An unexpected death leaves survivors with a single relentless question: what happened? 

Three forensic experts share how they investigate the dead to bring clarity to the living.

Dr. Cori Breslauer, an associate medical examiner in Connecticut, describes the realities of autopsies, trauma, and truth-telling. Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, who pioneered forensic genetic genealogy, explains how investigators use DNA and family history to put a name to unidentified remains, and bring long-delayed answers to families.

And retired forensic pathologist Dr. Cindy Hoeflinger shares what it was like to spend a career giving families answers… until she needed answers herself.

Suggested episodes:

• Look For The Helpers: The Anatomy Of A Death 
• Views from the end: David Meyers
• The Quest For A Good Death

GUESTS: 

• Dr. Cori Breslauer: Associate Medical Examiner at Connecticut's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, specializing in forensic pathology
• Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick: Forensic genetic genealogist, founder of Identifinders International; she pioneered the use of genetic genealogy to solve cold cases
• Dr. Cindy Hoeflinger: Retired forensic pathologist who investigated sudden and unexplained deaths; she lost her 18-year-old son Brian in a drunk driving crash in 2013

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forget the typical meet-cute; this episode features individuals whose paths crossed in extraordinarily unique circumstances.

Alex and Sue Tatham met each other on the globally televised dating show "Blind Date" in the UK, leading to a wedding watched by millions.

Heather and Tony are Disney enthusiasts who found love across continents thanks to a dating site for fellow fans, MouseMingle.com

And after three years of chatting online, Robbie Romu and Avichai Sofer finally met… Only to have their relationship immediately tested by the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war during their first in-person meeting.

Suggested episodes:

• Audacious Love Playlist

GUESTS: 

• Alex & Sue Tatham: a couple who met on the British dating show Blind Date in 1988. Their wedding in 1991 was watched by 17 million people
• Heather & Tony Lash: Heather from Australia and Tony from Florida met through Mousemingle.com, a dating site for Disney fans, in 2015. They got married at Walt Disney World in 2018
• Robbie Romu & Avichai Sofer: Robbie from Canada and Avichai from Israel met on a dating site in 2020. Robbie traveled to Israel to meet Avichai in person for the first time on October 6, 2023, a day before the Israel-Hamas war began

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine being afraid of a pickle. Or a banana. Or a nub of bread.

That’s daily life for people with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). It's an eating disorder not driven by weight or body image, but by fear, sensory overwhelm, or low appetite. People with this condition experience real terror and powerful aversions to certain foods - far beyond picky eating. 

Clinical psychologist Dr. Evelyna Kambanis explains ARFID, who it affects, and how treatment helps people reclaim their lives. Andrew Luber (aka “ARFID Andrew”) shares his funny, blunt, and vulnerable attempts at food exposures online. And Danielle Meinert tells the story of carrying ARFID since toddlerhood, and the startling change she says came after a high-dose psilocybin experience. 

 

Resources:

National Eating Disorders Association - ARFIDAssociation of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated DisordersFamilies Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders

Suggested episodes:

• The hidden hunger of Pica: Stories from people who eat objects 
• Anorexia is complex. Two people talk frankly about their decades-long journeys 

 

GUESTS: 

• Dr. Evelyna Kambanis: Licensed clinical psychologist in the Eating Disorders Clinical & Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. She is involved in clinical care and research on ARFID
• Andrew Luber, aka ARFID Andrew: Los Angeles filmmaker and social media creator who documents food exposures with humor under the tagline, “Conquering my fear of food one laugh at a time”
• Danielle Meinert: Lived with ARFID for 27 years after a major shift in her relationship with food following ear surgery as a toddler. After years of trying traditional approaches, she described experiencing a dramatic change after a session using psilocybin

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How brave can a nine-year-old be?

We follow Lola Fraisse from Kidderminster, England, as she leaves home for six months to live with a host family in Lüneburg, Germany. She learns a new language, new rules, and new ways to see herself. Along the way, Lola grows her confidence, builds friendships, and even picks up a slight German accent!

We also hear from Lola’s mom, Jennie, who did a childhood exchange herself and knows exactly what this kind of leap can set in motion for a life. And we meet Sylvie, Lola’s host mom, on welcoming a child into your family, and then saying goodbye. 

After Lola returns to England, the story flips: her exchange sister Hanna comes to stay, and the girls describe what it’s like to become sisters on purpose.

