When it comes to the news these days, it can often feel like broad strokes are the most we can handle. Though it’s important to stay informed, of course, a deep dive into current events can all too easily turn into a full-on downward spiral.
But it’s important to at least try to keep up, which is why we’ve rounded up a series of podcasts that are unpacking our current situation through rigorous investigation, thought-provoking debates, and intimate conversations. Something else they all share? An ability to infuse even the most upsetting story with humanity and soul. Not all of these episodes are easy listens, but they’re essential for anyone who wants to keep their eyes and ears open during this time.
In this daily explainer podcast, host Sean Rameswaram guides listeners through the biggest stories from the past 24 hours. Rameswaram, who gained recognition as the host of the Radiolab spinoff More Perfect, proves a confident and comfortable host, his air of intellectual swagger matched by a down-to-earth interviewing style. His chats with experts across industries—doctors, scientists, lawyers, and fellow reporters—are as accessible as they are informative. Created as Vox’s answer to The New York Times’ runaway hit The Daily, Today, Explained proves to be an equally essential show, bringing much-needed levity to the often somber daily news space.
Listen: “Quarantine dreams,” in which Rameswaram interviews a Harvard psychologist to find out why so many people worldwide have been having exceptionally vivid dreams since the start of the pandemic.
Fans of NPR’s long-running Marketplace will already be familiar with Kai Ryssdal’s dulcet tones (he’s been helming the show since 2005). In Make Me Smart, Ryssdal’s spinoff with cohost Molly Wood, the veteran NPR reporters get to let down their hair a bit, chatting comfortably and often cracking jokes (Ryssdal even shared a particularly touching “soul-baring moment” on a recent episode). But don’t be fooled by Wood and Ryssdal’s easy patter at the top of each episode—the show does, indeed, deliver on its promise to make you smarter, going deep on a host of pressing topics, including the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.
Listen: “Maybe Modern Monetary Theory is an answer to the COVID-19 economic crisis,” a dive in a much-requested topic with leading MMT expert Stephanie Kelton.
Host Anna Sale wants to talk about all the topics that don’t come up in “polite” conversation. Death, Sex, and Money features intimate discussions with both celebrities and listeners about money, relationships, infidelity, career shifts, parenting, mental illness, divorce, gender identity, death, and more, tackling often stigmatized topics with a sense of humor and daring. Sale is an expert interviewer—warm and incisive, with a voice that radiates compassion. And after six years on air, the show has reached a near-perfect equilibrium for its listeners: it feels familiar yet fresh; down-to-earth yet daring; provocative yet deeply poignant.
Listen: “What Is a ‘Good Death’ During a Pandemic?,” a short but gut-wrenching episode featuring a listener who is currently working in an adult ICU with COVID-19 patients.
When The Weeds launched in 2015, cohost Ezra Klein asserted that it was “not meant to go viral,” nor was it “meant to be for everyone.” That’s because Klein, Matt Yglesias, Sarah Kliff, and Dara Lind love getting into, well, the weeds, nerding out over all angles of government policy. While Klein may have modestly assumed that this policy-wonk approach might not have universal appeal, The Weeds is now regarded as one of the most popular political podcasts because it is so granular, breaking down complex topics for listeners and providing them a more well-rounded understanding of issues.
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May 16, 2020 at 12:41AM
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Six Podcasts to Keep Up With, Even in Quarantine - Vanity Fair
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