Justinian Huang’s new novel Lucky Seed is about a single, gay son pressured by his Taiwanese-American family to produce a male heir. In an interview with NPR’s All Things Considered, Huang tells NPR’s Ailsa Chang that his own family asked him to have a baby boy – or else they would risk punishment in the afterlife. In today’s episode, Huang speaks with Chang about being the “chosen one” in his family, the concept of “hungry ghosts,” and how writing the book changed Huang’s relationship with his mother.
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
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1477: A Car for Anne Boleyn
Episode: 1477 A horseless carriage offered to Anne Boleyn. Today, we offer Anne Boleyn an automobile.
Global News Podcast - US hails ‘tremendous’ progress at Ukraine talks
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has given an upbeat assessment of talks with Ukrainian officials about how to end the war with Russia. Mr Rubio said sticking points which remained were "not insurmountable". US, Ukrainian and European officials have been meeting in Geneva in Switzerland to discuss a peace plan that US negotiators devised with their Russian counterparts. It has been widely criticised as sympathetic to Moscow's aims.
Also: a BBC investigation has exposed people in Sierra Leone who claim to supply human body parts for ritual ceremonies. More than 50 of the 300 pupils abducted by gunmen in Nigeria have escaped their captors, but parents are voicing their frustration over the lack of security at schools. Hezbollah confirms its chief of staff has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. A three-year-old boy from California has astounded doctors with his progress after becoming the first person in the world with Hunter syndrome to receive a ground-breaking gene therapy. A daughter of the former South African President Jacob Zuma is accused of recruiting citizens to fight in Ukraine. And an Argentinian writer recalls the moment she learned her childhood nanny was actually a KGB agent.
The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.
Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.
Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
It Could Happen Here - Requiem for Stop Cop City
Garrison expounds on six phases of the Stop Cop City movement, its decline in momentum, and how Atlanta bridges the gap between the 2020 protests and new tactics of state repression being used nationwide in the current expansion of police power.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3dqH_lfh6g
https://www.policemag.com/articles/understanding-the-ooda-loop
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/29/atlanta-police-cop-city-surveillance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQZDfvAZrrU
https://newrepublic.com/article/190850/coming-war-dissent
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/26/text
https://atlpresscollective.com/2025/11/13/atlanta-police-flock-immigration-searches/
https://www.404media.co/a-texas-cop-searched-license-plate-cameras-nationwide-for-a-woman-who-got-an-abortion/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/strengthening-and-unleashing-americas-law-enforcement-to-pursue-criminals-and-protect-innocent-citizens/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/additional-measures-to-address-the-crime-emergency-in-the-district-of-columbia/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/29/pentagon-memo-quick-reaction-forces
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/countering-domestic-terrorism-and-organized-political-violence/
https://newuniversity.org/2025/05/10/ice-raids-home-in-irvine-rep-dave-min-issues-statement/
https://theintercept.com/2023/05/02/cop-city-activists-arrest-flyers/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yok1fhPICAY
https://www.mainlineatl.com/georgia-drops-charges-against-atlanta-solidarity-fund-rico-cop-city/
https://www.mainlineatl.com/cop-city-rico-judge-to-toss-charges/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
array(3) { [0]=> string(150) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/programs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/78d30acb-8463-4c40-a5ae-ae2d0145c9ff/image.jpg?t=1751824393&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }The World in Brief from The Economist - Brighter prospects for Ukraine in Geneva; Japan to deploy missiles near Taiwan, and more
Marco Rubio, America’s secretary of state, touted “arguably the best” meeting in the entire process of negotiating an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, held in Geneva.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Opening Arguments - The Tragedy of True Crime
OA1210 - This week we welcome journalist and author John J. Lennon, who is calling in from New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility where he is serving 25 years to life for murder. Lennon’s extraordinary new book The Tragedy of True Crime: Four Guilty Men and the Stories that Define Us tells his own story alongside that of three other men whose crimes were sensationalized by the media--including Manhattan “Preppy Killer” Robert Chambers--after they were convicted for murders which they unquestionably committed. It challenges us to consider what life is like for the subjects of these documentaries and re-enactments after the credits have rolled, and to ask what our national obsession with true crime is costing them--and all of us.
