Have you ever wondered about that weird expression that grandma used to say? Martha Barnette, co-host of the radio show and podcast A Way with Words, likely knows the history of that expression. Barnette has spent her life being a word detective, and in her new book, "Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland," she shares that story. During her two decades on the show, Martha has seen that people of all stripes are curious about etymology, they revel in slang, are surprised by regional vocabulary, delighted by idioms, and eager to share that weird phrase Grandma always used to say.array(3) {
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Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, says Vladimir Putin has agreed to 'robust' security guarantees for Ukraine. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has welcomed the US offer - we'll get more details about what was discussed at the summit in Alaska.
Also in the programme: the robots that imitate athletes; and we look back on the life of the English actor Terence Stamp, who has died aged 87.
(Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference in Brussels; 17 August 2025. Credit: OLIVIER HOSLET/EPA/Shutterstock)
Heard the one about the CEO who wanted to buy the url for his company, found out it was taken, and added a few o’s to save a few million? Karooooo CEO and founder Zak Calisto talks with Motley Fool CEO Tom Gardner and analyst Emily Flippen about the business of connected vehicles and about his company’s quirky name.
Founder story
Future growth
Leadership style
Autonomous vehicles
Karooooo name
Host: Tom Gardner, Emily Flippen Producer: Mac Greer Engineer: Adam Landfair Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Maintaining a long-term romantic relationship is hard work. There are good times and there are bad and sometimes couples just grow apart over time. But in the new horror movie Together, growing apart is not an option for Millie and Tim. Starring real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco, Together explores the idea of codependency in a horrific way as the couple becomes literally attached to each other.
What next for Ukraine? EU leaders have said they intend to travel to Washington as President Zelensky prepares for talks with Trump.
Also in the programme: Hostage families have called a general strike in Israel; and the great Mayan forest and efforts to save it.
(Photograph: President Zelensky and Ursula Von der Leyen in Brussels. Credit: Shutterstock)
President Donald Trump cracked down on crime in the nation’s capital this week. On Monday, he declared a state of emergency in Washington, D.C., through an executive order, temporarily placing the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control. He also deployed more than 800 National Guard troops, resulting in over 100 arrests so far.
Trump’s move has us wondering: Has it always been this easy to clean up our city?
We break it all down on today’s episode of “Problematic Women," and share some of our own wild encounters with crime in D.C.
This week wasn’t just heavy on politics—it was packed with pop culture wins.
Taylor Swift made her podcast debut on “New Heights,” hosted by NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce, crashing the livestream in the process. One segment in particular has us buzzing about the political implications of the “trad” trend, and if Swift could destigmatize that.
Meanwhile, Demi Lovato surprised fans by joining the Jonas Brothers on tour—an epic Camp Rock reunion. More than that, her appearance exemplified what being clean from the woke-mind virus looks like. Not long ago, she was a short-haired feminist using they/them pronouns and battling addiction. Today, she’s a healthy, happy, straight newlywed—back on stage and performing at her best.
We’re joined by Emily Jashinsky, D.C. correspondent for UnHerd news site, host of “After Party with Emily Jashinsky,” a new podcast from the Megyn Kelly podcast network, and pop culture aficionado. She shares her take on Trump’s crime crackdown and gives her unfiltered thoughts on these big pop culture moments.
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Several big M&A deals have been announced in the U.S. in the last few months, including a deal uniting Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to create the first coast-to-coast rail operator in U.S. history. WSJ lead deals reporter Lauren Thomas discusses why we’re seeing so many deals, what’s in store for big tie-ups and where this M&A trend is headed. Alex Ossola hosts.
Sam Graham-Felsen never imagined being lonely. Throughout his childhood and as a young man his life revolved around his friends. But when Sam got married and then had kids, going out with his friends almost felt like a luxury. After years of focusing on everything in his life except friendship, Sam began to realize he was missing something essential, and he decided to get his friends back.
On this episode of “Modern Love,” Mr. Graham-Felsen describes how he went from being a boy with a wealth of deep friendships to finding himself feeling lonely as an adult, and what he did to bring friendship back into his life.
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
In 1956, one of the most important geopolitical events of the post-war period took place in Egypt.
The Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, one of the most important waterways in the world.
In response, a coalition of several countries tried to take it back. However, it didn’t go as planned, and it signaled a major reshuffling of the geopolitical order.
Learn more about the Suez Crisis and how it shaped the second half of the 20th century on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
