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Anjuli Sastry Krbechek Anjuli Sastry is a former senior producer on It's Been a Minute and a 2021 Nieman Journalism Foundation Visiting Fellow.
Anjuli Sastry
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Anjuli Sastry Krbechek

Wednesday

How one event in history can ripple through generations of a family
Show art by Christina Chung

Code Switch

How one event in history can ripple through generations of a family

This week we're bringing you the first episode in a new series called Inheriting, created in collaboration with our friends at LAist Studios. In each episode, NPR's Emily Kwong sits down with Asian American and Pacific Islander families and explores how one event in history can ripple through generations.

How one event in history can ripple through generations of a family

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Tuesday

Danyel Smith gives Black women in pop their flowers in 'Shine Bright'
Frederic Reglain/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images; CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images; Drew Allyn; Gladys Knight

It's Been a Minute

Danyel Smith gives Black women in pop their flowers in 'Shine Bright'

In this conversation from April 2022, former guest host Juana Summers sits down with author Danyel Smith to chat about her book, Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop. They talk all about Black women in music — like Gladys Knight, Mahalia Jackson and Whitney Houston — whose true genius and contributions have not yet been fully recognized.

Danyel Smith gives Black women in pop their flowers in 'Shine Bright'

Listen · 31:55
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Tuesday

Bruce Talamon on photographing Black excellence in the 1970s

The Jackson 5. Bruce Talamon/Taschen hide caption

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Bruce Talamon/Taschen

It's Been a Minute

Bruce Talamon on photographing Black excellence in the 1970s

Name a Black musician from the 1970s and chances are Bruce Talamon has photographed them. The Jackson 5. Aretha Franklin. Marvin Gaye. Donna Summer. Bob Marley. The list goes on.

Bruce Talamon on photographing Black excellence in the 1970s

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Monday

What makes Drake's 'God's Plan' a hit pop song

Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan host the podcast Switched On Pop and are co-authors of the book Switched On Pop: How Popular Music Works, and Why it Matters. Ellyn Jameson/Switched On Pop hide caption

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Ellyn Jameson/Switched On Pop

It's Been a Minute

What makes Drake's 'God's Plan' a hit pop song

Attention to all the music lovers out there! All month, we're revisiting our best music episodes from It's Been a Minute. In this episode from February 2020, former host Sam Sanders is joined by Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding, co-hosts of the podcast Switched On Pop. They break down what makes a song: why certain pop songs become ear worms and what their form and structure mean for the future of music. Sloan and Harding deconstruct songs in their 2020 book, Switched On Pop: How Popular Music Works and Why It Matters.

What makes Drake's 'God's Plan' a hit pop song

Listen · 17:43
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Friday

Anti-trans legislation; plus, Broadway is back

MONTGOMERY, AL - MARCH 30: Sydney Duncan holds a sign during a rally at the Alabama State House to draw attention to anti-transgender legislation introduced in Alabama on March 30, 2021 in Montgomery, Alabama. There are so far 192 anti-LGBTQ bills under consideration in state legislatures across the United States. Of those, 93 directly target transgender people. Julie Bennett/Getty Images hide caption

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Julie Bennett/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Anti-trans legislation; plus, Broadway is back

Legislation targeting transgender Americans and trans children has increased sharply in the last year. Guest host Ari Shapiro speaks with the Florida mother of a trans daughter about how their family is coping with that state's new, more restrictive policies. Then, Ari discusses how this wave of law-making differs from so-called "moral panics" of past decades — and why that matters — with historian Jules Gill-Peterson, of Johns Hopkins University.

Anti-trans legislation; plus, Broadway is back

Listen · 35:08
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Friday

COVID travel mask mandates drop; plus, 'Oprahdemics'

Mask mandates on public transportation are no longer in effect following a ruling by federal judge on April 18, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

COVID travel mask mandates drop; plus, 'Oprahdemics'

With travel mask mandates dropping, increasing cases, and more COVID variants, precaution exhaustion is real, but the pandemic is far from over. Guest host Juana Summers talks with science writer Katherine J. Wu of The Atlantic about how the U.S. has moved from a collective approach to an individual-focused mindset in its handling of the pandemic.

COVID travel mask mandates drop; plus, 'Oprahdemics'

Listen · 32:55
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Tuesday

Danyel Smith highlights Black female artists who defined pop music in 'Shine Bright'

Danyel Smith, author of Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop. Drew Allyn/Drew Allyn hide caption

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Drew Allyn/Drew Allyn

It's Been a Minute

Danyel Smith highlights Black female artists who defined pop music in 'Shine Bright'

Guest host Juana Summers talks with Danyel Smith about her new memoir, Shine Bright: A Personal History of Black Women in Pop. As a previous editor-in-chief for both Billboard and Vibe magazines, host of the Black Girl Songbook podcast, and longtime music reporter, Danyel uses her expertise to spotlight the stories of pop powerhouses like Gladys Knight, Mahalia Jackson, Whitney Houston, and more. Danyel crafts a love letter to Black women in pop, capturing the intimate details of who they were, their influence on her, and how their music changed pop forever.

