Fresh Air

Latest Episodes:

Best Of: The life and legacy of Fela Kuti / Michael Pollan on consciousness Feb 21, 2026

Show notes

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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Remembering actor Robert Duvall & filmmaker Frederick Wiseman Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Michael Pollan’s journey to understand consciousness Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

A look at the ethical implications of AI Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

A daughter's rebellion against a regime and her father Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

The American Presidency, Redefined Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Jon Meacham talks with Dave Davies about Trump's impact on democracy. Meacham's latest book, ‘American Struggle,’ is a collection of speeches, letters and other original texts from 1619 to the present.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Best Of: Mixed Marriage Project / How Racism Costs Everyone Feb 14, 2026

Show notes

Dorothy Roberts’ father was a white anthropologist who studied interracial marriages and her mother was a Black woman from Jamaica. She always assumed her parents' relationship inspired her father’s scholarly focus, but that changed after he died, and she found boxes of interviews he conducted with interracial couples, dating back to the 1930s, decades before he met her mother. Robert's memoir is ‘The Mixed Marriage Project.’

We also hear from historian Heather McGhee. Her book, ‘The Sum of Us,’ examines a question at the heart of American life: Why do so many Americans believe that progress for one group means loss for another?

Also, David Bianculli talks about some TV shows he’s been catching up on.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

‘Sinners’ Songwriter Raphael Saadiq Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

Singer, songwriter, and producer Raphael Saadiq is known for his work as a member of Tony! Toni! Toné!, as a solo artist, and for his work producing and writing for artists like Solange, D’Angelo, Beyoncé, John Legend, and more. “I Lied to You,” the song he co-wrote for the film ‘Sinners,’ has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. He spoke with Tonya Mosley.

Also, we remember jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Ken Peplowski. His playing was influenced by classical techniques, swing and traditional jazz.
Justin Chang reviews Emerald Fennell’s ‘Wuthering Heights.’
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Fela Kuti and the music of political resistance Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

Considered the father of Afrobeat, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti used his music in the 1970s to combat colonial values and brutal dictatorship. Former Radiolab host Jad Abumrad tells his story in the podcast series, ‘Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.’ He spoke with Terry Gross.

Also, Fresh Air’s longtime executive producer Danny Miller is retiring. We close out the show with an appreciation and send-off from the staff.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Excavating the Epstein files Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

British journalist Vicky Ward first profiled sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 for Vanity Fair. The experience was so alarming and stressful that she went into labor with her twins at 30 weeks, two months early. More than 20 years later, Ward, still following the case, talks with Tonya Mosley about the fallout from the millions of publicly released documents, and why this story took so long to come out.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected