Fresh Air

Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal has faced countless on-screen challenges, including cosmic battles and cartel kingpins. He's nominated for an Emmy for his role on the HBO series, The Last of Us. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about getting fired from restaurant jobs, his dance training, and his parents' exile from Chile.  Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 14 August 2025

Crockett grew up poor and got his start in music busking for tips on the street and in the subway. He's since played the Hollywood Bowl and been nominated for a Grammy. The country/roots musician talks with Terry Gross and plays songs from his new album, Dollar a Day.  John Powers reviews The Diary of Lies, a new mystery novel about a reporter. TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new series Alien: Earth, a TV prequel to the film Alien. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 13 August 2025

Hiller spent years scraping by in Hollywood by taking on various small roles and commercials. Then he landed the role of Joel on HBO's Somebody Somewhere and everything changed. His new memoir is Actress of a Certain Age.  Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 12 August 2025

Daniel Dae Kim became the first actor of Asian descent to be nominated for a Tony, for his performance in Yellow Face, in the role of a playwright trying to deal with Asian American representation. His new Amazon Prime Video spy series Butterfly premieres today. Kim spoke with Ann Marie Baldonado about his career, his big break with Lost, and filming his new series in his hometown in Korea. Book critic Maureen Corrigan reflects on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes for its 100th anniversary.  Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 11 August 2025

This month marks the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's album Born to Run. We'll talk with Peter Ames Carlin, author of a Tonight in Jungleland, about the making of this now classic album. Also, we'll talk with Jennifer Senior about her Atlantic article "Why Can't Americans Sleep?" And, David Bianculli reviews season two of Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 9 August 2025

We remember Eddie Palmieri, the pianist, bandleader and composer whose contributions to Afro-Caribbean music shaped the genre for decades. He died Wednesday at the age of 88. Also, Parliament's now classic funk album Mothership Connection turned 50 this year. We listen back to Terry Gross's 1989 interview with funkmaster George Clinton. David Bianculli reviews the new season of Wednesday and film critic Justin Chang reviews two comedy remakes: The Naked Gun and Freakier Friday. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 8 August 2025

Bruce Springsteen's groundbreaking album, Born to Run, came out 50 years ago this month, marking a turning point for rock and roll — and for "The Boss." Before he recorded that record, Springsteen's label, Columbia, was on the verge of dropping him because his first two albums, though critically acclaimed, had sold poorly. Biographer Peter Ames Carlin describes the creation of Born to Run as an "existential moment" for Springsteen. His book is Tonight in Jungleland. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 7 August 2025

Fourteen million people in Sudan have been displaced by war and famine. The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum says the scale of destruction is vast and, as the conflict rages, people are overwhelmed by chaos. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 6 August 2025

Silverman's father and stepmother are buried under one tombstone that reads: "Janice and Donald, who loved to laugh." The loss was a starting point for Silverman's "cathartic" Netflix comedy special, PostMortem. She spoke with Terry Gross about their final days, finding the joy in grief, and she reflects on the boys' club of the comedy scene when she was starting out. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 5 August 2025

For decades, Iran has been an adversary of the United States. Scott Anderson examines the Iranian revolution of 1979, the upheaval that deposed the reigning monarch and transformed the country from a U.S. ally to an Islamic Republic. He says blunders by American policymakers played a key role in the outcome. Anderson's new book is King of Kings. Later David Bianculli reviews the new HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So it Goes. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 4 August 2025

Emmy-winning Law & Order: SVU actor Mariska Hargitay talks about her new documentary, My Mom Jayne, an intimate portrait of her mother, the late Hollywood star Jayne Mansfield. Mansfield's life was cut short in a tragic car accident when Hargitay was just 3 years old. Also, comic and actor Marc Maron talks about grief, his problematic cats, and why he's ending his popular podcast WTF, which he started in the early days of podcasting. Maron has a new HBO comedy special called Panicked, and he's the subject of a new documentary. Plus, Ken Tucker has an appreciation of Parliament's album Mothership Connection which turns 50 this year. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 2 August 2025

Terry Gross talks with rock historian Peter Guralnick, author of the definitive two volume biography of Elvis Presley. His new book is about Elvis's longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Guralnick says researching the book led to many surprises and made him question the many preconceptions about Parker. It's called The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership that Rocked the World. John Powers reviews Code of Silence, a new British crime series. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 2025

The Atlantic journalist Franklin Foer explains how SpaceX and the Trump administration are changing the face of NASA, and why Musk's dream of Mars may come at the cost of the agency's mission. Also, Ken Tucker commemorates the 50th anniversary release of George Clinton's album Mothership Connection. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 30 July 2025

