A history of the brief mayoral career of Harold Washington and its lessons for Black and white America, as told by people close to him. (39 minutes)Harold Washington died on November 25, 1987.  This show was first broadcast ten years later, in 1997.

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)

With the year coming to an end, someone is going to have to say, “You were right, and I was wrong.” Will it change anything? (16 minutes)This story is a collaboration with NPR's Embedded podcast, which released a three-part series about Zach and his father.

Ira joins Hamed on his Monday commute. He has to navigate a constantly changing series of checkpoints and roadblocks to get to work each day.

USAID was founded in 1961. Since then, it has spent hundreds of billions of dollars all over the world.

Ira Glass introduces the first episode of an inventive new podcast from longtime This American Life producer and editor Susan Burton.

As President Trump prepares to return to the Oval Office, producer Valerie Kipnis talks to Ukrainian soldiers on the front line who wonder about what his administration could mean for them. (14 minutes)

Just one box of a specially enriched peanut butter paste can save the life of a severely malnourished child.

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

A sixteen-year-old plans out a prank, and a complete stranger from Honduras ends up in a million-dollar deal. What could go wrong? (25 minutes)By Pablo Torre, adapted from his podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out.

The judges walk us through how different their jobs have become in just the past few months, because of sweeping policy changes by Trump’s Department of Justice.

Ira talks to producer Emmanuel Dzotsi, who brings the first exhibit into the studio with him: a chunk of concrete with some yellow paint on it.

We find someone brave enough to stand up and make a case FOR lying.

Emmanuel Dzotsi explores the phenomenon of people lying on first dates to project a better version of themselves.

Host Ira Glass talks with M. Gessen about a lie they've been seeing out in the world a lot recently — the “bully lie.” (15 minutes)M.

Clara’s anesthesia is not working.

Zach’s mother and sister weigh in on the agreement. (28 minutes)

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.

Ira Glass introduces Zach Mack’s story. (1 minute)

American doctors returning from Gaza compare notes and start to see a pattern. (28 minutes)

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

Editor David Kestenbaum speaks with Jeff Permar, who is trapped in a Groundhog Day situation — with an actual groundhog! (9 minutes)See more videos of the groundhog Chunk on Jeff’s YouTube channel.

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.