Danyel Smith highlights Black female artists who defined pop music in 'Shine Bright'

Listen · 31:18
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Friday

Etsy sellers on strike; plus, the creators of 'ROAR'

This Jan. 6, 2015, file photo shows an Etsy mobile credit card reader, in New York. Mark Lennihan/AP hide caption

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Mark Lennihan/AP

It's Been a Minute

Etsy sellers on strike; plus, the creators of 'ROAR'

From homemade candles to jewelry, leather goods to cloth masks, online marketplace Etsy has been a haven for makers looking to sell their goods and build small businesses for themselves. But with fees increasing, some sellers are frustrated and have gone on strike. Guest host Juana Summers is joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Charity Scott to learn more about how sellers feel and what it means for online shopping.

Etsy sellers on strike; plus, the creators of 'ROAR'

Listen · 30:51
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Friday

The problem of diversity in 'Bridgerton'; plus, the Latinx history of punk music

Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma and Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton in season two of Bridgerton. Liam Daniel/Netflix hide caption

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Liam Daniel/Netflix

It's Been a Minute

The problem of diversity in 'Bridgerton'; plus, the Latinx history of punk music

Guest host Jasmine Garsd talks to Kristen Warner, an associate professor at the University of Alabama, about Bridgerton's diversity problem. They discuss color blind v. color-conscious casting, how race factors into historical narratives and why any representation isn't always good representation.

The problem of diversity in 'Bridgerton'; plus, the Latinx history of punk music

Listen · 39:59
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Friday

The vibe has shifted; plus, 'Conversations with People Who Hate Me'

Two people sitting on a bench wearing protective masks using their phones as the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States on March 27, 2020 in New York City. Cindy Ord/Getty Images hide caption

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Cindy Ord/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

The vibe has shifted; plus, 'Conversations with People Who Hate Me'

You may see it in the news or on social media. You may be feeling different in your relationships or with your job. The "vibe" has shifted. Our guest host Jasmine Garsd is joined by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, culture writer for BuzzFeed News and host of CBC's pop culture podcast Pop Chat, to learn more about this vibe shift and why we all may be feeling a little off right now.

The vibe has shifted; plus, 'Conversations with People Who Hate Me'

Listen · 35:30
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Friday

And the Oscar goes to...

Overview of the Oscar statue at "Meet the Oscars" at the Time Warner Center on February 25, 2010 in New York City. Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images hide caption

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Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

And the Oscar goes to...

A trimmed telecast? A crowd-sourced award? DJ Khaled as a presenter? The Oscars are back like you've never seen them before. Guest host Elise Hu is joined by Pop Culture Happy Hour host and reporter Aisha Harris and NPR film critic Bob Mondello to talk about these new changes and their top picks for who's taking home the big awards of the night. Then, they play a game of Who Said That.

And the Oscar goes to...

Listen · 28:06
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Friday

One year later, the Atlanta spa shootings; plus, tech on TV

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 18: A year ago, activists demonstrate outside Gold Spa the shooting where three women were gunned down on in Atlanta, Georgia. Megan Varner/Getty Images hide caption

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It's Been a Minute

One year later, the Atlanta spa shootings; plus, tech on TV

It's been one year since the Atlanta-area spa shootings that claimed eight lives, six of whom were Asian women. Guest host Elise Hu reflects on the event with Nicole Chung, author of the memoir All You Can Ever Know and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. They discuss their own experiences and the unprecedented violence that Asian Americans—especially Asian American women—are facing.

One year later, the Atlanta spa shootings; plus, tech on TV

Listen · 33:13
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Monday

'The Dropout' finds the voice of Elizabeth Holmes

Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout. Beth Dubber/HULU hide caption

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Beth Dubber/HULU

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Dropout' finds the voice of Elizabeth Holmes

Hulu's The Dropout moves the needle on the Theranos story. The series stars Amanda Seyfried as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, and shows how the tech wunderkind and her company went from darlings to defendants. The cast also includes Naveen Andrews, William H. Macy, Sam Waterston, Stephen Fry, Alan Ruck and Laurie Metcalf.

'The Dropout' finds the voice of Elizabeth Holmes

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Friday

Sam says goodbye

Sam Sanders says goodbye to NPR. Josh Huskin/Josh Huskin hide caption

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Josh Huskin/Josh Huskin

It's Been a Minute

Sam says goodbye

It's Been A Minute is sticking around, but before our beloved Sam Sanders takes flight we've got news to cover! In Sam's last episode as host, he's joined by NPR Weekend Edition Sunday host Ayesha Rascoe and NPR Congressional Correspondent Susan Davis to talk about the latest in politics news from gas prices to Ukraine to the upcoming US midterms. He then plays a special game of Who Said That? with his Aunt Betty and her friend, Lynette Maxwell.

Sam says goodbye

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Friday

Sanctions 101

Women look at a screen displaying exchange rate at a currency exchange office in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. In the days since the West imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, ordinary Russians are feeling the painful effects — from payment systems that won't operate and problems withdrawing cash to not being able to purchase certain items. Dmitri Lovetsky/AP hide caption

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Dmitri Lovetsky/AP

It's Been a Minute

Sanctions 101

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, global powers have put the pressure on with sanctions upon sanctions. But what does that even mean? Class is in session as Sam attends Sanctions 101 with Cardiff Garcia, host of The New Bazaar, and Stacey Vanek Smith, co-host of The Indicator. They talk about how economic sanctions are supposed to work and whether they can be effective enough to change anything on the ground.

Sanctions 101

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