First Person

Millions of People Watched Her Grow Up Online. What Did It Cost Her? May 11, 2023

Whitney Bjerken has been a YouTuber for as long as she can remember. At 18, she’s taking stock of her viral childhood.

A programming note: this is the last episode of First Person — thank you for listening. Lulu Garcia-Navarro is working on new projects at the Times, so please stay subscribed to this feed to be the first to hear about them.

Why Conservatives Can’t Stop Talking About Aristotle May 04, 2023

The 2,500-year-old roots of Ron DeSantis’ education plan.

They’re Severely Mentally Ill. Is It Ethical to Help Them Die? Apr 27, 2023

A psychiatrist’s dilemma when the most extreme option is legal.

Daniel Ellsberg on the Papers He Didn’t Leak Apr 20, 2023

The man behind the Pentagon Papers has a final warning for America.

He Started the First Police Academy at an H.B.C.U. It Was Complicated. Apr 13, 2023

Chief Gary Hill on how to get more Black officers on the force — and transform cop culture through training.

Save a Life, or Commit a Felony? Apr 06, 2023

The Supreme Court’s decision crushed Dr. Elise Boos. So why is she working with anti-abortion politicians?

Best Of: Dan White Jr., and the Great Pastor Resignation Mar 30, 2023

Things are not all right. And neither are the people we usually turn to in times of crisis. This episode originally aired in 2022.

The Shameful Secret at the Heart of My War Reporting Mar 23, 2023

I won awards covering Iraq but my Iraqi colleague lost everything.

This Conversation Changed the Way I Think About Dementia Mar 16, 2023

When cognitive decline strikes, caregivers often resist the changes. Anne Basting says there’s another way.

In America, We Trust the Wrong People Mar 09, 2023

Why scammers get believed and asylum seekers don't.

Why the G.O.P.’s Attack on Trans Rights Could Backfire on the Party Mar 02, 2023

A Republican state senator on what his party gets wrong about trans kids — and why he’s broken ranks to vote to protect them.

Google Changed Work Culture. Its Former Hype Woman Has Regrets. Feb 23, 2023

What the Big Tech meltdown can teach all workers.

He Was ‘Losing His Mind Slowly, and I Watched It' Feb 16, 2023

How do you help someone who doesn’t believe he is mentally ill?

Note: To protect her son’s privacy and medical history, we are not using Kimberly’s last name in this episode. And we are not naming him at all.

Additional reading:

“A World Gone Mad: Schizophrenia and a Journey Through California’s Failed Mental Health System,” by Thomas Curwen in The Los Angeles Times
“California Is Fighting to Make It Easier to Put People Under Conservatorships,” by Henry Grabar in Slate
“‘We’ve Lost Our Compass.’ For California’s Most Visible Mentally Ill, is a Return to Forced Treatment a Solution — or a False Promise?” by Jocelyn Wiener in Cal Matters

Your Height — and Your Children’s Height — Shouldn’t Matter Feb 09, 2023

Mara Altman on why she never felt small — and why she doesn’t want her kids to either.

Notes: You can read Mara's piece for The New York Times, "There Has Never Been a Better Time to Be Short" here.

The Teenager Leading the Smartphone Liberation Movement Feb 02, 2023

Logan Lane gave up her smartphone. That changed her life.

Notes: Alex Vadukul originally wrote about the Luddite Club for The Times.

The Left Is Eating Itself Jan 26, 2023

Maurice Mitchell believes purity politics leave progressive power on the table.

What if Medication, Not Willpower, Is the Cure for Obesity? Jan 19, 2023

Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford believes obesity should be treated like any other disease.

Why Does Big Tech Make It So Hard to Fix Your Devices? Jan 12, 2023

The C.E.O. of iFixit is fighting for your right to stop shopping and start repairing.

The Veteran Outing Domestic Extremists Jan 05, 2023

Veterans are valuable recruits for far-right groups. Kris Goldsmith wants them to fight back.

Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and the Case Against Year-End Lists Dec 22, 2022

The musician thinks year-end top-10 lists are too small to capture life’s bigness.

She Was Supposed to Be China’s Future. Now She Wants To Leave. Dec 15, 2022

How "zero Covid" has derailed the Chinese Dream.

Kids Aren’t Learning to Read. This Mom Has a Surprising Solution. Dec 08, 2022

A network of mothers is trying to change the way reading is taught.

He Sold a Message of Climate Doom. He Has Regrets. Dec 01, 2022

But for Justin Trudeau’s climate minister, changing tactics has come at a price.

He’s Fighting for His Country — and His Right to Exist Nov 24, 2022

A gay Ukrainian soldier on the battle against Russia and homophobia in Ukraine.

A Librarian Spoke Against Censorship. Dark Money Came For Her. Nov 17, 2022

Now she’s fighting back.

Black, Republican and Trying to Diversify His Party Nov 10, 2022

The newly elected representative Wesley Hunt campaigned hard for candidates of color. Now what?

A Teacher Considers Bringing Her Gun to School (Part 2) Nov 03, 2022

She wants to keep her students safe. Does that mean arming herself?

Is There Any Safe Way to Arm Teachers? (Part 1) Oct 27, 2022

Teachers in Utah are bringing guns to school. One sheriff decided to do something about it.

'First Person' Returns This Week Oct 24, 2022

This Thursday, Oct. 27, “First Person” returns weekly, with new stories about the big ideas shaping our world. Is arming teachers the right way to keep schools safe? Can a Black Republican running for Congress increase his party’s appeal to voters of color? And what risks do individuals face when they fight book bans? Make sure you’re subscribed to start listening.

Dan White Jr., and the Great Pastor Resignation Jul 21, 2022

Things are not all right. And neither are the people we usually turn to in times of crisis.

Charles Falls Jr., and the Choice to Keep Cruising Jul 14, 2022

One man decides there is nowhere he’d rather be in the middle of a pandemic than on a cruise ship — whatever the consequences.

To Fight for Ukraine’s Freedom, He Went Back Into the Closet Jul 07, 2022

A gay Ukrainian finds himself defending a country that hasn’t always defended him.

Jerri Ann Henry and the Republican Rollback of L.G.B.T.Q. Rights Jun 30, 2022

When your own party targets you, you have a choice: leave the party or fight back.

Sharone Mitchell Jr. and the Progressive Case Against Gun Permits Jun 23, 2022

He hates guns. So why did he side with the N.R.A. in a case before the Supreme Court?

Will Estrada and the Long Roots of Parental Rights Jun 16, 2022

The Christian home-school origins of the movement shaking up schools across America.

Merritt Tierce and the Abortion She Didn't Have Jun 09, 2022

What happens when you don’t choose parenthood.

Introducing 'First Person' May 18, 2022

Every opinion starts with a story. Intimate conversations about the big ideas shaping our world, hosted by journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro. From New York Times Opinion.

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