On Story of the Week, “journalist” Joel Stein chooses an article that fascinates him, convinces the writer to tell him about it,... more
Nate and Maria take a closer look at the results of the election. They discuss polling errors, prediction markets, demographic... more
With the 96th Academy Awards this Sunday, we wanted to revisit this episode from last year. The Oscars seems to... more
After his cartooning career failed to take off, a German artist named Arno Funke started extorting department stores. He went... more
“Bronze Age Pervert” is the moniker of an influential far-right thinker. He has hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter.... more
When Andrew Leland was a teenager he learned he had a rare disease that would cause him to become blind... more
A car mechanic named Jeff Carpoff invented a portable solar generator. Companies like Geico and Progressive Insurance bought thousands of... more
Xochitl Gonzalez spent years planning the weddings of New York’s wealthiest couples. This is the story of the craziest wedding... more
A developer named Domenic Broccoli wanted to build an IHOP in Fishkill, New York. But after it was discovered that... more
Laos used to be known as “the land of a million elephants.” Now, there are only about 800 elephants left... more
Simone Gold, a former ER doctor, is the founder of a non-profit called “America’s Frontline Doctors,” known for spreading misinformation... more
How did the Guinness World Records company come to be? And how, in the age of the internet, does the... more
The history of Dr. Bronner’s soap is even crazier than the famously crazy writing on the side of a Dr.... more
In 2010, an art collector named Forrest Fenn published a memoir called “The Thrill of the Chase,” in which he... more
A woman in Louisiana named Donna Metrejean fell in love with a D.E.A agent in Oregon named Robert Golden. She... more
Comedian Dave Chappelle has been buying up properties in the tiny town of Yellow Springs, Ohio. The residents have mixed... more
In celebration of Bloomsday on June 16th, we’re bringing you a special James Joyce mystery. Ten years after achieving stratospheric... more
When a benign urban planning concept is co-opted by conspiracy theorists, an unsuspecting professor becomes the target of right-wing death... more
Every month in New York City, a small group of people who feel like they’ve been ostracized for holding unpopular... more
Nearly all of the high-end microchips in the world - the ones we depend on for our phones and cars ... more
When a nurse named Tiffany Dover fainted on camera after getting a Covid vaccine, anti-vaxxers assumed the worst. Shortly after,... more
On the Replica app, you can create an AI-powered chatbot to talk to, befriend, sext and even virtually marry. The... more
In 2012, Melania Trump tweeted a photo of a smiling beluga whale and captioned it “what is she thinking?” Eleven... more
Celebrity autographs are a billion dollar industry. And in New York City, “Radio Man” is better at collecting them than... more
Is it possible to live for even a day without plastic? Stunt journalist extraordinaire A.J. Jacobs tries his best. And... more
Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian man nicknamed “Putin’s Chef” went from being a street criminal to a hot dog seller to... more
In 2013, two women started a Facebook group called “Buy Nothing” for their local community on Bainbridge Island to swap... more
UPDATE: Since we recorded this episode on 03/09, Guo Wengui was arrested in New York City on charges of financial... more
The Oscars seems to be cursed with a series of chaotic live television gaffes. But one moment in Academy Award... more
Tipping. Dinner parties. Canceling plans. We could all use an etiquette guide that teaches us to live without pissing people... more
What happens when extinct animal skeletons meet the “Joe Rogan Experience”? The answer is murky, freezing, and may contain submerged... more
Tipping. Dinner parties. Canceling plans. We could all use an etiquette guide that teaches us to live without pissing people off. Luckily,... more