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Throughline

289 EpisodesProduced by NPRWebsite

The past is never past. Every headline has a history. Join us every week as we go back in time to understand the present. These are stories you can feel and sounds you can see from the moments that shaped our world.Subscribe to Throughline+. You'll be supporting the history-reframing, perspective-sh… read more

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Farewell

February 22nd, 2024

0:39

An important message from RadioPublic

A History of Hezbollah

March 28th, 2024

49:57

Hezbollah is a Lebanese paramilitary organization and political party that's directly supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the wake of the …

The Great Textbook War

March 21st, 2024

47:40

What is school for? Over a hundred years ago, a man named Harold Rugg published a series of textbooks that encouraged students to confront the …

Radiolab: Worst. Year. Ever

March 19th, 2024

38:37
What was the worst year to be alive on planet Earth? We make the case for 536 AD, which set off a cascade of catastrophes that is almost too horrible …

A Symphony of Resistance (Throwback)

March 14th, 2024

55:31

In 2011, the world was shaken by the Arab Spring, a wave of "pro-democracy" protests that spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The effects of the uprisings reverberated around the world as regimes fell in …

The Rise of the Right Wing in Israel

March 7th, 2024

53:05

For most of its early history, Israel was dominated by left-leaning, secular politicians. But today, the right is in power. Its politicians represent …

The Right to An Attorney

February 29th, 2024

50:37

Most of us take it for granted that if we're ever in court and we can't afford a lawyer, the court will provide one for us. And in fact, the right to an attorney is written into the Constitution's sixth amendment. But …

Dance Yourself Free (Throwback)

February 22nd, 2024

50:01

Beyonce's Renaissance brought house music back to mainstream audiences. But even when it wasn't gracing the Grammys, house never went away. Born from the ashes of disco in the late 1970s and '80s, house was by and for …

Love, Throughline

February 15th, 2024

53:17

We asked you to call us with your stories of looking for love in the 21st century — and man, did you come through. We heard the whole range of human …

The Scent of History

February 8th, 2024

51:28

What if we told you that the key to time travel has been right in front of our eyes this whole time? Well, it has: it's in our noses. Today on the …

James Baldwin's Shadow (Throwback)

February 1st, 2024

44:24

James Baldwin believed that America has been lying to itself since its founding. An insightful commentator on Black identity, American democracy, and …

Bonus: The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop

January 30th, 2024

49:46

In October of 1983, Grenada's Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was assassinated in a coup, along with seven of his cabinet members and supporters. Six days later, the United States invaded the island country, and took …

The Man Who Cured Aging

January 25th, 2024

49:46

In 1899, Elie Metchnikoff woke up in Paris to learn that he had defeated old age. At least, that's what the newspaper headlines said. Before long he …

The Right to Bear Arms

January 18th, 2024

51:48

In April 1938, an Oklahoma bank robber was arrested for carrying an unregistered sawed-off shotgun across state lines. The robber, Jack Miller, put forward a novel defense: that a law banning him from carrying that gun …

When Things Fall Apart (Throwback)

January 11th, 2024

49:59

Climate change, political unrest, random violence: modern society can often feel like what the filmmaker Werner Herzog calls "a thin layer of ice on …

The Nostalgia Bone (2021)

January 4th, 2024

56:32

They say "everything old becomes new again." Today, that's baggy jeans, shag haircuts, 90s music, TV sitcoms – the latest version of finding comfort …

Editing Reality (2023)

December 28th, 2023

52:20

We live in divided times, when the answer to the question 'what is reality?' depends on who you ask. Almost all the information we take in is to some extent edited and curated, and the line between entertainment and …

Apology: The Way Back (2023)

December 21st, 2023

52:26

Our society is saturated in apologies. They're scripted, they're public, and they often feel less than sincere. Political, corporate, celebrity …

Dare to Dissent

December 14th, 2023

50:16

Sometimes, the most dangerous and powerful thing a person can do is to stand up not against their enemies, but against their friends. As the United …

The Lord Of Misrule

December 7th, 2023

49:10

On November 18, 1633, a book went to press in London. Its author, Thomas Morton, had been exiled from the Puritan colonies in Massachusetts for the …

A.D.A. Now! (2020)

November 30th, 2023

58:10

The Americans with Disabilities Act is considered the most important civil rights law since the 1960s. Through first-person stories, we look back at the making of this movement, the history of how disability came to be …

How U.S. Unions Took Flight

November 23rd, 2023

47:29

Hot Labor Summer has continued into fall as workers in industries from retail and carmaking to healthcare and Hollywood have organized and gone on …

A History of Hamas

November 16th, 2023

51:41

On October 7th, the organization Hamas, which is also the ruling government of Gaza, perpetrated an attack just across the border in Israel. The …

Grenada: Nobody's Backyard (2021)

November 9th, 2023

57:51

A Marxist revolution, a Cold War proxy battle, and a dream of a Black utopia. In 1983, Ronald Reagan ordered the U.S. military to invade the island …

The Supreme Court's Shadow Docket

November 2nd, 2023

49:42

Roe. Brown. Obergefell. Dobbs. These Supreme Court decisions are the ones that make headlines, and eventually history books. But today, the vast majority of the Court's work actually happens out of the public eye, on …

The Three Faces of Ataturk

October 26th, 2023

53:27

"Authority, without any condition and reservation, belongs to the nation." A military commander named Mustafa Kemal uttered these words in 1923, on …

The Dance of the Dead (2021)

October 19th, 2023

50:20

Long before it was a sugary moviefest, the Halloween we know was called Samhain. The Celts of ancient Ireland believed Samhain was a night when the …

The Contradictions of Abraham Lincoln

October 12th, 2023

49:16

In 1855, Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to his best friend, Joshua Speed. Speed was from a wealthy, slave-owning Kentucky family; Lincoln believed …

Two Miles Down The Road

October 5th, 2023

55:01

Deborah and Ken Ferruccio saw the toxic chemical spill while they were driving home late one summer night in 1978: a big smelly swath of brown oil on the side of the road. Reverend Willie T. Ramey saw it too. He was a …

Tenochtitlán: A Retelling of the Conquest (2021)

September 28th, 2023

52:33

In a sense, 1521 is Mexico's 1619. A foundational moment that for centuries has been shaped by just one perspective: a European one. The story of how Hernán Cortés and a few hundred Spaniards conquered the mighty Aztec …

David v Goliath

September 21st, 2023

51:48

In the year 1258, more than 100,000 soldiers amassed outside the great Islamic city of Baghdad. They were the Mongol Army, led by the grandson of the …

A Tale of Two Tribal Nations

September 14th, 2023

51:15

The word "reservation" implies "reserved" – as in, this land is reserved for Native Americans. But most reservation land actually isn't owned by tribes. Instead it's checkerboarded into private farmland, federal …

Silicon Island (2022)

September 7th, 2023

48:49

In a world where computer chips run everything from laptops to cars to the Nintendo Switch, Taiwan is the undisputed leader. It's one of the most …

How Korean Culture Went Global (2022)

August 31st, 2023

48:25

From BTS to Squid Game to high-end beauty standards, South Korea reigns as a global exporter of pop culture and entertainment. Just 70 years ago, it …

