Like a "making of" documentary reveals how a movie gets made, we look at how the story of Portland as a war zone was constructed—by citizen journalists, amplified by Fox News, validated at the White House—and used to justify a crackdown on the left. link.podtrac.com/431686w9

Portland has been portrayed as "war-ravaged," under siege from Antifa. Right-wing streamers filmed it, Fox News amplified it, Trump is using it to justify a nationwide crackdown. We wanted to see the reality behind the story being told about this city. link.podtrac.com/431686w9

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

The perfect last-minute gift for the podcast lover in your life: ad-free listening, bonus episodes, and access to hundreds of archive favorites hand-picked by Ira. A Life Partners subscription supports the show and delivers instantly—no shipping, no wrapping required.

Ian Brown tries to give his mother the perfect Christmas gift: a program of Christmas carols, sung for her by Ian and his brother. link.podtrac.com/6wqfkisf

This week: Stories about the vexing difficulty of finding the perfect gift, including an original recording of Truman Capote reading a holiday story about his childhood growing up in rural Alabama. link.podtrac.com/6wqfkisf

Bonus episode: We try something new — Ira brings you a story that’s still in draft form. A personal story, with some jokes in it. Become a Life Partner today to listen.

In late 1940s Nigeria, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti galvanized thousands of women market sellers in a historic uprising. A search for who she really was, and how she became the person history demanded. link.podtrac.com/puh9wt2r

Brittany answers anonymous calls from people in the military. This year, she's gotten more than usual—most wondering what to do with orders they've been given, or orders they're afraid they'll get. link.podtrac.com/puh9wt2r

This week: Jad Abumrad tells the story of the "ideological genealogy” of Fela Kuti’s anti-colonial politics — his mother.

Bonus episode: When the writer Pico Iyer and Ira Glass appeared on stage in Santa Barbara, they got into all sorts of things that Ira doesn’t normally talk about. Become a Life Partner today to listen.

Right back at all 12K of you 😍

IMHO, this is one of the best TAL episodes out there. It's also one of the best long-form radio features I've heard. Next time you are - like me - dutifully ironing your dress shirts despite working from home most of the time, put this on. You will not regret it. Viva NPR.

We spend a month at a Jeep dealership on Long Island as they try to meet their monthly sales goal: 129 cars. link.podtrac.com/6b11s76y

A man is hired along with a crew to dig a mysterious hole on the slopes of Mt. Shasta. The hole goes sixty feet down. But what are they looking for? link.podtrac.com/vct98fqt

We also do a deep dive into @thisamericanlife.org's bonus feed, which we were skeptical of at first, and find surprising richness in the episodes where producers look back at stories that meant something to them. thisamericanlife.supercast.com

A class of second graders is handed a sealed box with a mystery object inside. They are supposed to guess what it is, but the lesson goes off the rails.

Ready to be a Life Partner? Support us and unlock ad-free listening, special bonus content, plus hundreds of handpicked archive episodes chosen personally by Ira Glass.

What’s great about living in a family is that everyone sees everything differently. Also, that’s what’s awful about living in a family. This week, we go behind closed doors with two families. link.podtrac.com/310widp1

I used to be a weekly listener to this show and I'm not sure why I stopped because every time I roadtrip I listen and it is still producing amazing stuff. This episode found a relatively benign yet overall far more devastating way to tell the story of how ICE is impacting families

One of our episodes from this year made Apple Podcasts' Best of 2025. In case you missed it: a group of immigration judges, who rarely speak to the press, told us about the dismantling of the immigration court system from the inside. apple.co/bestof2025pods

This American Life is doing some of the best, most important reporting on the down to the human, down to the family, impacts of Trump admin policies in the U.S. and abroad. Gonna be thinking about this episode for a long time and hope they continue following the Riveras.