As he winds down his podcast, WTF, after 16 years, Marc Maron reflects on what he'll miss: "These conversations are very real conversations for me ... and that is kind of nourishing for the spirit and the soul." He spoke with Terry Gross about being the subject of a documentary, dreams he has of his late girlfriend Lynn Shelton, and cringing at his old comedy. Maron stars in the Apple TV+ series Stick, and his new HBO comedy special, Panicked, is out on August 1. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 29 July 2025

The Law & Order: SVU actor was just 3 years old in 1967 when her movie star mom, Jayne Mansfield, died in a car crash. Hargitay's new documentary highlights the intelligent woman behind her mom's crafted persona. Hargitay has a new HBO documentary about her "archeological dig" on her family, called My Mom Jayne. She also talks about learning the identity of her biological father, her love of comedy, and working with survivors of sexual assault. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 28 July 2025

Actor and singer Leslie Uggams talks about her remarkable career, which started when she was 6. She was later the first Black woman to host a TV variety show. In the 1977 TV miniseries Roots, she played Kunta Kinte's daughter. More recently she's been in Empire, American Fiction, and the Deadpool films — and is still going strong at 82. Also, writer Joseph Lee talks about what it means to be a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe from Martha's Vineyard. His new book, Nothing More of This Land, peels back the postcard image of the Vineyard to reveal a powerful story of Indigenous identity and survival. Plus, rock critic Ken Tucker reviews new music from the band HAIM and Addison Rae. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 26 July 2025

The lyrics for the songs "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," "The Way We Were," "Nice 'n' Easy," "You Must Believe in Spring," and "The Windmills of Your Mind" were written by the husband and wife lyric-writing team of Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Alan Bergman died last week at the age of 99. The two wrote songs together for more than 60 years. They spoke with Terry Gross in 2007. The aristocratic, unconventional British Mitford sisters are the subject of the new BritBox TV series Outrageous. We listen to our 1989 interview with Jessica Mitford, who wrote The American Way of Death, an exposé of the funeral industry that became a best seller in 1963. Mitford also was a communist who refused to give information to the House Un-American Activities Committee. Also, TV critic David Bianculli review Dexter: Resurrection. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 25 July 2025

The Trump administration has been pressuring elite universities, like Harvard and Columbia, with widespread demands, and threats of federal funding cuts. So why are they now investigating George Mason University? ProPublica education reporter Katherine Mangan tells us why GMU's president thinks it's driven by a backlash to DEI efforts. Also, jazz historian Kevin Whitehead reflects on a James Moody release. He would've been 100 this year. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 24 July 2025

After writing chapters of her new book about how tech companies help and exploit us, tech journalist and novelist Vauhini Vara fed those chapters to ChatGPT. She told the chatbot she needed help with her writing, but her real goal was to analyze and critique the AI's advice. Her new book is Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age. Also, TV critic and historian David Bianculli reacts to the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 23 July 2025

Uggams performed in Beulah, Hallelujah Baby, Roots, Empire, American Fiction and the Deadpool films. She was the first Black woman to host a TV variety show. At 82, she's appearing in The Gilded Age. She spoke with Terry Gross about her long, winding career. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 22 July 2025

In Nothing More of This Land, Aquinnah Wampanoag writer Joseph Lee takes readers past the celebrity summer scene and into the heart of Noepe, the name his people have called the island for centuries. Also, Ken Tucker reviews new music from HAIM and Addison Rae. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2025

Stacey Abrams is known as a voting rights activist, former candidate for Georgia governor, and founder of Fair Fight Action. But she's also a bestselling author, and has a new novel, a thriller revolving around a former Supreme Court clerk investigating a murder inside an AI company. Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan recommends two summer non-fiction books. And we hear from musician and producer Raphael Saadiq. He's known for his work as a member of Tony! Toni! Toné! and as a solo artist. He's produced and written for artists like Solange, D'Angelo, Beyoncé, John Legend, and many more. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 19 July 2025

As Major League Baseball celebrates a memorable All Star Game, we feature some of our favorite baseball interviews – with crafty veteran pitcher Jamie Moyer, cerebral and successful manager Tony La Russa, and slugger Mike Piazza on his epic confrontation with Roger Clemens in the World Series. John Powers reviews Cloud, the new psychological thriller from Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 18 July 2025

Act now to ensure public media remains free and accessible to all. Your donation will help this essential American service survive and thrive. Visit donate.npr.org now. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 18 July 2025

For decades, Condé Nast publications such as Vogue and Vanity Fair were consequential tastemakers. Writer Michael Grynbaum explores the heyday of these magazines and how they lost their footing. His book is Empire of the Elite: Inside Condé Nast, the Media Dynasty That Reshaped America. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2025

ProPublica Editor-at-Large Abrahm Lustgarten says the deadly flooding in Central Texas — which has killed over 130 people — underscores the dangers of a more volatile climate. Despite clear scientific evidence, the federal government has made cuts to research and forecasting, even threatening to dismantle FEMA. "We could talk about the floods in Texas as being an early warning sign of policy degradation to come," he says. "And we can expect to be more on our own and unsupported by those policies when these disasters continue to happen in the future. Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews Sorry, Baby. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 16 July 2025

