Winter is Coming from Throughline
Radiotopia Presents: We're Doing the Wiz
Radiotopia
4.3 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 9 September 2025
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to September. Public media has had a rough summer. On July 18th, Congress passed the Rescissions Act of 2025, which eliminated $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Then on August 1st, CPB announced they would be winding down operations.
When folks talk about these cuts, they usually talk about the vital public services public media provides, such as emergency alerts. But we'd be remiss if we didn't also talk about how NPR is an audio storytelling powerhouse. Throughout the month, we've partnered with our friends at NPR to present four pieces that represent the breadth and depth of their incredible reporting.
We hope you enjoy.
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Dinosaurs, Carl Sagan, and nuclear war. There was a moment in the not-so-distant past when we learned what drove the dinosaurs extinct — and that discovery, made during the Cold War, may have helped save humans from the same fate. In this episode, we'll take a journey from prehistoric times to the nuclear age and explore how humans contend with fears of the end.
To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to Radiotopia Presents from PRX's Radiotopia. |
| 0:08.0 | Hey, it's Robin from PRX. There's a really special new show that I think you'd really enjoy. It's called The Selects Podcast, and it's a twice-monthly show that brings you sonic gems from the depths of web archives, radio streams, and early podcasts. |
| 0:22.8 | Their goal is to preserve work, some of the best audio ever made, from getting lost to |
| 0:27.7 | defunct podcast feeds, defunded programs, and just time. Listening helps give these works |
| 0:33.5 | a new life. A lot of the pieces were recommended by some of the most talented audio creators today as having been the piece that inspired them to get into audio, so you know they're |
| 0:42.0 | going to be pretty consistently excellent. Check out the Selects podcast, wherever you get your |
| 0:46.7 | podcasts. |
| 0:50.7 | Please listen closely. |
| 0:53.3 | If it ain't got those hands, man, it don't have to be gay to listen. |
| 0:57.0 | This morning for breakfast, I had a toasted everything bagel with eggs and cheese. |
| 1:06.0 | And... |
| 1:08.0 | Hi, this is Yuri from Radiotopia, back with another podcast to share from our friends at NPR. |
| 1:19.6 | As you have probably heard, Congress passed a bill to eliminate federal funding for public media. |
| 1:26.6 | So this month, we are presenting four episodes from NPR to bring attention to what we stand |
| 1:32.5 | to lose when public media is defunded. |
| 1:35.5 | Incredible reporting and audio craft. |
| 1:38.3 | Unforgettable and important stories. |
| 1:41.3 | Next up, winter is coming from ThruLine. |
| 1:44.5 | Our executive producer, Audrey Mardovich, suggested adding one teasy line about this episode. |
| 1:51.2 | I said, uh, I'm not sure I can do that. |
| 1:54.2 | They cover so much ground in this episode. |
| 1:56.9 | Carl Sagan, dinosaurs, prehistoric times to the Cold War, the notion of extinction. |
... |
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