By Accident of Birth (2022)

August 24th, 2023

58:24

In August of 1895, a ship called the SS Coptic approached the coast of Northern California. On that boat was a passenger from San Francisco, a young man named Wong Kim Ark. He was returning home after visiting his wife …

The Characters That Built China (2022)

August 17th, 2023

49:22

Today, China is a global superpower. But less than two hundred years ago, the nation was in a state of decline. After what became known as the 'century of humiliation' at the hands of Western imperialist powers, its …

The Lavender Scare

August 10th, 2023

51:07

One day in late April 1958, a young economist named Madeleine Tress was approached by two men in suits at her office at the U.S. Department of Commerce. They took her to a private room, turned on a tape recorder, and …

Getting to Sesame Street (2022)

August 3rd, 2023

49:13

American schools have always been more than where we go to learn the ABCs: They're places where socialization happens and cultural norms are …

The Hidden War

July 27th, 2023

52:24

How does a country go from its leader winning the Nobel Peace Prize to all-out war in just one year? That's the question surrounding Ethiopia, which has become embroiled in one of the deadliest wars of the 21st century. …

All Wars Are Fought Twice (2022)

July 20th, 2023

47:54

"All wars are fought twice, the first time on the battlefield, the second time in memory," writes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen. …

No Bad Ideas?

July 13th, 2023

51:12

Humans have always created. But historian Samuel W. Franklin argues that "creativity" didn't become a social value until the Cold War. Today, we're …

The Legacy of Henry Kissinger

July 6th, 2023

49:25

Depending on where you stand, Henry Kissinger is either a foreign policy mastermind or a war criminal. Some see him as a brilliant strategist who …

After Roe: A New Battlefield (2022)

June 29th, 2023

52:11

The Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade transformed the landscape of abortion rights overnight. For the doctors, lawyers, feminists, and others who had fought for nationwide legalization, Roe was the end of a long …

The Labor Of Love

June 22nd, 2023

52:37

There's a powerful fantasy in American society: the fantasy of the ideal mother. This mother is devoted to her family above all else. She raises the …

Affirmative Action

June 15th, 2023

49:41

This conversation was recorded ahead of the Supreme Court's expected decision on affirmative action. As of publishing, no decision has been issued.

Before Roe: The Physicians' Crusade (2022)

June 8th, 2023

52:48

Abortion wasn't always controversial. In fact, in colonial America it would have been considered a fairly common practice: a private decision made by …

The Ghost in Your Phone

June 1st, 2023

52:19

It's hot. A mother works outside, a baby strapped to her back. The two of them breathe in toxic dust, day after day. And they're just two of thousands, cramped so close together it's hard to move, all facing down the …

The Freedom of Speech

May 25th, 2023

49:07

Book bans, disinformation, the wild world of the internet. Free speech debates are all around us. What were the Founding Fathers thinking when they created the First Amendment, and how have the words they wrote in the …

History Is Over (2021)

May 18th, 2023

50:40

As the end of the 20th century approached, Radiohead took to the recording studio to capture the sound of a society that felt like it was fraying at the edges. Many people had high hopes for the new millennium, but for …

Mythos and Melodrama in the Philippines

May 11th, 2023

52:10

Corruption. Wealth. Authoritarianism. Torture. These are the words many people associate with Ferdinand Marcos, the former dictator of the Philippines, and his wife, Imelda. But in 1965, on the day of his presidential …

What's Your Worth?

May 4th, 2023

49:16

The credit score: even if you don't think much about it, that three-digit number can change your life. A high score can mean the keys to a new apartment or a new car, while a low score can keep you locked out of the …

Cinco de Mayo and the Rise of Modern Mexico (2022)

April 27th, 2023

50:30

Does history have a border? That is the question at the heart of Cinco de Mayo, May 5th, a holiday that symbolizes Mexico's fight for autonomy, even …

The Way Back

April 20th, 2023

52:35

Our society is saturated in apologies. They're scripted, they're public, and they often feel less than sincere. Political, corporate, celebrity …

Past is Prologue: Talking Taxes

April 13th, 2023

50:24

Benjamin Franklin said the only certainties in life are death and taxes. Sifting through receipts, deciphering confusing codes, and filling out forms is an annual ritual that's about much more than money. The history of …

Student Loans: The Fund-Eating Dragon (2022)

April 6th, 2023

50:41

At the start of the 20th century, only the most privileged could afford to go to college. Today, millions of students pursue higher ed — and owe $1.7 …

Throughline Presents: Louder Than A Riot

April 4th, 2023

56:10

Louder Than A Riot breaks down how hip-hop history is told. Who gets to be remembered and who gets left out? Decades before hip-hop's current …

The Mystery of Inflation (2022)

March 30th, 2023

49:58

Rising interest rates. Layoffs. A shrinking dollar. Over the past year, the US economy has been squeezed: The same amount of money gets you less …

Everyone Everywhere All At Once

March 23rd, 2023

49:00

This year's Oscars were one of the most diverse in history, in all kinds of ways. Everything Everywhere All At Once swept some of the biggest categories, notching incredible victories for Asian and Asian American …

Meltdown (2020)

March 16th, 2023

51:23

What happens when an accident puts the public at risk? In the early hours of March 28, 1979, a system malfunction set off what would become the worst …

A More Perfect Human

March 9th, 2023

52:06

The dream of AI — artificial intelligence — has been around for centuries: the idea of an intelligent machine without free will popped up in ancient …

Dance Yourself Free

March 2nd, 2023

50:18

Ever since Beyonce's Renaissance dropped last summer, house music has found its way back to mainstream audiences, prompting some to ask "Is house back?" But the truth is, it never went away. Born out of the ashes of …

Of Rats and Men (2022)

February 23rd, 2023

51:26

Rats. Love 'em or hate 'em, (though you probably hate 'em), they're part of our world. And they've been out in full force: In New York City, health …

Throughline Presents: White Lies

February 16th, 2023

46:41

It all started with a photograph. A photograph from 1991 of a prison takeover in rural Alabama. A photograph of a group of men on the roof of that …

The Whiteness Myth

February 9th, 2023

50:00

In 1923, an Indian American man named Bhagat Singh Thind argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that he was a white man and was therefore eligible to become a naturalized citizen. He based his claim on the fact that he …

The Real Black Panthers (2021)

February 2nd, 2023

51:20

In 1968, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover said the Black Panther Party "without question, represents the greatest threat to the internal security of the country." And with that declaration he used United States federal law …

When Things Fall Apart

January 26th, 2023

50:48

Climate change, political unrest, random violence - Western society can often feel like what the filmmaker Werner Herzog calls, "a thin layer of ice …

Extremist Futures

January 19th, 2023

48:36

It's 2074 and a suicide bomber has killed the President of the United States. Months later Marines open fire on protesters killing dozens. The Second American Civil War has just begun and once again the North and South …

Do Not Pass Go (2022)

January 12th, 2023

50:58

There's more to Monopoly than you might think. It's one of the best-selling board games in history — despite huge economic instability, sales …

Nancy Pelosi (2019)

January 9th, 2023

23:47

Nancy Pelosi is the highest-ranking woman in American politics. She made her first run for public office at 47 years old and went on to become …

