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Then-NPR correspondent Sylvia Poggioli speaks with Pope Francis on a flight from Rome to Havana, on Sept. 19, 2015.

Then-NPR correspondent Sylvia Poggioli speaks with Pope Francis on a flight from Rome to Havana, on Sept. 19, 2015. Philip Pullella hide caption

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Philip Pullella

Live updates: Pope Francis, a towering figure on the world stage, dies at 88

The time NPR's Sylvia Poggioli came face-to-face with Pope Francis

NPR's Sylvia Poggioli spent over four decades covering Rome. During her time, she covered the last three popes. But Poggioli shared something special in common with Pope Francis.

This podcast is a recession indicator.

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This podcast is a recession indicator.

Global markets got a case of the jitters this week in the wake of President Trump's global tariff policy. Everyone from hedge fund managers to online content creators have been starting to question the stability of America's economic trajectory. We're now seeing increased fear that a recession is just around the corner.

This podcast is a recession indicator.

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When Things Fall Apart
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Throughline

When Things Fall Apart

Climate disaster, political unrest, random violence: Western society can often feel like what the filmmaker Werner Herzog calls "a thin layer of ice on top of an ocean of chaos and darkness." But is that actually true — or the way it has to be? Today on the show, what really happens when things fall apart. This episode originally published in 2023.

When Things Fall Apart

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Who gets to be a critic? And why are some so "bad?"

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Who gets to be a critic? And why are some so "bad?"

Andrea Long Chu was once one of Brittany's favorite Sex and the City bloggers, and she's now a Pulitzer-winning critic. Andrea lends her critical eye to everything from the TV show Yellowstone to the work of Sally Rooney to pro-Palestinian protests and free speech. And she does it with wit, style, and fearlessness. Brittany chats with Andrea about her new book, Authority - a collection of some of Andrea's best work, along with two new essays. They discuss why art is a "fossil record" of desire, what kind of authority critics have, and why we might need to rethink what criticism should do for us.

Who gets to be a critic? And why are some so "bad?"

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Is marriage worth it? Single women say no.

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Is marriage worth it? Single women say no.

It's hard out there for single women who date men. You've maybe heard friends complaining about the dating pool, or perhaps you yourself are navigating its murky waters. According to economics reporter Rachel Wolfe at The Wall Street Journal, American women are giving up on marriage, with only 34% of single women looking for romance, versus 54% of single men.

Is marriage worth it? Single women say no.

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It's time to rewrite the "trauma plot."

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It's time to rewrite the "trauma plot."

There are a lot of big subjects that our culture has trouble talking about: wealth, death, addiction, religion. But one of the toughest has to be sexual assault and rape. For how common sexual violence is – it affects over half of women and almost one in three men – it can be extremely painful and even stigmatizing to discuss. But in Jamie Hood's new book Trauma Plot, which contextualizes rape in her own life and in our culture, Jamie looks for new ways to speak the "unspeakable." It tells her story in experimental fragments and finds a unique way to discuss one of the most common violences we face. Brittany sits down with Jamie to discuss Trauma Plot, the contours of rape narratives in our culture, and how we can move beyond them to tell stories about sexual violence in new ways.

It's time to rewrite the "trauma plot."

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An illustration shows a small figure from behind, standing in the mouth of a cave that is shaped like a human head. The person is looking out into the distance at a gorgeous landscape with pink and blue clouds and rolling green hills, meditating on natural beauty and their place in the universe.
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Life Kit

Stargazing, poetry and meditation: What connects NPR readers to their spirituality

NPR readers of different belief systems share the poignant rituals that make them feel close to their spirituality. For some, it's poetry and gardening, for others, it's meditation and community.

How to create your own spiritual practices

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What's more "American" than the right to protest?

Protestors take to the streets after the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil. EVAN SIMKO-BEDNARSKI/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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What's more "American" than the right to protest?

Last weekend, former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil was arrested by federal immigration authorities. The move was an escalation in the Trump administration's crackdown on dissent, and it has people wondering: isn't this against the constitution?

What's more "American" than the right to protest?

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"Gender is a negotiation" whether you realize it or not.

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"Gender is a negotiation" whether you realize it or not.

What does it even mean to be trans? That's the first question Torrey Peters asks readers in her new book, Stag Dance, and it's the question that everyone should be asking themselves right now.

"Gender is a negotiation" whether you realize it or not.