-
The Tragedy of True Crime: Four Guilty Men and the Stories that Define Us, John J. Lennon (2025)
-
The New York Times review of The Tragedy of True Crime, Pamela Colloff (9/23/25)
-
“A Convicted Murderer’s Case for Gun Control,” John J. Lennon, The Atlantic (8/21/2013)
-
“The True Crime Stories You See on TV Are Leaving Out Something Big,” John J. Lennon, Slate (10/13/2025)
-
“When Your Crime Becomes a Dick Wolf Show,” John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone (7/19/2025)
Good Bad Billionaire - Tyler Perry: Homeless to Hollywood entrepreneur
From a childhood marked by abuse and trauma, Tyler Perry worked whatever jobs he could to fund his self-written and produced play for six years: sometimes performing to an audience of just one. But then success literally came calling for the future billionaire, and kick-started his rise in showbiz.
Journalists Zing Tsjeng and Simon Jack explore how Tyler Perry’s faith, relentless work ethic, and deep understanding of his audience helped him defy critics and reshape Black entertainment. From the creation of his iconic Madea character to founding Tyler Perry Studios, the first Black-owned major film studio in the US, his story reflects the power of ownership and knowing your audience. As his friend and mentor Oprah Winfrey advised him, Perry made it his mission to "write his own cheques" and remain "fully in control".
Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility, before asking the audience to decide if they are good, bad, or just billionaires.
To contact the team, email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176. Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire
The Economics of Everyday Things - Superhot Chili Peppers (Replay)
The market for gustatory pain is surprisingly competitive. Zachary Crockett feels the burn.
- SOURCES:
- Ed Currie, founder and president of the PuckerButt Pepper Company.
- Stephanie Walker, associate professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist at New Mexico State University
- RESOURCES:
- "Pepper X Dethrones Carolina Reaper as World’s Hottest Chili Pepper," by Sanj Atwal (Guinness World Records, 2023).
- "The Shocking, Stupendous Rise of Superhot Chillies: ‘The Stomach Cramps Can Last for 14 Hours,’" by Tim Dowling (The Guardian, 2023).
- "14-Year-Old Dies After Trying The Paqui ‘One Chip Challenge,’" by Bruce Y. Lee (Forbes, 2023).
- "Beyond Neuronal Heat Sensing: Diversity of TRPV1 Heat-Capsaicin Receptor-Channel Functions," by Yaroslav M. Shuba (Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 2021).
- "Training Your Tongue to Love Spicy Food Benefits More Than Your Taste Buds," by Maddie Oatman (Mother Jones, 2019).
- "Fire-Eaters," by Lauren Collins (The New Yorker, 2013).
- "The Arms Race to Grow World's Hottest Pepper Goes Nuclear," by Spencer Jakab (The Wall Street Journal, 2013).
- EXTRAS:
- "Why Do People Love Horror Movies?" by No Stupid Questions (2022).
- Hot Ones, YouTube talk show.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Consider This from NPR - Can progressive mayors save the Democratic Party?
New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani built a coalition of voters who were engaged by his charisma and his campaign’s focus on key issues such as affordable transportation, housing and childcare. Mamdani has pointed to Boston mayor Michelle Wu, who was just re-elected in a landslide herself, as inspiration and for being “the most effective Democrat in America.” What can be learned from how progressive mayors like Wu and Mamdani are energizing voters?
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.
This episode was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith and Henry Larson. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
PBS News Hour - World - Officials meet in Geneva for Ukraine talks as peace plan’s author called into question
In Geneva on Sunday, U.S. officials put the heat on Ukraine to accept a peace deal to end the war with Russia or else. The author of the plan became a point of contention, while President Donald Trump said Ukrainian leadership had expressed “zero gratitude” for American efforts. Nick Schifrin reports on the diplomatic efforts spanning oceans. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy