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NPR · Arts & Culture

Fresh Air

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including weekly bonus episodes and curated playlists of archive interviews from Fresh Air. And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair

Episodes

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A look at the ethical implications of AI

18 Feb 2026
45m
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The podcast explores the capabilities and ethical considerations surrounding Anthropic's AI chatbot, Claude. It features Gideon Lewis-Kraus, a staff writer at The New Yorker, who spent months inside Anthropic. The discussion centers on Claude's potential military applications, its use in capturing Venezuelan leader Nic...

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A daughter's rebellion against a regime and her father

17 Feb 2026
45m
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The interview explores Loubna Mrie's memoir, "Defiance," focusing on her experiences growing up in Syria, her complex relationship with her father, and her involvement in the Syrian revolution. Mrie, raised in the Alawite minority, recounts her political awakening and the personal cost of defying her father, a figure t...

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The American Presidency, Redefined

16 Feb 2026
44m
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The interview with presidential historian Jon Meacham explores the state of American democracy, particularly regarding the actions and rhetoric of political figures. Meacham argues that a unique threat to the nation exists when leaders prioritize personal ambition over constitutional order, referencing Trump's attempts...

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Best Of: Mixed Marriage Project / How Racism Costs Everyone

14 Feb 2026
48m
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This episode of Fresh Air Weekend explores the complexities of race, identity, and American history through two distinct interviews. First, Dorothy Roberts discusses her memoir, "The Mixed Marriage Project," and her journey uncovering her father's research on interracial marriage, which predated his relationship with h...

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‘Sinners’ Songwriter Raphael Saadiq

13 Feb 2026
46m
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This episode of Fresh Air features an interview with Raphael Saadiq, a Grammy-winning musician, songwriter, and producer. Saadiq discusses his early musical experiences in the church, his unexpected journey to becoming a frontman, and his love for older music, which he integrates into his contemporary work. He shares i...

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Fela Kuti and the music of political resistance

12 Feb 2026
44m
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The podcast features an interview with Jad Abumrad, creator of the podcast series "Fela Kuti, Fear No Man," focusing on the life and music of Fela Kuti, the father of Afrobeat. Abumrad describes Fela's music as a blend of trance-like grooves and political lyrics that ignited a youth movement against post-colonial repre...

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Excavating the Epstein files

11 Feb 2026
45m
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The conversation centers on the Jeffrey Epstein case, particularly the newly released files and their implications. Vicky Ward, an investigative journalist who has covered Epstein for over two decades, provides insights into Ghislaine Maxwell's role, the involvement of figures like Donald Trump and Bill Gates, and pote...

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Love, Race & the ‘Mixed Marriage Project’

10 Feb 2026
43m
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Dorothy Roberts, legal scholar and author of "The Mixed Marriage Project," discusses her memoir, which explores love, race, and family through the lens of her parents' interracial marriage and her father's research on interracial couples in Chicago. Roberts uncovers her father's early interest in interracial marriage, ...

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The Ruby Ridge siege & conspiracy-laced politics in America

09 Feb 2026
45m
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The Ruby Ridge standoff and its lasting impact on American society are examined through a conversation with Chris Jennings, author of "End of Days, Ruby Ridge, the Apocalypse and the Unmaking of America." The discussion centers on the religious beliefs that drove Randy and Vicki Weaver to isolate themselves, heavily ar...

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Best Of: Fighting for free press in Russia / ‘Fear and Fury’

07 Feb 2026
47m
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This episode of Fresh Air Weekend explores press freedom and the weaponization of fear. Filmmaker Julia Loktev discusses her documentary, "My Undesirable Friends, Part One, Last Air in Moscow," which follows independent Russian journalists leading up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the criminalization of ...

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A 50th anniversary celebration of ‘Taxi Driver’

06 Feb 2026
47m
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This episode of Fresh Air commemorates the 50th anniversary of the film Taxi Driver by revisiting interviews with key figures involved in its creation. The podcast features conversations with director Martin Scorsese, who reflects on the film's impact and Paul Schrader's pivotal role as the screenwriter, emphasizing th...

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Following independent journalists fighting for free press in Russia

05 Feb 2026
43m
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The conversation centers on Julia Loktev's documentary, "My Undesirable Friends," which explores the lives of independent Russian journalists as they navigate increasing government restrictions and the lead-up to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Loktev discusses the film's focus on young journalists and their r...

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Is America headed toward dictatorship?

04 Feb 2026
44m
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Robert Kagan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and contributing writer for The Atlantic, joins the show to discuss his evolving views on Donald Trump, characterizing him as increasingly dictatorial. Kagan argues Trump's actions, such as dismantling the federal bureaucracy and the Justice Department, alongsi...

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How Rupert Murdoch built an empire and broke his family

03 Feb 2026
44m
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The podcast explores the Murdoch family's dynamics, succession battles, and influence on global politics, focusing on Gabriel Sherman's book, "Bonfire of the Murdochs." It examines Rupert Murdoch's ambition to build a family business and how it ultimately led to familial strife, highlighting the competition among his c...

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Ethan Hawke

02 Feb 2026
44m
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Ethan Hawke discusses his role as lyricist Larry Hart in the movie Blue Moon, exploring themes of self-worth, artistic expression, and the passage of time. Hawke reflects on portraying Hart's internal conflicts, including his self-loathing and the fear of losing his creative partnership. He also shares insights gained ...

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Best Of: Novelists Liz Moore & Julian Barnes

31 Jan 2026
48m
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This episode of Fresh Air Weekend features interviews and a book review. First, writer Liz Moore discusses her novels, particularly "Long Bright River" set in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood, and "The God of the Woods," set in the Adirondacks. Moore shares insights into adapting her work for television, the impo...

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Guillermo Del Toro would ‘rather die’ than use generative AI

30 Jan 2026
44m
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Guillermo del Toro discusses his new film Frankenstein, exploring themes of misunderstood creatures, flawed father-son relationships, and the uneasy truce between science and religion. Del Toro reflects on the profound impact of the 1931 Frankenstein film on his understanding of faith, viewing the creature as a persona...

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Former NBC producer on silence, shame and finding words after #MeToo

29 Jan 2026
43m
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The podcast features an interview with Brooke Nevils, who discusses her new memoir, "Unspeakable Things: Silence, Shame, and the Stories We Choose to Believe," which details her experience of sexual assault by Matt Lauer. Nevils explains why she decided to share her story in her own words, emphasizing the complexities ...

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Inside the U.S. reversal on climate change action

28 Jan 2026
44m
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The conversation centers on the Trump administration's climate policy reversals and their broader implications. David Gelles, a reporter from The New York Times, shares insights from the World Economic Forum at Davos, where global leaders expressed concerns about the erosion of U.S. social norms and the rule of law. Ge...

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How Tucker Carlson Became Right-Wing Media’s Most Significant Voice

27 Jan 2026
45m
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The interview explores Tucker Carlson's influence on the American right and the evolution of his views. Jason Zengerle, author of "Hated By All The Right People," discusses Carlson's transformation from a Weekly Standard writer to a prominent, more extreme media figure. Carlson's role as an advisor to Donald Trump, inf...

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