Fresh Air

A daughter's rebellion against a regime and her father

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Photojournalist Loubna Mrie grew up in Syria in a wealthy and abusive home. Her father was part of the regime, allegedly an assassin for Bashar al-Ass...

The American Presidency, Redefined

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Jon Meacham talks with Dave Davies about Trump's impact on democracy. Meacham's latest book, ‘American...

Best Of: Mixed Marriage Project / How Racism Costs Everyone

14 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dorothy Roberts’ father was a white anthropologist who studied interracial marriages and her mother was a Black woman from Jamaica. She always assum...

‘Sinners’ Songwriter Raphael Saadiq

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Singer, songwriter, and producer Raphael Saadiq is known for his work as a member of Tony! Toni! Toné!, as a solo artist, and for his work producing ...

Fela Kuti and the music of political resistance

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Considered the father of Afrobeat, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti used his music in the 1970s to combat colonial values and brutal dictatorship. Former R...

Excavating the Epstein files

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

British journalist Vicky Ward first profiled sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 for Vanity Fair. The experience was so alarming and stressful that s...

Love, Race & the ‘Mixed Marriage Project’

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Almost a decade after her father's death, legal scholar Dorothy Roberts had to confront the 25 boxes of his research collecting dust in her office. Ro...

The Ruby Ridge siege & conspiracy-laced politics in America

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We look back at the 1992 siege at Ruby Ridge in Idaho, where gunfire left two civilians and a deputy U.S. Marshal dead. Chris Jennings’ new book exp...

Best Of: Fighting for free press in Russia / ‘Fear and Fury’

07 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Julia Loktev’s latest documentary, ‘My Undesirable Friends - Part 1: Last Air in Moscow,’ follows independent Russian journalists in the months ...

A 50th anniversary celebration of ‘Taxi Driver’

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Martin Scorsese's masterpiece about loneliness, urban decay, and vigilantism is 50 years old this month. We’re revisiting archival interviews about ...

Following independent journalists fighting for free press in Russia

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Julia Loktev's acclaimed documentary, ‘My Undesirable Friends,’ follows young Russian journalists in the months before and after Putin's invasion ...

Is America headed toward dictatorship?

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Atlantic writer Robert Kagan says as President Trump violates norms, laws and the Constitution, including his call to nationalize elections, we’re o...

How Rupert Murdoch built an empire and broke his family

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We go inside the real succession story within the Murdoch family media empire. It includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post. In...

Ethan Hawke

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Every now and then you bump up against a part that presses you to the wall of your ability," Hawke says of playing lyricist Lorenz Hart in ‘Blue Mo...

Best Of: Novelists Liz Moore & Julian Barnes

31 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Liz Moore’s bestselling book, ‘Long Bright River,’ was set in a troubled Philadelphia neighborhood where she’d worked on a photo essay. “My ...

Guillermo Del Toro would ‘rather die’ than use generative AI

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was a kid growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, he would draw monsters all day. His deeply Catholic grand...

Former NBC producer on silence, shame and finding words after #MeToo

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Brooke Nevils was a young NBC producer working the 2014 Sochi Olympics when, she says, ‘Today Show’ host Matt Lauer sexually assaulted her. Lauer ...

Inside the U.S. reversal on climate change action

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump calls global warming "a hoax." As the U.S. faces more severe storms and extreme weather events, New York Times climate reporter David ...

How Tucker Carlson Became Right-Wing Media’s Most Significant Voice

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

‘New Yorker’ staff writer Jason Zengerle says after Tucker Carlson was let go from CNN and MSNBC, and joined Fox News, Trump’s 2016 presidential...

The Rebirth Of White Rage

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Heather Ann Thompson talks about the 1984 New York City subway shooting, when Bernhard Goetz, a white man, shot fou...

Best Of: Writers Rachel Eliza Griffiths & Quiara Alegría Hudes

24 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When writer Rachel Eliza Griffiths married Salman Rushdie in 2021, she expected her wedding  day to be joyful. But the joy was invaded by tragedy, wh...

A Mel Brooks Appreciation!

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

He’s the subject of a new two-part HBO documentary by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio called ‘Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!’ It looks at h...

Writer Quiara Alegría Hudes On ‘White Hot’ Rage

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright has written a debut novel that asks a provocative question: What if a woman claimed the right to a spiritual que...

Are ICE Agents In Minneapolis Breaking The Law?

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As protestors clash with some 3,000 federal immigration agents in the Twin Cities, we look at the legal issues with law professor Emmanuel Mauleón an...

Poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths On Love, Tragedy & ‘Survivor Mode’

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On the day Griffiths married author Salman Rushdie, her long time best friend died unexpectedly. Eleven months later, Rushdie was stabbed multiple tim...