This American Life. Amazing job making detailed and engaging stories about the reality of family and immigration in the US in the age of Trump and MAGA. @thisamericanlife.org podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

When @heathergay.bsky.social started taking steps away from Mormonism, she thought it was her secret. That her daughters had no idea. Until she talked to them about their mismatched memories. link.podtrac.com/310widp1

In every house, behind every closed door, a private drama is unfolding. In the Rivera house, the drama comes in the form of a question: should they stay or should they go?

Bonus episode: Ira interviews Reality Winner about going to prison for leaking classified documents on Russian election interference, and about the Passover he spent with her family in Texas. Become a Life Partner today to listen.

This week: the pitfalls of making snap judgments about others.

Shalom Auslander goes on vacation with his family, suspects the beloved, chatty old man in the room next door is an imposter, and sets out to prove it.

When President Trump issued an executive order about white South Africans, Sam didn't know it was coming. But she got to work organizing thousands of fellow white South Africans to turn a vague declaration into an actual refugee program. link.podtrac.com/oho4ky9w

We follow the progress of one woman as she builds up, from scratch, a whole movement based on one of Trump’s executive orders. link.podtrac.com/oho4ky9w

America loves winners—now more than ever. But how do you get to a win in 2025 America? We get up close and follow someone trying to build a big win for herself and thousands of others like her.

Bonus episode: Former producer Alex Blumberg returns, to continue his tour through our show's coverage of world events — including an episode Alex did that was one of our most popular ever. Become a Life Partner today to listen.

"Some people collect coins. Some people collect comic books. Gregor's mother, Etta, collects collections." This week, the strange power inanimate objects can hold over us. bit.ly/48PEsjS

Who's really in charge? This week, we explore objects that somehow end up running our lives—like we're working for them instead of the other way around. bit.ly/48PEsjS

Ted was six when he stole a rock from Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park—ancient trees turned to rainbow-colored stone over millions of years, like the ones pictured here. Nearly 50 years later, he really wishes he hadn't. bit.ly/48OrJOk

This scooter sat in pieces for 24 years. Nunzio could've bought a new engine at any time. Instead, he spent years tracking down the original to restore it. This week: objects and the strange power they hold over us. bit.ly/48OrJOk

Ted took a rock from a national park when he was six years old—and 50 years later, he deeply regrets it.

Three stories about the strange power inanimate objects can hold over us, including Jonathan Goldstein attempting to assist a family with getting rid of their stuff—even though they're not entirely sure they want his help.

The Thing About Things: Three stories about the strange power inanimate objects can hold over us. bit.ly/42XL9wq

Parole board hearings are a part of the judicial system that doesn't get a lot of scrutiny. This week, we listen in as 13 people decide whether or not one man should be released. link.podtrac.com/0ejp3o1q

Bonus episode: Ira talks to David Simon (THE WIRE, TREME) about making stories based on true events, and making stories that try to cut through the clutter. Become a Life Partner today to listen.

We’re a year into our Life Partners program, and it’s working—but we need more support to sustain the show long-term. Your contribution = stories made with care + ad-free listening, bonus episodes, and 250+ hand-picked classics. Join us!

I have a small thing on the show this week about me and my dad. Have a listen!

Emmanuel explores the phenomenon of people lying on first dates to project a better version of themselves, including a very personal example from his own life.

Evan creates an AI version of himself and then sets it loose on the world.

On the radio this weekend: What happens when people create alternate versions of themselves and release them into the wild? bit.ly/4he0KOo

Become our Life Partner! Help support the show and get ad-free episodes, exclusive bonus content, and access to hundreds of archive favorites curated by Ira Glass himself. bit.ly/426srCu

The story of Harold Washington—the greatest politician you might never have heard of—and the backlash he faced as Chicago's first Black mayor.

As NYC’s Democratic establishment attempts to resist the candidacy of Zohran Mamdani, we look back at another mayoral candidate who upset the established political machine. link.podtrac.com/829uwl76

On the radio this weekend: As NYC’s Democratic establishment attempts to resist the candidacy of Zohran Mamdani, we look back at another mayoral candidate who upset the established political machine.