As 2025 comes to a close, we're revisiting interviews with this year's nominees and winners of some of the biggest prizes in literature. Last up: A 10-year-old girl, Louisa, is later found on a beach in Japan – and her father has disappeared. She and her mother are left on their own – but the tragedy doesn’t bring them closer together, at least for a long time. Susan Choi’s novel Flashlight follows this family across generations and a vast historical expanse. In today’s episode, Choi speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about why her protagonist fends off love, her interest in the historical tensions between Korea and Japan, and the benefit of writing in chronological order.
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
Global News Podcast - US ‘locked and loaded’ to help Iranian protestors
The US President warns his forces will come to the rescue of peaceful Iranian anti-government demonstrators if they are targeted by Tehran. A senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has responded by saying Donald Trump should know that US interference would lead to chaos across the region. Also: two French managers of the bar in the Swiss ski resort that suffered a deadly fire on New Year's Eve have been interviewed; new mayor Zohran Mamdani is formally sworn in in New York; the difficulty of not having a birth certificate in South Africa; Donald Trump gives an update about his health after concerns were raised; and what to look out for in space travel in 2026.
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
Photo by ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA/Shutterstock
Audio Mises Wire - In the New Year, We Will Hear Even More Environmental Doom Because the Doomsday Industry Never Rests
A wearisome part of modern life is the incessant chants of “doomsday” from intellectual, academic, political, and media elites. That their six decades of predictions all have been wrong only leads them to double down on the volume of their claims.
Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/new-year-we-will-hear-even-more-environmental-doom-because-doomsday-industry-never-rests
Marketplace All-in-One - Warren Buffett steps down, ending an era at Berkshire
Greg Abel has officially taken the reins at Berkshire Hathaway, stepping into the role long held by the titan of value investing, Warren Buffett. We look at what Abel’s leadership could mean for an empire that touches everything from energy to insurance. Plus, stocks had a strong year, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posting double-digit gains, but the job market tells a very different story. And do professional movie critics still matter in an age of Reddit threads and Letterboxd reviews?
Focus on Africa - Are you addicted to your smartphone?
How many hours a day do you spend on your smartphone?
Smartphones have become essential to daily life - but concerns about overuse are growing. Research has linked smartphone addiction to depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
Focus on Africa host, Nkechi Ogbonna, spoke to 27-year-old Dion Rapakgadi from Johannesburg about his past struggles with phone addiction, and to Kenyan musician Nviiri the Storyteller, who recently swapped his smartphone for a basic “dumb phone.”
We also hear from Dr Ethel Obeng-Treve, a Clinical Psychologist from Ghana, who shares insights on how to have a healthier relationship with your smartphone.
Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Carolyne Kiambo and Fana Weldye Senior Producer: Priya Sippy Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
WSJ Tech News Briefing - TNB Tech Minute: Tesla Sales Drop for Second Year in a Row
Plus: BYD is set to dethrone Tesla as world’s biggest EV maker despite slowed growth in 2025. And Baidu’s AI chip unit plans Hong Kong listing. Julie Chang hosts.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Newshour - Swiss fire families face agonising wait
As new images emerge of the fire at "Le Constellation" bar in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, the families of those still missing face an agonising wait for news: we have the latest from the investigation.
Also in the programme: President Trump says he's ready to step in to defend the anti-government protesters in Iran; we hear from a protester. Plus life at a hundred – we speak to one woman, still laughing - and still performing – at 100 years old.
(IMAGE: People pay their respects to the victims with flowers near the area where fire broke out at the 'Le Constellation' bar leaving people dead and injured, during New Year's celebration, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, 02 January 2026 / CREDIT: Jean-Christophe Botte/EPA/Shutterstock)
Native America Calling - Friday, January 2, 2025 – Gearing yourself up for 2026
Whether you view the New Year as a good time for a hard reboot or just a few tweaks here and there, a few words of encouragement can’t hurt. A lot of people see January as the time to launch a new exercise routine or start being a more patient parent. It doesn’t necessarily take an established place of worship or hours in a quiet room to engage with your own internal strengths. We have a panel of experts in mindfulness and using one’s own cultural connections to help stay on a more positive and meaningful path.
GUESTS
D.J. Eagle Bear Vanas (Odawa), motivational storyteller, host of the PBS special, “Discovering your Warrior Spirit”, and author of “Warrior Within” from Penguin Random House
Michael Yellow Bird (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara), professor at the faculty of social work at the University of Manitoba
Eduardo Duran (Apache, Tewa, and Lakota), psychologist and author of “Healing the Soul Wound”
Break 1 Music: On the Road Missing Home [Corn Dance] (song) Sheldon Sundown (artist) Hand Drum/Smoke N’ Round Dance (album)
Break 2 Music: Oshki Manitou (song) Chuck Copenace (artist) Oshki Manitou (album)
CBS News Roundup - 01/02/2026 | World News Roundup
President Trump and an Iranian security official traded threats over Iranian protesters...with President Trump saying if Iran kills peaceful protesters, the U-S will come to their rescue. Venezuelan president Maduro has signaled he's willing to talk to the U-S about drug trafficking. Swiss investigators are working to identify victims of a New Year's Day ski resort fire. CBS's Peter King has these stories and much more in today's World News Roundup.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Federalist Radio Hour - 2025 In Pop Culture: Great Jeans, Rob Reiner, And Hollywood’s Retreat From Woke
Is Hollywood retreating from woke to avoid going broke? On this episode of The Federalist Radio Hour, Christian Toto, founder of the Hollywood in Toto website and podcast, joins Federalist Senior Elections Correspondent Matt Kittle to dissect 2025's comedy comeback, explain why Sydney Sweeney's jeans controversy should inform the way conservatives show up for certain pop culture, and review the best and worst movies of the year.
The Federalist Foundation is a nonprofit, and we depend entirely on our listeners and readers — not corporations. If you value fearless, independent journalism, please consider a tax-deductible gift today at TheFederalist.com/donate. Your support keeps us going
The Federalist Foundation is a nonprofit, and we depend entirely on our listeners and readers — not corporations. If you value fearless, independent journalism, please consider a tax-deductible gift today at TheFederalist.com/donate. Your support keeps us going