How Racism Costs Everyone

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Four years ago, Heather McGhee examined a question at the heart of American life: Why do so many Americans believe that progress for one group means l...

Best Of: Jodie Foster / Tessa Thompson

17 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Jodie Foster has been acting since she was 3. At 12 she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver.’ This year marks the...

Remembering Grateful Dead Founding Member Bob Weir

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We remember Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful Dead, who died last week at 78. The guitarist spoke with Fresh Air Executive Producer Sam Briger...

Novelist Julian Barnes Faces Mortality Without Fear

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Man Booker Prize-winning writer says his new book, ‘Departure(s),’ will be his last. He spoke with Terry Gross about blending genres, moving t...

Marco Rubio’s Shift From Trump Critic To Champion

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Marco Rubio once called Trump a "con artist." He’s now among his most loyal defenders. New Yorker staff writer Dexter Filkins describes Secretary of...

Jodie Foster

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Foster was just 12 years old when she starred in Scorsese’s 1976 film ‘Taxi Driver.’ "What luck to have been part of that, our golden age of cin...

‘The God of the Woods’ Author Liz Moore

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Moore says writing is mostly labor, but "2% of the time, usually at the very beginning of a book and the very end of a book, it feels like flying." Sh...

Best Of: Will Arnett / ‘Song Sung Blue’ Director Craig Brewer

10 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Will Arnett stars in the new film ‘Is This Thing On?’ about a man going through a divorce, who finds himself onstage doing stand-up. He spoke with...

Neil Diamond / Noah Wyle On ‘The Pitt’

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The new film ‘Song Sung Blue’ is about a Neil Diamond tribute band and stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. Before Diamond began recording his own ...

Tessa Thompson

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Thompson is nominated for a Golden Globe for her starring role in ‘Hedda.’ She spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley about her collaboration with direct...

The Growing Power & Influence Of White Supremacy In America

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist Eric Lichtblau says President Trump's incendiary rhetoric has stoked a "new age of hate." His book, ‘American Reich,’ centers on a murd...

Marjorie Taylor Greene's Puzzling Political Turn, Explained

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Once a fierce advocate for Trump and his MAGA base, Marjorie Taylor Greene has broken with the president and resigned from Congress. ‘New Yorker’ ...

Investigating The Great Los Angeles Fires

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

MS NOW journalist (and Palisades native) Jacob Soboroff says covering the 2025 wildfires was the most important assignment he's ever undertaken. His n...

Ben Stiller / Pedro Pascal

03 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Stiller talks about his new Apple TV+ documentary about his actor/comedian parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, they we...

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

02 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The WWE superstar considered pursuing a career in mixed martial arts before realizing, "I don't like getting punched in the face." Johnson plays MMA f...

Jeff Hiller’s Big Break Came In His 40s

01 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Hiller spent years scraping by in Hollywood by taking on various small roles and commercials. Then he landed the role of Joel on HBO's ‘Somebody Som...

Richard Kind Is Glad He’s Not Super Famous

31 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kind is the announcer and host sidekick on the Netflix show ‘Everybody's Live with John Mulaney.’ "I don't know what the hell I'm doing. You must ...

Malala Finds Her Way

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After surviving the Taliban's 2012 attempted assassination, activist Malala Yousafzai didn't back down. She continued to advocate for girls' education...

Comic Cristela Alonzo

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the first seven years of her life, Cristela Alonzo lived in an abandoned diner in a South Texas border town. She spoke with Terry Gross about ICE ...

Bluegrass Star Billy Strings / Laufey

27 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Billy Strings has one foot in traditional bluegrass and another in improvisational jam music. He has a new album, ‘...

Jane Fonda

26 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Early this year, Fonda made headlines for delivering a fiery critique of the Trump administration during a SAG-AFTRA award acceptance speech. "This is...

The Making Of ‘Born To Run’

25 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bruce Springsteen's groundbreaking album, ‘Born to Run,’ came out 50 years ago this year, marking a turning point for rock and roll — and for "T...

‘Morrie’ Writer Mitch Albom On Second Chances

24 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Albom's 2025 novel, ‘Twice,’ asks a question most of us have daydreamed about: what if you could go back and relive any moment of your life? In th...

Will Arnett

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Arnett stars in Bradley Cooper’s new film, ‘Is This Thing On?’ as a man who turns to the New York comedy scene as he grapples with his divorce. ...

Dir. Craig Brewer Is Chasing ‘Purple Rain’ Magic

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Director Craig Brewer has made a career of telling stories about dreamers and misfits chasing something bigger than themselves, from ‘Hustle & Flow’...

The Stories Behind Your Favorite Christmas Songs

21 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To celebrate the holidays, we’re looking back at four archive Fresh Air interviews discussing popular Christmas songs: First, jazz singer Mel Torme ...

