You'll know when you're watching a Julio Torres project. The comedian, filmmaker, and comedy writer's work is surreal, aesthetic, and delightfully absurd.
His most recent works include "Problemista," a film about a young man looking for work in New York City. And it has something to say about the nightmarish aspects of the American visa system.
"Fantasmas," a six-part HBO series, finds Torres in search of a lost golden oyster earing, navigating through otherworldly vignettes.
His "Saturday Night Live" skits like "Papyrus" draw attention to absurdity in the smaller parts of life most of us overlook.
We talk to Torres about his work and his artistic style.
Government cuts. Tariff uncertainty. Sticky interest rates. These are not helping the tumbling stock market. There's a sinking feeling among some Americans that a crash is imminent.
But ... should we all be so worried? Today, we brush away the cobwebs of stock market fear and confusion, and bring some long-held facts to the surface.
Related episodes: Why to look twice when your portfolio is doing well (Apple / Spotify) The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
La muerte me da, a novel published in Spanish in 2007 by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cristina Rivera Garza, is now available to English readers. Death Takes Me follows a woman detective who finds herself in charge of handling a series of cases involving the killings of men – all of whom have been sexually mutilated. In today's episode, Garza speaks with NPR's A Martinez about the reality of gruesome violence against women in Mexico that inspired her book. She also talks about the power of words, and how she considers the grammar of violence in her writing.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
What is Long Covid? Is it real? What does it feel like? Do you have it? And how do you cure it? With fatigue and brain fog, you don’t want to spend hours scrolling through conflicting opinions. So we’ve got you covered with the wonderful and highly-respected pulmonologist and intensive care physician and Long Covid expert, Dr. Wes Ely. So tuck in, breathe deep and let’s load you up with true facts about what Long Covid is, how it differs from other post-viral illnesses, variants and Long Covid risk, why people say it’s not real, advice for caregivers, changing opinions in medicine, similarities to HIV, treatment options, auto-immune issues, POTS, post-exertional malaise, the best way to prevent it. Next week: Part 2 with even more info.
This week, Bryan Lowder sits down with activist and author Dean Spade to discuss his latest book, Love in a F*cked Up World. Together, they unpack how capitalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy shape our desires, the pitfalls of the “relationship escalator,” and why collective care might be the most radical love of all. From breaking free of toxic relationship scripts to reimagining intimacy beyond hierarchy and control, this conversation challenges everything we’ve been taught about love—and offers a vision for something more liberatory.
The Trump administration’s approach to free speech, immigration, and due process all converge in a crackdown on Columbia University.
Guest: Sarah Brown, news editor at the Chronicle for Higher Education.
Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.
Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.
Will the U.S. no longer be an economic superpower in the future? How dangerous is TikTok for Americans? And do tariffs necessarily lead to increased domestic manufacturing? In the midst of tariffs and counter-tariffs and lots of economic uncertainty, Zachary and Emma speak with Noah Smith, economist and writer of the "Noahpinion" Substack. They discuss President Trump's economic maneuvers, our fragmented media ecosystem, and how much of a threat China really is.
What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.
For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org
Our recent episodes on constitutional questions such as the unitary executive have looked at founding history, but less so the cases of the founding period. In this episode we take a look at one of the most famous cases of all, Marbury v. Madison. But this isn’t primarily a look at judicial review, but instead Marbury reveals itself, in Professor Amar’s hands, as a key administrative law case, with surprising relevance for, among other things, questions of presidential transition and unitary executive theory. How did a change of party in the White House lead to tension with an unpredictable, even rash, president? The answers will surprise you, and may be further explored in briefs in the Supreme Court case that is sure to come before long. CLE credit is available for lawyers and judges from podcast.njsba.com.