Episodes

  • Is Cuba about to collapse?

    Is Cuba about to collapse?
    Mar 23 2026
    A former top American official in Cuba discusses whether President Trump's pressure campaign on Havana could lead to the collapse of the country's communist leadership. Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, who was charge d'affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Havana from 2015 to 2017, joins us.

    Then, the war with Iran is costing the U.S. tens of billions of dollars as it enters its fourth week. The Harvard Kennedy School's Linda Bilmes joins us to discuss the long-term economic costs.

    And, after 24 years as an immigration officer with the Department of Homeland Security, Eric O’Denius is now training to be a paralegal on immigration cases as enforcement has grown broader and more aggressive. We talk with O'Denius about his journey from deportation officer to paralegal.

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    23 mins
  • 25 at 250: Costumes from ‘The Wiz’ and the car that changed America

    25 at 250: Costumes from ‘The Wiz’ and the car that changed America
    Mar 20 2026
    “The Wiz” premiered on Broadway a little more than 50 years ago, reimagining a classic American story, “The Wizard of Oz,” as an all-Black production filled with gospel, funk and soul music. Dwandalyn Reece from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, shares the story of one of the show’s iconic costumes, worn by André De Shields, who played “The Wiz” himself.

    And, the Ford Model T first hit the road in the early 1900s. Kathleen Franz from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History explains how the car not only changed transportation, but nearly all facets of American life.

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    19 mins
  • Why Iran and Israel are targeting energy facilities

    Why Iran and Israel are targeting energy facilities
    Mar 19 2026
    Iran launched attacks on the world's biggest liquefied natural gas complex in Qatar on Thursday. These strikes are in retaliation for Israel's attack on a major natural gas field in Iran. NPR's Aya Batrawy shares the latest.

    Then, AP's Cristiana Mesquita explains what life is like now in Cuba, where there's an energy shortage, frequent blackouts and an uncertain future. President Trump pledged to do "something with Cuba very soon," and the island's socialist government vowed to resist any U.S. aggression.

    And, more than a month into the shutdown, Transportation Security Administration officers are still working without pay. Christine Vitel, a TSA officer at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago and executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 777, shares the conditions workers are facing.

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    21 mins
  • What China thinks of Trump's war with Iran

    What China thinks of Trump's war with Iran
    Mar 18 2026
    President Trump was scheduled to go to China for a summit in Beijing at the end of the month, but he has postponed the trip to focus on the Middle East. Professor David Lampton explains China’s interests in the conflict and the significance of a U.S.-China meeting.

    Then, Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on Tuesday in protest of the war in Iran, saying the country posed “no imminent threat to the U.S.” Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey explains the significance of the departure.

    And, the Wall Street Journal reports Amazon plans to cut back on how many packages it sends through the U.S. Postal Service. Roben Farzad of the Full Disclosure podcast explains what this could mean for the Postal Service’s already fragile financial situation.

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    20 mins
  • War is deadly. Why is Trump turning it into a meme?

    War is deadly. Why is Trump turning it into a meme?
    Mar 17 2026
    Israel says it killed two of Iran’s highest-ranking leaders in an airstrike on Monday night. And President Trump is bashing allies for declining to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed. Jon Finer, former principal deputy national security advisor to former President Joe Biden, joins us to discuss what this means for potential diplomacy in this war.

    Then, artificial intelligence is playing an important role in the war in Iran. We look at how it's being used and how it is changing warfare with Paul Scharre of the Center for a New American Security.

    And, the internet is full of memes around the ongoing war, many made and posted by the White House account on X. Nottingham Trent University's Tine Munk weighs in on the objective of these memes.

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    23 mins
  • Why U.S. allies are saying 'no' to Trump

    Why U.S. allies are saying 'no' to Trump
    Mar 16 2026
    As the war in Iran enters its third week, the Straight of Hormuz remains effectively closed, with Iran blocking oil tankers from moving through. This has caused oil and gas prices to skyrocket. Now, President Trump is demanding U.S. allies help reopen it. Journalist Negar Mortazavi details the latest in the war.

    Then, new artificial intelligence-powered headsets will give Burger King workers a "friendliness score" based on their customer interactions. Law professor Ifeoma Ajunwa unpacks the ethical questions surrounding this type of workplace surveillance.

    And, the Irish music scene in Japan is growing, and O'Jizo is one of the bands driving it. WBUR's Amelia Mason reports on the band’s contemporary grooves and inventive arrangements.

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    19 mins
  • Oscars: ‘Sinners,’ ‘Sentimental Value’ and ‘Hamnet’ vie for Best Picture and more

    Oscars: ‘Sinners,’ ‘Sentimental Value’ and ‘Hamnet’ vie for Best Picture and more
    Mar 13 2026
    "Sinners”, the horror film that blends blues music, history and vampires, is up for a record-breaking 16 Academy Awards. One of those nominations is for the new Best Casting category. Casting director Francine Maisler joins us.

    Then, the Norwegian film “Sentimental Value” is up for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Co-writer and director Joachim Trier joins us to discuss the film.

    And, “Hamnet,” based on Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel of the same name, is nominated for eight awards. Director Chloe Zhao, who co-wrote the screenplay with O’Farrell, and Jessie Buckley, who stars as William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes, join us.

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    31 mins
  • What swing voters think of the war in Iran

    What swing voters think of the war in Iran
    Mar 12 2026
    Radin Yad was born in Iran and now lives in Europe. He shares what he's hearing from his family in Tehran and how he views the U.S. and Israeli war against his country.

    Then, we hear about how swing voters in Michigan are viewing the war in Iran from Rich Thau, who runs the firm Engagious, which hosts focus groups for the Swing Voter Project.

    And, singer-songwriter David Archuleta joins us to discuss his new memoir, “Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself.” Archuleta first rose to fame as a teenager when he came in second place on the seventh season of "American Idol." In his new memoir, he writes about coming to terms with his sexuality and leaving the Mormon church.

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    23 mins