Fresh Air
NPR
Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Subscribe to Fresh Air Plus! You'll enjoy bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening - all while you support NPR's mission. Learn more at plus.npr.org/freshair And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair
Episodes
Mentioned books
60 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 44min
Inside the explosive growth of sports betting
McKay Coppins, Atlantic staff writer who spent an NFL season gambling a $10,000 bankroll to study sports betting up close. He recounts the explosive growth of betting, leagues and media partnering with sportsbooks, how betting changes fan perception, and the rise of predictive markets and regulatory gaps.
28 snips
Mar 11, 2026 • 46min
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford, veteran actor known for iconic roles like Indiana Jones and Han Solo, reflects on a lifelong love of acting. He discusses playing an older therapist in Shrinking, improvisation and on-set risks, surviving a 2015 plane crash, and balancing life between LA and a Wyoming ranch. Short, candid conversations touch on memory, injury, and why he keeps working.
18 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 45min
Jamilah Lemieux on the complicated beauty of being a ‘Black. Single. Mother.’
Jamila Lemieux, writer and cultural critic who explores race, gender, and parenting, discusses her book blending memoir and 21 stories about Black single mothers. She talks about stigma and online shaming. She reflects on co-parenting, redefining family, grieving expectations, and how single motherhood is being reclaimed and reimagined.
5 snips
Mar 9, 2026 • 45min
The hidden history of blackface in America
Raylan Barnes, assistant professor of American cultural history and author of Darkology, studies the history of blackface, minstrelsy, and American entertainment. She recounts hidden archival materials, the spread of amateur blackface through how-to guides and makeup industry marketing, and the ties between minstrelsy, fraternal groups, and political rhetoric. She also discusses efforts that made blackface taboo.
Mar 7, 2026 • 48min
Best Of: ‘Hamnet’ star Jessie Buckley / Documentarian Morgan Neville
Jessie Buckley, an Oscar-nominated Irish actor known for Hamnet and powerful screen turns, reflects on playing Agnes and how motherhood reshaped her craft. John Powers, film critic, reviews Kokuho, a story about kabuki training and artistic sacrifice. Morgan Neville, documentarian, explores Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles crisis, archival footage, and his prolific return to songwriting.
Mar 6, 2026 • 46min
Remembering pop songwriter Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka, pop singer-songwriter behind hits like "Calendar Girl," celebrated for Juilliard piano roots and a midcareer comeback. Justin Chang, film critic, weighs in about Pixar's Hoppers. They discuss Sedaka's Brill Building songwriting, reworking classics like "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," television boosts, and the Elton John–sparked revival.
Mar 5, 2026 • 45min
Delroy Lindo is claiming victory
Delroy Lindo, a veteran actor with a 50-year career and an Oscar nomination for Sinners, reflects on preparing for Delta Slim and deep research into blues culture. He recalls Spike Lee’s call, handling a racial slur at the BAFTAs, writing about his Windrush-era mother, and why he chooses words and accents carefully.
22 snips
Mar 4, 2026 • 45min
From Beatles break-up to John’s murder, a look at Paul’s transformation
Morgan Neville, Oscar-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning documentary filmmaker, discusses his new Paul McCartney film. He shares rare home footage and why he used audio-only interviews. He traces Paul’s post-Beatles grief, the birth of Wings, songwriting like Maybe I’m Amazed, tensions with John Lennon, and how Lennon’s murder reshaped Paul’s artistic identity.
33 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 44min
A look at Trump's plans to restrict voting
Richard Hasen, UCLA law and political science professor who directs the Safeguarding Democracy Project, breaks down proposed limits on mail-in ballots and the SAVE Act. He explains claims about foreign interference, draft provisions for proof-of-citizenship, risks of federalizing elections, and how restrictive rules could disenfranchise voters and reshape democratic safeguards.
10 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 45min
Jessie Buckley loves the ‘shadowy bits’ of her characters
Jessie Buckley, an Irish actress and singer celebrated for film and stage work and awards recognition, discusses playing Agnes in Hamnet. She explores the character’s mysticism, nature connection, and ‘shadowy bits.’ Conversations touch on grief and an unplanned crying scene, dream-based character work, her musical roots, and juggling motherhood with demanding roles.
