The Daily

This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m.

Rank #1: The (Misunderstood) Story of NATO.
On a combative opening day of the NATO summit in Brussels, President Trump called other member countries “delinquent” on military spending and attacked Germany as a “captive” of Russia. We examine where his frustration is coming from. Guest: David E. Sanger, a national security correspondent for The New York Times and the author of “The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age.” For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Rank #2: Deployed in the U.S., Just Waiting for the Caravan.
At nearly every turn, President Trump’s own generals tried to persuade him not to deploy active-duty troops to the United States border with Mexico. So what are 5,000 troops doing there? Guest: Helene Cooper, who covers the Pentagon for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

The NPR Politics Podcast

Every weekday, NPR's best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don't just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon.

Rank #1: In Fight With 'Chuck And Nancy,' Trump Says He'd Be 'Proud' To Shut Down Government.
In a testy and dramatic Oval Office exchange with Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer, President Trump made clear he would be "proud" to shut down the government in less than two weeks if he doesn't get funding for his border wall. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political editor Domenico Montanaro and Congressional correspondent Scott Detrow. Email the show at nprpolitics@npr.org. Find and support your local public radio station at npr.org/stations.

Rank #2: Trump's Attorney Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty & Paul Manafort Found Guilty By Jury.
Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer, has pleaded guilty to eight counts in federal court. The counts related to campaign finance violations involved payments that were made to keep two women quiet during the 2016 campaign. And a federal jury found Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, guilty in eight counts of tax and bank fraud. This episode: Congressional correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, justice correspondent Carrie Johnson, justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and political editor Domenico Montanaro. Email the show at nprpolitics@npr.org. Find and support your local public radio station at npr.org/stations.

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, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.

Rank #1: How Trump's Mismanagement Helped Fuel Coronavirus Crisis.
​Politico reporter Dan Diamond says dysfunction within the White House, infighting and the need to flatter Trump have caused distractions that have slowed the response to the new pandemic.​

Rank #2: Michael Pollan Explains Caffeine Addiction & Withdrawal.
'Omnivore's Dilemma' author Michael Pollan talks about his new audiobook, 'Caffeine: How Coffee and Tea Created the Modern World.' He describes caffeine as the world's most widely-used psychoactive drug. "Here's a drug we use every day. ... We never think about it as a drug or an addiction, but that's exactly what it is," Pollan says. "I thought, why not explore that relationship?"Also, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new album from guitarist Jeff Parker.

Embedded

Host Kelly McEvers takes a story from the news and goes deep. Whether that means digging into the Trump administration's past, the stories behind police shootings caught on video, or visiting a town ravaged by the opioid epidemic, Embedded takes you where the news is happening.

Rank #1: Mitch Part 1: 'Win This Thing'.
Mitch McConnell has been described as "opaque," "drab," and even "dull." He is one of the least popular - and most polarizing - politicians in the country. So how did he win eight consecutive elections? And what does it tell us about how he operates?

Rank #2: Trump Stories: The Apprentice.
Omarosa Manigault Newman has a new book. What about those tapes? We re-visit an episode from our "Trump Stories" season.

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

NPR's weekly current events quiz. Have a laugh and test your news knowledge while figuring out what's real and what we've made up.

Rank #1: Jennifer Lee.
Jennifer Lee, head of Walt Disney Animation Studios, joins us along with panelists Mo Rocca, Roxanne Roberts, and Adam Burke.

Rank #2: Elaine Welteroth.
Elaine Welteroth, journalist, joins us along with panelists Paula Poundstone, Roxanne Roberts, and Joel Kim Booster.

It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

A talk show with a heart. Each week, Sam interviews people in the culture who deserve your attention. Plus weekly wraps of the news with other journalists. Join Sam as he makes sense of the world through conversation.

Rank #1: Why 'Friends' Remains So Successful — And So Divisive — Even In 2019.
The NBC sitcom 'Friends' has been around for 25 years, and its popularity endures. Netflix says 'Friends' was the second most popular show on its streaming platform this year, based on minutes watched, and the show has also struck a chord with a younger generation. What is it about 'Friends' that resonates with viewers, and what does it say about us? Sam Sanders spoke to listeners, reporters and a critic to find out what it is that people love — and despise — about Chandler, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel and Ross.

Rank #2: Interview: Best-Selling Author Malcolm Gladwell On 'Talking To Strangers'.
Journalist Malcolm Gladwell's best-selling books have explored a wide range of topics from decision making to 'The Tipping Point.' His latest work, 'Talking To Strangers,' takes a look at stories such as the Sandra Bland case, the trial of Amanda Knox and the Stanford rape case to explain why interactions with strangers often go wrong. Sam spoke to Gladwell about his new book at The George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium on Sept. 11, 2019.

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour is a fun and freewheeling chat about the latest movies, television, books, and music.

Rank #1: Love Is Blind And What's Making Us Happy.
The Netflix plan to take over television has extended to dating shows for a while. But perhaps they've never made one so weird, so baffling, so cringe-inducingly embarrassing for everyone involved as Love Is Blind. And you probably know someone who's watching it. In this series they insist on calling an experiment, couples sit in separate cells that they call pods, where they can hear each other but not see each other. And once they've had a conversation or two, if they're getting along, they get engaged. And only then do they meet. Will any of them make it to the altar?