The Monster of We (2021)

January 5th, 2023

58:44

Are most modern problems caused by selfishness or a lack of it? Ayn Rand, a Russian American philosopher and writer, would say it's the latter — that …

The New Gilded Age (2022)

December 29th, 2022

50:19

Philanthropic foundations are a fundamental part of our society: they support media, the arts, education, medical research, and more. NPR, and even this show, is supported by many personal and family foundations. But it …

God Wants You To Be Rich (2021)

December 22nd, 2022

48:37

In the New Testament, Jesus says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. In the United States today, many Christians believe in something radically …

Road to Partition

December 15th, 2022

52:24

What happens when a nation splits apart? It's a question many of us are asking ourselves today. It happened 75 years ago with Partition, when India and Pakistan became independent nations, divided by a somewhat …

400 Years of Sweetness

December 8th, 2022

52:21

In the 1970s, a savvy CEO named Dwayne Andreas hit on an idea: take surplus corn from America's heartland, process it into a sweetener, and start …

The Nostalgia Bone (2021)

December 1st, 2022

56:50

The global pandemic spawned a different type of epidemic, one of an entirely different nature: a nostalgia outbreak. Longing for 'simpler times' and 'better days', many of us turned to 90s dance playlists, TV sitcoms, …

La Última Copa: El sueño del pibe

November 26th, 2022

41:40

Ésta semana te presentamos un episodio muy especial de nuestros amigos en NPR y Futuro Media — su primer episodio del podcast La Última Copa, en …

The Last Cup: The Kid's Dream

November 24th, 2022

41:40

This week we're bringing you something special from our friends at NPR and Futuro Media: the first episode of the podcast, The Last Cup. From his earliest goals on the soccer fields of his hometown in Argentina to his …

Qatar's World Cup

November 17th, 2022

51:48

Football, aka soccer, is life. At least, it is for many people across the globe. There are few things that are universally beloved but this sport comes close. And as teams on nearly every continent prepare for the start …

Dreams, Creatures, and Visions

November 10th, 2022

48:10

We are in the season of chaos. It can feel like everything is happening at once: You might be sprinting across an airport; or around your kitchen, with a few too many dishes cooking at once. Your phone keeps pinging — …

The Most Sacred Right (2020)

November 3rd, 2022

1:02:29

Born into slavery in the early 1800s, Frederick Douglass would live to see the Civil War, Emancipation, Black men getting the right to vote, and the …

The State of Disunion

October 27th, 2022

48:48

Is the U.S. on the brink of civil war? It's a question that has been in the air for a while now, as divisions continue to worsen. Beyond the …

The Woman Question

October 20th, 2022

49:44

What's happening in Iran right now is unprecedented. But the Iranian people's struggle for gender equality began generations before the death of …

The Dance of the Dead (2021)

October 13th, 2022

49:56

Halloween — the night of ghost stories and trick-or-treating — has religious origins that span over two thousand years. Over time, the Catholic …

Silicon Island

October 6th, 2022

46:59

In a world where computer chips run everything from laptops to cars to the Nintendo Switch, Taiwan is the undisputed leader. It's one of the most …

Editing Reality

September 29th, 2022

51:58

We live in divided times, when the answer to the question 'what is reality?' depends on who you ask. Almost all the information we take in is to some extent edited and curated, and the line between entertainment and …

Five Fingers Crush the Land (2021)

September 22nd, 2022

55:52

Over one million Uyghur people have been detained in camps in China, according to estimates, subjected to torture, forced labor, religious restrictions, and even forced sterilization. Last month, the United Nations …

Getting to Sesame Street

September 15th, 2022

49:00

In American history, schools have not just been places to learn the ABCs – they're places where socialization happens and cultural norms are …

How Korean Culture Went Global

September 8th, 2022

47:55

From BTS to Squid Game to high-end beauty standards, South Korea reigns as a global exporter of pop culture and entertainment. How does a country go …

American Socialist (2020)

September 1st, 2022

1:01:17

It's been over a century since a self-described socialist was a viable candidate for president of the United States. And that first socialist candidate, Eugene V. Debs, didn't just capture significant votes, he created …

Drone Wars (2021)

August 25th, 2022

1:00:55

Unseen, they stalk their targets from thousands of feet in the air. Operators are piloting them from military bases halfway across the world. At any …

Afghanistan: The Rise of the Taliban (2021)

August 18th, 2022

54:19

How did a small group of Islamic students go from local vigilantes to one of the most infamous and enigmatic forces in the world? The Taliban is a name that has haunted the American imagination since 2001. The scenes of …

Afghanistan: The Center of the World (2021)

August 11th, 2022

55:33

Afghanistan has, for centuries, been at the center of the world. Long before the U.S. invasion — before the U.S. was even a nation — countless …

The Mystery of Inflation

August 4th, 2022

49:33

Gas. Meat. Flights. Houses. The price of things have gone up by as much as nine percent since last year. The same amount of money gets you less stuff. It's inflation: a concept that's easy to feel but hard to …

Nikole Hannah-Jones and the Country We Have (2021)

July 28th, 2022

49:25

Is history always political? Who gets to decide? What happens when you challenge common narratives? In this episode, Throughline's Rund Abdelfatah …

Student Loans: The Fund-Eating Dragon

July 21st, 2022

50:35

At the start of the 20th century, only the most privileged could afford to go to college. Today, millions of students pursue higher ed — and owe $1.7 …

The Long Hot Summer (2020)

July 14th, 2022

41:17

Things in the U.S. feel tense right now. Two years after a police officer killed George Floyd outside a Minneapolis corner store, videos of police …

Throughline Presents: School Colors

July 7th, 2022

51:21

School District 28 is located in one of the most racially and ethnically diverse places in the U.S.: Queens, N.Y. But the neighborhood served by this …

Do Not Pass Go

June 30th, 2022

50:55

There's more to Monopoly than you might think. It's one of the best-selling board games in history — despite huge economic instability, sales …

The Evangelical Vote (2019)

June 23rd, 2022

50:45

When Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, the door opened on one of those rare opportunities to tip the balance of the highest court in …

After Roe: A New Battlefield

June 16th, 2022

52:37

The Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade transformed the landscape of abortion rights overnight. For the doctors, lawyers, feminists, and others who had fought for nationwide legalization, Roe was the end of a long …

By Accident of Birth

June 9th, 2022

58:33

In August of 1895, a ship called the SS Coptic approached the coast of Northern California. On that boat was a passenger from San Francisco, a young man named Wong Kim Ark who was returning home after visiting his wife …

The Modern White Power Movement (2020)

June 2nd, 2022

47:36

The recent shooting in Buffalo, New York, which authorities are investigating as a hate crime, has yet again highlighted the threat posed by domestic …

The Characters That Built China

May 26th, 2022

48:26

Today, China is a global superpower. But less than two hundred years ago, the nation was in a state of decline. After what became known as the 'century of humiliation' at the hands of Western imperialist powers, its …

Before Roe: The Physicians' Crusade

May 19th, 2022

52:43

Abortion wasn't always controversial. In fact, in colonial America it would have been considered a fairly common practice: a private decision made by …