Best Of: Lucy Liu / Zadie Smith

20 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lucy Liu joins Tonya Mosley to talk about her new film ‘Rosemead,’ where she stars as a terminally ill woman grappling with her teenage son’s es...

John Le Carré’s Son Revives His Late Dad's Spy

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Writer Nick Harkaway grew up hearing his dad read drafts of his George Smiley novels. He picks up le Carré's beloved spymaster character in the novel...

Lucy Liu

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The child of Chinese immigrants, Liu grew up in Queens where she spoke Mandarin at home and didn't learn English until she was 5. She returns to the l...

A Revealing Profile Of Trump Chief Of Staff Susie Wiles

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

'Vanity Fair' writer Chris Whipple interviewed Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles 11 times, getting her view on cabinet members, Trump's revenge tour,...

Remembering Rob Reiner

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The great filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were killed in their home Sunday. Their son Nick has been arrested on suspicion of murder. It’s ...

Zadie Smith Asks, What Makes Us Feel Alive?

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Zadie Smith returns to talk with Terry Gross about her new collection of essays, 'Dead and Alive.' She reflects on the "nonsense" of generational disc...

Best Of: Michael Shannon / ‘Pluribus’ Star Rhea Seehorn

13 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Shannon understands he’s associated with some intense, menacing characters he’s played, like Agent Nelson Van Alden in ‘Boardwalk Empire...

Remembering Architect Frank Gehry

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Frank Gehry, whose steel and titanium curved structures seemed more like sculptures than buildings, died last week at age 96. His masterpiece was the ...

A Courtside Look At NBA Legends, From Jordan To Kobe

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Legendary NBA head coach Phil Jackson and sports journalist Sam Smith talk about the stars who helped define the sport, including Jordan, Kobe, and Sh...

Can The Lessons Of 1929 Prevent Another Crash?

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin, a student of past financial calamities, talks about the likelihood the U.S. economy could be headed towar...

Star Of ‘Pluribus’ Rhea Seehorn

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The new Apple TV+ series was created by Vince Gilligan, who also created ‘Breaking Bad’ and co-created ‘Better Call Saul.’ He liked her work i...

Homelessness In The New Gilded Age

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In New York City, 100,000 people sleep in shelters every night. Patrick Markee has spent decades fighting for them with the Coalition for the Homeless...

Best Of: George Clooney / Costume Designer Paul Tazewell

06 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

George Clooney stars in ‘Jay Kelly’ as a famous actor at a crossroads. He talks about his own relationship to fame and what drew him to the role. ...

Remembering Steve Cropper / Playwright Tom Stoppard

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We remember guitarist, songwriter, and producer Steve Cropper, who helped create the Memphis soul sound of the ‘60s and ‘70s. He died this week at...

George Clooney

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Clooney stars as an aging movie star who has neglected his family life in favor of his career in Noah Baumbach’s new film ‘Jay Kelly. ' He spoke w...

Was The U.S. Attack On A Venezuelan Boat A War Crime?

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Washington Post reporter Alex Horton talks about the Sept. 2 US military strike on a boat with alleged "narco terrorists," in which a second strike wa...

War Photographer Lynsey Addario Still Has Hope

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For 25 years, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario has covered conflicts and humanitarian crises across the globe, from Sudan to Syri...

‘Wicked’ Costume Designer Paul Tazewell

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tazewell made history as the first Black man to win the Oscar for costume design for the first installment of Wicked. He talks with Tonya Mosley about...

Best Of: Nutritionist Marion Nestle / Science Writer Mary Roach

29 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Food policy expert and nutritionist Marion Nestle's 2006 book, ‘What to Eat,’ became a consumer bible of sorts when it came out, guiding readers t...

Grand Ole Opry At 100: Earl Scruggs & Loretta Lynn

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We mark the 100th anniversary of The Grand Ole Opry, country music’s biggest stage, and feature interviews with two of its members. First up, bluegr...

‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ From Flop To Hit

27 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A filmed version of the live Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ will open in theaters on Dec. 5. We listen back t...

Michael Shannon Gets A Turn Playing Good Guys

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Shannon's known for playing intense, menacing characters, like Agent Nelson Van Alden in ‘Boardwalk Empire.’ In two new projects, though, he plays...

A Manual For Keeping A Democracy

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) legal analyst and former U.S. attorney Joyce Vance discusses recent impactful decisions by courts and the Justice Department, ...

Brendan Fraser Has Everything & Nothing To Prove

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In his new film, 'Rental Family,' Brendan Fraser plays an actor in Tokyo who takes a job with a rental family service. It's based on a real phenomenon...

