Guest host Sarah McCammon (@sarahmccammon) talks with NPR newscaster Korva Coleman (@KorvaColemanNPR) and NPR Weekend Edition Sunday host Lulu Garcia-Navarro (@lourdesgnavarro) about the week that was: the status of the tax plan turned healthcare bill in Congress, sexual assault accusations against U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore and Senator Al Franken, a shooting in California, and the butterball turkey hotline. They also call a listener in Australia, and it's all capped off by the best things ...
Nov 17, 2017•44 min
Iliza Shlesinger's (@iliza) new book, "Girl Logic: The Genius and the Absurdity," is her take on how women think. She and Sam talk about the book, her dog, Blanche; the party goblin in us all, growing up in Texas, getting her start in comedy, and publishing her book with what was formerly Weinstein Press. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback. Follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders and producers Brent Baughman @brentbaughman and Anjuli Sastry @AnjuliSastry. ...
Nov 14, 2017•42 min
Public radio reporter and Marketplace contributor Sally Herships (@sherships) and WNYC Reporter Sean Rameswaram (@rameswaram) join Sam to talk about the week that was: Election Day, an update on the Paradise Papers, and the Texas shooting, along with a call to a listener in Los Angeles. It's all capped off with the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback. Follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders and producers Bren...
Nov 11, 2017•43 min
Washington Post reporter Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) and Michael D'Antonio, author of the biography "The Truth About Trump," join Sam to talk about the President one the year since he was elected. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback. Follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders and producers Brent Baughman @brentbaughman and Anjuli Sastry @AnjuliSastry. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage y...
Nov 07, 2017•46 min
NPR Asia Correspondent Elise Hu (@elisewho) and Weekend Edition Editor Barrie Hardymon (@bhardymon) join Sam to talk through the week that was: Facebook and Twitter executives testifying in front of Congress, President Trump's Asia trip, the resignation of NPR Senior Vice President of News Michael Oreskes — plus a check-in with a listener who just moved to Antarctica. It's all capped off with the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRI...
Nov 03, 2017•44 min
Daniel Alarcón's (@DanielGAlarcon) new book of short stories, "The King Is Always Above The People," deals closely with immigration and the Latino experience. Alarcón talks to Sam about his own life immigrating from Peru to the U.S. at a young age, the Latino diaspora, and reinventing oneself in a new place. Though Alarcón didn't intend for it to be political, his book gets at what it means to be an immigrant in today's political climate. Alarcón is also host of NPR's Spanish-language podcast, R...
Oct 31, 2017•30 min
NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith (@tamarakeithNPR) and All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro (@arishapiro) join Sam to talk through the week that was: President Trump's speech on opioid addiction, the internal politics of the GOP, the surprise return of James Comey on Twitter — plus a check-in with a listener in Houston and our usual game of 'Who Said That.' It's all capped off with the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPR...
Oct 27, 2017•46 min
Ashley Nicole Black (@ashleyn1cole) gave up pursuing a PHD to make it in comedy. This year she won an Emmy for her work on "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee." She talked to Sam about Savage Garden, why the Chicago comedy scene is great for aspiring comics and tough for people of color, developing her own comedy style, landing a job on "Full Frontal" and making the transition from writer to correspondent, and why she says improv could help people bridge political divides. Email the show at samsande...
Oct 24, 2017•35 min
New York Magazine's Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) and The Atlantic's McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) join Sam to talk through the week that was: the healthcare subsidy battle in Congress, the fallen soldiers in Niger, the social media outpouring over #MeToo — plus a call to a listener at the University of Florida where white nationalist Richard Spencer spoke this week. That's all capped off with the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org or tweet @NPRIt...
Oct 20, 2017•44 min
SNL alum Taran Killam talks to Sam about his new action-comedy mockumentary Killing Gunther , which he directed and stars in alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. They also discuss Wild 'N Out , Taran's role in Hamilton , the challenges of being a first-time director, why and how he left SNL a year earlier than he expected, what made Drake one of his favorite hosts, and the week in November 2015 when then-candidate Donald Trump controversially hosted the show. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and...
