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700
April 10, 2020

Embiggening

Sometimes a sketch of a thing needs filling in for its true significance to be known.

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Juan Bernabeu

Note: The internet version of this episode contains un-beeped curse words. BEEPED VERSION.

Prologue

Prologue

A nurse giving instructions to her partner in case she dies from COVID-19; a brother and sister talking every day, all of a sudden. (9 minutes)

We first heard about nurse Elise Barrett in a story by Eric Boodman for STAT.

By

Ira Glass
Act One

I Can’t Be Your Hero, Baby

The stories of undocumented people so often sound cliche. Writer Karla Cornejo Villavicencio has heard all of them, and thought she could do better. (23 minutes)

By

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Song:

“Separation Anxiety” by Mutts
Act Two

Popular Vote

The discovery of new information casts a new light on a high school competition. Producer Sean Cole talks to some of the people involved, more than a decade later. (16 minutes)

By

Sean Cole

Song:

“High School” by MC5
Act Three

Tunnel Vision

A mysterious tunnel in Toronto leads to wild public speculation. Nick Kohler tells Ira the story behind the tunnel, which he wrote about for MacLean’s. (10 minutes)

By

Ira Glass

Song:

“Tell me Everything” by Jim Liban & Joel Paterson Trio

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Act Three: When the Cat’s Away, the Mouse, He Can Run Around

Senator Jeff Flake breaks from the plan and speaks openly about the bipartisan DACA proposal to the media before the president has a chance to sell the deal himself.
705: Time Out
May 22, 2020

Act One: Friday Night Floodlights

Lisa Pollak tells the story of a high school football team in Mississippi getting ready to play its first game just a month after Hurricane Katrina upended everything.
231: Time to Save the World
Feb. 7, 2003

Act Two: Heather Help Me

Jessica Riddle reports on how, as a teenager, she and her friends would pick up the phone and dial the letters of the name "Heather" and talk to the old man who'd pick up the phone.

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In Dog We Trust (2000)

Exactly how much are the animals that live in our home caught up in everyday family dynamics?

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Nov. 12, 2010

Petty Tyrant

The rise and fall of a school maintenance man in Schenectady, New York who terrorized his staff and got away with it for decades.

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This American Life is produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago and delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange.

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