Abrams isn't running for office — but she's not ruling it out, either. "Politics is a tool ... for getting good done, but it's not the only one." Her new thriller novel is Coded Justice. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about voter suppression, her faith, and collaborating with her siblings on her books. Also, David Bianculli reviews the BritBox period drama Outrageous. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 15 July 2025

While serving a life sentence for a murder he didn't commit, Calvin Duncan studied law, hoping to appeal his case. In the process he became a jailhouse lawyer. We'll talk about how he managed to help free many wrongly convicted prisoners, including himself, while facing countless legal obstacles confronting people who are poor and Black. His memoir is The Jailhouse Lawyer. Maureen Corrigan recommends two summer non-fiction books: The Salt Stones By Helen Whybrow and A Marriage at Sea By Sophie Elmhirst. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2025

Tamara Yajia grew up Jewish in Argentina, intent on becoming a child star. But just when her break was coming along, her family emigrated to California. Her new memoir is Cry for Me, Argentina. TV critic David Bianculli reviews a new HBO Max documentary about Ms. magazine. Leila Mottley's novel The Girls Who Grew Big follows a group of teenage mothers in the Florida Panhandle who form a close-knit community to support each other through the challenges of young motherhood. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 12 July 2025

Novelist Danzy Senna spoke with Terry Gross about racial identity, growing up with a Black father and white mother in an era when "mixed-race" wasn't a thing. "Just merely existing as a family was a radical statement at that time," she says. Her latest book is Colored Television. Also, Justin Chang reviews the new Superman movie. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 11 July 2025

New York Times reporter Adam Liptak discusses the Supreme Court's decisions to limit the power of lower courts while expanding presidential power, and its consequential use of the so-called shadow docket. "It's it's not an overstatement to say that in a matter of months American democracy has been transformed," he tells Terry Gross. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 2025

Leila Mottley gained critical acclaim at 19 with her debut novel Nightcrawling, which was longlisted for the Booker Prize. Now, she returns with her second novel, The Girls Who Grew Big. It follows a group of teenage mothers in the Florida Panhandle who form a close-knit community to support each other through the challenges of young motherhood. Mottley talks about why she views this novel as a response to the current political moment surrounding reproductive rights. And TV critic David Bianculli reviews the season premiere of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and its crossover with Abbott Elementary. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 9 July 2025

Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Raphael Saadiq talks about his process — from collaborating with Beyoncé and Solange, to his song in Sinners, to his R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné! He just announced an extended tour of his one-man show, No Bandwidth: One Man, One Night, Three Decades of Hits. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 8 July 2025

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jennifer Senior has had insomnia for 25 years. Her new piece in The Atlantic, "Why Can't Americans Sleep?," is about her often futile attempts to fall asleep, and about the latest research into insomnia and the medications and therapies used to treat it. Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews a new HBO Max documentary about Ms. magazine. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2025

Jeffrey Seller has been a key behind-the-scenes figure for some of the Broadway's biggest hits including, Hamilton and RENT, but he got his start on a much smaller scale. He looks back in a new memoir called Theater Kid. Ebon Moss-Bachrach has won two Emmys for his portrayal of Cousin Richie, the abrasive and ornery cook/maître d' on the FX series The Bear. He talks about the making of the show. Ken Tucker reviews a new collection of Bruce Springsteen music, songs he wrote and recorded from the mid '80s to the late 2010s, but hadn't released until now. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 5 July 2025

Tamara Yajia grew up Jewish in Argentina, intent on becoming a child star. But just when her break was coming along, her family emigrated to California. Her new memoir is Cry for Me, Argentina. Also, Ken Tucker reviews a new release of "lost" Bruce Springsteen music. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 3 July 2025

Jacob Soboroff of NBC News says the Trump administration promised to deport the "worst of the worst" criminal immigrants, but is now detaining undocumented workers with no serious criminal record. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about the condition of some detainment centers, the impact on L.A. communities, and child separation. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 2 July 2025

Longtime TV correspondent and commentator Bill Moyers died last week at age 91. Before he began his long career in broadcasting, he was presidential aide to Lyndon B. Johnson and later became White House press secretary. In a compilation of archival interviews with Terry Gross, we hear Moyers reflect on his career, his upbringing, and the polarization of American politics. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 1 July 2025

Jeffrey Seller has been a key behind-the-scenes figure for some of the Broadway's biggest hits including, Hamilton and RENT, but he got his start on a much smaller scale. He looks back in a new memoir called Theater Kid. Seller spoke with Terry Gross about his path from poverty in Michigan to the epicenter of musical theater. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 30 June 2025

