Month: March 2025

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NBN Book of the Day - Surekha Davies, “Humans: A Monstrous History” (U California Press, 2025)

Monsters are central to how we think about the human condition. Join award-winning historian of science in Humans: A Monstrous History (University of California Press, 2025) by Dr. Surekha Davies as she reveals how people have defined the human in relation to everything from apes to zombies, and how they invented race, gender, and nations along the way. With rich, evocative storytelling that braids together ancient gods and generative AI, Frankenstein's monster and E.T., Humans: A Monstrous History shows how monster-making is about control: it defines who gets to count as normal.

In an age when corporations increasingly see people as obstacles to profits, this book traces the long, volatile history of monster-making and charts a better path for the future. The result is a profound, effervescent, empowering retelling of the history of the world for anyone who wants to reverse rising inequality and polarization. This is not a history of monsters, but a history through monsters.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s episodes on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

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Pod Save America - A Democrat’s Tough Love for His Party

As the dumpster fire of U.S. politics shoots sparks across the globe, will the Pentagon supply safeguards or sycophants? What will MAGA authoritarianism look like for our communities and those abroad? And should Democrats be reconsidering their approach to law and order? Congressman Adam Smith sits down with Tommy to discuss the state of American national security, and what Democrats need to do differently to broaden their coalition. Then, Tommy and Jon answer listeners' questions on whether Democrats need their own Tea Party, Gen Z's rightward shift, and if podcasting is for the faint of heart.

 

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

 

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Up First from NPR - The Long Shadow of Duterte’s Drug War

With the recent arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity, a spotlight is again on actions taken during his presidency. Even years after Duterte declared his war on drugs, the reverberations continue to tear through the country. The loved ones of those killed are still left seeking justice and the extra-judicial killings, commonly called EJKs, that defined Duterte's war continue to sow fear amongst the people.

Today on The Sunday Story, we share an episode that originally aired last year with reporter Emily Feng. She traveled to the Philippines to understand the aftermath of Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - TBD | Bezos 2.0

During his first term, President Trump and Jeff Bezos openly sparred with each other. During this second administration, though, it seems like Bezos is trying to endear himself - and his companies - to the White House. So what changed?


Guest: Dana Mattioli, reporter for the Wall Street Journal and the author of The Everything War: Amazon’s Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power.


Special thanks to David Maraniss.


Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

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It Could Happen Here - CZM Book Club: The Barrow Will Send What it May, Chapter Three

Margaret reads Robert Evans the second book in her Danielle Cain series.

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A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs - Song 177: “Never Learn Not to Love” by the Beach Boys, Part 4: “Sometimes I Have A Great Notion”

For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the third and final (and very, very long) part of a multi-episode look at the song “Never Learn Not to Love” by the Beach Boys, and the links between Charles Manson and the LA music scene, as well as the life of Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

Patreon backers also have a ninety-minute bonus episode available, on “The Letter” by the Box Tops and the career of Alex Chilton.

I’ve also started up an email newsletter at https://it-was-ninety-years-ago-today.ghost.io/. I took a temporary break from that while finishing this episode, as it became much, much longer than I expected, but I will be resuming it shortly.

Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt’s irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/

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PBS News Hour - Science - The effect of NIH funding cuts on vaccine access and hesitancy research

The National Institutes of Health has terminated dozens of grants for scientific research projects related to vaccine use and hesitancy, informing researchers that their studies no longer aligned with the Trump administration’s priorities. Ali Rogin speaks with Sophia Newcomer, one of the researchers whose grant was cancelled, whose work focuses on health care access in rural communities. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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Consider This from NPR - On the road in Greenland, north of the Arctic Circle

Greenland is a lot more than an object of Donald Trump's territorial ambitions. It's a place whose small population is facing big questions – about climate change, economic development, and identity.

Today we bring you a reporter's notebook, traveling with NPR's Juana Summers and her team through Greenland at a time of huge political uncertainty.

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Consider This from NPR - On the road in Greenland, north of the Arctic Circle

Greenland is a lot more than an object of Donald Trump's territorial ambitions. It's a place whose small population is facing big questions – about climate change, economic development, and identity.

Today we bring you a reporter's notebook, traveling with NPR's Juana Summers and her team through Greenland at a time of huge political uncertainty.

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

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