It's Been a Minute

David Litt was writing speeches for President Barack Obama when he was 24. His new book about the experience is called "Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years." David talks to Sam about falling in love with then-candidate Obama, working his way to the White House after an internship spent playing minesweeper, getting his dream job, meeting the President, joining his team of speechwriter...

NPR National Desk reporter Nate Rott and University of Montana journalism professor Jule Banville join Sam to talk through the week that was: fires, hurricanes, Trump on ISIS on Twitter, Silicon Valley vs bodegas, economic indicators, the legal rights of apes — plus a call to a listener in Australia and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and f...

New Yorker writer Adam Davidson and NPR national security correspondent Mary Louise Kelly join Sam to talk about a central question raised by Adam's reporting: What will investigators find when they look into President Trump's foreign business deals? Adam Davidson's latest story is here: http://bit.ly/2wr8pEx. Mary Louise described reporting from Moscow here: https://n.pr/2tJaMxS. Email the show a...

NPR Science Desk producer Madeline Sofia and education reporter Claudio Sanchez join Sam to talk through the week that was: hurricanes and earthquakes, Donald Trump's deal with Democrats Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, Beyonce's birthday, the Trump administration's action on DACA and Title IX, a man-made gas shortage in Texas, endangered salamanders, and an Irish bat — plus a call to a listener in...

Sam talks to novelist Danzy Senna about her new book, 'New People,' and about race in America, why LA is boring in a good way, black identity, what white people say when they think they're alone, being "professionally black", how her students perform their race, artistic integrity and safe spaces, prestige black TV like 'Atlanta' and 'Insecure', and the election of Barack Obama. If you're in the W...

New York Times reporter Katie Rogers and NPR film critic Bob Mondello join Sam to talk through the week that was: Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, one woman's experience in the small Texas town of Refugio, and the view from Houston with Houston Public Media reporter Laura Isensee — then, in other news, the summer box office, upcoming movies, Prince's favorite color, Tom Brady's meal plan, six s...

Anonymous wealth leveraged in court represents a new threat to journalism in Brian Knappenberger's Netflix documentary, "Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press." Brian talks to Sam about the movie, which features NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. David joins this conversation as well. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.adswizz.com for inform...

Planet Money correspondent Stacey Vanek Smith and "Rough Translation" host Gregory Warner join Sam to talk through the week that was: Afghanistan, the President and the border wall, Amazon and Whole Foods, Taylor Swift, the eclipse, the GOP and tax reform, the economy in North Korea, racial identity in Brazil, and the 10-year-anniversary of the hashtag — plus music from Kanye West, a call to a lis...

Sam visits the Chicago offices of the satirical news publication for a headline pitch meeting and conversations with Editor-In-Chief Cole Bolton, Executive Editor Ben Berkley, Managing Editor Marnie Shure, and Head Writer Chad Nackers. They talk about comedy and President Trump (and why he makes their jobs harder), feuding with Sean Hannity, covering Barack Obama, crossing lines, and being sociall...

NPR reporter Kirk Siegler and Southern California Public Radio reporter Priska Neely join Sam to talk through the week that was: Charlottesville and the President's reaction to it, the reaction to that by corporations and everyone else, the so-called "alt left", Steve Bannon's late-breaking departure from the White House — plus a back-to-school scene, Queens of the Stone Age, a call to a listener...

Sam talks to white people — and only white people — about Charlottesville. This episode: UVA history professor Grace Hale, NPR's Sarah McCammon, and developmental psychologist Amy Roberson Hayes, plus some calls to our listeners. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsors...

From WWNO in New Orleans, NPR Code Switch correspondent Gene Demby and Planet Money correspondent Noel King join Sam to talk through the week that was: a giant inflatable chicken, the President's rhetoric toward North Korea, White House infighting, an instantly notorious Google memo, a lawsuit against Harvard seeking to challenge affirmative action, and the Snap IPO — plus some New Orleans brass b...

Sam talks to comedian and former 'Saturday Night Live' cast member Sasheer Zamata about leaving the show, breakups, her new comedy special and variety show, talking about race in the age of Trump, growing up in the mid-west, moving around a lot, going to UVA, getting into improv, moving to New York, auditioning for SNL, working on the show, and Beyonce. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and fol...