Oct 17, 2017•45 min
Washington Post blogger and columnist Alexandra Petri and Mike Pesca from Slate's The Gist podcast join Sam to talk through the week that was: the Harvey Weinstein scandal in Hollywood, the Trump administration's actions without Congress's help, and the Environmental Protection Agency's handling of the Clean Power Plan — plus a call to a listener in Northern California about wildfires that have ravaged the state, and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsande...
Oct 13, 2017•39 min
Sam talks to journalist Max Read about his recent New York Magazine cover story, "Does Mark Zuckerberg Know What Facebook Is?" Max writes about Facebook's role in the 2016 election as the company grapples how to handle fake news, free speech, and political advertising. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR ...
Oct 10, 2017•29 min
New York Times reporter Katie Rogers and Stephen Thompson from NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour join Sam to talk through the week that was: the Las Vegas shooting and its aftermath, the continued recovery in Puerto Rico, and President Trump's response to Puerto Rico amid the usual palace intrigue at the White House — plus a call to a listener in Barcelona and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See p...
Oct 06, 2017•38 min
Google him. You know his face. John Carroll Lynch is one of the most recognizable character actors in Hollywood, and he's just directed his first film, "Lucky," starring the late, legendary Harry Dean Stanton. John talks to Sam about the film, and about being a character actor (and what that even means), getting recognized in public, what made Harry Dean Stanton so special, how he got into acting as a teenager in high school, playing evil characters, and a lesson about acting from Tropic Thunder...
Oct 03, 2017•50 min
NPR newscaster Korva Coleman and NPR sports correspondent Tom "Yes, we do sports" Goldman join Sam to talk through the week that was: Puerto Rico, the NFL and Donald Trump, a dashed Republican health bill and a new Republican tax proposal — plus a call to a listener with family in Puerto Rico and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of perso...
Sep 29, 2017•44 min
Prentice Penny, showrunner for 'Insecure', joins Sam to talk about the HBO comedy series, which just wrapped its second season. They also discuss what a showrunner does, how he got the job, collaborating with star and co-creator Issa Rae, diversity in television, why he likes Drake (and Sam doesn't), how he came to love television and writing as a kid, how he almost became a marine biologist, and black Twitter. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.a...
Sep 26, 2017•39 min
NPR congressional correspondent Susan Davis and Pop Culture Happy Hour host Linda Holmes join Sam to talk through the week that was: Mariah Carey natural disasters, panic fatigue, President Trump's UN speech, the new Republican Health care bill, the Emmys, the economics of streaming, awards, and the television industry, Facebook and the election — plus a call to a listener in Missouri and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on ...
Sep 22, 2017•56 min
David Litt was writing speeches for President Barack Obama when he was 24. His new book about the experience is called "Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years." David talks to Sam about falling in love with then-candidate Obama, working his way to the White House after an internship spent playing minesweeper, getting his dream job, meeting the President, joining his team of speechwriters, how Obama used language, orchestrating moments like Obama's 'Anger Translator' bit with Keegan-Mi...
Sep 19, 2017•45 min
NPR National Desk reporter Nate Rott and University of Montana journalism professor Jule Banville join Sam to talk through the week that was: fires, hurricanes, Trump on ISIS on Twitter, Silicon Valley vs bodegas, economic indicators, the legal rights of apes — plus a call to a listener in Australia and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use o...
Sep 16, 2017•49 min
New Yorker writer Adam Davidson and NPR national security correspondent Mary Louise Kelly join Sam to talk about a central question raised by Adam's reporting: What will investigators find when they look into President Trump's foreign business deals? Adam Davidson's latest story is here: http://bit.ly/2wr8pEx. Mary Louise described reporting from Moscow here: https://n.pr/2tJaMxS. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.adswizz.com for information abou...