Bonus: The Forgotten Mothers of Civil Rights History

May 17th, 2022

49:52

MLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin are household names, but what about their mothers? This hour, author Anna Malaika Tubbs explores how these three …

The Shadows of the Constitution (2020)

May 12th, 2022

42:27

The Constitution is like America's secular Bible, our sacred founding document. As the Supreme Court debates the future of Roe v. Wade, many of us …

Cinco de Mayo and the Rise of Modern Mexico

May 5th, 2022

50:08

Does history have a border? That is the question at the heart of Cinco de Mayo, May 5th, a holiday that symbolizes Mexico's fight for autonomy, even …

The New Gilded Age

April 28th, 2022

49:54

Philanthropic foundations are a fundamental part of our society: they support media, the arts, education, medical research, and more. NPR, and even this show, is supported by many personal and family foundations. But it …

Force of Nature (2021)

April 21st, 2022

48:34

Rivers on fire, acid rain falling from the sky, species going extinct, oil spills, polluted air, and undrinkable water: For so long, we didn't think …

The Everlasting Problem (2020)

April 14th, 2022

54:32

Health insurance for millions of Americans is dependent on their jobs. But it's not like that everywhere. So how did the U.S. end up with such a …

Capitalism: What Makes Us Free? (2021)

April 7th, 2022

50:16

What's the role of government in society? What do we mean when we talk about individual responsibility? What makes us free? 'Neoliberalism' might …

The Land of the Fee (2021)

March 31st, 2022

44:54

Tipping is a norm in the United States—and it's always been controversial. The practice took off after the Civil War, as employers sought cheap labor …

All Wars Are Fought Twice

March 24th, 2022

48:11

"All wars are fought twice, the first time on the battlefield, the second time in memory," writes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen. …

Our Own People (2021)

March 17th, 2022

51:10

A Japanese American activist whose early political awakenings came while incarcerated in the concentration camps of World War II America, Kochiyama …

Ukraine's Dangerous Independence

March 10th, 2022

43:40

Months before Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, he published an essay on the Kremlin website called "On The …

Of Rats and Men

March 3rd, 2022

51:00

Rats. Love 'em or hate 'em, (though you probably hate 'em), they're part of our world. And during the pandemic, they've been out in full force: fewer …

There Are No Utopias

February 24th, 2022

49:14

It may seem bleak, but Robin D.G Kelley's view of the world says there is no promise of liberation, only struggle. Kelley has spent his career bringing to life the stories of the Black labor organizers and …

Marcus Garvey: Pan-Africanist (2021)

February 17th, 2022

59:33

Black people deserve nothing less than everything: This was Marcus Garvey's simple, uncompromising message. His speeches on Pan-Africanism — the vision of a world where all people of African origin, on every continent, …

Pirates of the Senate

February 10th, 2022

52:32

The fight over the filibuster brings up some deeper questions that we as a country are facing. How do we make space for disagreement without ending …

A Story Of Us?

February 3rd, 2022

46:20

We've been seeing a lot of debate recently about how history should be taught. For example, some believe that the Civil War was about state rights …

Russia's Longest Leader: Vladimir Putin (2019)

January 27th, 2022

33:22

As tensions between Ukraine and Russia escalate, we decided to take a look at the man who has been running Russia for two decades: Vladimir Putin. How did a former KGB officer make his way up to the top seat — was it …

Throughline Sleeps

January 25th, 2022

30:00

Life can be tough. Every day brings new challenges. And in order to get through the waking hours we need rest. Good quality sleep. In this bonus episode, a companion to "The Way We Dream," we offer you a 30-minute audio …

The Way We Dream

January 20th, 2022

51:20

Our dreams can haunt us: literally. Recurring dreams about failing tests or running late are a common occurrence, but what are we to make of them? …

Bayard Rustin: The Man Behind the March on Washington (2021)

January 13th, 2022

1:10:26

Bayard Rustin, the man behind the March on Washington, was one of the most consequential architects of the civil rights movement you may never have …

The Anatomy of Autocracy: Timothy Snyder (2021)

January 6th, 2022

34:59

When a mob of pro-Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 they also incited a defining moment in United States …

The Electrical Grid (2020)

December 30th, 2021

42:30

Today, electricity in the U.S. is a utility we notice only when it's suddenly unavailable. But over a hundred years ago, electricity in the homes of every American was a wild idea and the subject of a bitter fight over …

Bonus: On Our Watch

December 28th, 2021

47:43

What happens to police officers who use excessive force, tamper with evidence or sexually harass someone? In California, internal affairs …

American Socialist (2020)

December 23rd, 2021

1:04:23

American workers are reaching a breaking point. We're seeing a wave of resignations and labor strikes, and a supply chain that's cracking under the pressure. At the turn of the 20th century, one man faced a similar …

The Monster of We

December 16th, 2021

1:00:17

Are most modern problems caused by selfishness or a lack of it? Ayn Rand, a Russian American philosopher and writer, would say it's the latter — that …

History Is Over

December 9th, 2021

53:00

As the end of the 20th century approached, Radiohead took to the recording studio to capture the sound of a society that felt like it was fraying at the edges. Many people had high hopes for the new millennium, but for …

A Symphony of Resistance (2021)

December 2nd, 2021

57:08

The Arab Spring erupted eleven years ago when a wave of "pro-democracy" protests spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The effects of the uprisings reverberated around the world as regimes fell in some …

Fighting Fires and Family Secrets

November 25th, 2021

40:35

Uncontrollable western wildfires and a hidden family history — two puzzles that can only be solved with knowledge buried in the past. Indigenous …

Nikole Hannah-Jones and the Country We Have

November 18th, 2021

50:11

Is history always political? Who gets to decide? What happens when you challenge common narratives? In this episode, Throughline's Rund Abdelfatah …

Aftermath (2020)

November 11th, 2021

54:56

In 1927, the most destructive river flood in U.S. history inundated seven states, displaced more than half a million people for months, and caused …

Bonus: The Deep History of Dune

November 9th, 2021

44:10

Rund and Ramtin speak to sci-fi writer and Princeton historian, Haris Durrani, about why the lore of Dune still proves so relevant and the ways in which the 2021 film succeeds and fails to convey its messages.

