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This American Life

This American Life

By: This American Life
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Summary

Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.Copyright 1995-2026 This American Life Art Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • 887: Two Is One, One Is None!
    May 17 2026

    One family faces the Trump administration’s ban on trans people serving in the military, and responds with a surprising secret weapon.

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    • Prologue: Geirid and Chrissy are extreme planners. But about a year ago, they were confronted with a situation that even they had no idea how to plan for. (4 minutes)
    • Act One: Geirid and Chrissy make an “in case of emergency, break glass” spreadsheet and get some big news. (14 minutes)
    • Act Two: Geirid and Chrissy have less than a month to make a life-changing decision. The government gives them two options, and they try to find a third. (21 minutes)
    • Act Three: A short story from Rachel Khong: Two people have a very consequential choice to make, given to them by God. (15 minutes)

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • 318: With Great Power
    May 10 2026

    People who end up with far more power than they bargained for, and everything that comes with it.

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    • Prologue: Ira tells the story of two friends who had this incredible power to save someone. And with that great power came great responsibility. (4 minutes)
    • Act One: Alex Kotlowitz reports on a woman with the power to change two people's lives — and at the height of her power, she doesn't even know she has it. (25 minutes)
    • Act Two: Ira Glass talks with a mother and daughter who spent years watching their neighbor do things they found shocking and felt powerless to stop. Then, suddenly, they get the power to decisively change things permanently. And they have to decide if they will. (14 minutes)
    • Act Three: When you're powerless, you spend a lot of time thinking about the people above you — what they want, why they do what they do, whether they'll ever come through. Shalom Auslander has a story about that relationship. (11 minutes)

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • 886: Blackout
    May 3 2026

    Since the war began in Iran, we've heard very little from people inside the country — and there's a reason for that. The entire country has been under an internet blackout. We worked with reporters Roxana Saberi and Fatemeh Jamalpour to get voice memos out of the country. Even though it was dangerous and difficult, people wanted to be heard.

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    • Prologue: Shirin's parents suddenly disappear into the blackout. (5 minutes)
    • Act One: It’s a war and a blackout. People want to talk about both. (17 minutes)
    • Act Two: What happened before America and Israel went to war with Iran. (9 minutes)
    • Act Three: Iranians have many opinions about the war, and about each other. (12 minutes)
    • Act Four: What happened inside Iran the night President Trump threatened that "a whole civilization could die." And a clue about where the internet blackout is headed. (19 minutes)

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    1 hr and 3 mins
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All stars
Most relevant
Brilliant quality. Each episode is a standalone deep dive into a topic. Often moving and funny, always interesting.

Superb

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Although some episodes shine more brightly than others, almost all episodes are brilliant. Usually the episodes are thematically linked with 2 or 3 parts. There are episodes that stay with you for weeks or months. Please don't be put off by the name, it's one of my favourites (alongside Radiolab, Titting off and we can do hard things.

Don't be put off by the title

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I've been listening to TAL for around ten years now. I've listened to hundreds of different episodes and some I've gone back to and listened to 2, 3, maybe 6 times. Every episode is different so some stories will grab you, and others won't, but there's episodes that will stick with you for life (for me, it's the Mormon guy in Utah who had to give up his kids). This is my go-to podcast, my comfort show - and I'm not even American!

ten years on and this is still my comfort show

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