Best Of: Ben Stiller / Cynthia Erivo

22 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Stiller talks about his new Apple TV+ documentary about his actor/comedian parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, they we...

A Look Back At Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sixty-five years ago, Alfred Hitchcock shocked audiences with his film ‘Psycho.’ It broke Hollywood conventions about what a film should and shoul...

A Sleep Scientist Excavates The World Of Dreams

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Michelle Carr has spent years researching what goes on in the brain while we dream. She explains dream engineering, including how sensory inputs like ...

How Kash Patel Is Changing The FBI’s Mission

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

‘New Yorker’ staff writer Marc Fisher says Kash Patel became FBI director without senior law enforcement experience because of his loyalty to Trum...

Ben Stiller On His Parents’ Showbiz Marriage

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After the deaths of his parents, comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Ben found a stash of their audio recordings. Those tapes are at the center of...

Cynthia Erivo's Road To 'Wicked'

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Erivo speaks with Tonya Mosley about the parallels between her life and the experience of her ‘Wicked’ character, Elphaba. She also talks about si...

Best Of: Ethan Hawke / Tim Robbins

15 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ethan Hawke stars in the new movie ‘Blue Moon,’ about lyricist Lorenz Hart, half of the Broadway duo Rodgers and Hart. It’s his ninth collaborat...

The High Pressure Experiments That Made D-Day

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens to the body in the deep sea? You need oxygen to survive, but too much oxygen can be deadly. If you rise to the surface too quickly, nitro...

Ethan Hawke On The Role That Pushed Him To His Limit

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Every now and then you bump up against a part that presses you to the wall of your ability," Hawke says of playing lyricist Lorenz Hart in ‘Blue Mo...

Who Is Laura Loomer, Trump's 'Loyalty Enforcer'?

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

'New Yorker’ staff writer Antonia Hitchens describes how Laura Loomer went from a conspiracy theorist to a close ally of Trump who’s gotten govern...

Nutrition, SNAP & Why We Need A Food Revolution

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Food policy expert and nutritionist Marion Nestle's 2006 book, ‘What to Eat,’ became a consumer bible of sorts when it came out, guiding readers t...

Tim Robbins Believes In The Power Of Theater

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Oscar-winning actor/director has a new play, “Topsy Turvy,” about a chorus that loses its ability to sing together after COVID isolation."Thin...

Best Of: Judd Apatow / Misty Copeland

08 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Before he was directing box office hits or launching the careers of comedy superstars, Judd Apatow was a kid writing fan letters to his heroes, collec...

Patti Smith’s ‘Horses’ Turns 50

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

50 years ago next week, Patti Smith released her debut album, ‘Horses,’ ushering in a new era of rock and roll. We’re listening back to portions...

Trump's Options To Subvert The 2026 Midterms

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

'Atlantic' journalist David Graham describes how President Trump could potentially use troops near polling places, pressure local election workers and...

Misty Copeland Begins A New Chapter

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Copeland says her final performance with American Ballet Theatre was a thank you to the communities that had supported her. "What I represented is som...

The Undoing Of The Department Of Justice

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis talk about why the U.S. Justice Department’s cases against Donald Trump for alle...

Richard Linklater: 'Filmmaking Is Problem Solving'

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Filmmaker Richard Linklater doesn't speak French, but that didn't stop him from directing a movie that's almost entirely in French. ‘Nouvelle Vague’...

Best Of: Guillermo Del Toro / Cameron Crowe

01 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The great filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro has a new adaptation of Frankenstein. He saw the 1931 film when he was 7. “I realized I understood my faith b...

The Making Of ‘Young Frankenstein’

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mel Brooks’s classic 1974 movie Young Frankenstein parodies the iconic Frankenstein movies of the 1930s. This Halloween, we’re featuring our inter...

The ‘Shadow President’ Dismantling The Government

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a New Yorker article co-published with ProPublica, reporter Andy Kroll describes Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, a...

Filmmaker Nia DaCosta Defies Categorization

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

DaCosta directed the box office hit horror movie Candyman and The Marvels. Her latest, Hedda, is an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's 1891 play, Hedda Gabl...

Judd Apatow Unpacks His Comedy Memorabilia

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Long before Judd Apatow was directing box office hits or launching the careers of comedy superstars, he was a fan. As a kid he wrote letters to his he...

For Cameron Crowe, Being 'Uncool' Is A Badge Of Honor

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The filmmaker's new memoir, 'The Uncool,' is about his teen years in the '70s as a rock journalist for 'Rolling Stone.' His unconventional story was d...

Best Of: Malala Yousafzai / Ken Burns On The Revolutionary War

25 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We know Malala as the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, the girl who survived a Taliban bullet at 15 for advocating for girls' education in Pakistan. Now...