Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.
How the Founding Fathers' concept of 'Minority Rule' is alive and well today
by Terry Gross
Journalist Ari Berman says the founding fathers created a system that concentrated power in the hands of an elite minority — and that their decisions continue to impact American democracy today.
Celebrating singer Sarah Vaughan, on what would have been her 100th birthday
by Kevin Whitehead
Born in 1924 in Newark, N.J., Vaughan came up in the '40s, alongside bebop, a new jazz style she instantly took to. In the following decades, she proved to be one of the best singers of any genre.
Why Oregon's groundbreaking drug decriminalization experiment is coming to an end
by Dave Davies
In 2020, voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of hard drugs. Journalist E. Tammy Kim explains how and why public opinion has turned.
How climate-driven migration could change the face of the U.S.
by Dave Davies
ProPublica reporter Abrahm Lustgarten says millions of Americans are likely to move in the coming decades to escape wildfires, rising seas, oppressive heat and drought. His new book is On the Move.
Tierra Whack springs to the forefront of hip-hop creativity on a new album
by Ken Tucker
The Philadelphia rapper and singer is known for her playful side, but she widens her subject matter on World Wide Whack, with emotions ranging from ecstatic happiness to the deepest despair.
This compelling '3 Body Problem' is well worth your attention
by David Bianculli
Netflix's new series features one of the most complicated narratives our critic has seen on TV. But don't be thrown – things become clearer as the drama progresses and the characters pull you in.
Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker talk Sleater-Kinney, and 30 years of making music
by Ann Marie Baldonado
Brownstein and Tucker co-founded Sleater-Kinney in Olympia, Wash., during the 1990s feminist punk scene. While they were working on their new record, Little Rope, Brownstein's mother died suddenly.
An American reporter offers a first-hand account of Japan's toughest crime bosses
by Dave Davies
Reporter Jake Adelstein's memoir about covering the organized crime beat in Japan is the basis of the Max series Tokyo Vice, now in its second season. Originally broadcast Nov. 9, 2009.
How the Chinese mafia came to control much of the illicit marijuana trade in the U.S.
by Terry Gross
Marijuana has been legalized in some states, but ProPublica's Sebastian Rotella says there's still a thriving illicit market, dominated by criminals connected to China's authoritarian government.