It's Been a Minute

It's Tuesday: longtime NBC weatherman Al Roker has a new book about the most catastrophic flood in US history — the Johnstown flood of 1889, which killed more than 2,200 people in the Pennsylvania steel town. Roker says the story of that flood contains lessons about climate change, greed, American infrastructure, and the power of mother nature. Email samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin wi...

It's Friday: Sam's shuffling through the street with NPR correspondents Ina Jaffe and Kirk Siegler this week. On the table: the President's travels and negotiations with NATO, Bett Kavanaugh, a call to a World Cup fan rooting for France, and a look at homelessness in Los Angeles and across the country. Get tickets for our live show in LA on July 30 with John Cho and Aneesh Chaganty at nprpresents....

It's Tuesday: Wilson's latest film, 'Permanent,' is about embracing the weirdness of your own family. He also opens up about religion, struggling as a young actor in New York and — of course — ' The Office .' Email samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast spo...

It's Friday: NPR's Sarah McCammon hops in the stu' for Sam this fourth of July weekend with NPR Political Reporter Danielle Kurtzleben (@titonka) and Marketplace Senior Reporter Kimberly Adams (@KA_Marketplace). They also chat about Scott Pruitt, trade wars, and American identity. Get tickets for our live show in LA on July 30 with John Cho and Aneesh Chaganty at nprpresents.org. See pcm.adswizz.c...

It's Tuesday: Actress Amber Tamblyn grew up in Los Angeles and is known for roles in Joan of Arcadia and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Now, she's out with a new novel called Any Man , about a female serial rapist who targets men. She talks to Sam about the novel, her relationship with husband David Cross, and her work with the MeToo and Time's Up movements. Email samsanders@npr.org and tw...

It's Friday: Sam is up on his feet this week with sports and entertainment journalist Audrey Cleo Yap (@audreycleo) and INTO Editor-In-Chief Zach Stafford (@ZachStafford). They talk about Anthony Kennedy, Chaka Khan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the US Census. Email samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...

It's Tuesday: Joe Morton is now starring in the title role of the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles production of Henry IV, and is known for his Emmy-award winning role as Eli Pope in Scandal. He talks to Sam about dropping out of college after being told his race would "color" a production, and making it in theater, film, and television. Tickets and information on Henry IV at shakespearecenter.or...

Sam can't believe we made it this week with Haley Byrd (@byrdinator), congressional reporter for The Weekly Standard, and Lissandra Villa (@LissandraVilla), political reporter for BuzzFeed News. They talk through the most dominant story of the week: immigration. Email samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of persona...

Best known for comedic roles in Reno 911, The Mindy Project , and HBO's Getting On , Niecy Nash stars in the TNT show Claws, a female-driven crime drama in its second season that one critic described as " Breaking Bad meets Steel Magnolias ." She tells Sam how she used comedy to overcome tragedy in her personal life, and bringing a black, female anti-hero to TV. Email samsanders@npr.org or tweet @...

Sam esta bailando with Pop Culture Happy Hour host Linda Holmes (@lindaholmes) and NPR Politics Podcast host and congressional correspondent Scott Detrow (@scottdetrow). Catch up on the week's news: the World Cup, Trump administration immigration policy, and diversity in film criticism. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information a...

Sam chats with the two leads of the STARZ show 'Vida,' Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada. They play two sisters who return home to their old east Los Angeles neighborhood after their mother's death. There, they have to grapple with family drama, gentrification, racism, and finding their identity. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenaMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for info...

We gon' be alright with Sam and these two guests this week: Morning Edition and Up First host Steve Inskeep and CNN Politics Senior Writer Juana Summers. The real Puerto Rico death toll, insulin prices, and baked beans, plus trade talk with Soumaya Keynes of The Economist . Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our coll...

Roseanne's tweet. NFL players kneeling. The President blocking people on Twitter. These stories are all about the same thing: what is free speech? Who gets to decide? And what happens when one person's speech makes another person feel unsafe? Sam talks to Nadine Strossen, a law professor and former president of the American Civil Liberties Union, about her new book, Hate: Why We Should Resist It W...

Here's a break from the news: Comedian and author Samantha Irby joins Sam live on stage at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music in partnership with WBEZ. Her recently re-published book is called "Meaty." Plus special guest Jennifer White drops by to dish about two famous Chicagoans — the subjects of WBEZ's "Making Obama" and "Making Oprah" podcasts. Back with our regular weekly wrap next Friday...

The comedian talks to Sam about running his own show, lampooing fringe news, and why the nicest parts of him are from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Email samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Sam is struck by two guests this week: Los Angeles Times reporter Laura Nelson, and senior writer at ESPN's "The Undefeated," Clinton Yates. They cover new NFL rules, Ramadan, North Korea, and lynx. Or lynxes. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage you...

Sam talks to singer Garrett Clark Borns in his Los Angeles studio on going from small town Michigan to playing at Coachella - TWICE. BØRNS' new album, Blue Madonna, is out now. Email samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy...

Sam's right over here with NPR reporters Vanessa Romo and Brakkton Booker wrapping up the week in news: one year into the Mueller investigation, the royal wedding, and upcoming Supreme Court decisions on gerrymandering. Plus, the best things that happened to listeners all week. Tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels or email samsanders@npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection an...

In 'RBG,' filmmakers Julie Cohen and Betsy West chronicle the legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. NPR's legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg joins the conversation with Sam, Betsy, and Julie. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manag...

Sam's voice takes you there this week, with NPR Editor Arezou Rezvani and Los Angeles Times national correspondent Matt Pearce. Plus, the Iran Nuclear Deal, wage stagnation, and 'This Is America.' Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast spo...

The comedian and actor talks to Sam about his immigrant experience and making it in Hollywood, which he writes about in a new book, "How To American: An Immigrant's Guide To Disappointing Your Parents." Jimmy stars as immigrant programmer Jìan-Yáng on the HBO comedy "Silicon Valley." Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information abou...

Sam lets the sunshine in with NPR Code Switch correspondent Karen Grigsby Bates (@karenbates) and NPR Embedded producer and reporter Tom Dreisbach (@TomDreisbach). Also Rudy Giuliani, the Broadway musical "Hair," meatballs, and a call to Puerto Rico. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of person...

Political strategists Mark McKinnon and Mike Murphy join Sam to talk about the 2018 midterms and Mark's Showtime series 'The Circus,' which he co-hosts. Mike is a Republican who's worked for John McCain, Jeb Bush, and Mitt Romney. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. Tickets for our May 15 show in Chicago are at wbez.org/events. See pcm.adswizz.com for informa...

Kanye's tweets, Emmanuel Macron's state visit, and Bill Cosby's guilty verdict, plus latest on Facebook and user privacy. From member station KQED in San Francisco, NPR Silicon Valley correspondent Aarti Shahani (@aarti411) and KQED senior editor Tonya Mosley (@TonyaMosley) join Sam to talk about the week that was. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm....

Wolitzer's new novel is about women, misogyny, ambition, death, and the disillusionment of growing older. It's on virtually every must-read list this year, and feels so perfectly forged for the current moment that the Washington Post called Meg 'the novelist we need right now.' Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...