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773
June 17, 2022

The Longest Distance Between Two Points

Getting from A to B via Z.

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Peter Ryan

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

Prologue

Prologue

Ira talks with Cassidy, a 10-year-old who has to take a very long route when he encounters an unfamiliar word in a book. (6 minutes)

By Ira Glass
Act One

Voter...Reformed

A man in Mississippi tries to get his right to vote back. The state constitution provides a way to do that. But it's a long road. You have to get your own personal bill passed by the house and senate. Reporter Johnny Kauffman follows one man trying to do just that. (23 minutes)

By Johnny Kauffman; Produced by David Kestenbaum
Act Two

Ill Communication

Yang Yi, in China, tells the story of a strange journey he took that started at home and ended at home.  But somehow took a very long path. Yang Yi’s podcast is called Go LIVE. (17 minutes)

By Yang Yi; Produced by Emanuele Berry
Act Three

The Roe Less Traveled

For most of their history, salmon were born upstream and swam to the ocean before coming back as adults to spawn. But humans have disrupted the route the salmon take to the ocean. Writer Jaime Lowe loves salmon and got a look at the unnerving solution we’ve devised to try to get these fish where they need to go. (9 minutes)

Jaime Lowe is the author of Breathing Fire: Female Inmate Firefighters on the Front Lines of California’s Wildfires.

Note: Thanks to everyone who wrote in to say the local pronunciation of "Mokelumne River" is more like this. 

By Jaime Lowe; Produced by Alix Spiegel

Song:

“I’ll Take the Long Road” by Naomi Shleton & The Gospel Queens

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