"Dreams …

Drone Wars

November 4th, 2021

1:01:16

Unseen, they stalk their targets from thousands of feet in the air. Operators are piloting them from military bases halfway across the world. At any …

The Dance of the Dead

October 28th, 2021

50:47

Halloween — the night of ghost stories and trick-or-treating — has religious origins that span over two thousand years and over time, the Catholic …

The Stars (2020)

October 21st, 2021

57:48

Astrology has existed for thousands of years and has roots that span the globe. But is it a science or a religion or just a kind of personality test? …

The Nostalgia Bone

October 14th, 2021

57:52

The global pandemic has spawned a different type of epidemic, one of an entirely different nature: a nostalgia outbreak. Longing for 'simpler times' and 'better days', many of us have been turning to 90s dance …

Tenochtitlan: A Retelling of The Conquest

October 7th, 2021

52:56

In a sense, 1521 is Mexico's 1619. A foundational moment that has for a long time been shaped by just one perspective, a European one. The story of how Hernán Cortés and his small army of conquistadors conquered the …

Bonus: Soul Train

October 5th, 2021

34:52

When Soul Train was first nationally syndicated in October 1971, there was nothing else like it on TV. It was the iconic Black music and dance show, …

The Shadows of the Constitution (2020)

September 30th, 2021

43:18

The Constitution is like America's secular bible, our sacred founding document. In her play, What the Constitution Means to Me, Heidi Schreck goes …

Bonus: We're Not Broken

September 28th, 2021

23:32

This week we're featuring an episode from Life Kit that focuses on myths surrounding autism, how to talk about it and how to help your autistic loved …

The Supreme Court (2020)

September 23rd, 2021

58:01

When, why, and how did the Supreme Court get the final say in the law of the land? The question of the Court's role, and whether its decisions should …

Afghanistan: The Rise of the Taliban

September 16th, 2021

53:48

How did a small group of Islamic students go from local vigilantes to one of the most infamous and enigmatic forces in the world? The Taliban is a name that has haunted the American imagination since 2001. The scenes of …

Afghanistan: The Center of the World

September 9th, 2021

54:22

Afghanistan has, for centuries, been at the center of the world. Long before the U.S. invasion - before the U.S. was even a nation - countless …

The Aftermath of Collapse: Bronze Age Edition (2021)

September 2nd, 2021

55:06

What happens after everything falls apart? The end of the Bronze Age was a moment when an entire network of ancient civilizations collapsed, leaving …

Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction (2021)

August 26th, 2021

1:05:56

Octavia Butler's alternate realities and 'speculative fiction' reveal striking, and often devastating parallels to the world we live in today. She …

El Libertador and Venezuela's Rise and Fall (2019)

August 19th, 2021

54:34

Venezuela is facing an economic and humanitarian crisis as extreme poverty and violence have forced many to flee the country in recent years. How did …

Lives of the Great Depression (2020)

August 12th, 2021

47:28

The Great Depression was a revolutionary spark for all kinds of things — health insurance, social safety nets, big government — all of which were in …

Stories of How We Cope With Chaos (2021)

August 5th, 2021

1:03:38

You've been looking at screens for what feels like forever. Now it's time to sit back, close your eyes, and come with us to worlds you've never seen, and histories you've never imagined. This is the first episode of our …

Grenada: Nobody's Backyard

July 29th, 2021

58:14

A Marxist revolution, a Cold War proxy battle, and a dream of a Black utopia. In 1983, Ronald Reagan ordered the U.S. military to invade the island …

Olympics: Behind The Five Rings

July 22nd, 2021

41:55

The Olympics originated in Ancient Greece, and were resurrected in the 1890's after a 1,500 year ban. Since then, the International Olympic Committee has been behind every Olympic Games. In this episode, we explore the …

Home/Front: Marla's War

July 20th, 2021

35:25

What do we owe innocent civilians who are killed or injured in war? This is one of the thorniest ethical questions that any military faces, but it was not abstract for anti-war activist Marla Ruzicka. From Rough …

The Most Sacred Right (2020)

July 15th, 2021

1:02:45

Frederick Douglass dreamed of a country where all people could vote and he did everything in his power to make that dream a reality. In the face of …

Bonus: Do The Golden Arches Bend Toward Justice?

July 12th, 2021

28:53

This week we're featuring an episode from Code Switch, Do The Golden Arches Bend Toward Justice?. Calls for racial justice are met with a lot of …

Capitalism: God Wants You To Be Rich

July 8th, 2021

50:30

In the New Testament, Jesus says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. In the United States today, many Christians believe in something radically …

Capitalism: What Makes Us Free?

July 1st, 2021

52:27

What's the role of government in society? What do we mean when we talk about individual responsibility? What makes us free? 'Neoliberalism' might …

Bonus: The Vanishing of Harry Pace

June 29th, 2021

1:13:21

This week we're featuring an episode from Radiolab's latest new series, The Vanishing of Harry Pace. Harry Pace founded the first major Black-owned …

Capitalism: What Is It?

June 24th, 2021

56:53

What do we mean when we talk about capitalism? Our economic system might seem inevitable, but it's a construction project hundreds of years in the making and no part of it is natural or left to chance. This week, we …

Before Stonewall (2019)

June 17th, 2021

40:55

In 1969, a gay bar in New York City called The Stonewall Inn was raided by police. It was a common form of harassment in those days but what …

Who is NPR (For)?

June 10th, 2021

36:45

Who is the media meant to serve? And why does it matter today, arguably, more than ever? 50 years ago, National Public Radio began as a small, scrappy news organization with big ideals and a very small footprint. Over …

The Supreme Court

June 3rd, 2021

58:39

When, why, and how did the Supreme Court get the final say in the law of the land? The question of the Court's role, and whether its decisions should …

Palestine

May 28th, 2021

54:04

The recent violence that engulfed Gaza and Jerusalem began with an issue that's plagued the region for a century now: settlements. In East Jerusalem, …

A Symphony of Resistance

May 20th, 2021

56:30

The Arab Spring erupted ten years ago when a wave of "pro-democracy" protests spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The effects of the uprisings reverberated around the world as regimes fell in some …

Five Fingers Crush The Land

May 13th, 2021

56:04

Over one million Uyghur people have been detained in camps in China, according to estimates, subjected to torture, forced labor, religious restrictions, and even forced sterilization. The vast majority of this minority …

Operation Nemesis

May 6th, 2021

51:12

An estimated 1.5 million Armenian Christians were killed by the Ottoman government during World War I, in what came to be known as the Armenian Genocide. The perpetrators escaped Constantinople in the middle of the …

James Baldwin's Shadow

April 29th, 2021

44:26

James Baldwin believed that America has been lying to itself since its founding. He wrote, spoke, and thought incessantly about the societal issues that still exist today. As the United States continues to reckon with …

Force of Nature

April 22nd, 2021

50:03

Rivers on fire, acid rain falling from the sky, species going extinct, oil spills, polluted air, and undrinkable water. For so long, we didn't think …

The Real Black Panthers

April 15th, 2021

56:07

The Black Panther Party's battles for social justice and economic equality are the centerpiece of the Oscar-nominated film 'Judas and The Black Messiah.' In 1968, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover said the Black Panther …

Policing in America

April 8th, 2021

1:05:45

Black Americans being victimized and killed by the police is an epidemic. As the trial of Derek Chauvin plays out, it's a truth and a trauma many …

Our Own People

April 1st, 2021

52:12

"Build bridges, not walls." Solidarity was at the heart of Yuri Kochiyama's work. A Japanese-American activist whose early political awakenings came …

The Land of the Fee

March 25th, 2021

49:31

Tipping is a norm in the U.S. But it hasn't always been this way. A legacy of slavery and racism, tipping took off in the post-Civil War era. The case against tipping had momentum in the early 1900's, yet what began as …

Chaos

March 18th, 2021

1:02:11

What happens when teenagers are shipwrecked on a deserted island? Can you find the fingerprint of God in warzones? Why was the concept of zero so …

N95

March 11th, 2021

40:07

The N95 respirator has become one of the most coveted items in the world during the pandemic, especially by medical professionals. But how did this …

