This American Life

By: This American Life
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  • Summary

  • Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.
    Copyright 1995-2024 This American Life
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Art Political Science Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • 847: The Truly Incredible Story of Keiko the Killer Whale

    847: The Truly Incredible Story of Keiko the Killer Whale
    Nov 17 2024

    Keiko was a hugely beloved adventure park attraction. He was also captured in the wild and taken away from his mother when he was just a calf. When Hollywood learned about him, a colossal effort began to un-tame him and send him back to the ocean.

    Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

    • Prologue: Ira introduces a new series from Serial Productions and The New York Times. "The Good Whale" is about the killer whale Keiko and is reported by Daniel Alarcón. (2 minutes)
    • Act One: Daniel Alarcón takes us back to the early 90’s when Keiko lived in an adventure park in Mexico City, swimming with human friends. (43 minutes)
    • Act Two: Producer Diane Wu travels to Minnesota, where the turkey set to be pardoned by The President of the United States later this month is having the turkiness trained out of him. (10 minutes)

    Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • 846: This Is the Cake We Baked

    846: This Is the Cake We Baked
    Nov 10 2024

    With Donald Trump’s victory this week, many people looked at the election results and thought, yeah, this is the country I thought it was. For some people, that was a hopeful thing. For others, kind of the opposite. This week, we talked with people who helped make it happen and some who are looking to what’s next.

    Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

    • Prologue: Ira talks with Zoe Chace about watching Trump’s victory from an ecstatic room in Michigan. Then he checks in with a DC cop who was injured at the Capitol on January 6. (7 minutes)
    • Act One: Trump has claimed that he will be able to deport between 15 and 20 million people. But neither he nor his team have spelled out exactly how they’d do it. Producer Nadia Reiman looked into what mass deportation could actually look like on the ground if and when it comes to pass. (17 minutes)
    • Act Two: Trump won record numbers of Latino voters this year. Ike Sriskandarajah spent the day with a guy in Pennsylvania who's been working to bring Latino voters to Trump for years. (15 minutes)
    • Act Three: Ira talks with two of Trump’s “political enemies” about their post-election plans. (8 minutes)
    • Act Four: Ten different states had abortion rights measures on their ballots this election. Producer Miki Meek got curious about a particular kind of political ad that aired in many of those states and called up a few of the women whose stories were featured in them. (9 minutes)

    Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 845: A Small Thing That Gives Me a Tiny Shred of Hope

    845: A Small Thing That Gives Me a Tiny Shred of Hope
    Nov 3 2024

    A wee flame, flickering in the dark.

    Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

    • Prologue: Who’s trying to bridge the gap between Blue America and Red America? Ira gets a glimpse of one guy who might be able to do just that. (3 minutes)
    • Act One: A politically divided couple searches for a news source they both can trust. (26 minutes)
    • Act Two: "June" is making a tactical decision about her vote this election. (13 minutes)
    • Act Three: Frank Filocomo thinks people care too much about politics when it comes to dating. His dates don’t necessarily agree. (10 minutes)

    Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org

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    1 hr and 1 min

What listeners say about This American Life

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Profile Image for Jackson

Life changing, life defining

I’m nowhere near the age to have kids but if I were a parent I’d share and bond over this podcast and the truly life changing impact it’s had on my life and I. My favorite hour each week is spent on the edge of a metaphorical seat with Ira’s sultry whispering caressing my earbuds. 😅😘

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Profile Image for Joseph

fantastic

Absolutely one of my favourite episodes, thank you! Would love it if you were able to do another such mystery episode regarding old houses or belongings and the search for the person's who owned them.

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Profile Image for Jennifer

Ira, you are the bezt

I hope you read these personally because I want you to know that I love these stories. I tell everyone I know to listen. Thank you for all that you think of, find and share.

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Profile Image for htinterprets

A principal, a primary caretaker, and other it people

Thank you for telling the Principal’s story. This episode spoke so beautifully about the threats educators and caregivers have experienced in the last few years. Really important story telling.

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Profile Image for A. Boyd

An important episode

A must-listen. The system must change, and that's up to us. Chanel Miller's bit at the end was powerful, and hopeful.

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Good one

Nice to hear.Narrated in a great way,Need more no of episodes for the upcoming days

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Profile Image for Glen Dingley

Great Podcast

I love the stories that they pick and choose and their discussion is very well done I have learned a lot in a lot in these podcasts good job!

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loved this

just the absolute best podcast. I'm continually learning and just feel better having such rich content to absorb. Thank you Ira Glass!

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Profile Image for Harlow

Absolutely fascinating...

TAL was the first "podcast" before the term existed.i am so glad to have rediscovered it.

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