This American Life Archive

883: Call Your Parents 13.03.2026 ↓

In the early days of the radio show, Ira did a series of interviews with his parents that completely changed his relationship with them. This week, he returns to those interviews.

882: Give a Little Whistle 02.03.2026 ↓

Two lawyers who work for ICE lift the curtain on what is happening inside our immigration system.

881: I Want What I Want 13.02.2026 ↓

People deciding to do things that most of us do NOT choose to do.

880: What Is Your Emergency? 22.01.2026 ↓

911 calls unlike any we’ve heard before, and other stories about immigration agents sweeping through America.

879: A Christian and a Muslim Walk Into a Bar 09.01.2026 ↓

When a joke could get you killed, should you say it anyway?

878: New Lore Drop 02.01.2026 ↓

People discovering information about their own lives that they did not know, and suddenly everything looks very different.

877: The Making Of 12.12.2025 ↓

How one block in Portland, Oregon became a movie-set war zone that lots of people think is a real war zone.

876: Bigger Than Me 28.11.2025 ↓

When history comes knocking, you have to figure out what to do.

875: I Hate Mysteries 18.11.2025 ↓

What’s in the box? What’s in the $%&ing box?!?

873: Got You Pegged 07.11.2025 ↓

The pitfalls of making snap judgments about others.

874: Under One Roof 31.10.2025 ↓

Behind closed doors with two families.

872: Winners 23.10.2025 ↓

We watch someone trying to score a win in a game whose rules are being made up as she plays.

871: The Thing About Things 17.10.2025 ↓

Three stories about the strange power inanimate objects can hold over us.

869: Harold 03.10.2025 ↓

The story of Harold Washington and the white backlash that ensued when he became Chicago's first Black mayor.

870: My Other Self 03.10.2025 ↓

What happens when people create alternate versions of themselves and release them into the wild?

868: The Hand That Rocks The Gavel 12.09.2025 ↓

Judges describe the dismantling of our immigration court system from the inside.

867: College Disorientation 05.09.2025 ↓

Things are different on college campuses this year. We see inside the drama, with students and staff.

866: Watch Out for That Tree 22.08.2025 ↓

Small human plans that run into much larger obstacles.

865: The Other Territory 08.08.2025 ↓

Israel has intensified restrictions on West Bank Palestinians while global attention focused on Gaza.

864: Chicago Hope 11.07.2025 ↓

The story of the most commonly performed surgery, and what goes terribly wrong with it.

863: Championship Window 20.06.2025 ↓

People on a mission to achieve their goals before their window of opportunity closes.

862: Some Things We Don't Do Anymore 06.06.2025 ↓

Trump froze U.S. foreign aid and dismantled USAID. We examine the agency’s impact and hear from people trying to navigate this chaotic moment.

861: Group Chat 23.05.2025 ↓

Conversations across a divide: People who are outside a war zone check in with family, friends, and strangers inside.

860: Suddenly: A Mirror! 09.05.2025 ↓

A show about people who are suddenly confronted with who they are.

859: Chaos Graph 18.04.2025 ↓

People immersed in chaos try to solve for what it all adds up to.