Founding Son: John Quincy's America

Ryan sits down with actor Taye Diggs for a deeply personal conversation about the drive to keep achieving — and what happens when you finally stop. Taye opens up about growing up around poverty and abuse, being bullied for his dark skin, and discovering a sense of belonging and possibility through theater. He looks back at joining the original cast of Rent, becoming an unexpected sex symbol in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the ambition that kept him chasing the next level even as his dreams were coming true. They explore how divorce and fatherhood upended the life he thought he had figured out, why even spirituality can become another form of striving, and the possibility that after a lifetime of searching, the next step isn’t another practice or achievement at all. Maybe it’s simply learning to stop, sit with what’s there, and hear the words: “Relax. You’re okay.”

Tell Ryan about yourself! https://wakingupwithryan.com/hello

Follow on Substack (@WakingUpWithRyan)

You can follow Ryan on Instagram (@wakingupwithryan), YouTube (@wakingupwithryanpod), or visit wakingupwithryan.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart ducked out of a White House event and commandeered an airplane. The First Lady and the first lady of aviation flew to Baltimore and back. The event was documented by journalists, and later recounted in books. But there was more to this spontaneous joyride that didn't make the papers. 

Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re two best friends having unfiltered conversations about the modern sh*t we all go through, with a rotating cast of top therapists to help us unpack it all. 

We’re not experts, just very curious, slightly unhinged, and can label our feelings (most of the time).

Come hang with us as we have the uncomfortable conversations about dating, love, sex, mental health, loneliness, friendships, grief and everything else that only Alex Cooper talks about.

Listen to Free Therapy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa star in the untold true story of how the New York Mafia exploited the aftermath of 9/11. Nearly 3,000 families lost loved ones that day, and a shocked world mourned alongside them. But for Five Families—the New York Mafia—the day meant something very different. While the world saw an unspeakable tragedy, they saw an opening: the business opportunity of a lifetime. They might have succeeded were it not for one dedicated and courageous cop. Because of him, many of the men involved were convicted and imprisoned. UnderGround Zero: 9/11 & The Mob is the shocking true story born in the immediate aftermath of 9/11—one that has never been told. Names of the guilty have been changed to protect the innocent.

Listen here and subscribe to UnderGround Zero: 9/11 & The Mob | Starring Michael Imperioli & Steve Schirripa on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People are strange. But Jim Morrison is no stranger to conspiracy theories. And we've got a juicy one! 

Well, we're in the history business (not the conspiracy business). So, this episode is all about the TRUTH behind The Doors. And, yes, you CAN handle the truth! 

In this episode, Disgraceland host Jake Brennan (enter shameless plug HERE) tells Bob how the father of Jim Morrison was a U.S. Navy admiral linked to one of the most controversial events in American history: the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

But did he really help start the Vietnam War? Well, this is the end ... of this conspiracy. 

We'll also dive into the mystery surrounding the death of Jim Morrison. Did he fake his own death? Was he connected to government secrets? And was he the Zodiac Killer? Wait, what?! 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comic Sans is a punchline. A design crime. Cultural shorthand for bad taste. But the notorious font's legacy isn't one of failure. Because Comic Sans succeeded in ways its critics never saw coming.

*

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Bess Lovejoy
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Editing and Sound Design by Jesse Nighswonger
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Bess Lovejoy
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Today's episode was produced in partnership with School of Humans. For School of Humans, Producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez. Executive Producer is Virginia Prescott.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did Americans always send their children to public school?

Not even close.

In this episode of American History Hotline, Bob calls up historian and author Dixie Dillon Lane to explore the surprising history of education in America. From colonial classrooms and the self-taught education of Abigail Adams to the rise of public schools, compulsory education laws, and the modern homeschooling movement, this conversation reveals how Americans have thought about learning for more than 250 years.

Why did reformers like Horace Mann champion public schools? How did immigration, industrialization, the Great Depression, and the Cold War transform education? And why are more families today choosing alternatives to traditional public schools?

Dixie's book is Skipping School: A History of American Homeschooling and How It Went Mainstream

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emma has never felt the sun on her skin. Born with a rare condition that makes UV light dangerous, she lives by sunscreen, meters, and moonlight. But she’s also part of a community finding extraordinary ways to make ordinary childhood possible. And thanks to new research, the future may actually be bright.

You can listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The average age of a U.S. Representative is in the 50s. In the Senate, it's in the 60s. Many Congressional members are also white and wealthy. And this is not representative of the country as a whole. So, what's keeping Congress from being more reflective of nation's population, and therefore, actually getting things done? So. Many. Things. 

Bob calls up political scientist Maya Kornberg, author of Stuck: How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress, to unpack why Congress feels frozen in place ... and how we can fix it. 

From campaign money and social media to political violence and the rise of “performative politics,” Maya explains why younger leaders struggle to break through. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What was it really like to come to America through Ellis Island? For millions of immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this little spit of land in New York Harbor was the gateway to a better future … IF they could pass a physical exam.

To get the real-life experience of coming through Ellis Island, Bob calls up historian Vincent Cannato (author of American Passage: The History of Ellis Island – A Sweeping Epic of Immigration at the Nation's Landmark Port of Entry).

From quick and dirty medical exams to some weird name changes, Cannato separates fact from fiction, and explains why Ellis Island is synonymous with American immigration.

We’ll also explore how Ellis Island marked a turning point in American immigration policy — with power shifting from the states to the federal government. And why is Ellis Island viewed with such nostalgia while Angel Island in San Francisco Bay is not?

We’ve got all that and more in this episode!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.