This American Life

10/13/2025

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

What happens when people create alternate versions of themselves and release them into the wild? Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Host Ira Glass talks about a recent experience being interviewed and the realization that he was being asked abo...

10/11/2025

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

10/06/2025

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.

When Zohran Mamdani won the primary race for New York mayor, the Democratic establishment's lukewarm response echoed the treatment of another charismatic, unconventional candidate decades earlier. This week, we bring you the story of Harold Washington, the greatest politician you've probably never h...

09/29/2025

Only a few days remian to get your application in for our next fellowship session. It's a paid position with benefits, and you'll observe and participate in all aspects of the show’s production. Deadline: Oct. 1.

Our fellowship program focuses on every facet of producing this show.

09/29/2025

A group called Improv Everywhere packs a small band's first NYC show with fake superfans to make their dreams come true. But the band doesn't experience it that way at all.

A bunch of us from our show went to refugee camps all over Greece. We found people falling in love, kids mad at their parents for dragging them to Europe, women doing their laundry in a baseball stadium locker room, and hundreds of people living at a gas station—sitting next to the pumps, smoking....

09/29/2025

Ira talks to author Lori Gottlieb about what happened after she sent a letter to a writer in a magazine. A letter packed with white lies.

A bunch of us from our show went to refugee camps all over Greece. We found people falling in love, kids mad at their parents for dragging them to Europe, women doing their laundry in a baseball stadium locker room, and hundreds of people living at a gas station—sitting next to the pumps, smoking....

09/26/2025

On the radio this weekend: Stories of people who try simple mind games on others, and then find themselves way in over their heads. https://bit.ly/3VzsXFl

09/25/2025

Become our Life Partner! Support the show and you’ll get ad-free listening, bonus content, and access to hundreds of archive episodes hand-picked by Ira Glass.

The economics of the podcast industry have changed, and we need your help to keep making the show. You can do that by becoming a Life Partner. What you’ll get out of the relationship: ad-free listening, exclusive bonus episodes, and our brand new Greatest Hits Archive – over 250 favorite episode...

09/22/2025

Immigration judges explain how different their jobs have become in the past few months because of sweeping policy changes by Trump’s Department of Justice.

A group of immigration judges, who almost never speak to the press, describes the dismantling of our immigration court system from the inside. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Zoe Chace gives an eyewitness account of what has been happening a...

09/20/2025

On the radio this weekend: A group of immigration judges, who almost never speak to the press, describes the dismantling of our immigration court system from the inside.

09/18/2025

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.

The economics of the podcast industry have changed, and we need your help to keep making the show. You can do that by becoming a Life Partner. What you’ll get out of the relationship: ad-free listening, exclusive bonus episodes, and our brand new Greatest Hits Archive – over 250 favorite episode...

09/16/2025

The Trump administration withheld $400M from Columbia until the university agreed to a settlement with specific conditions—including adopting a government-approved definition of antisemitism. Professors are asking: what does this actually mean for them and their classes this school year?

Things are different on college campuses this year. We see inside the drama, with students and staff. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: We go to orientation at Arizona State University and meet international students who are trying to make fri...