Host Ira Glass talks to Kathy from Hoboken, NJ, who has become obsessed with people who get away with parking violations in her town—where parking is scarce and parking laws are enforced vigilantly. Except when they aren't. (5 1⁄2 minutes)

Act One. Hard Times.

Studs Terkel, the Chicago reporter who recorded oral histories of ordinary Americans, died last week. We assembled a collection of his work from his Hard Times radio series, in which people talk about their experiences during the Depression—how everyone simultaneously became poor, regardless of their class.

You can listen to more of Studs Terkel's work here. (32 minutes)

Act Two. What a Difference an Election Day Makes.

Ira talks to Rev. Donald Sharp, of Faith Tabernacle Church in Chicago. Reverend Sharp, who is black, served in the segregated armed forces during World War II. Now, he sees Obama’s election very differently than his children and grandchildren do. They’re ecstatic, while he can't shake his suspicion that racism will persist in this country. (6 minutes)

Act Three. Putting the Cart Before the Porsche.

Sara was raised in a fancy suburban neighborhood with strict parents who liked to flaunt their wealth—with his and hers Porsches, for instance. But when Sara was 12, her mother and father sat her down in the den with her siblings, and told them that their father had done a terrible thing, and their lives were about to change forever. Sara told this story at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York. (12 minutes)

Song: "Diamond in the Back," Ludacris