“The Journey,” an audio investigation hosted by the New Yorker staff writer Ava Kofman, unravels the mystery of how Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, a wealthy Los Angeles couple, obtained dozens of children through nearly as many surrogates—and exposes a scandal that threatens to undermine the entire surrogacy industry.
In Episode 1, "Gifts," a woman in Texas agrees to carry a child for the couple. She thinks she’s helping a family in need. Then, she becomes a whistleblower.
In the Dark is an acclaimed investigative-journalism podcast that launched in 2016. Its third season won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for audio.
To keep listening to "The Journey," search for In the Dark wherever you get your podcasts.

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Repeat: Tracee Ellis Ross’ earliest memories involved traveling the world with her mother, Diana Ross, but it was at the age of 22 that she discovered what solo travel could give her. This episode, Lale sits down with Tracee  to discuss how solo travel can be an act of radical self care, her Roku show Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross, and her flamboyant and joy-filled packing lists.

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Author and wild swimmer Freya Bromley returns to tell Lale why the restorative power of nature still holds true for her, the joy and community she has found at a women’s swimming retreat in Cornwall, and her favorite—and little known—island for escaping to each summer. Plus, she extolls the virtues of puffin sightings.

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Earlier this year, Lale reported a feature for Condé Nast Traveler on the Iditarod, the annual sled dog race that crosses 1,000 miles of Alaskan wilderness. She catches up with podcast regular, writer, and adventurer Blair Braverman to swap stories of traveling through Alaska. Plus, Blair shares her experiences from another dramatic landscape she had long dreamed of visiting: Antarctica.

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Lale talks to frequent guest and train expert Monisha Rajesh about her recent night train journeys.

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Rebroadcast:There are few places in the world where you won't encounter a cat. So a few years ago, Hannah Shaw, who has dedicated much of her life and work to caring for them, set out tomeet and document has many as she could across the globe—spotlighting the extraordinary places they live and the people who care for them along the way. Lale chats with the animal welfare advocate, bestselling author, and educator about her many travels, from Turkey to Chile to Oman, and finds out what she learned along the way.

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