Fresh Air

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Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.

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Iran's Secret Influence On ...

01.16.2020

'Intercept' Senior National Security Correspondent James Risen says new documents show how Iran has embedded itself in the politics of its neighbor, Iraq — and that the late Gen. Soleimani oversaw Iran's proxy wars in Iraq and Syria. Also, TV ...

Fresh Air episodes:

01.16.2020 Iran's Secret Influence On Iraq 'Intercept' Senior National Security Correspondent James Risen says new documents show how Iran has embedded itself in the politics of its neighbor, Iraq — and that the late Gen. Soleimani oversaw Iran's proxy wars in Iraq and Syria. Also, TV ...
01.15.2020 Martin Scorsese Scorsese's latest film, 'The Irishman,' is up for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture and best director. He spoke with Terry Gross about death, redemption and his biggest flop. Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews the WWI epic '1917.'
01.14.2020 The 'Fixers' That Created President Trump Reporters Joe Palazzolo and Michael Rothfeld won a Pulitzer for their investigation of Trump's 2016 hush money payments to Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels. Their new book is 'The Fixers: The Bottom-feeders, Crooked Lawyers, Gossipmongers, and Porn Stars ...
01.13.2020 The Murderous Coup of 1898 & The Rise of White Supremacy In the 1890s, Wilmington, N.C. was a mixed-race community with a thriving black middle class, black aldermen and police officers, and a black newspaper. White supremacists saw this as an abomination, and plotted a bloody purge around the 1898 election. ...
01.11.2020 Best Of: 'Joker' Dir. Todd Phillips / Andrea Bernstein on 'American Oligarchs' 'Joker' is an origin story for the villain in the Batman series, but director Todd Phillips says it's not a comic book movie. "It really started as an experiment, so to speak. ... Maybe you could get one of those ...
01.10.2020 Remembering 'Graduate' Screenwriter Buck Henry Buck Henry, who died Jan. 8, co-wrote the film 'Get Smart' with Mel Brooks and made regular appearances as a guest host on 'Saturday Night Live' in the show's early years. He spoke with Terry Gross in 1997 at the ...
01.09.2020 The Future Of America's Contest With China 'New Yorker' staff writer Evan Osnos says that China is building up its military, and Pentagon analysts now believe it could defeat U.S. forces in a confrontation along its borders. "China is the big story we don't talk about every ...
01.08.2020 The Trumps & Kushners, 'American Oligarchs' Author Andrea Bernstein, co-host of the podcast 'Trump, Inc.' and the author of the new book 'American Oligarchs' talks with Terry Gross about the family histories of both the Trumps and the Kushners, and their "marriage of money and power." ...
01.07.2020 'Boys & Sex' Peggy Orenstein's new book, 'Boys & Sex,' is based on extensive interviews with more than 100 college and college-bound boys between the ages of 16 and 22. "When I was doing ['Girls & Sex'] the kind of core issue with ...
01.06.2020 'Joker' Director Todd Phillips 'Joker' is an origin story for the villain in the Batman series, but director Todd Phillips says it's not a comic book movie. "It really started as an experiment, so to speak. ... Maybe you could get one of those ...
01.04.2020 Jordan Peele / Francis Ford Coppola We close out our 'Best of the Decade' series with two of our favorite film directors. Jordan Peele made his directorial debut in 2017 with the "social thriller" 'Get Out.' Francis Ford Coppola, also spoke with Terry Gross in 2017 ...
01.03.2020 Patti Smith / Bruce Springsteen Our Best of the Decade series continues with two music icons. First, Patti Smith spoke with Terry Gross in 2010 about 'Just Kids,' her memoir about her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. And then we listen back to part of ...
01.02.2020 Ta-Nehisi Coates / Toni Morrison Our Best of the Decade series continues with two of the most influential writers of our time. In 2015, Coates discussed his book 'Between the World and Me.' Formatted as a letter to his son, Coates writes about the different ...
01.01.2020 In Concert: Carolina Chocolate Drops / Catherine Russell / Jon Batiste Our Best of the Decade series continues with three music interviews. Carolina Chocolate Drops are a old-time string band from Durham, N.C. Jazz singer Catherine Russell sang back-up for Paul Simon, David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Jon Batiste is the ...
12.31.2019 Howard Stern / Joan Rivers Our Best of the Decade series continues with two irreverent New Yorkers. Stern, the "King of All Media," spoke with Terry Gross this year about how he evolved from his early shock-jock days. Also, we listen back to a 2010 ...
12.30.2019 Anthony Bourdain / Columnist David Carr Our Best of the Decade series continues with two giants of the media world we lost too soon. Chef-turned-travel-host Anthony Bourdain took us around the world with CNN's 'Parts Unknown.' He died in 2018. David Carr was the media columnist ...
