring house band OK Go.
For the week leading up to Halloween, scary stories that are all true. Kidnappings, zombie raccoons, haunted houses—real haunted houses!—and things that go "EEEEK!!!" in the night. Plus, a story by David Sedaris, in which he walks among the dead.
For over 100 days now, protesters in Hong Kong have taken to the streets every weekend. What it’s like to live through that.
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Can someone please guarantee this episode isn't going to be politically biased leftie lecture before I listen? We need unbiased helpful reporting, human stories.. I loved this show, but gave it up a few years ago as the politically correct drove me insane.. They could manage to bring racism in to a cheese burger discussion.. I want a balance humane show back.. Please tell me things have changed?
I had to stop at the 22 min. mark. I know it's petty, but HOW MANY FREAKING TIMES do those two need to say "like"? Every sentence seemed to have multiple "like...like...like..." God jebus, I, like , freaking can't , like , you know, like, stand it. Hope you guys, like, get better, like, soon.
great episode! I really enjoyed hearing from Yelena about her life. I find her inspiring. Raul served his country and worked to enforce the laws. He clearly had a talent for law enforcement and chose to serve his country in the best way he could. I feel so awful that this is how we repay him... by removing citizenship from someone who lived an honest life in civic duty. Raul deserves compassion and support just like any good human being going through tough times. if anyone deserves Karma, it's Trump for unleashing this havoc onto our country and the partisan political system that created an environment where good people voted for him.
oh no a man has to look after his child for 24 hours a day how awful for him!
so, plz stop cryin, it doesn't help in the way you think it is, on this podcast 🤣😷 BiTcHbBYEEEE
its serious, but definitely not that serious loll my mother has a rare cancer that only maybe 5-10 people in Oregon have. her skin peels and cracks from her insides out. her cancerous bone marrow is attacking her tcells instead of healing. sometimes we just have to realize that were not the only ones going through it. and except it for what it truly is.
OH MY GOD PEGGY!!! ARE YOU SERIOUSLY VICTIM SHAMING RIGHT NOW!!! HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
i like your voice *
Loved the conversation... Black in the USSR. I completely agree with Yelena Khanga. I'm a Black American.... Raised in a northern city in a neighborhood that was predominately "mimority"... bused to school in White suburbia since the age 6. I experienced both subtle and overt racism at a young age, before I even knew there was name for such experiences. That exposure to those experiences so young, combined with the guidance of an awesome mother made me impervious to much of the pain that can come with ignorant slights. So even when I experience such ignorance today, even though I recognise what it is, my feeling usually lands on... whatever, I'm still living my life. I don't feel held back by anyone else's attitude toward me. Most of the time I'm content to just keep it pushing. So I completely understand Yelena Khanga's obliviousness to the Black American pain points because it takes a significant amount of pressure before I feel it myself... And I wasn't raised in Russia.
if you read the description of the episode instead of choosing to be ignorant of available information, maybe you would be a less stupid human.
It sounds good👌
thoughts and prayers for ira glass 🙏
Not impressed. Too much negativity
Just listening to the whole thing made me uncomfortable and scared for those women. I was so afraid they would be physically or sexually assaulted.
I find it hilarious that you act as if you don't know what they mean by "mood". Your sex life must be all you want it to be. In a scenario in which I keep checking back with the woman to make sure she is ok, no matter how important it is to do it, you would be foolish to act as if women won't become annoyed or concerned at the constant checking in. Again, Men should do it, but do you really think that women won't have any feelings about my 3rd or 4th question about their willingness to sleep with me?
Seriously guys. can you all go on some course to cure vocal fry?
I would probably put a suicide warning on the birds & bees episode
Re the African-Russian woman, i agree with her that many are simply ignorant, and that's not racism Racism comes to play when you lose a job or promotion, can't get housing or always getting police stopped. That's why we think about it so much. It can literally cost us our lives Trust me, we would rather not think about this
Is there any update about Chen?
My take away -- that adults, perhaps with good intentions, can really f*** up kids by pushing their anxieties, hates, and fears on them under the guise of care, concern, and help.