Sep 12, 2017•31 min
NPR Science Desk producer Madeline Sofia and education reporter Claudio Sanchez join Sam to talk through the week that was: hurricanes and earthquakes, Donald Trump's deal with Democrats Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, Beyonce's birthday, the Trump administration's action on DACA and Title IX, a man-made gas shortage in Texas, endangered salamanders, and an Irish bat — plus a call to a listener in California and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@np...
Sep 08, 2017•51 min
Sam talks to novelist Danzy Senna about her new book, 'New People,' and about race in America, why LA is boring in a good way, black identity, what white people say when they think they're alone, being "professionally black", how her students perform their race, artistic integrity and safe spaces, prestige black TV like 'Atlanta' and 'Insecure', and the election of Barack Obama. If you're in the Washington DC area, catch Sam and Danzy in person at the East City Bookshop in Capitol Hill on Monday...
Sep 05, 2017•39 min
New York Times reporter Katie Rogers and NPR film critic Bob Mondello join Sam to talk through the week that was: Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, one woman's experience in the small Texas town of Refugio, and the view from Houston with Houston Public Media reporter Laura Isensee — then, in other news, the summer box office, upcoming movies, Prince's favorite color, Tom Brady's meal plan, six second television ads, and the Trump Hotel at night. More about how to help the Hurricane Harvey reli...
Sep 01, 2017•53 min
Anonymous wealth leveraged in court represents a new threat to journalism in Brian Knappenberger's Netflix documentary, "Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press." Brian talks to Sam about the movie, which features NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. David joins this conversation as well. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast spons...
Aug 29, 2017•35 min
Planet Money correspondent Stacey Vanek Smith and "Rough Translation" host Gregory Warner join Sam to talk through the week that was: Afghanistan, the President and the border wall, Amazon and Whole Foods, Taylor Swift, the eclipse, the GOP and tax reform, the economy in North Korea, racial identity in Brazil, and the 10-year-anniversary of the hashtag — plus music from Kanye West, a call to a listener in Georgia, and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Stick around after the ep...
Aug 25, 2017•1 hr 4 min
Sam visits the Chicago offices of the satirical news publication for a headline pitch meeting and conversations with Editor-In-Chief Cole Bolton, Executive Editor Ben Berkley, Managing Editor Marnie Shure, and Head Writer Chad Nackers. They talk about comedy and President Trump (and why he makes their jobs harder), feuding with Sean Hannity, covering Barack Obama, crossing lines, and being socially awkward at parties. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. Se...
Aug 22, 2017•30 min
NPR reporter Kirk Siegler and Southern California Public Radio reporter Priska Neely join Sam to talk through the week that was: Charlottesville and the President's reaction to it, the reaction to that by corporations and everyone else, the so-called "alt left", Steve Bannon's late-breaking departure from the White House — plus a back-to-school scene, Queens of the Stone Age, a call to a listener in Colorado, and the best things that happened to listeners all week. Email the show at samsanders@n...
Aug 18, 2017•54 min
Sam talks to white people — and only white people — about Charlottesville. This episode: UVA history professor Grace Hale, NPR's Sarah McCammon, and developmental psychologist Amy Roberson Hayes, plus some calls to our listeners. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy...
Aug 15, 2017•1 hr 2 min
From WWNO in New Orleans, NPR Code Switch correspondent Gene Demby and Planet Money correspondent Noel King join Sam to talk through the week that was: a giant inflatable chicken, the President's rhetoric toward North Korea, White House infighting, an instantly notorious Google memo, a lawsuit against Harvard seeking to challenge affirmative action, and the Snap IPO — plus some New Orleans brass band music, a call to a listener in Michigan, and the best things that happened to listeners all week...
Aug 11, 2017•49 min
Sam talks to comedian and former 'Saturday Night Live' cast member Sasheer Zamata about leaving the show, breakups, her new comedy special and variety show, talking about race in the age of Trump, growing up in the mid-west, moving around a lot, going to UVA, getting into improv, moving to New York, auditioning for SNL, working on the show, and Beyonce. Email the show at samsanders@npr.org and follow Sam on Twitter @samsanders. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of ...
Aug 08, 2017•50 min