Levittown: Where the Good Life Begins

March 4th, 2021

44:28

In this episode from WNYC's La Brega, Alana Casanova-Burgess traces back the story of the boom and bust of the Puerto Rican Levittown. For many Americans, Levittown is the prototypical suburb, founded on the idea of …

Bayard Rustin: The Man Behind the March on Washington

February 25th, 2021

1:09:59

Bayard Rustin, the man behind the March on Washington, was one of the most consequential architects of the civil rights movement you may never have …

Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction

February 18th, 2021

1:06:31

Octavia Butler's alternate realities and 'speculative fiction' reveal striking, and often devastating parallels to the world we live in today. She …

Marcus Garvey: Pan-Africanist

February 11th, 2021

1:03:12

Decades before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey attracted millions with a simple, uncompromising message: Black people …

The Lasting Power Of Whitney Houston's National Anthem

February 7th, 2021

23:30

Why does Whitney Houston's 1991 Super Bowl national anthem still resonate 30 years later? Listen to this episode from our friends at It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders where they chat with author and Black Girl …

What Happened After Civilization Collapsed

February 4th, 2021

56:37

What happens after everything falls apart? The end of the Bronze Age was a moment when an entire network of ancient civilizations collapsed, leaving …

The Anatomy Of Autocracy: Masha Gessen

January 28th, 2021

43:54

Russian-born journalist Masha Gessen talks to us about how the rule of the people becomes the rule of the one, the role of the media, and what we can …

The Anatomy of Autocracy: Timothy Snyder

January 21st, 2021

38:28

When a mob of pro-Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, they also incited a defining moment in United States history. Now …

Impeachment

January 14th, 2021

19:04

When Andrew Johnson became president in 1865, the United States was in the midst of one of its most volatile chapters. The country was divided after …

Outside/In: Everybody Knows Somebody

January 7th, 2021

57:55

In the mid-1980's a woman who didn't consider herself a feminist was asked to solve perhaps the biggest problem women face. How she and a small group …

Outside/In: War of the Worlds

December 31st, 2020

37:10

The Sunni-Shia divide is a conflict that most people have heard about - two sects with Sunni Islam being in the majority and Shia Islam the minority. Exactly how did this conflict originate and when? We go through 1400 …

Outside/In: The Dark Side Of The Moon

December 24th, 2020

41:37

50 years ago the world watched as man first landed on the moon, an incredible accomplishment by the engineers and scientists of NASA. But what if some of those same engineers and scientists had a secret history that the …

Outside/In: Rules of Engagement

December 17th, 2020

51:09

The US and Iran have been in some state of conflict for the last 40 years, since the Iranian revolution. This week, we look at three key moments in …

Supreme

December 10th, 2020

1:00:09

When, why, and how did the Supreme Court get the final say in the law of the land? The question of the Court's role, and whether its decisions should …

The Modern White Power Movement

December 3rd, 2020

49:45

It has been nearly twenty years since 9/11 and during that time much of the media coverage and government attention has been directed at the threat of radical Islamist terrorism. Yet, during that time, it has been …

The Spotted Owl

November 26th, 2020

33:30

The story of how the Endangered Species Act went from unanimous passage under a Republican president to becoming a deeply partisan wedge. The act was passed to protect big, beloved animals like bald eagles and blue …

The Invention of Race

November 19th, 2020

40:54

The idea that race is a social construct comes from the pioneering work of anthropologist Franz Boas. During a time when race-based science and the …

BONUS: Louder Than A Riot

November 16th, 2020

49:25

This week we're bringing you something extra, an episode from the NPR Music series, Louder Than A Riot. The series examines the relationship between hip hop and mass incarceration and you can find the rest of the series

The Shadows of the Constitution

November 12th, 2020

44:19

The Constitution is like America's secular bible, our sacred founding document. In her play, What the Constitution Means to Me, Heidi Schreck goes …

Bush v. Gore and Why It Matters in 2020

November 5th, 2020

29:05

In the 2000 presidential election, results weren't known in one night, a week, or even a month. This week, we share an episode we loved from It's …

The Most Sacred Right

October 29th, 2020

1:03:32

Frederick Douglass dreamed of a country where all people could vote and he did everything in his power to make that dream a reality. In the face of …

How We Vote

October 22nd, 2020

58:19

Drunken brawls, coercion, and lace curtains. Believe it or not, how regular people vote was not something the founding fathers thought much about, or …

The Electoral College

October 15th, 2020

57:07

What is it, why do we have it, and why hasn't it changed? Born from a rushed, fraught, imperfect process, the origins and evolution of the Electoral …

(mis)Representative Democracy, A New Series From Throughline

October 8th, 2020

1:46

America has never been a country of one person, one vote. And that's by design. Our system was built by a select few, for a select few. We were never all supposed to get a say.

In this series, we'll take a close look at …

The United States vs. Billie Holiday

October 8th, 2020

33:10

Billie Holiday helped shape American popular music with her voice and unique style. But, one song in particular has become her greatest legacy — …

The Everlasting Problem

October 1st, 2020

54:11

Health insurance for millions of Americans is dependent on their jobs. But it's not like that everywhere. So, how did the U.S. end up with such a …

The Evangelical Vote

September 24th, 2020

1:02:25

With the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the president is hoping to fill the seat with a more ideologically conservative justice. And evangelical …

James Baldwin's Fire

September 17th, 2020

45:59

In a moment when America is undertaking an uncomfortable reckoning with its racial inequality and violence, we wanted to look back at someone who …

The Postal Service

September 10th, 2020

28:13

The US Postal Service has played a role throughout American history - from the Declaration of Independence to today's mail-in voting. It was …

Reframing History: Mass Incarceration

September 3rd, 2020

48:14

The United States imprisons more people than any other country in the world, and a disproportionate number of those prisoners are Black. What are the origins of the U.S. criminal justice system and how did racism shape …

Reframing History: Bananas

August 27th, 2020

56:54

The banana is a staple of the American diet and has been for generations. But how did this exotic tropical fruit become so commonplace? How one Brooklyn-born entrepreneur ruthlessly created the modern banana industry …

Reframing History: The Commentator

August 20th, 2020

30:46

Today the foundations of philosophy are seen as a straight line from Western antiquity, built on thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle. But, between the 8th century and 14th century, the West was greatly overshadowed by …

Reframing History: The Litter Myth

August 13th, 2020

32:33

There is more waste in the world today than at any time in history, and the responsibility for keeping the environment clean too often falls on individuals instead of manufacturers. But, why us? And why this feeling of …

America's Caste System

August 6th, 2020

40:26

"Race" is often used as a fundamental way to understand American history. But what if "caste" is the more appropriate lens? In conversation with …

A.D.A. Now!

