NPR's Book of the Day - Revisiting Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’

Frank Herbert’s 1965 epic Dune was once the domain of sci-fi diehards. But in recent years, the book has crossed over into the mainstream. In today’s Books We’ve Loved, Andrew Limbong and B.A. Parker are joined by Throughline’s Ramtin Arablouei, who makes a personal case for the story’s appeal – despite its density. Then, special guest, author Pierce Brown, shares whether he thinks Dune has reached Star Wars levels of cultural saturation.


Ramtin’s Recommendation: ‘Rendezvous with Rama’ by Arthur C. Clarke

Parker’s Recommendation: ‘The Left Hand of Darkness’ by Ursula K. Le Guin

Andrew’s Recommendation: ‘Saga’ by Brian K. Vaughn


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More or Less - Is RFK right about US sperm counts?

Around the world, many countries are concerned about tackling the decline in birth rates and total fertility rates. The US is no exception. To tackle this issue the US government announced that it would provide subsidies for Americans seeking IVF treatment. The announcement was accompanied by one suspect sounding stat from US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "Today the average teenager in this country has 50% of the sperm count, 50% of the testosterone as a 65-year-old man," he said. We speak to Professor Allan Pacey, Professor of Andrology at the University of Manchester, and Adith Arun, a researcher at Yale University to find out whether this statement is accurate. Producer/Presenter: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Mix: James Beard

the memory palace - Episode 239: Blank Pages

Order The Memory Palace book now, dear listener. On Bookshop.org, on Amazon.com, on Barnes & Noble, or directly from Random House. Or order the audiobook at places like Libro.fm.

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. 

Music

  • The Lady With the Golden Stockings from the Sun Ra Arkestra
  • The Sage from the Chico Hamilton Quintet
  • Falling in Love with a New York Pigeon by Birb
  • Bocherini's fourth quintet as performed by the Ensemble of St. Martin of the Fields
  • From a Dream by Oregon
  • Jaybird from the great Charlie Parr
  • Pool of Love by Les Baxter
  • And House Tuner Theme from Will Bates' gorgeous score to The Sound of Silence.


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The Commentary Magazine Podcast - JD Vance’s Christmassy Hanukkah Party

Enough with the pomposity about gerrymandering—each party does it and the other one has a cow and then they switch positions and do it all over again. Latest example: Texas. Also, Tom Cotton defends the boat strike, JD Vance puts a "Golden Noel" label on an event celebrating a Jewish holiday, and we answer listener mail. Plus I recommend the hilarious performances of Walter Matthau in The Sunshine Boys and Edith Evans in The Importance of Being Earnest. Give a listen.

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Everything Everywhere Daily - A Brief History of Neckties

One of the most ubiquitous items of clothing in formal and business attire is the necktie. 

Yet even a cursory check of paintings from several centuries ago shows that neckties have not been around forever. They are, in fact, a relatively recent invention. 

Over the last century, neckwear has both defined fashion and changed with the times. 

Learn more about neckties, how they developed, and why they exist in the first place on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Pod Save America - Two Strikes. Is Hegseth Out?

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reacts defiantly to two scandals: his department's decision to murder the survivors of a September strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat, and a Pentagon report that found that Hegseth's infamous Signal messages put American troops at risk. Jon and Dan discuss what comes next for the former Fox News host, and then jump into the rest of the news, including Trump's disgusting comments about Somali Americans, his insistence that affordability is a Democratic "con job," and Mike Johnson's struggles to hold his caucus together after the GOP's underperformance in the TN-07 special election. Then, Dan talks to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about Democratic momentum heading into the midterms, the ongoing investigation into the double-tap strike, and Trump's pardon of embattled Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar.

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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The Indicator from Planet Money - Chips up, rent down, and are people really skimping on holiday gifts?

It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today’s episode: A big goshDRAM memory problem, a holiday spending mystery, and apartment rental prices … decline?! 

Related episodes: 
The highs and lows of US rents 
Taking the temperature of the US consumer 
We Buy A Lot Of Christmas Trees

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Corey Bridges and Julia Ritchey. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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