12.30.2019 Best Of: Adam Sandler & Safdie Bros. On 'Uncut Gems' / Best TV Of 2019 Adam Sandler plays a jewelry store owner who's deep in debt in a new thriller, 'Uncut Gems,' by writer/directors Josh and Benny Safdie. The movie was inspired by the brothers' father, who worked in the NYC diamond district. John Powers ...
12.27.2019 Lin-Manuel Miranda On 'Hamilton' / 'Book Of Mormon' Creators Trey Parker & Matt Stone As part of our Best of the Decade series, we listen back to interviews about two Broadway phenomena. First we hear from 'Hamilton' creator Lin-Manuel Miranda about how his "mixed tape" musical came together. And we revisit to our interview ...
12.26.2019 Meryl Streep / Carrie Fisher This week, we are listening back to some of our favorite interviews from the past decade. We listen back to our 2012 and 2016 interviews with Meryl Streep. Also, Carrie Fisher spoke with Terry Gross about 'The Princess Diarist,' her ...
12.25.2019 Rosemary Clooney In Concert To celebrate Christmas, we listen back to a concert given by the late singer and actress in 1997. Clooney spoke with Terry Gross about her childhood, being on the road as a young performer with her sister, and working with ...
12.24.2019 A Roots & Rockabilly Holiday Concert Singer-songwriter JD McPherson never thought he'd make a Christmas album. Then, he says, "I got a bug in my ear." He and his band perform live in studio from 'Socks,' and McPherson talks about growing up on a cattle farm ...
12.23.2019 2019 In TV & Film TV critic David Bianculli and film critic Justin Chang sit down with Terry Gross to share their top 10 lists and talk about larger themes. And John Powers shares his "Ghost List," the books, TV, music and movies he didn't ...
12.21.2019 Best Of: Charlize Theron / Best Albums Of 2019 / Julie Andrews Charlize Theron's new film, 'Bombshell,' follows the women of Fox News who accused then-CEO Roger Ailes of sexual harassment. She talks about playing former Fox anchor Megyn Kelly and growing up in apartheid-era South Africa. Rock critic Ken Tucker shares ...
12.20.2019 Author Investigates His Family Ties To Jimmy Hoffa's Disappearance Jack Goldsmith's memoir 'In Hoffa's Shadow' centers on his investigation into his stepfather's involvement in the 1975 disappearance of mob-connected labor leader Jimmy Hoffa. Hoffa is portrayed by Al Pacino in Martin Scorsese's new Netflix film 'The Irishman.' (Originally broadcast ...
12.19.2019 Adam Sandler & The Safdie Bros. On 'Uncut Gems' Sandler plays a jewelry store owner who's deep in debt in a new thriller by writer/directors Josh and Benny Safdie. The movie was inspired by the brothers' father, who worked in the NYC diamond district.
12.18.2019 The 'Fundamentally Flawed' War In Afghanistan After a 3-year legal battle, 'The Washington Post' obtained a trove of government documents, unpublished notes and interviews that reveals U.S. officials misled the public about the course of the war. 'Post' reporter Craig Whitlock says candid comments by American ...
12.17.2019 Julie Andrews & Her Daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton Andrews talks about her career and family life with Terry Gross. "It was what it was: Chaotic, loving, crazy, wonderful, terrible," she says. She's joined by her eldest daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, who reflects on what it was like growing ...
12.16.2019 Charlize Theron Theron has direct experience with what she calls the "psychological damage" of sexual harassment. Her new film, 'Bombshell,' follows the women of Fox News who accused then-CEO Roger Ailes of inappropriate behavior. Theron talks about transforming her face to play ...
12.14.2019 Best Of: What happens To Stuff You Donate? / 'Maisel' Actor Alex Borstein "Your average thrift store in the United States only sells about one third of the stuff that ends up on its shelves," Adam Minter says. "The rest of the stuff ends up somewhere else." His book, 'Secondhand,' follows the things ...
12.13.2019 Comic Wanda Sykes Before Sykes became a comic, she worked at the NSA and had top security clearance. Now she takes on the president in her Emmy-nominated Netflix special 'Not Normal.' (Originally broadcast Aug. 2019.) Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Bernardine Evaristo's ...
12.12.2019 Medicare For All, Explained 'New York Times' investigative reporter Sarah Kliff talks about the costs and challenges of switching to a universal healthcare system — and what it might mean to eliminate private insurance entirely. "There's this whole infrastructure of healthcare that other countries ...
12.11.2019 Conan O'Brien O'Brien recently switched up the format of his late-night show, and has launched the second season of his podcast, 'Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend.' He says the name of his podcast is a joke — sort of. "Sometimes when you're ...
12.10.2019 Trump & His Generals CNN analyst Peter Bergen reflects on Trump's soured relationships with Generals Mattis, McMaster and Kelly. "He's gotten rid of the most competent people he had in his circle," Bergen says. "Trump is now running his cabinet like he ran his ...
12.09.2019 'Maisel' Actor Alex Borstein Borstein's won back-to-back Emmys for playing a tough, street-wise talent manager on the Amazon series, 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.' She says the character reminds her of her mother and grandmother. She talks about her roles on 'Mad TV,' 'Getting On,' ...
12.07.2019 Best Of: Edward Norton / 10 Best books / David Harbour Edward Norton wrote, directed and stars in the film noir 'Motherless Brooklyn,' about a private investigator with Tourette's syndrome who discovers corruption in the world of New York City planning. He talks about the movie and his own personal connection ...
12.06.2019 Symphony Conductor M. Tilson Thomas This weekend Tilson Thomas will receive the Kennedy Center Lifetime Artistic Achievement award. He spoke with Terry Gross in 1995 and 2012 about his work and growing up in the theater. Also we remember Mary Previte, who worked for 30 ...
12.05.2019 What Ukraine's President Thinks Of Trump, Putin & The Impeachment Hearings After six months in office, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky is "quite cynical" and feels "there are no reliable allies," journalist Simon Shuster says. Shuster recently interviewed Zelensky for 'Time.' Also, John Powers reviews the French film, 'Portrait of a Lady ...
12.04.2019 What Happens To The Stuff You Donate? "Your average thrift store in the United States only sells about one third of the stuff that ends up on its shelves," Adam Minter says. "The rest of the stuff ends up somewhere else." His book, 'Secondhand,' follows the things ...
12.03.2019 Living At The 'Interface Of Life And Death' When BJ Miller was a college sophomore he was out late with some friends and climbed onto a parked commuter train. In a freak accident, he was electrocuted and eventually lost both legs below the knee and half of one ...
12.02.2019 'Stranger Things' Actor David Harbour Harbour talks about working alongside teen actors in 'Stranger Things,' and his bipolar disorder. "Acting allowed me to channel this neurosis into a character," he tells 'Fresh Air' producer Sam Briger. Harbour plays the skeptical police chief of a sleepy ...
11.30.2019 Best Of: Novelist Kevin Wilson / Actor Willem Dafoe For novelist Kevin Wilson, Tourette's syndrome means living with intrusive thoughts that flash disturbing images without warning. His novel, 'Nothing to See Here,' was inspired by visions of people bursting into flames. Wilson talks about his experience of Tourette's and ...
11.29.2019 Director Marielle Heller On Mister Rogers & Telling Kids The Truth "He wasn't afraid of any of the hardest parts of childhood," Marielle Heller says. Her film, 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,' centers on Fred Rogers' unlikely friendship with a cynical journalist. Heller talks about casting Tom Hanks as Rogers, ...
11.28.2019 Prince's Co-Writer Reflects On Posthumous Memoir Prince died in 2016, leaving behind an unfinished memoir. Dan Piepenbring, his co-writer, recalls the moment he knew he could make 'The Beautiful Ones' happen — even in Prince's absence. (Originally aired Oct 28, 2019)
11.27.2019 Actor Edward Norton Norton wrote, directed and stars in the film noir 'Motherless Brooklyn,' about a private investigator with Tourette's syndrome who discovers corruption in the world of New York City planning. Urban planning is a subject Norton is passionate about. His grandfather ...
11.26.2019 Inside the Steele Dossier & The Fusion GPS Investigation Of Trump During the 2016 campaign, Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch hired former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele to investigate Donald Trump's involvement with Russia. Their new book is 'Crime in Progress.' Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews the thriller 'Knives Out.'
11.25.2019 Prisoners Find Rehabilitation & Hope In 'College Behind Bars' A new PBS documentary series follows prisoners who earn college degrees from the Bard Prison Initiative while serving time in maximum security. Director Lynn Novick and graduates Sebastian Yoon and Dyjuan Tatro talk about how the program changes lives.
11.23.2019 Best Of: Marielle Heller On 'Mister Rogers' / Robert Pattinson "[Fred Rogers] wasn't afraid of any of the hardest parts of childhood," Marielle Heller says. Her film, 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,' centers on Fred Rogers' unlikely friendship with a cynical journalist. Heller talks about casting Tom Hanks as ...
11.22.2019 Leonard Cohen The Poet, Writer, And Father Leonard Cohen died in 2016, leaving behind many unpublished poems and lyrics. His son Adam Cohen discusses 'The Flame,' a collection of some of Leonard's final works. Adam remembers when his father was composing his best known song, Hallelujah. "It ...
11.21.2019 Foreign Influence On U.S. Politics / Inside 'The Dark Crystal' The Trump administration's pressure on Ukraine is the center of the impeachment inquiry, but foreign influence expert Ben Freeman says the influence also worked in the opposite direction. "I think in 2020 we are going to see a level of ...
11.20.2019 Director Marielle Heller On Mister Rogers & Telling Kids The Truth "He wasn't afraid of any of the hardest parts of childhood," Marielle Heller says. Her film, 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,' centers on Fred Rogers' unlikely friendship with a cynical journalist. Heller talks about casting Tom Hanks as Rogers, ...

