It's Been a Minute

Should I wear a mask while running? How often should I wipe down my phone? Can I say hello to other people's dogs? Our listeners had questions about coronavirus, we have answers. Sam is joined by Short Wave host Maddie Sofia to dig into the science behind some of the decisions we have to make about everyday encounters in this pandemic. Then, Sam is all caught up in the buzz around Netflix's Indian...

All relationships have a backstory, even friendships. Best friends Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman , hosts of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend , are out with a new book called Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close . In it, they write about their friendship story and they share lessons for all of us about how to keep our own friendships strong. Sam chats with them about going to friend therapy...

We're in a recession, and it's hitting women especially hard. So how does it compare to the last recession, and how much of it has to do with childcare? Sam is joined by Planet Money 's Mary Childs and Stacey Vanek Smith to make sense of it all. Then Sam chats with Reverend Jes Kast , an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, about how faith and scripture provide solace in moments of un...

Sam revisits his 2019 conversation with actress and writer Michaela Coel, who is the star and creator of the new critically acclaimed show, I May Destroy You. Before that show, Coel made waves in the hit British sitcom Chewing Gum. Her work as the creator, writer, and lead actress on the show earned her a BAFTA. She tells Sam about the emotional transparency that comes from shaving her head and ho...

Colleges and universities are getting ready for a new year, but like everything else, coronavirus is complicating everything. Some are closing campus and moving online, others plan to bring students back with social distancing. Sam checks in with Tressie McMillan Cottom , associate professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and author of Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy , a...

The newsrooms that covered the protests for racial justice are now being forced to confront racism and inequity within their own organizations. Black journalists and other journalists of color are sharing their experiences on social media and leading a public debate over what it means to be "objective," whose stories are told, and how whiteness still dictates newsroom practices, opportunities and...

Four months into the pandemic, it seems like we're no better off in dealing with the coronavirus. There are still so many questions and few definitive answers about how this all ends, and for a lot of us, that's turned into anger and frustration. Sam talks to comedian Laurie Kilmartin about how she used Twitter and her iPad to process her mother's illness and death from COVID-19. Then he chats wit...

Last year, comedian Chelsea Handler made a documentary on Netflix called, Hello Privilege. It's Me, Chelsea , where she explored the idea of white privilege. Which happens to be a thing that a lot of people are talking about again... right now, in 2020. Sam talks to Chelsea about what she's learned since then, her latest book — Life Will Be the Death of Me...and You Too! -- and coming to terms wit...

It's summer without a lot of the usual summer fun because, you know, pandemic. But we've got music and TV recommendations to keep you company. Joining Sam are All Things Considered co-host Audie Cornish and Code Switch co-host Gene Demby to chat about their TV picks — Netflix's Bojack Horseman and HBO's I May Destroy You — and to play a special summer songs version of Who Said That. Then, Sam chat...

Ever wonder what it would be like to take hundreds of photos of yourself for a giant coffee table book ... wearing only a bikini? Comedian Nicole Byer has. And did, for her new book: #VeryFat #VeryBrave: The Fat Girl's Guide to Being #Brave and Not a Dejected, Melancholy, Down-in-the-Dumps Weeping Fat Girl in a Bikini. Sam talks to the "Nailed It" Netflix host about what it was like to make the bo...

How much has Big Tech changed since the 2016 election? Sam is joined by Washington Post tech reporters Elizabeth Dwoskin and Tony Romm . They chat about Facebook and Twitter and how their platforms and views on free speech have evolved since the last presidential election. Sam also chats with Washington Post columnist and satirist Alexandra Petri about her book of essays Nothing Is Wrong and Here...

Actress Tracee Ellis Ross has been acting for years — from the early 2000s sitcom 'Girlfriends' to her Golden Globe winning role on ABC's 'Black-ish.' She talks to Sam about pushing back against Black stereotypes on and off-screen, pursuing success at any age, finding Black joy during a tumultuous time, and sharing her singing work in her latest film 'The High Note' with her mother, music legend D...

