This American Life

Heather O'Neill, author and storyteller, and Arizona O'Neill, now an adult creator who as a child reacted vividly to a new partner, plus Davy Rothbart, writer and Found Magazine creator, share uncanny family tales. They explore a household transformed by an unseen Buddhist spirit, a baffling political namesake, and a newcomer who must win over a skeptical child. Short, surprising stories about how outsiders reshape family life.

M. Gessen, journalist and writer who turned family history into a true-crime investigation. They recount a shocking family rupture, undercover recordings that shifted the story, and the courtroom drama that followed. Short, tense scenes reveal how reporting pulled private life into public view.

Shirley Glass, a licensed therapist from Baltimore and mother of the host, shares brief psychological observations and family stories. The conversation covers leading a group on adult children, candid back-and-forth about parenting expectations, Barry’s short radio career, and a startlingly frank talk about sex that tests family boundaries.

Mike Paterniti, a reporter who followed Chen Sa’s weekend rescues on Nanjing Bridge, and Brett Martin, a magazine reporter who chronicled Alex Zharov’s Jamaica Bay ordeal, tell gripping near‑city tales. They explore a nightmarish pleasure cruise gone wrong and a lone man patrolling a suicide bridge. Short, tense stories of survival, strange places on the urban edge, and the people drawn to them.

Ryan Schwenk, a former ICE attorney who testified to Congress as a whistleblower, recounts alarming training and policy changes at an ICE academy. He describes warrantless-entry memos, gutted oversight, compressed constitutional and use-of-force instruction, and how failures in training and compliance led him to resign and warn about risks to public safety.

John Tothill, comedian who riffs on the 19th-century oyster glutton Edward Dando. Tobin Lowe, producer who follows Evan Roberts as he calls up an old flame to argue they should have stayed friends. Zoe Chace, reporter delivering courtroom dispatches from a landmark federal Antifa-related trial in Texas. They cover outrageous appetite and survival, reconnecting with an ex over Zoom, and a surprising mistrial tied to courtroom theatrics.

911 calls capture chaos as federal immigration agents sweep neighborhoods and hospitals. Reporters follow repeated raids at Los Angeles Home Depots and the daily cat-and-mouse life of day laborers. A grassroots archive documents arrests and patterns of enforcement across Southern California.

Eamon Ogana, a field reporter who traveled with the Syrian comedy troupe Styria, joins comedians Sharif Homsi and Maliki Mardonali. They dive into the challenges of performing comedy in post-Assad Syria, where jokes can have serious repercussions. The trio shares stories from their national tour, discussing the fine line between humor and safety, and how they navigate censorship while testing daring material. As they confront local authorities threatening their shows, their journey highlights the struggle for creative freedom in a changing political landscape.

In this special mini-episode, we hear from someone in Venezuela with a very specific take on last week's U.S. attack.

Aviva DeKornfeld, a producer and storyteller, joins comedian Jake Cornell, who shares a hilarious yet poignant tale about his long-distance book club with his grandmother that uncovers her secret romance novel tastes. Reporter Ben Austen reflects on reconnecting with a childhood classmate, navigating surprising memories and a painful past, while Pete reveals the life-altering secret of his parents' undercover work for the CIA, reshaping his childhood perceptions. Each guest highlights how unexpected revelations can redefine our understanding of family and friendship.