It's Been a Minute

What's in and what's out in 2026? Let's set the stage for what to watch out for in the new year. As you fill out your own bingo card for what will or will not happen in 2026, join Brittany, NPR's tech correspondent Bobby Allyn , and NPR's political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben . They are laying out the puzzle pieces of 2026 - from the politics of masculinity to the bubble of artificial intell...

From CBD leggings to Soulcycle, wellness is reshaping our relationships to our bodies and souls. But what even is "wellness?" Well, for one, it's a global industry worth 6 trillion dollars. And it encompasses all kinds of things – including spirituality: from the spirituality of wellness practices like yoga and reiki, to treating wellness itself like a religion. As spirituality, self-care, and cap...

If society privileges "thin" people, should you aspire to conform? And at what cost? Last year, online influencer Slim Kim went viral for a TikTok where she said she loves "being skinny." It sparked a debate that continued throughout 2025: how do we talk about bodies without falling into "body fascism." And with drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy flooding the market, how are the ways we talk about bodi...

If you want something badly enough, should you have it? Today, Brittany is investigating so-called "manifestation." It's this popular belief that if you want something badly enough, it'll come to you. But here's the thing: our relationship to the internet and algorithms is creating a feedback loop that actually makes our own dreams seem more...possible? But where's the line between dreams, reality...

Christianity showed up in the mainstream in unexpected ways this year. Are we in a revival? Take a look at this year's Billboard charts. For the first time, multiple Christian musicians charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time — and stayed there for weeks. And some of the biggest hits of the year - like Alex Warren's "Ordinary" - pull from Contemporary Christian Music sounds. Plus, Trump...

Why are Mormons so popular, you ask? Because it's part of their faith. From Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives to your favorite homemaking TikTok influencers, the women of the Church of Latter Day Saints have been gaining massive audiences for over a decade. Brittany is joined by  Jana Riess , senior columnist at Religious News Service and author of  The Next Mormons: How Millennials are Chan...

What's it like to date a man? Ask pop stars or your friends, and you might hear it's a struggle. From Sabrina Carpenter to Summer Walker, some of the biggest female artists on the charts today…are absolutely  through  with men. It’s a sentiment that has a name: heteropessimism. Coined in 2019 by the writer Asa Seresin, the term encapsulates the embarrassment, disaffection and fatigue that comes fr...

There’s been a lot of discourse about what “6 7” means, but what actually makes it  meaningful ? The “6 7" meme was everywhere this year, online and off. Scrolling through TikTok? You probably encountered it. Sitting in math class? Your teacher probably dreaded everyone shouting out the numbers when they came up in class. NPR intern Sanidhya Sharma investigated the phenomenon by going to schools a...

Welcome to the third annual IBAMMYs Culture Awards Show, where we reflect and honor the best and worst cultural moments of the year. Brittany is joined by Sam Sanders , host of KCRW's The Sam Sanders Show, and Tre'vell Anderson , host of The Seated podcast. All three nominated a person or moment for each of the four categories. NPR's Culture Committee then voted on a winner. Today, we reveal the w...

Heated Rivalry - the hit HBO Max series - has it all: scintillating romance, hot guys, sports (kind of), and, most importantly, portrayals of gay love and sex that don’t hold back. Steamy, sensual TV shows aren’t new, but the Canadian series has captured the public's attention in a way that a show hasn’t in a while. So, what’s behind its cultural resonance? What does it mean that this gay romance...

Are we spending too much on other people’s weddings? Going to a friend's weddings can be so fun and meaningful… but it can also really hurt your wallet. A survey by  LendingTree found that 31% of people who had been to a wedding in the past five years had accrued debt to attend. So what’s driving up the cost of weddings for guests? And what makes it so hard to say no to these expenses? Brittany br...

More women than ever are choosing to raise their children by their self. Is it time to hit reset on what we mean by "family" in America? America has some deeply held prejudices toward single moms, but some studies show that 40% of babies in the U.S. are born to unmarried women. In this episode Brittany looks into the joy and challenges these women face - from freedom and agency to affordability an...

