A scientist who is used to organizing data starts tracking scientific meetings that seem to exist only on paper—meetings that might decide the fate of years of research. The NIH website shows one reality; the empty conference rooms tell another story.

Another labor and delivery nurse at UI Health, Clara, gets ready to deliver twins at her own hospital and receives an epidural. (19 minutes)

Two quick snapshots of life in the West Bank since October 7th. (6 minutes)

Editor Nancy Updike tries to make sense of this current moment by talking to a master of dark comedy, Armando Ianucci. (19 minutes)

Clara’s anesthesia is not working.

Connie Wang tells the story of a championship window she didn't realize she was in — until it was too late. (14 minutes)Connie is the author of the book Oh My Mother! We got the idea to do this story from Aaron Reiss.

Aviva DeKornfeld has the story of Leisha Hailey, who was certain she had the next million-dollar idea. (11 minutes)

A hardened PI works the toughest case of his very young life. (18 minutes)ALL IN: COMEDY ABOUT LOVE is written by Simon Rich and stars John Mulaney, Richard Kind, Fred Armisen, and Chloe Fineman.

Some people are great in a crisis. Others, not so much.

Two Americans moved to Eswatini when that country was the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic. With support from USAID, they built a clinic and started serving HIV+ patients.

Parking in a big city can be a real pain. Producer Valerie Kipnis speaks with a man who has taken it upon himself to try to mitigate the weekly hassle.

Ira meets two sisters who got into a fight, and then learned a lesson in turning the other cheek. (8 minutes)

Editor Susan Burton reflects on the ramp-up to an era that comes for so many of us. (9 minutes)

Producer Aviva DeKornfeld talks to Ranjani Srinivasan, who tells the story of how her life was transformed over five days via a series of events that started out confusing and escalated to frightening. (25 minutes)

Settler violence has worsened significantly in the West Bank since October 7, 2023.

Carissa and Kevin take matters into their own hands. (20 minutes)

We hear from Kwaneta Harris, a former nurse incarcerated in Texas, who is constantly asked for medical advice by her neighbors. (17 minutes)

Two college baseball teams with horrible losing streaks — a combined 141 games — are scheduled to play each other.

Comedian Josh Johnson wonders if some people should’ve been spanked as kids.

Mika’s parents, Carissa Heavy Runner and Kevin Howard, share recordings of their interactions with law enforcement. (8 minutes)

Comedian Mike Birbiglia talks about the questions his daughter asks him and how trying to answer them showed him surprising reflections of himself.  (15 minutes) This is an excerpt from Mike Birbiglia’s special, “The Good Life.”