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NPR · Arts & Culture

Fresh Air

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including weekly bonus episodes and curated playlists of archive interviews from Fresh Air. And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair

Episodes

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President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

07 May 2025
46m
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This episode explores President Trump's potential conflicts of interest regarding his family's business ventures and their intersection with U.S. foreign policy and regulatory decisions. The discussion begins with an explanation of stablecoins and the Genius Act, legislation that could legitimize stablecoins within the...

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Michelle Williams Insists On Finding Pleasure & Humor Alongside Pain

06 May 2025
44m
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This episode explores Michelle Williams's career, focusing on her role in "Dying For Sex" and her perspectives on acting, friendship, and personal growth. Williams discusses how the podcast and pilot episode of "Dying For Sex" deeply moved her, leading her to take on the role and how female friendships can be soulmate ...

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Sarah Snook Almost Didn't Audition For 'Succession'

05 May 2025
44m
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This episode explores Sarah Snook's career, highlighting her recent Tony nomination for her performance in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and her role as Shiv Roy in "Succession." Snook discusses the challenges and rewards of playing all 26 characters in "Dorian Gray," detailing her vocal and physical techniques for diff...

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Best Of: Inside The Pronatalist Movement / Making Sense Of Trauma

03 May 2025
47m
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This episode explores the resurgence of the pronatalist movement and its diverse motivations. Against the backdrop of declining U.S. birth rates and Trump-backed policies offering baby bonuses and a National Medal of Motherhood, pronatalists warn of potential economic collapse or even extinction. More significantly, t...

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A Story Of Shipwreck, Mutiny And Murder

02 May 2025
45m
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This episode explores the historical account of a disastrous 18th-century British naval expedition and the subsequent mutiny, as detailed in David Grann's book, The Wager. Against the backdrop of the War of Jenkins' Ear, five British warships embarked on a secret mission to capture a Spanish galleon, facing perilous co...

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Terry Gross Remembers Her Late Husband, Francis Davis

01 May 2025
45m
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This episode explores Terry Gross's remembrance of her late husband, Francis Davis, a renowned jazz critic and writer. Against the backdrop of her return to her radio show after a two-and-a-half-week absence following his death, Gross shares excerpts from Davis's essays and plays music he praised, offering a poignant t...

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Baby Bonuses, Trad Wives & The Pronatalist Movement

30 Apr 2025
44m
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This episode explores the resurgence of pronatalism in the United States, examining its various factions and motivations. Against the backdrop of declining birth rates, the discussion delves into the arguments of pronatalists who warn of economic collapse and even extinction if birth rates continue to fall. More signi...

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How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America

29 Apr 2025
44m
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This episode explores Project 2025, a policy blueprint developed by the Heritage Foundation for a second Trump term, and its influence on the current administration. Against the backdrop of the 2024 election, Democrats criticized the project's proposals, including replacing civil servants with Trump loyalists. More s...

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How Trauma Shapes Us

28 Apr 2025
45m
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This episode explores the profound impact of childhood trauma on adult life, using the memoir "Of My Own Making" as a lens. Against the backdrop of Daria Burke's seemingly successful career in marketing, the interview delves into her upbringing in 1980s and 90s Detroit, marked by parental addiction and poverty. More ...

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

26 Apr 2025
48m
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This episode explores the themes of identity, cultural appropriation, and the legacy of the blues through an interview with filmmaker Ryan Coogler, director of the new vampire thriller Sinners. Against the backdrop of 1930s Mississippi, Coogler discusses his personal experiences and how they shaped the film's narrativ...

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Merle Haggard On Hopping Trains And Doing Time

25 Apr 2025
45m
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This episode explores the life and career of country music star Merle Haggard, focusing on his early life, struggles with the law, and eventual rise to fame. Against the backdrop of his difficult childhood and time spent in and out of reform schools and prisons, Haggard's journey is highlighted through his experiences ...

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Are Kids With ADHD Being Treated Effectively?

24 Apr 2025
45m
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This episode explores the complexities surrounding ADHD diagnosis and treatment, particularly questioning the long-held assumptions about its nature and efficacy of common treatments. Against the backdrop of rising ADHD diagnoses in children, particularly among boys, the discussion delves into a landmark study (MTA) th...

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Ryan Coogler Paid A Steep Price For The Films He Made

23 Apr 2025
43m
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This episode explores the creative process and thematic elements behind Ryan Coogler's new film, Sinners, a genre-bending thriller set in 1930s Mississippi. Against the backdrop of Coogler's decision to postpone Black Panther 3 to pursue this project, the interview delves into his personal motivations, revealing how h...

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America's Path To 'Competitive Authoritarianism'

22 Apr 2025
45m
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This episode explores the potential decline of American democracy and the role of the Trump administration in this process. Against the backdrop of Freedom House's lowered rating of the U.S. democratic standing, Harvard professor Steven Levitsky discusses the threat of a slide into "competitive authoritarianism," cit...

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Noah Wyle Is At Home In 'The Pitt'

21 Apr 2025
45m
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This episode explores the making of the new Max series, The Pitt, through an interview with its executive producer, writer, and star, Noah Wyle. Against the backdrop of Wyle's extensive experience playing a doctor on ER, the discussion delves into the show's realistic portrayal of a hospital emergency room, highlighti...

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Best Of: Richard Kind / Melinda French Gates

19 Apr 2025
48m
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This episode explores the multifaceted career of actor Richard Kind, touching upon his extensive work in film and television, his current role as John Mulaney's sidekick, and his personal reflections on his career and faith. Against the backdrop of his numerous roles, from "Only Murders in the Building" to "A Serious ...

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A Love Story At The Center Of The Civil Rights Movement

18 Apr 2025
45m
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This episode explores the life and legacy of Medgar Evers, a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement, through an interview with Joy Reid, author of "Medgar and Myrlie." Against the backdrop of the pervasive racism and violence in 1960s Mississippi, the discussion highlights Evers' unwavering commitment to securin...

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Starvation In American Jail Cells

17 Apr 2025
44m
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This episode explores the alarming issue of starvation and dehydration among mentally ill individuals incarcerated in county jails across the United States. Against the backdrop of the deinstitutionalization movement and the subsequent rise of mass incarceration, the interview reveals a pattern of neglect and inadequa...

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The Real-Life Russian Spies Who Inspired 'The Americans'

16 Apr 2025
45m
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This episode explores the history and impact of the Soviet/Russian "illegals" program, a clandestine operation involving the training and deployment of spies embedded as ordinary citizens in Western countries for decades. Against the backdrop of the Soviet Union's early conspiratorial nature under Lenin, the program's...

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Melinda French Gates On Giving Away Her 'Absurd' Wealth

15 Apr 2025
45m
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This episode explores the multifaceted life and career of Melinda French Gates, focusing on her transition from co-chair of the Gates Foundation to her current work at Pivotal Ventures. Against the backdrop of government funding cuts impacting global health initiatives, Gates discusses the devastating effects on mater...

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