July 30th, 2020

1:01:32

This month marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is considered the most important civil rights law since the 1960s. Through first-person stories, we look back at the making of this …

Lives Of The Great Depression

July 23rd, 2020

46:06

The Great Depression was a revolutionary spark for all kinds of things — health insurance, social safety nets, big government — all of which were in …

Borinquén

July 16th, 2020

1:05:45

Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898 and for much of the next fifty years Puerto Ricans fought fiercely about this status. Should they …

The Long Hot Summer

July 9th, 2020

41:43

Starting in 1965, summer after summer, America's cities burned. There was civil unrest in more than 150 cities across the country. So in 1967, Lyndon Johnson appointed a commission to diagnose the root causes of the …

Mecca Under Siege

July 2nd, 2020

43:21

Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, is effectively canceled this year, due to concerns around the spread of the coronavirus. But, for two …

There's Something About Mary

June 25th, 2020

40:39

When a cook who carried typhoid fever refused to stop working, despite showing no symptoms, the authorities forcibly quarantined her for nearly three decades. Perfect villain or just a woman scapegoated because of her …

Why 2020 Isn't Quite 1968

June 18th, 2020

27:10

Protests, racial divisions, political polarization, and a law-and-order president – it's easy to draw comparisons between 2020 and 1968. But, Adam …

Presidential Power

June 11th, 2020

51:05

What can and can't the president do, and how do we know? When the framers of the U.S. constitution left vague the powers of the executive branch they opened the door to every president to decide how much power they …

American Police

June 4th, 2020

1:02:56

Black Americans being victimized and killed by the police is an epidemic. A truth many Americans are acknowledging since the murder of George Floyd, …

Hong Kong

May 28th, 2020

43:43

Last week, the Chinese government made the latest and perhaps the most serious move yet to crack down on Hong Kong's semi-autonomy. It's just the latest such effort by Beijing in the decades-long tensions between China …

Conspiracy

May 21st, 2020

41:20

Since the beginning of the pandemic, conspiracy theories about the coronavirus have exploded. But conspiracy theories themselves are nothing new - in fact, they're fundamental to American life. In this episode, how …

The Mask

May 14th, 2020

39:18

The N95 respirator has become one of the most coveted items in the world, especially by medical professionals. But how did this seemingly simple …

Endless War

May 7th, 2020

34:49

North Korea's famous for being a black box, one of the most secretive and authoritarian countries in the world. It has a nuclear stockpile. A history …

Meltdown

April 30th, 2020

53:13

In the early hours of March 28, 1979, a system malfunction began what would become the worst nuclear accident in American history. What ensued …

Aftermath

April 23rd, 2020

53:53

In 1927, the most destructive river flood in U.S. history inundated seven states, displaced more than half a million people for months, and caused …

Buzzkill

April 16th, 2020

33:40

In the whole of human history, no predator has killed more of us than the lowly mosquito. And this killing spree, which we still struggle in vain to …

Throughline Presents: Code Switch

April 9th, 2020

30:34

The Principal Chief of Cherokee Nation told his people to stay strong during this pandemic, and to remember how much they've endured over a long …

A Race To Know

April 2nd, 2020

40:02

For nearly as long as there has been a United States there has been a census, it is in some ways how we know ourselves. And in every single census …

1918 Flu

March 26th, 2020

37:11

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic it's tempting to draw comparisons to the most severe pandemic in recent history - the 1918 flu. But as much as we can learn from the comparison, it's important to also understand …

American Socialist

March 19th, 2020

1:01:53

It's been over a century since a self-described socialist was a viable candidate for President of the United States. And that first socialist candidate, Eugene V. Debs, didn't just capture significant votes, he created …

Savarkar And India

March 12th, 2020

31:07

In the past few weeks Delhi has become the latest place in India convulsed with religious violence as Hindu mobs burned Muslim neighborhoods, mosques …

Public Universal Friend

March 5th, 2020

46:16

America in the run-up to the Revolutionary War wasn't just a period of dramatic political change, it was also a time of great religious and social …

The Invisible Border

February 27th, 2020

31:08

Today, the border that divides Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is "soft", in most places you could almost forget that it's there. But …

The Stars

February 20th, 2020

57:08

Astrology has existed for thousands of years and has roots that span the globe. But is it a science or a religion or just a kind of personality test? …

Becoming America

February 13th, 2020

31:17

When the United States of America was founded, it was only a union of a small number of states. By the beginning of the 20th century, the United …

She Got Next

February 6th, 2020

1:00:12

There are more female candidates in this presidential campaign cycle than at any other time in American history. But women were running for the …

Vaccination

January 30th, 2020

21:37

It's a longstanding fight in the U.S., whether people can opt out of vaccination if that means jeopardizing the greater public's health. In this episode, we look back at a 1905 Supreme Court case that set a precedent …

Soleimani's Iran

January 23rd, 2020

46:23

When Qassem Soleimani was assassinated by the United States on January 3rd, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander suddenly became a household …

Everybody Knows Somebody

January 16th, 2020

57:34

In the mid-1980's a woman who didn't consider herself a feminist was asked to solve perhaps the biggest problem women face. How she and a small group …

There Will Be Bananas

January 9th, 2020

55:17

The banana is a staple of the American diet and has been for generations. But how did this exotic tropical fruit become so commonplace? How one Brooklyn-born entrepreneur ruthlessly created the modern banana industry …

Fear of Technology

January 2nd, 2020

35:12

Artificial intelligence, gene modification, and self-driving cars are causing fear and uncertainty about how technology is changing our lives. But …

Russia's Vladimir Putin

December 26th, 2019

34:43

Vladimir Putin has been running Russia since 2000 when he was first elected as President. How did a former KGB officer make his way up to the top …

Planned Obsolescence

December 19th, 2019

33:05

Have you ever wondered why your smartphone or toaster oven doesn't seem to last very long, even though technology is becoming better and better? In a …

America's Opioid Epidemic

December 12th, 2019

44:36

A record number of Americans have died from opioid overdoses in recent years. But how did we get here? And is this the first time Americans have faced this crisis? The short answer: no. Three stories of opioids that …

The Electrical Grid

December 5th, 2019

42:35

Today, electricity in the U.S. is a utility we notice only when it's suddenly unavailable. But over a hundred years ago, electricity in the homes of every American was a wild idea and the subject of a bitter fight over …

Conspiracy Theories

November 28th, 2019

42:09

This week we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes about one of our favorite topics: Conspiracy theories. They're a feature of today's news and …

A Year Of Wonders

November 21st, 2019

39:48

As extreme weather wreaks havoc around the globe we look at a natural disaster more than 200 hundred years ago that had far-reaching effects. This …

The Siege of Mecca

November 14th, 2019

42:52

On November 20th, 1979, a group of Islamic militants seized Islam's holiest site — the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. They took thousands of …

Throughline Presents: Short Wave

November 9th, 2019

25:05

NPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel shares the story of Nazi Germany's attempt to build a nuclear reactor — and how evidence of that effort was almost lost to history. It's a tale he heard from Timothy Koeth and …

No Friend But The Mountains

November 7th, 2019

42:10

Over the decades the Kurds have been inspired by, allied with, relied upon and betrayed by the United States. This week we explore who the Kurds are, who they are to the United States and what, if anything, we owe to …

ZOMBIES

October 31st, 2019

42:33

Zombies have become a global phenomenon — there have been at least ten zombie movies so far this year. Which made us wonder, where did this fascination for the undead come from? This week, how one of our favorite …