Some say we're entering the Woke 2.0 era. Is that real or imagined? From declining Target sales to Mamdani's election, some folks online are feeling a vibe shift. Is that feeling...woke? And if so, does that mean woke is back in style? To answer those questions - and to dissect whether or not woke ever left - Brittany is joined by Constance Grady , senior correspondent at Vox, and Tyler Austin Har...

Is location tracking building relationships? Or ruining them? Four in ten U.S. adults share their locations with at least one person. But while it’s convenient – is it a violation of privacy? And who  really  needs to know where you are? We're getting into how location sharing became a norm, the pros and cons, and how to turn it off without making things weird. Brittany breaks it all down with  Gi...

What does it mean to be an independent adult? More young adults live with their parents than in the past, and are also delaying the traditional markers of independent adulthood like marriage and childbirth. Roughly nine-in-ten parents say it’s extremely or very important to them that their children be financially independent when they are adults, but are our cultural notions of financial independe...

It's an incredibly painful thing to do, so why are some kids cutting their parents out of their lives? 27%  of Americans are estranged from at least one family member, and the term "no contact" is increasingly being used to describe estrangement between adult children and their parents. But is estrangement happening more often, or are we just more open to talking about it? And is our culture aroun...

Fighting with your family doesn’t have to be a holiday tradition. The majority of Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow. And while it’s meant to be a time of family togetherness… sometimes, this holiday can make you never want to see your family again. To go or not to go? To fight or not to fight? Well, our friends at NPR’s  Life Kit  have tips for how to answer these questions. Marielle...

Can you afford to pay two rents? Families across the country are asking that same question when it comes to childcare, as the yearly costs for daycare are becoming comparable to a year's rent in many places. How did childcare become so expensive, and how might everyone benefit if the government provided more support to parents? Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison  Jessica...

When the dream of buying a home seems unattainable, is it time to find a new dream? Or is there another option on the table? Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or the FHFA, said the administration is “working on” a plan to introduce 50 year mortgage terms for homebuyers. But some Americans have already been working on their own plans towards homeownership… and it’s not...

What’s the difference between  feeling  unsafe and  being  unsafe? According to Gallup, about half of Americans see crime as being extremely or very serious. And there are a lot of very real threats out there to people’s safety, but there’s also a lot of fearful rhetoric that’s more unfounded. While immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens, and trans people are unlikely...

Have you talked to a parent recently? Are they...okay? From textbook bans to health food trends, there’s a whole culture of fear and political propaganda that preys on new parents, convincing them that just buying this or just voting for that will keep their children safe. But how do you know if something is a moral panic or a legitimate concern? Brittany is joined by  Karen Leick , author of Pare...

No disrespect, but...when President Trump threw a Great Gatsby-themed party for Halloween, it kind of missed the point of the book. And, it's not just Trump. A quick search online, and you'll see a lot of people increasingly misinterpreting other famous books. Are people just bad at reading? Are we just laying our own biases on top of classic texts? Or is something else going on? Andrew Limbong ,...

Have you picked up a couple weights recently? Started walking, or jogging, or doing pilates? So have a lot of other people. You see the fitness Instagram accounts and gym tips all over TikTok, but how does exercise culture fit into our broader culture? And how does more enthusiasm for exercise square with the focus on fitness in our politics? Brittany gets into it with  Jonquilyn Hill , host of  V...

The word "fascism" is being thrown around a lot right now. Does it capture our current cultural and political moment? Nearly 50% of Americans have associated President Trump with "fascism." Trump himself has used the word against his own opponents. Others have used the word to denounce skinny-tok as "body fascism." But why are Americans so willing to use the word? And is its ubiquity making it los...

Spanish artist and musical chameleon Rosalía released her latest album, Lux , today. The single, "Berghain," seems like a return to form. Operatic vocals, grand instrumentals, beautiful visuals -- the album is primed for critical praise. But for those who are hyperaware of Rosalia’s transformations -- from flamenco songstress to Afro-Caribbean queen -- they have other questions about this evolutio...