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The coronavirus may force you to stay at home for the next few weeks, but here's how to successfully wait out a pandemic. Bob Mondello, film critic for NPR, tells Sam what movies to catch up on while self-quarantined, with some tips for film-watching etiquette. And with more people working from home, Barrie Hardymon, senior editor at Weekend Edition, recommends shows, movies and games both parents and kids can enjoy. Then, Sam talks to Edgar Ortiz, a student at Berea College in Kentucky. Like millions of American students, Ortiz is facing the closure of his campus and preparing to finish the semester online. Sam also talks to reporter Trish Murphy, host of podcast Seattle Now, about what it's like to see an empty Seattle ⁠— America's coronavirus epicenter.

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Daniel Mallory Ortberg is the writer behind Slate's Dear Prudence advice column. But now in his new book, Something That May Shock and Discredit You, Ortberg writes about something closer to home: his journey of transition from Mallory to Daniel. He talks to Sam about his relationship with religion, the power of self-knowledge and being able to fully own who you are.

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It's an all-NPR show! Sam talks with two fellow correspondents about big stories in the news this week. Stacey Vanek Smith, co-host of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money, tells Sam about the "coronabump" — consumer goods and services that are seeing a spike in business because of the virus outbreak. And NPR's Quil Lawrence talks about the negotiated withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years at war. Then Sam talks to Shankar Vedantam, host of NPR's Hidden Brain, about how we can keep our fears of coronavirus in perspective.

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Pamela Adlon is the writer, star, director and co-creator of Better Things on FX. The television comedy-drama follows Adlon's character, Sam, as a divorced actress, raising three kids in Los Angeles. In real life, Adlon is a divorced actress, raising three kids in Los Angeles. Sam talks to Adlon about her career, seeing your parents as real-life people, and the awful, crazy, beautiful experience of being a parent yourself.

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The fast-moving coronavirus has turned up in more than 40 countries, and now it's affecting the global economy. Sam talks to two reporters from Marketplace about the financial impact of the virus. Marielle Segarra details how consumers might feel its consequences, while Reema Khrais, host of the podcast This Is Uncomfortable, explains how the US government is trying to respond. Then, Sam talks to Mark Cuevas, a contestant on the Netflix show Love Is Blind, about his time on the show. He follows up that conversation with Washington Post TV critic Hank Stuever, to break down the popularity of shows where contestants can't see each other.

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Nick Kroll is the co-creator of the raunchy animated Netflix hit Big Mouth. The show (and Kroll) are known for over the top, strange, yet totally relatable comedy. Now, Kroll is out with a new film in which he plays a romantic lead for the first time. Olympic Dreams was filmed at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. He tells Sam about making the movie and how it has a lot in common with Big Mouth.

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Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has been rising in the polls. He's spent more than $450 million on ads, but faced a big challenge Wednesday in his first presidential debate. This week, Sam talks to two journalists who have covered Bloomberg for years. Rosie Gray, a reporter for Buzzfeed News, says that his lackluster debate performance shows that there is a limit to the power of money on the campaign trail. Matt Flegenheimer, a national political reporter for The New York Times, details how Bloomberg is using his wealth to run a very different campaign than his competitors. Then, Sam revisits his reporting from Oakland last year on the realities of young people living with gun violence every day.

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R. Eric Thomas writes a column that is part news, part culture and part celebrity shade for Elle.com. But in his new book, "Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America," Thomas takes a look at his own life. He talks to Sam about his love of words, growing up as a gay black teenager and finding love in an unexpected place. Email the show at [email protected].

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The nation's first caucus and primary are in the rear-view mirror, and states around the country are second-guessing their election systems after the app used in the Iowa Caucus failed. Miles Parks, a reporter on NPR's Washington Desk, talks about how the state of Nevada is learning lessons from Iowa, including keeping the process slow so that results are certain. Libby Denkmann, senior politics reporter at member station KPCC, discusses how Los Angeles County is creating its own voting system — a hybrid of paper and electronic systems. Then, Sam talks with writer and architecture critic Kate Wagner about why a proposed rule from the Trump administration that would mandate "classical style" for new federal buildings is angering the design world.

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Listen up music composition nerds and music lovers! In this episode Sam is joined by Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding, co-hosts of the podcast Switched On Pop. They break down what makes a song: why certain pop songs become ear worms and what their form and structure mean for the future of music. Answers to those questions and more that will leave you singing along. Sloan and Harding's recent book is called Switched On Pop: How Popular Music Works and Why It Matters.

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