Are UFOs real? Maybe, but that's not the point. From Congressional hearings on UFOs to the claims of RFK Jr., conspiracies have gone from fringe to mainstream political talking points. Authors Kelly Weill and Mike Rothschild join the show to explain why. Then, PEOPLE Magazine released this year's Sexiest Man Alive... and it was certainly a choice! But it got Brittany thinking: what makes someone sexy in the year 2024, and who decides what's hot? The hosts of Who Weekly, Bobby Finger and...

The boys are not alright. They are falling behind in education and employment, and many have responded by leaning into the politics of the aggrieved. For decades, these major cultural developments have laid the groundwork for Donald Trump's re-election. Today Brittany talks with Hanna Rosin. Fifteen years ago she started researching what was going on with men. Her groundbreaking book The End of Men was one of the first to note this societal shift for men. Over a decade later, her assessment...

Baby fever just isn't spreading like it used to. The United States fertility rate hit an all-time low last year, and some of our biggest musicians, like Charli XCX and Tyler the Creator, are working their parenting anxieties out in their club bangers. This week, host Brittany Luse invites Anastasia Berg, co-author of What are Children For?, to explore the unique way millennials are confronting the age old question of whether or not to have a child. Then, in the wake of media layoffs, there's...

From Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives to your favorite homemaking TikTok influencers, the women of the Church of Latter Day Saints have been gaining mass audiences via social media for over a decade. This week, Brittany is joined by Jana Riess, senior columnist at Religious News Service and author of The Next Mormons: How Millennials are Changing the LDS Church, to discuss how Mormon culture provides some of TikTok's most powerful influencers with heavenly tools for success. Learn...

What's surprising about Trump returning to the White House? For Brittany Luse, Pop Culture Happy Hour's Aisha Harris, and NPR's Alana Wise there isn't much to be surprised about. Three Black women and journalists mull over how this moment is business as usual from where they sit. Then, Brittany puts the spotlight on a word that's been in the shadows in this election cycle: feminism. Vox's Constance Grady and Paper Magazine's Joan Summers join the show to discuss the state of feminism in...

It's Election Day, but instead of focusing on politics, we decided to do something a little lighter for the occasion: we're looking at this year's hot mom rom-com boom. Host Brittany Luse is joined by New York Magazine features writer Rachel Handler to get a little deeper into three movies from this genre: A Family Affair, The Idea of You, and Between the Temples. They discuss how hot moms on screen have changed, but why movies like these often still feel behind the times. Learn more about...

The 2024 presidential candidates are making their closing arguments. While VP Harris is focused on the economy and abortion rights, Donald Trump has doubled down on anti-immigrant and anti-trans attack ads. This week, Brittany invites Translash's Imara Jones and NPR immigration correspondent Sergio Martínez-Beltrán to understand what deeper fears these attack ads are stoking. Then, Brittany is joined by Code Switch's Gene Demby to explore the roots of a corner of the conservative internet...

For the third and final installment of our Trilogy of Terror series, host Brittany Luse turns her attention to the ultimate taboo: cannibalism. Cannibalism stories have gotten big recently: it's in The Last of Us, Society of the Snow and Yellowjackets. She's joined by NPR Arts Desk reporter Neda Ulaby to dig deeper into three cannibalism films. They break down how versatile the trope is, what it says about how we consume – and how we love. Learn more about sponsor message choices:...

The same songs are sitting at the top of the music charts longer than ever, and that has Brittany Luse wondering, are our listening habits stuck in a doom loop? Brittany chats with NPR music editor Stephen Thompson to get to the bottom of the top of the charts. Plus, when a daughter or sister disappears how does a family move on without closure? Host Brittany Luse is joined by Fresh Air co-host Tonya Mosley and and her nephew Antonio Wiley to talk about their new kind of true crime podcast,...

Kylie Minogue is having a capital-M moment, and Brittany sits down in studio with the pop star to talk about how to keep reaching new heights in a career full of peaks. Hot off her Vegas Residency, Kylie just dropped her new album Tension II and is gearing up for a world tour. The legend shares her tips for staying on top for three decades, and Brittany asks what's the secret for turning underground dance music in pristine pop bangers. Learn more about sponsor message choices:...

Extreme weather is becoming more frequent. Now some towns that were touted as "safe" are seeing hurricanes, floods or heat waves. This week, host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR climate solutions reporter Julia Simon and NPR culture reporter Chloe Veltman to understand misconceptions around "climate havens" and what it means to preserve culture in the face of the climate crisis. Then, Brittany continues her Trilogy of Terror series with an unexpected horror trope: scary service workers. She...