Rank #2: Avengers: Infinity War and What's Making Us Happy.
The Avengers try to keep a space-tyrant from performing cosmic genocide. The film doubles down on character interactions both familiar and unfamiliar. Guest: Code Switch co-host Gene Demby.

Revisionist History

Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell's journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past—an event, a person, an idea, even a song—and asks whether we got it right the first time. From Pushkin Industries. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance.

Rank #1: A Good Walk Spoiled.
Rich people and their addiction to golf: a philosophical investigation.

Rank #2: Saigon, 1965.
In the early 1960s the Pentagon set up a top-secret research project in an old villa in downtown Saigon. The task? To interview captured North Vietnamese soldiers and guerrillas in order to measure the effect of relentless U.S. bombing on their morale. Yet despite a wealth of great data, even the leaders of the study couldn’t agree on what it meant. To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com

1A

1A is home to the national conversation. The show frames the best debates with great guests in ways to make you think, share and engage.

Rank #1: The News Roundup For March 13, 2020.
COVID-19 continues to shut down the world and influence global markets. Congress works to improve aid during the crisis. Russia and Saudi Arabia's oil agreement collapses. And the U.S. begins to pull out of Afghanistan. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Rank #2: The Friday News Roundup for July 5, 2019.
Justin Amash says "adios" to his party. The printers start rolling on the new census forms. And the car world loses a legend.Around the world, protesters smash up the parliament in Hong Kong. President Trump crosses a line in Korea. And there's change at the top of the European Union and Central Bank.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

NPR News Now

The latest news in five minutes. Updated hourly.

Rank #1: NPR News: 03-31-2020 6AM ET.
NPR News: 03-31-2020 6AM ET

Hidden Brain

Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.

Rank #1: When Did Marriage Become So Hard?.
Marriage is hard — and there are signs it's becoming even harder. This week on Hidden Brain, we examine how long-term relationships have changed over time, and whether we might be able to improve marriage by asking less of it.

Rank #2: The Edge Effect.
There is great comfort in the familiar. It's one reason humans often flock to other people who share the same interests, laugh at the same jokes, hold the same political views. But familiar ground may not be the best place to cultivate creativity. From science and business to music and the world of fashion, researchers have found that people with deep connections to people from other countries and cultures often see benefits in terms of their creative output. This week on Hidden Brain, we look at the powerful connection between the ideas we dream up and the people who surround us, and what it really takes to think outside the box.

Rough Translation

How are the things we're talking about being talked about somewhere else in the world? Gregory Warner tells stories that follow familiar conversations into unfamiliar territory. At a time when the world seems small but it's as hard as ever to escape our echo chambers, Rough Translation takes you places.

Rank #1: Brazil In Black And White.
Two radically different ways of seeing race come into sudden conflict in Brazil, provoking a national conversation about who is Black? And who is not Black enough?

Rank #2: Mom In Translation.
For our season finale, a listener's story: When a six-year-old boy adopts Tokyo as his new home, his American mom has to figure out where she belongs in her son's new life.If you want to share your story, email roughtranslation@npr.org

Invisibilia

Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.

Rank #1: Two Heartbeats A Minute.
The strange story of an unlikely crew of people who band together to take on one of our largest problems using nothing but whale sounds, machine learning, and a willingness to think outside the box. Even stranger, several of the world's most accomplished scientists seem to think they might have a good idea. | To learn more about this episode, subscribe to our newsletter. Click here to learn more about NPR sponsors.

Rank #2: The Fifth Vital Sign.
We look at how our culture's massive effort to address pain has paradoxically increased it. And we follow one young girl as she struggles through a bizarre and extreme treatment program. NOTE: The treatment in this episode is administered by trained professionals in a hospital setting (and should not be implemented without medical supervision).

Planet Money

The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, "Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy." Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.

Rank #1: #909: Dollar Stores Vs Lettuce.
Every six hours a new dollar store opens in the U.S. Are they killing grocery stores?

Rank #2: #926: So, Should We Recycle?.
Cities might be picking up your recyclables, but there is a very good chance they aren't being recycled. And that might be a good thing...if you really care about the planet. Part two of a two-part series. ⎸Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Pod Save America

Four former aides to President Obama—Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor—are joined by journalists, politicians, activists, and more for a no-b**t conversation about politics. They cut through the noise to break down the week’s news, and help people figure out what matters and how they can help. Text us questions and comments: (323) 405-9944. New episodes Mondays and Thursdays.

Rank #1: “Pod Lang Syne.”.
In a special New Year’s episode, Jon, Jon, Tommy, Dan, Erin Ryan, DeRay Mckesson, Ana Marie Cox, Ira Madison, and Louis Virtel discuss their resolutions for 2019. 

Rank #2: “Kavanuts.” .
Trump nominates Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, escalates his trade war with China, and gets played by North Korea. Then former Supreme Court clerk and White House lawyer Karen Dunn talks to Jon, Jon, and Tommy about how Democrats should approach the coming Supreme Court battle.