 

Suggested episodes:

• Francesca Abroad: Following an American high school student’s year in Sarajevo 
• Salaar Stateside! Following a Pakistani high school student’s year in the US 

 

GUESTS: 

• Lola Fraisse: a girl from Worcestershire, England, who embarked on a student exchange in Germany for six months when she was nine years old through the ALLEF program
• Jennie Fraisse: Lola’s mother, who was an exchange student herself at a young age. Her family hosted Lola’s exchange partner, Hanna
• Hanna Michaelis: a girl from Northern Germany and Lola’s exchange partner. Hanna’s family hosted Lola for six months, and Hanna spent six months in England with Lola’s family 
• Sylvie Michaelis: Hanna’s mother and Lola’s host mom

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After cancer, one woman swam farther than anyone ever had in a lake. Another ran 104 marathons in 104 days on a carbon-fiber running blade.

Marathon swimmer Sarah Thomas returned to the water following aggressive breast cancer and went on to complete multiple record-setting open-water swims. 

And Jacky Hunt-Broersma lost her leg to bone cancer, then redefined endurance one marathon at a time.

Their stories are about ambition, adaptation, and the audacity to ask the body for more.

 

Suggested episodes:

• From wingsuit BASE jumping to record-breaking South Pole expeditions with Ellen Brennan Frat and Liv Arnesen
• What a runner’s high feels like when you’re 105 years old
• What it’s like to be allergic to water
• Below the surface: The stories behind underwater world records 

 

GUESTS: 

• Sarah Thomas: marathon swimmer who holds multiple world records for the longest current-neutral swims ever completed, including a 104.6-mile swim in Lake Champlain. After aggressive breast cancer treatment, she returned to the water and became the first person to complete four consecutive crossings of the English Channel
• Jacky Hunt-Broersma: an ultrarunner and amputee who lost her left leg to bone cancer at age 26. In 2022, she ran 104 marathons in 104 consecutive days on a carbon-fiber running blade, setting a Guinness World Record and raising nearly $200,000 to help other amputees access running prosthetics. Her memoir, Duct Tape and Determination: A True Story of Turning Devastation into Grit, is coming out in August 2026 

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet two men who survived suicide attempts, and built lives around helping others imagine a future beyond despair. 

Kevin Hines, one of the few to survive a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge, reflects on the instant regret, the long recovery, and the tools he uses when “brain pain” returns - recorded just days before the 25th anniversary of his attempt. 

Then, Connecticut therapist Steve MacHattie shares what it means to live with chronic suicidal urges, after his first attempt at six years old, and how reaching for connection can change the outcome. 

Resources:

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline  
• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741
• Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board
• In an emergency, please call or text 911

 

Suggested episodes:

• 911, What's Your Emergency? Tales From Dispatch
• Finding purpose in life after accidentally killing someone
• What it's like surviving a plane crash
• Equine therapy

 

GUESTS: 

• Kevin Hines: suicide attempt survivor, author, film producer, and mental health advocate. At 19, he survived a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge. Over the past 25 years, he has dedicated himself to suicide prevention, sharing his story to reduce stigma and help people through moments of crisis. Kevin is the author of Cracked, Not Broken, The Art of Being Broken, and The Art of Wellness, hosts the HINESIGHTS podcast, and was a leading voice in the effort to install safety nets on the Golden Gate Bridge. His latest documentary, Death Bridge, is set to be released in 2027
• Steve MacHattie: a suicide attempt survivor, clinical social worker (LCSW), and founder of the Charter Oak Family Center in Manchester, Connecticut. He first attempted suicide at six years old, and today he supports clients ages 5 to 105 and serves as co-chair of the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board’s Lived Experience Committee. He also writes poetry used in clinical trainings to help care providers see the humanity and strength in the people they serve

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TV shows and movies set in places like field offices, courtrooms and hospitals entertain us, sure... But they also tell us something - about crime, medicine, danger, and heroism. So who makes sure they don’t get it wrong? 

Meet three entertainment consultants whose real jobs exist far beyond the screen: a former FBI profiler behind Criminal Minds, an ER doctor, who advised on The Pitt, and NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, who worked on the Amazon film Space Cadet. 

They reveal what Hollywood gets right, what it often misses, and the surprising responsibility that comes with shaping what millions of people believe.