Sasha Colby is your favorite drag queen's favorite drag queen. That's because she's one of the most decorated and influential drag queens working today - she's Chappell Roan's inspiration, a Miss Continental winner and a RuPaul's Drag Race winner. Sasha Colby joins Brittany following her 'STRIPPED' world tour to dish about her career, the mainstreaming of drag, and what it takes to persevere through drag's rhinestone trenches. Learn more about sponsor message choices:...

In anticipation of more pro-Palestinian protests, many college administrators rolled out new rules this fall that include getting pre-approval for posting flyers or hosting demonstrations. Brittany is joined by UC Irvine sociology professor David S. Meyer, who studies social movements and public policy, and Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Kate Hidalgo Bellows. They discuss the changes on campuses and how they tie into debates over free speech. Then, Brittany kicks off a new series...

Who will win today's cage match? For the past two months Brittany has been hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. Today, she ends her tour in her hometown. It's a homecoming of sorts. Beyoncé style. For the last episode in the series, Brittany lands in Detroit, Michigan, and debates with Tia Graham, co-host of WDET's CultureShift and Cary Junior II, producer for WDET's Created Equal. There...

Tuesday night, JD Vance and Tim Walz faced off in their first debate. Host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR's national race and identity correspondent Sandhya Dirks and political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben to discuss how the candidates display competing brands of white masculinity. Then, Fat Bear Week is back! The annual March Madness-style bracket of the fattest bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park is in full swing after a rocky start. In honor of Fat Bear Week, Brittany revisits a...

Who will win today's cage match? Welcome to The Smackdown! For the last few weeks Brittany has been hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. This episode Brittany lands in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and debates with KOSU's Jacob Littlebear and Kuma Roberts, co-hosts of Focus: Black Oklahoma. There will be winners. There will be losers. There will be surprises. Learn more about sponsor message choices:...

Following the false allegations against the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, the city received over 30 bomb threats, saw school closures and even the cancellation of a celebration for diversity in arts and culture. Host Brittany Luse talks to NPR Immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd about what she's learned from her reporting in the region and how all this could tie into a larger Midwest identity crisis. Then, Brittany is joined by Danzy Senna, author of Colored Television, to...

Who will win today's cage match? Welcome to The Smackdown! For the next several weeks Brittany is hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. This episode Brittany lands in Miami, Florida, and debates with WLRN reporter Wilkine Brutus and The Miami Herald's C. Isaiah Smalls II. There will be winners. There will be losers. There will be surprises. This discussion features excerpts from the NPR...

On Monday, the embattled rap mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. He's been denied bail twice, and is facing a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR Music editor Sidney Madden and legal affairs reporter Meghann Cuniff to understand what this indictment means for Combs and if this could be the beginning of a #MeToo movement in hip-hop. Then, Brittany is joined by Tony Tulathimutte, author of Rejection,...

Who will win today's cage match? Welcome to The Smackdown! For the next several weeks Brittany is hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. This episode Brittany lands in New Orleans, Louisiana, and debates with Gulf States Newsroom health equity reporter Drew Hawkins and writer & editor Ko Bragg. There will be winners. There will be losers. There will be surprises. Learn more about...

Podcast and social media influencers have become important campaign stops for political hopefuls. But what kind of voters are the candidates courting? And what does the popularity of these interviews say about the growing political power of the influencer? Brittany is joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie and NBC News tech and culture reporter Kat Tenbarge to find out. But first, what can we learn about the political candidates through their clothes? After the presidential debate,...

Who will win today's cage match? Welcome to The Smackdown! For the next several weeks Brittany is hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. This episode Brittany lands in Birmingham, Alabama, and debates with Gulf States Newsroom sports & culture reporter Joseph King and AL.com culture reporter Cody Short. There will be winners. There will be losers. There will be surprises. Learn more...

It's September, which means millions of young learners across the country are dusting off their backpacks and heading back to school. But a new study from Gallup and The Walton Family Foundation has shown that students are less engaged, and feel less challenged than last year, and about half of them have no plans to get a Bachelor's degree right after high school. Host Brittany Luse is joined by Karin Klein, education reporter and author of Rethinking College: A Guide to Thriving Without a...

Who will win today's cage match? Welcome to The Smackdown! For the next several weeks Brittany is hosting debates in cities and regions across the United States to find out who and what are the most influential things from those places. This episode Brittany lands in Concord, New Hampshire, the Granite State, and debates with New Hampshire Public Radio reporters Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, the hosts of the excellent podcast Civics 101. There will be winners. There will be losers....