Welcome to September. Public media has had a rough summer. On July 18th, Congress passed the Rescissions Act of 2025, which eliminated $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Then on August 1st, CPB announced they would be winding down operations.

When folks talk about these cuts, they usually talk about the vital public services public media provides, such as emergency alerts. But we'd be remiss if we didn't also talk about how NPR is an audio storytelling powerhouse. Throughout the month, we've partnered with our friends at NPR to present four pieces that represent the breadth and depth of their incredible reporting.

We hope you enjoy.

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Dinosaurs, Carl Sagan, and nuclear war. There was a moment in the not-so-distant past when we learned what drove the dinosaurs extinct — and that discovery, made during the Cold War, may have helped save humans from the same fate. In this episode, we'll take a journey from prehistoric times to the nuclear age and explore how humans contend with fears of the end.

To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.