Morning Edition host Rachel Martin and Stephen Thompson of NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour join Sam to talk through the week that was: the speed of the news, the President's new immigration proposal and focus on the party base, why the stock market keeps soaring, the new White House chief of staff, TRL's return to MTV and the network's new CEO, celebrities (maybe?) running for office; plus, s...

Sam talks to actor Lakeith Stanfield about fidget spinning, meditating, loneliness, his character Darius on 'Atlanta,' growing up in California, working odd jobs before acting, what success means in Hollywood, why 'Get Out' was the creepiest experience he's ever had on a set, black men in film and vulnerability, his family, charcoal lemonade, his upcoming movies 'Death Note' and 'Crown Heights', a...

All Things Considered host Audie Cornish and Planet Money correspondent Ailsa Chang join Sam to talk through the week that was: health care, the President's tweets on transgender individuals in the military, the GOP's failure to pass a health care bill in the Senate, a new wrinkle in the story of a Supreme Court case, millennials and beer; plus, some Missy Elliott, a call to a listener in Arizona,...

The first-time director and star of the CBS sitcom 'Life in Pieces' shot her new movie using an all-female crew. She talks to Sam about that, and about diversity in hiring, her favorite karaoke song, Jamie Foxx, her film's co-stars Adam Pally and Fred Armisen, growing up in New York as the daughter of struggling artists, success and failure in art, performing the music in 'Band Aid', how directing...

NPR reporter Camila Domonoske and NPR editor Barrie Hardymon join Sam to talk through the week that was: Elon Musk, the President's New York Times interview, intern season, private student loan debt, HBO's new series set in a fictional America where slavery exists, the rebirth of the Thong Song, plus a call to a listener in Oregon and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the...

Sam talks to musician and record producer Jeff Bhakser about having a kid, settling down, working with Harry Styles (in Jamaica), what he learned working with Kanye West (in Hawaii), growing up half-Indian in New Mexico, his musical influences, the message behind all his music, and the loneliest song he ever wrote. Plus a special guest drops in. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam...

NPR congressional correspondent Susan Davis and VICE News correspondent Evan McMorris-Santoro join Sam to talk through the week that was: Pitbull, Donald Trump Jr and his emails, Beyonce's twins, Game of Thrones, the Senate GOP and health care, Senator Al Franken, Emmaneul Macron and President Trump's visit to France, plus a call to a listener in Alabama and the best things that happened to listen...

Sam talks to writer Anne Helen Petersen about her new book, "Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman." They cover pop culture and the news, President Trump, the nature of celebrity, Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, Serena Williams, Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, how white women can learn to be woke, Anne Hathaway, Melissa McCarthy, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, Hillary Clint...

'This American Life' reporter Zoe Chace and 'Reply All' host PJ Vogt join Sam to talk through the week that was: Chris Christie in the sun, North Korea, CNN and the President, the anniversary of the Dallas police shooting, wealthy Republican donors, hacking in the Ukraine, Hobby Lobby, plus a call to a small business owner in Illinois and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email...

Sam talks to writer and actor Timothy Simons about hustling, playing such contemptible character, the fair city of Boston, growing up in New England, struggling in school, struggling in regional theatre, struggling as a bouncer at the worst bar in America, getting cast on 'Veep', working with Julia Louis Dreyfus, and political comedy in the age of Donald Trump. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org...

Washington Post writer Alexandra Petri and Gene Demby from NPR's Code Switch team join Sam to talk through the week that was: Baby Driver , Jay-Z, the President's tweets, a new survey on American attitudes about race and discrimination, the minimum wage in Seattle, Serena Williams, the wrestler 'Progressive Liberal,' GLOW on Netflix, plus a call to a trucking company manager in Wisconsin and the b...

Sam talks to producer, writer, and actor Lena Waithe about microwavable pork rinds, growing up in front of the TV in Chicago, transcribing reality television footage, finally making it as a Hollywood writer, powerful storytelling by people of color, and writing and acting in Master Of None with Aziz Ansari. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.adswizz...