A guy tries to coax himself from one reality into another, while on national television.

A super-heated adult debate about trans kids lands in the life of an Alabama teenager named Finn.

A man in Mississippi tries to get his right to vote back. The state constitution provides a way to do that.

We test Jiayang Fan’s self-proclaimed special skill by having her listen to three Chinese-Americans speak, and then guss when they came to the U.S. (20 minutes)

An example of how this officer could be on the job.

Jahmal Williams stumbles on a clue about his grandmother’s history that answers a question he’s always had. (11 minutes) Video: The Williams family gets on the bus for their trip north in 1962. WJAR-TV Collection © Rhode Island Historical Society. Archival audio in the story: WPRI-TV Collection ©1962 WPRI-12, Nexstar Media Inc. Courtesy of the Rhode Island Historical Society.More from Gabrielle Emanuel on the Reverse Freedom Rides: The Cruel Story Behind the Reverse Freedom Rides The Long Journey North

Like a lot of parents, Yibin Li’s dad dedicated himself to making sure his daughter stayed on a path that would lead her to a better life than his. But the obstacles her dad had to surmount to achieve this are unlike those any parent anywhere has faced.

When Karla Cornejo Villavicencio decided to make a change that had the potential to alter who she’s known herself to be for many years, she didn’t know who would emerge. (17  minutes)

Clay Elder grew up Mormon, with a fear of outsiders. That changed on a visit to New York City.

Producer Chana Joffe-Walt tells the story of a woman who took it upon herself to do something in an effort to help, and was not well received. (8 minutes)

Chris Benderev speaks with writer Georgie Codd, who went searching for someone to be the father she never had.

As a joke, Jessica Williamson posts a fake “CAT FOUND” poster with pictures of a possum instead of a cat. To her surprise, she gets hundreds of phone calls that ultimately shift her view on humanity.

Mike McFarland tells Ira about trying to get a message to someone under the most critical deadline imaginable—emphasis on the “imagine.” (8  minutes)

A person cannot be summarized in a sentence.

Guest host Bim Adewunmi talks to Mona Chalabi about why she sometimes feels like an imposter in her own home.

Hamza and Brian visit Tahir Alam, the alleged mastermind of a plot to ‘Islamize’ Birmingham’s schools.

Comedian Casey Wilson’s mom was a stabilizing force in her family. So after her unexpected death, both Casey and her father felt devastated and unmoored.

Producer Aviva DeKornfeld tells the story of Bill Edgar, who accidentally ended up helping people have a say at a moment when most people don’t get to say anything at all.

Ira Glass introduces Nancy Updike, one of This American Life's founding producers.

Heyward Patterson was a deacon at the State Tabernacle Church of God in Christ. He was at Tops often where he worked as a jitney driver.

Is it possible for the U.S. to reach the goals set by the Paris Agreement? What steps would we have to take to cut emissions by 50% by 2030? We challenge climate researcher Melissa Lott to get us to that number. (11 minutes)

One evening last fall, Rachel McKibbens got a text from her younger brother, Peter. It read: “I’ve been too distraught to tell you, but Dad passed away today at 2:42 p.m.” She had no idea her father had even been sick, and no idea that her brother was also dying.