What does it all mean when so much change happens at the same time? This week, the Supreme Court protected the rights of two marginalized groups — DACA recipients and LGBTQ workers — and protests against police brutality continued around the world. Sam chats about the Supreme Court with Slate's Mark Joseph Stern , then checks in with Tobore Oweh, a DACA recipient who is hopeful yet realistic about...

James McBride is the National Award-winning author of The Good Lord Bird and the best-selling memoir, The Color of Water . His latest book is Deacon King Kong , which is set against the backdrop of 1960s Brooklyn and tells the story of how one man's decision upended an entire neighborhood. Sam talks to McBride about race, religion and community, the parallels he sees to the world we're living in t...

The killing of George Floyd has inspired global protests against police brutality, and it seems like everyone has something to say, including the entertainment industry. Sam's joined by NPR television critic Eric Deggans and Tonya Mosley , co-host of NPR/WBUR's Here & Now and host of the KQED podcast Truth Be Told . They talk about the cancellation of the long-running reality TV show Cops , the re...

2020 is '68 all over again. But not the '68 you think. Yes, 1968 also saw protests, racial divisions and political polarization. Adam Serwer covers politics for The Atlantic , and he says you can certainly draw comparisons between Trump and Nixon – in that Trump is actually a backlash to the policies that came out of 1968. But Serwer says 1868 is a better point of comparison – it was a moment of h...

There is so much to unpack in this current moment. Sam has a candid conversation with Aunt Betty about how history has shaped her view of the current protests, and he walks around downtown Los Angeles to get the perspective of people he meets. Sam also talks to BuzzFeed News reporter Melissa Segura on her recent reporting about police unions and what they mean for reform, and Morning Edition execu...

Comedian Hasan Minhaj is not afraid of talking about his faith, even when it gets him in trouble. He's a two-time Peabody Award winner and host of the Netflix show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj , which has just begun its second season. He talks to Sam about being an Indian American Muslim, how he finds joy in family and what his faith means to him today. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about o...

The coronavirus pandemic has us worrying not only about our health, but also about money. Sam talks to CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger , about the current economic crisis and how it's affecting different generations. Then, Sam talks to writer Samantha Irby about her newsletter " Who's On Judge Mathis Today? ," which recaps the foibles of the syndicated daytime court show Judge Mathis ....

Yvonne Orji plays the part of best friend Molly Carter on the HBO series Insecure , but Orji will soon headline her own stand-up special in June called, "Mama, I Made It." Orji talks to Sam about religion, getting her start in comedy at a Nigerian beauty pageant, growing up with strict immigrant parents and finding the humor in all of it. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com f...

Maya Erskine has come a long way from the NYU experimental theater department where she met her PEN15 co-creator Anna Konkle. In this encore episode, Erskine talks to Sam about her starring role in the genre-bending romantic comedy Plus One and how she wrote her own life experiences into the character she plays on Hulu's PEN15. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pe...

Sam revisits his 2019 conversation with poet and writer Saeed Jones. Saeed discusses his memoir, How We Fight For Our Lives , a vulnerable exploration of his coming of age as black and gay in suburban Texas. The former BuzzFeed editor sat down with Sam to give a glimpse of the stories behind his book, including those of his mother and grandmother, and one where he faced violence during a sexual en...

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began, we've become more accustomed to life closing down than opening up. But for many, putting life on pause isn't an option. This week, Sam talks to people whose lives were thrown off course, but who scrambled to keep doing what they were doing. A home health aide talks about the risk she now takes to do her work. A political organizer explains how door knocki...

The music of the band Chicano Batman has long defied genre. Funk, psychedelic, soul, indie — it's all these things and more. Sam talks to band members Carlos Arévalo and Bardo Martinez about their new album, Invisible People , what it's like not to be able to tour and how their music is the ultimate reflection of their hometown, Los Angeles. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

Politics may not be the first thing on minds right now, but it's still happening. With the Senate returning to session this week, Sam checks in to see how Capitol Hill is operating safely. NPR congressional correspondent Susan Davi s discusses how congressional members are taking precautions, while NPR White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe explains how President Trump's election rallies could possibl...