The Dark Side Of The Moon

October 24th, 2019

39:04

50 years ago the world watched as man first landed on the moon, an incredible accomplishment by the engineers and scientists of NASA. But what if some of those same engineers and scientists had a secret history that the …

A Borrowed Time

October 17th, 2019

42:20

Over the past six months, demonstrations in Hong Kong have increasingly become more violent and more determined. What started out as a protest …

The Commentator

October 10th, 2019

29:13

Today the foundations of philosophy are seen as a straight line from Western antiquity, built on thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle. But, between the 8th century and 14th century, the West was greatly overshadowed by …

High Crimes And Misdemeanors

October 3rd, 2019

17:27

When Andrew Johnson became president in 1865, the United States was in the middle of one of its most volatile chapters. The country was divided after …

American Exile

September 26th, 2019

53:37

For centuries, the United States has been a prime destination for migrants hoping for better economic opportunities, fleeing danger in their home countries or just seeking a new life. But has there ever been a moment …

Puerto Rico

September 19th, 2019

1:04:35

Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898 and for much of the next fifty years Puerto Ricans fought fiercely about this status. Should they …

Three Chords And The Truth

September 12th, 2019

31:54

When Lil Nas X released his viral hit "Old Town Road" last year, he sparked a conversation about what country music is and who is welcome in the genre. To better understand the deep and often misunderstood history of …

The Litter Myth

September 5th, 2019

35:48

There is more waste in the world today than at any time in history, and the responsibility for keeping the environment clean too often falls on individuals instead of manufacturers. But, why us? And why this feeling of …

On The Shoulders Of Giants

August 29th, 2019

38:24

When Colin Kaepernick stopped standing for the national anthem at NFL games it sparked a nationwide conversation about patriotism and police …

Strange Fruit

August 22nd, 2019

30:03

Billie Holiday helped shape American popular music with her voice and unique style. But, her legacy extends way beyond music with one song in …

Mass Incarceration

August 15th, 2019

47:52

The United States imprisons more people than any other country in the world, and a disproportionate number of those prisoners are Black. What are the origins of the U.S. criminal justice system and how did racism shape …

Scorched Earth

August 8th, 2019

29:39

The term "concentration camp" is most associated with Nazi Germany and the systematic killing of Jews during World War II. But colonial powers used …

Huey Long Vs. The Media

August 1st, 2019

30:14

Huey Pierce Long: you either loved him, or hated him. He combined progressive economic ideas with an autocratic streak, earning him thousands of …

Milliken v. Bradley

July 25th, 2019

35:07

After the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, public schools across the country were supposed to become more integrated, but by the …

Rules Of Engagement

July 18th, 2019

48:13

After Iran shot down an American surveillance drone in June, tensions between the two countries have only gone up. But the US and Iran have been in some state of conflict for the last 40 years, since the Iranian …

Four Days In August

July 11th, 2019

36:28

The U.S. and Iran have had a tense relationship for decades — but when did that begin? Over the next two weeks, we're exploring the history. This week, we feature our very first episode about an event from August 1953 …

American Anthem

July 4th, 2019

26:18

The Star-Spangled Banner is the official anthem for the United States, but there are plenty of songs that have become informal American anthems for millions of people. This week, we share three stories from NPR Music's …

Before Stonewall

June 27th, 2019

38:08

Fifty years ago, a gay bar in New York City called The Stonewall Inn was raided by police, and what followed were days of rebellion where protesters …

The X On The Map

June 20th, 2019

39:12

In 1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson was an unarmed black civil rights activist who was murdered in Marion, Ala., after a peaceful protest. His murder brought …

Apocalypse Now

June 13th, 2019

54:06

Evangelicals have played an important role in modern day American politics - from supporting President Trump to helping elect Jimmy Carter back in …

Mitch McConnell

June 6th, 2019

32:01

Mitch McConnell has been described as "opaque," "drab," and even "dull." He is one of the least popular - and most polarizing - politicians in the …

Savarkar's India

May 30th, 2019

33:38

Right-wing Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi has won reelection as India's Prime Minister. As the political philosophy of Hindu nationalism gains …

A Dream Of Modern China

May 23rd, 2019

45:24

China is a world superpower today. But just over a century ago, the country was in complete turmoil — foreign powers had carved up the country, the …

El Libertador

May 16th, 2019

54:39

Venezuela is facing an economic and humanitarian crisis as extreme poverty and violence have forced many to flee the country in recent years. How did …

White Nationalism

May 9th, 2019

33:18

The white nationalist ideas of Madison Grant influenced Congress in the 1920s, leaders in Nazi Germany, and members of the Trump administration. This week, we share an episode we loved from It's Been A Minute with Sam …

Outbreak

May 2nd, 2019

21:19

More than 700 measles cases have been recorded in the U.S. in the recent outbreak, the worst being in New York. This past April, Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a public health emergency that required residents in parts of …

Resistance Is Futile

April 25th, 2019

35:09

Artificial intelligence, gene modification, and self-driving cars are causing fear and uncertainty about how technology is changing our lives. But …

War Of The Worlds

April 18th, 2019

33:53

The Sunni-Shia divide is a conflict that most people have heard about - two sects with Sunni Islam being in the majority and Shia Islam the minority. Exactly how did this conflict originate and when? We go through 1400 …

Nancy Pelosi

April 11th, 2019

23:07

Nancy Pelosi is the highest-ranking woman in American politics. She made her first run for public office at 47 years old and went on to become …

Opioids In America

April 4th, 2019

42:28

A record number of Americans have died from opioid overdoses in recent years. But how did we get here? And is this the first time Americans have faced this crisis? The short answer: no.

Learn more about sponsor message …

The Phoebus Cartel

March 28th, 2019

32:46

Have you ever wondered why your smartphone or toaster oven doesn't seem to last very long, even though technology is becoming better and better? This …

The Border

March 21st, 2019

14:07

In February, President Trump declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border. Last year, he ordered thousands of National Guard troops to the border. Is this the first time an American president has responded with …

The Moth

March 14th, 2019

32:57

Vladimir Putin has been running Russia since 2000 when he was first elected as President. How did a former KGB officer make his way up to the top …

American Shadows

March 7th, 2019

41:08

Conspiracy theories are a feature of today's news and politics. But they've really been a part of American life since its founding. In this episode, …

High Crimes And Misdemeanors

February 28th, 2019

15:59

When Andrew Johnson became president in 1865, the United States was in the middle of one of its most volatile chapters. The country was divided after …

The Forgotten War

February 21st, 2019

33:47

President Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un are preparing to meet for a second nuclear summit. What has fueled the hostility between these two countries for decades? On this episode, we look back at the tangled …

On the Shoulders of Giants

February 14th, 2019

37:30

When Colin Kaepernick stopped standing for the national anthem at NFL games it sparked a nationwide conversation about patriotism and police …

Four Days in August

February 7th, 2019

36:29

It's no secret that Iran and the U.S. have a history of animosity toward each other. But when and how did it begin? This week we look back at four days in August 1953, when the CIA orchestrated a coup of Iran's elected …

Introducing Throughline

January 30th, 2019

2:24

NPR's new history podcast hosted by Ramtin Arablouei and Rund Abdelfatah. New episodes every Thursday starting February 7th.

Learn more about sponsor …

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