Older episodes

Fresh Air

What's Fresh Air about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Fresh Air episodes:

Iran's Secret Influence On Iraq

Martin Scorsese

The 'Fixers' That Created President Trump

The Murderous Coup of 1898 & The Rise of White Supremacy

Best Of: 'Joker' Dir. Todd Phillips / Andrea Bernstein on 'American Oligarchs'

Remembering 'Graduate' Screenwriter Buck Henry

The Future Of America's Contest With China

The Trumps & Kushners, 'American Oligarchs'

'Boys & Sex'

'Joker' Director Todd Phillips

Jordan Peele / Francis Ford Coppola

Patti Smith / Bruce Springsteen

Ta-Nehisi Coates / Toni Morrison

In Concert: Carolina Chocolate Drops / Catherine Russell / Jon Batiste

Howard Stern / Joan Rivers

Anthony Bourdain / Columnist David Carr

Best Of: Adam Sandler & Safdie Bros. On 'Uncut Gems' / Best TV Of 2019

Lin-Manuel Miranda On 'Hamilton' / 'Book Of Mormon' Creators Trey Parker & Matt Stone

Meryl Streep / Carrie Fisher

Rosemary Clooney In Concert

A Roots & Rockabilly Holiday Concert

2019 In TV & Film

Best Of: Charlize Theron / Best Albums Of 2019 / Julie Andrews

Author Investigates His Family Ties To Jimmy Hoffa's Disappearance

Adam Sandler & The Safdie Bros. On 'Uncut Gems'

The 'Fundamentally Flawed' War In Afghanistan

Julie Andrews & Her Daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton

Charlize Theron

Best Of: What happens To Stuff You Donate? / 'Maisel' Actor Alex Borstein

Comic Wanda Sykes

Medicare For All, Explained

Conan O'Brien

Trump & His Generals

'Maisel' Actor Alex Borstein

Best Of: Edward Norton / 10 Best books / David Harbour

Symphony Conductor M. Tilson Thomas

What Ukraine's President Thinks Of Trump, Putin & The Impeachment Hearings

What Happens To The Stuff You Donate?

Living At The 'Interface Of Life And Death'

'Stranger Things' Actor David Harbour

Best Of: Novelist Kevin Wilson / Actor Willem Dafoe

Director Marielle Heller On Mister Rogers & Telling Kids The Truth

Prince's Co-Writer Reflects On Posthumous Memoir

Actor Edward Norton

Inside the Steele Dossier & The Fusion GPS Investigation Of Trump

Prisoners Find Rehabilitation & Hope In 'College Behind Bars'

Best Of: Marielle Heller On 'Mister Rogers' / Robert Pattinson

Leonard Cohen The Poet, Writer, And Father

Foreign Influence On U.S. Politics / Inside 'The Dark Crystal'

Director Marielle Heller On Mister Rogers & Telling Kids The Truth

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