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FILE - An empty elementary school classroom is seen on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York. Nationwide, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened after COVID-forced closures. More than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman, File)

An empty elementary school classroom is seen on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York. Nationwide, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened after COVID-forced closures. More than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year. Brittainy Newman/AP hide caption

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Brittainy Newman/AP

Code Switch: Perspectives

If you see something (woke), say something

Code Switch's Gene Demby looks into the Department of Education's new end-DEI portal that asks Americans to narc on their local public schools.

Is Hollywood soft censoring Palestinian art?

'No Other Land' wins Best Documentary at the 2025 Oscars Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images hide caption

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Is Hollywood soft censoring Palestinian art?

Last weekend, the Academy Award for Best Documentary went to a film that still lacks a U.S. distribution deal. 'No Other Land' is a powerful look at Palestine's southern West Bank, and has received widespread acclaim. So what's holding it back from being seen in theaters across America?

Is Hollywood soft censoring Palestinian art?

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The WWE vs. the American education system

The WWE-ification of the Department of Education J. Shearer/WireImage for BWR Public Relations hide caption

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The WWE vs. the American education system

President Trump is calling for the end of the U.S. Department of Education, but so have other Republicans since the day it was formed in 1979. So why do Republicans hate it enough to lambast it, but love it enough to keep it around?

The WWE vs. the American education system

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In this illustration, a large scroll of paper has unfurled on the ground, and a man stands at one end of it, at the rear of the illustration. At the other end of the paper, in the foreground, stand three people — a man and two women — facing the man at the other end.

Reporter Zach Mack and his dad are living in separate realities, and it's tearing their family apart. Anna Kim for NPR hide caption

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Anna Kim for NPR

How a son spent a year trying to save his father from conspiracy theories

Zach Mack spent a year attempting to rescue his father from the depths of the conspiracy rabbit hole. Their family was forced to reckon with clashing realities, ideological divides and misinformation.

Embedded: Alternate Realities

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Lonely? There's an app for that... but should there be?

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Lonely? There's an app for that... but should there be?

We're back with "All the Lonely People," a series diving deep into how loneliness shows up in our lives.

Lonely? There's an app for that... but should there be?

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The acute loneliness of moms

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Analysis

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The acute loneliness of moms

We're launching a series called "All the Lonely People," diving deep into how loneliness shows up in our lives and how our culture shapes it. This week, why are moms so acutely lonely? Brittany hears from her listeners, and from the experts: Jessica Grose, New York Times opinion writer and author of the book Screaming on the Inside: the Unsustainability of American Motherhood, and parental burnout researcher at the Ohio State University, Kate Gawlik. They discuss what mom loneliness has to do with airplanes, lobotomies, and Tik Tok - and what we can do to help alleviate mom loneliness.

The acute loneliness of moms

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Why is Trump "Flooding the Zone?"

US President Donald Trump signs an executive order on January 23, 2025. ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Why is Trump "Flooding the Zone?"

Have you been dodging the news lately? Feeling a familiar sense of info fatigue creeping in? You're not alone. This week, Brittany is joined by NPR's White House reporter Danielle Kurtzleben and The Atlantic's Jonathan Lemire to unpack the Trump administration's "Flood the Zone" strategy - and how listeners can stay afloat.

Why is Trump "Flooding the Zone?"

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Books vs. Brain Rot: why it's so hard to read

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Books vs. Brain Rot: why it's so hard to read

Data from Gallup and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Americans are reading fewer books and spending less time reading than ever.

Books vs. Brain Rot: why it's so hard to read

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Intellectuals vs. The Internet

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Analysis

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Intellectuals vs. The Internet

What good is a Humanities degree? According to two intellectuals, Dr. Ally Louks and Jason Stanley, the Humanities help us better connect to other humans. According to a lot of online haters, they're worthless.

Intellectuals vs. The Internet

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Tech billionaires want to get richer. Trump is already helping them.

President Trump & Silicon Valley's new relationship Shawn Thew-Pool/Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Shawn Thew-Pool/Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Analysis

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Tech billionaires want to get richer. Trump is already helping them.

President Trump is no stranger to buddying up with the ultra rich, and that was on full display at his inauguration. Tech CEOs billionaires like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos were lined up at the proceeding. But beyond the optics, what policies are these CEOs and the new president working on together?

Tech billionaires want to get richer. Trump is already helping them.

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