What happens when a former federal government employee turns his lens on the psychology of panic? You get Hysterical, a podcast series from Dan Taberski. In it, Taberski investigates a mysterious illness that swept through a group of high school students in upstate New York. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about his award-winning podcast. Book critic Maureen Corrigan recommends some mystery and suspense novels for your summer reading list. Also, we'll hear from Larry Charles who has been a writer, director and/or executive producer on a number of culturally impactful TV shows and films including Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, and Borat. He spoke with Terry Gross about his new memoir. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 28 June 2025

After surviving many close calls as a war correspondent — from bullets, mortars and the threat of execution — Rod Nordland was diagnosed with a lethal brain tumor in 2019. He died last week, at the age of 75. In his interview with Terry Gross last year, he spoke about facing his mortality as a war correspondent and as a terminal cancer patient. Nordland covered wars and conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Bosnia, El Salvador and Cambodia. Also, we'll listen back to Terry's 1993 conversation with legendary guitarist Buddy Guy, who has a cameo in Sinners. TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new season of Hulu's The Bear. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 27 June 2025

Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Robin Givhan talks with Tonya Mosley about her new book, Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh. It's a powerful look at the life and influence of the late designer, who made history as the first Black American artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton. Givhan reveals how Abloh, the son of Ghanaian immigrants and a digital native, shaped by hip hop and skate culture, was able to penetrate fashion's elite barriers and redefine who gets to belong. Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews the summer blockbuster F1 starring Brad Pitt. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 26 June 2025

Ebon Moss-Bachrach has won two Emmys for his portrayal of Cousin Richie, the abrasive and ornery cook/maître d' on the FX series The Bear. The show is known for kitchen chaos, but he says the set is calm. He spoke with Fresh Air contributor Ann Marie Baldonado about the show, his character on GIRLS, and his venture into the Marvel Universe. TV critic David Bianculli reviews the documentary, My Mom Jayne, produced and edited by Law & Order actor Mariska Hargitay. It's about her mom, the actress Jayne Mansfield, who died young in a car accident. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 25 June 2025

Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour has called Trump's bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities a once-in-a-generation event that could transform the Middle East. While the impact of the conflict may not be clear for years, Sadjadpour says the attacks by the U.S. and Israel do raise a more immediate question: Will they strengthen the authoritarian regime in Tehran, or hasten its demise? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 24 June 2025

Journalist Carter Sherman says Gen Z — people ages 13 to 28 — are having less sex than previous generations. As part of her research, Sherman interviewed more than 100 teenagers, college students, and sexual health experts. She argues that miseducation, porn, digital disconnection, and political pressure have combined to reshape how young people sex and intimacy. Her book is The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation's Fight Over Its Future. Also, critic at large John Powers reviews Endling, the debut novel from Maria Reva. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2025

Benicio del Toro talks about his leading role in Wes Anderson's new film, The Phoenician Scheme. He'll look back on his acting career, and tell us about moving from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania in his teens. His other movies include The Usual Suspects, Traffic and Sicario. Justin Chang reviews the new rom-com Materialists, starring Dakota Johnson. MSNBC political analyst Molly Jong-Fast's mother Erica Jong became famous from her 1973 novel Fear of Flying, which was considered a groundbreaking work of feminist literature. But Molly's mom became addicted to the fame and couldn't bear to lose it. She talks about her childhood and a year of great loss in her new memoir, How to Lose Your Mother. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 21 June 2025

Edmund White, one of the most eloquent and perceptive chroniclers of gay life and culture, died June 3. He was 85. His 1982 semi-autobiographical novel, A Boy's Own Story, became an international bestseller. White wrote over 30 books, fiction and nonfiction and co-authored the guide The Joy of Gay Sex. He spoke with Terry Gross in 1985, 1994, 1997, and 2006. Jazz critic Martin Johnson reviews a new album from Amaryllis, the septet founded by guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 20 June 2025

Dan Taberski's award-winning podcast Hysterical investigates a bizarre and unsettling phenomenon: a mysterious illness that swept through a group of high school students in upstate New York. Taberski unpacks the story behind this modern-day case of possible mass hysteria and reflects on his approach to investigative storytelling. We also dig into his past work, including Missing Richard Simmons. Book critic Maureen Corrigan shares a round-up of this summer's best mystery and suspense titles. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 18 June 2025

In his new memoir, Comedy Samurai, Larry Charles reflects on his career in comedy — from writing for Seinfeld to directing Sacha Baron Cohen's films Borat and Brüno — and a recent near-death experience. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 17 June 2025

The Atlantic staff writer Elizabeth Bruenig talks about her decision to serve as a witness to state-sanctioned executions, and what she's learned about mercy, faith and the possibility of redemption. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Transcribed - Published: 16 June 2025