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The voice of SpongeBob, Tom Kenny Feb 27, 2026

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We take a trip to Bikini Bottom and revisit our interview with Tom Kenny, who plays SpongeBob on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series, and in the new ‘Spongebob SquarePants’ film. Kenny’s been voicing the character since the show began in 1999. In 2004 he talked about creating the voice, including experimenting with inhaling helium.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews ‘Man on the Run,’ the new documentary about Sir Paul McCartney in the decade after the Beatles split up, and Justin Chang reviews the new erotic drama ‘Dreams,’ starring Jessica Chastain.
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Is the U.S. headed toward military conflict with Iran? Feb 26, 2026

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New York Times journalist David Sanger discusses how we got here, the state of Iran's nuclear weapons program, the likelihood of U.S. military force against Iran and if Trump's goal is regime change.
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Stellan Skarsgård doesn’t believe in bad guys Feb 25, 2026

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Aside from the evil Baron Harkonnen in ‘Dune,’ actor Stellan Skarsgård doesn’t really believe in bad guys. He looks for nuance in every role. He’s Oscar-nominated for his performance in ‘Sentimental Value,’ as a successful filmmaker who is estranged from his grown daughters. Skarsgård spoke with Dave Davies about improvising with Robin Williams in ‘Good Will Hunting,’ raising actor children, and how a stroke impacted his acting.

Also, critic Maureen Corrigan reviews ‘This is Not About Us,’ by Allegra Goodman.
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Tayari Jones on friendship, writing, and choosing your ‘Kin’ Feb 24, 2026

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Eight years after her bestseller 'An American Marriage,' Tayari Jones has written a new novel, 'Kin,' set in the Jim Crow South. It follows two girls, Vernice and Annie, who grow up next door to each other without their mothers. That shared wound binds them and carries them through adulthood and across class lines. Jones says the idea for the book came from her own experience of losing a friend — and the particular kind of grief that the world doesn't always recognize. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about female friendship, growing up with civil rights activist parents, and the writing class that changed her life.'Kin' was just selected by Oprah’s Book Club.

Also, critic David Bianculli gives his take on the latest TV shows.
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Kate Hudson Feb 23, 2026

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Kate Hudson has had a hugely successful career as an actor and entrepreneur, but knew she'd always regret it if she didn't try her hand at music. Finally in 2024 she released her debut album, 'Glorious,' and got to share a whole other side of herself with the world. “I'm very happy with myself as a mother. Like I feel like I've made all the right mistakes and all the wrong mistakes,” she says. “But I couldn't say that about my art. And that would be my own personal sadness and regret, is that I didn't share my writings as a musician.” She spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley about taking the leap, her Oscar-nominated performance in 'Song Sung Blue,' and what she remembers from the set of 'Almost Famous.'
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Best Of: The life and legacy of Fela Kuti / Michael Pollan on consciousness Feb 21, 2026

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The Nigerian musician Fela Kuti used his music in the ‘70s as a weapon against colonial values and his country’s brutal dictatorship. The danceable music and political lyrics inspired a youth movement. Award-winning podcaster Jad Abumrad talks with Terry about his podcast series, ‘Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.’

Also, we hear from best-selling science journalist Michael Pollan. His new book ‘A World Appears’ asks how technology is changing our consciousness. “Consciousness is under siege,” he says. “I think that it’s the last frontier for these companies that want to sell our time and, of course, our time is our mind time.” Pollan also questions whether A.I. is capable of achieving consciousness.
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Remembering actor Robert Duvall & filmmaker Frederick Wiseman Feb 20, 2026

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The great actor Robert Duvall made his mark starring in epic movies and intimate dramas including ‘The Godfather,’ ‘Tender Mercies,’ ‘The Great Santini,’ and, of course, ‘Apocalypse Now.’ He died Sunday at age 95. We listen back to archival interviews from 1996 and 2010.

Also, the documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, whose approach was to choose a subject and capture it at great, revealing length, died Monday at age 96. His films include 'Titicut Follies,' 'Central Park,' 'Juvenile Court,' 'High School,' and 'Hospital.' He spoke with Terry Gross in 1986 about why he chose documentary as his medium.
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Michael Pollan’s journey to understand consciousness Feb 19, 2026

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Science journalist Michael Pollan has written extensively about the therapeutic benefits of mind-altering psychedelics. His new book, ‘A World Appears,’ asks, what is consciousness? “Consciousness has kind of become the secular substitute for the soul,” he tells Terry Gross. Pollan also talks about current studies on consciousness and whether plants and artificial intelligence have consciousness.
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A look at the ethical implications of AI Feb 18, 2026

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The AI chatbot Claude can help you write an email, challenge a hospital bill, or publish a novel. It was also reportedly used by the U.S. military in the operation that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. Now the Pentagon is threatening to cut ties with Anthropic, the company that built it, because it insists on keeping restrictions around autonomous weapons and mass surveillance. Journalist Gideon Lewis-Kraus spent months inside Anthropic, one of the world's most secretive AI companies, for a new piece in ‘The New Yorker,’ where he asks: What happens when the people who built the machine can't fully explain what it's doing? He spoke with Tonya Mosley.
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A daughter's rebellion against a regime and her father Feb 17, 2026

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Photojournalist Loubna Mrie grew up in Syria in a wealthy and abusive home. Her father was part of the regime, allegedly an assassin for Bashar al-Assad’s father. Loubna joined the Syrian revolution first as a protester and then as a photojournalist. She talks with guest interviewer Aarti Shahani about how her family and country fell apart, and lessons she brought to her new home in the U.S.. Her book is ‘Defiance: A Memoir of Awakening, Rebellion, and Survival in Syria.’

Later, John Powers reviews ‘Crime 101,’ a thriller starring Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry.
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