Suggested episodes:

• Behind The Screens: Hollywood Hairstyling, Coordinating Intimacy, And Illustrating The Great British Bake Off 
• Becoming fluent in English by watching 3 hours of American and British television every day
• Behind The Screens: Dressing Schitt’s Creek, Special Effects Make-Up, and Casting Queer Eye 
• Stunt performers David Holmes and Jonathan Goodwin on life after paralysis 
• When actors teach: Embodying the lives of an enslaved woman and a medical patient 
• Who decides? Ethicists help doctors and patients answer big, nuanced questions 

 

GUESTS: 

• Jim Clemente: Former FBI special agent and prosecutor, who spent more than 20 years working in criminal behavioral profiling and became an entertainment consultant, writer, and producer on the Criminal Minds series
• Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah: Emergency medicine physician, EMS medical director, and educator, who also serves as a medical consultant for the Emmy Award-winning HBO series, The Pitt
• Nicole Stott: NASA astronaut, engineer, artist, and author, who spent more than 100 days living and working in space. She also consults on film and television, including the Amazon movie Space Cadet

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet two influential voices in autism advocacy whose lives and work have reshaped how the world understands neurodiversity. 

Dr. Temple Grandin - a scientist, author, and animal behavior expert - reflects on growing up autistic, thinking in pictures, and building a career by leaning into the way her mind works. 

And Dr. Kerry Magro, an autism advocate, speaker, and consultant on Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, shares his path from being nonverbal to becoming a public voice for autism, and why accurate representation can change lives.

Suggested episode:

• A conversation with 12 year-old Sophie Rupolo, who has Williams Syndrome, and her mom

GUESTS: 

• Dr. Temple Grandin: Scientist, author, and professor whose work in animal behavior has transformed livestock handling around the world. Her life and thinking were introduced to a global audience through the HBO film Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes, and through her books, including Thinking in Pictures, which helped change how autism is understood by clinicians, families, and the public
• Dr. Kerry Magro: Autism advocate, professional speaker, and author who was nonverbal until age 2.5 and did not speak in complete sentences until age 7. He is a consultant on Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum and works with schools, companies, and media organizations to challenge stereotypes and promote accurate, human portrayals of autistic lives

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some rituals are spiritual. Some are silly. Some are inherited, and some are self-made.

Casper ter Kuile, author of The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices, walks us through how we create all sorts of meaningful, grounding rituals.

And you'll hear clips from past two years of Audacious guests who have shared the rituals that matter most to them, from morning journaling and bedtime affirmations to pre-show sign-slapping.

Whether you've already got your rituals down pat, or are still developing your own special routine, this episode shows you how to honor the sacred in the everyday.

This episode originally aired on May 17, 2025.

Suggested episodes:

• Forgiveness: How we define it and how it defines us 
• Life advice, one Audacious guest at a time
• Kitchen objects with a story. Listen at your own whisk
• Why you so salty? The anger episode
• Change Of Art: Stories About Tattoo Coverups
• Awe yeah! Exploring the magic of mind-blowing moments

GUESTS: 

• Casper ter Kuile: author of The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices. He holds Master's degrees in Divinity and Public Policy from Harvard University, and is a co-founder of Sacred Design Lab. He also co-hosts the podcast, Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
• Audacious guests who shared their personal rituals (in order of appearance): Dean Edwards, Jessica Jin, Kristen Geez, Anna Holland, Lena Khalal Tuffaha, Chris Crowe, Bruce W Brackett, Moon Ribas, Azie Dungey, Pony Tromper, Mary Elizabeth Kelly, Paul Marcarelli, Brad White, Begoña Gómez Urzaiz, Dr. Gale Ridge, Mehdi Hasan, Stephanie Courtney, Rosanna Ramos, Sonya Horton, Greg Viloria, Ronnie “Woo Woo” Wickers, Zarna Garg, Jada Star, Luis Mojica, RoseMarie Wallace, Mindy Glickman, David Roche, Paul Gladis, and Arwen, Aidan, and Willow Gladis Perez-Sauquillo     

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when a mother can’t raise her children? Not out of neglect, but because systems, partners, and survival leave her no real choice?

This episode challenges the assumptions we place on “non-custodial mothers.” Rebekah Spicuglia explains how immigration rules, economic pressure, and unequal power led to her relinquishing custody of her son, Oscar, and how she channels her grief after his murder into research on gun violence and family separation.

And from Cameroon, Marie Abanga shares why escaping abuse meant leaving her three young sons behind.

For a full transcript of this episode, click here.

Suggested episodes:

• Life after Parkland: A victim's dad turns to art and activism
• The weight of family secrets: Finding freedom in the truth
• The reality of 'Forever Parenting' when your child needs lifetime care

GUESTS: 

• Rebekah Spicuglia: bereaved mother, writer, advocate, and PhD student in Health Policy & Management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She focuses on gun violence and family separation, drawing on her own lived experience to inform her work
• Marie Abanga: Cameroonian author and mental health advocate whose 2011 decision to give up custody of her children guides her mission to support others facing loss, stigma, and recovery

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.