Each week, between driving to and from school and my rink, I spend almost 200 miles on the road. Add that to the time commuting between classes here at North and walking on the track during my PE class, and I’ve got about nine hours of transportation time to kill every week. To fill the empty spaces and keep me grounded, I put in my earbuds or connect to my car speakers and hit play on a slew of podcasts that pour current events, entertainment, and other people’s stories into my life. Here are a few of my favorites. 

1. The Daily
Sponsor: The New York Times
Host: Michael Barbaro
Release Schedule: 6 days a week, 20-30 minute episodes
Favorite Episode: Too many! Most recently however, ‘The United States vs. Elizabeth Holmes” (9/16/2021). A dive into a scandal in Silicon Valley. 

In 2020, The Daily was the most popular news podcast in the US for both Spotify and Apple listeners. More than 2 million people download each episode, making it a monster hit and a significant source of revenue for The New York Times. This show also brought its host, Michael Barbaro, celebrity status, complete with TV appearances and a dedicated fanbase. In 2017, People magazine even named Barbaro one of the 15 sexiest newsmen.

However, for me, when Mr. Platt assigned us this podcast in US History in the midst of the pandemic, Barbaro was constantly heard, and never seen. (I still can’t believe his voice matches his face, but I digress.) Every day, Barbaro invites a guest onto his show who has expertise in the big story of the day. For ‘Germany and Europe, After Merkel’ (9/24), he invited the Berlin Bureau Chief for the NYT; for ‘A “Righteous Strike”’ (9/21), he invited a journalist for the NYT based in Afghanistan; and for ‘Our Family’s Fight Against the Dixie Fire’ (9/20), he invited a NYT reporter whose family chose to defend their home in Northern California instead of evacuating. Barbaro walks the fine line between lending structure to the conversation and not being too overbearing; in my mind, he is stunningly adept at asking the right questions. I listen to every weekday podcast, and I have rarely been disappointed by the choice of story or the way in which it is told.

2. The Argument
Sponsor: The New York Times
Host: Jane Coaston (Frequent guests: Michelle Goldberg, Ross Douthat)
Release Schedule: Every Wednesday, 25-40 minute episodes
Favorite Episode: ‘Does Teaching America It’s Racist Make It Less Racist?’ (5/19/2021). A short history and debate on the merits and shortcomings of critical race theory. 

The Argument originally launched in 2018 to provide an ideal model of civil disagreement and to answer the question: “How could anyone possibly think that?” This podcast provides a wide palette of perspectives on subjects ranging from football safety to the death penalty to contacting aliens to workplace diversity programs. I listen to around half of the episodes that are released. 

Of this list of podcasts, I find The Argument to be the most mentally stimulating. While listening, my brain is always buzzing with activity, analyzing and backtracking and retracing. It reminds me of how argument and discourse with those who disagree with me can make me consider why anyone believes what they believe, and how the answer to that question can help us create mutual understanding and respect. 

3. Throughline
Sponsor: NPR
Host: Ramtin Arablouei, Rund Abdelfatah
Release Schedule: Every Wednesday, 50-70 minute episodes
Favorite Episode: ‘Afghanistan: The Center of the World’ (9/9/2021). Afghanistan, not from the perspective of those who invaded it, but from the perspective of those who lived there long before. 

A podcast whose tagline reads, ‘The past is never past,’ Througline covers both well-known and largely forgotten stories of history. I love the voices of the hosts; Rund Abdelfatah’s in particular is wonderful for storytelling, with pregnant pauses and soothing inflection. Throughline not only tells the “what,” it also tells the “why” and the “how” that is so often pushed out of the spotlight in textbooks, offering a bigger picture of trends and nuances that makes its episodes memorable and enjoyable. 

I’ve listened to some of the earliest episodes on this show, and whether or not I’ve listened to any recent episodes depends on how much time I’ve had on my hands. So, scrolling through their list of episodes, I see cycles of sudden bursts of activity that last several weeks, followed by a slew of unfamiliar titles. Recently, with so much downtime in the car, I’m grateful that I’ve been able to listen to almost every recent episode. 

Honorable Mentions

4. Hope, Through History
Sponsor: C13Originals
Host: Jon Meacham
Release Schedule: 10 episodes total (2 seasons), 20-40 minute episodes
Favorite Episode: ‘Episode 4 | JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis’ (5/9/2020). How JFK averted nuclear war. (I’ve listened to this episode seven times, probably because JFK and RFK were my political idols growing up.) 

Stories of leaders who were confronted with a challenge that threatened their people and perhaps even their world, and rose to the occasion. (Shoutout again to Mr. Platt, who assigned ‘Episode 1 | FDR and the Great Depression’ and totally got me hooked.) Meacham is also an amazing storyteller who won a Pulitzer Prize for his biography of President Andrew Jackson.

5. FiveThirtyEight Politics
Sponsor: FiveThirtyEight
Host: Galen Druke, Nate Silver
Release Schedule: Varies; usually 1-2 times a week, 20-60 minute episodes
Favorite Episode: ‘The Great Inflation Debate’ (7/22). What are the political consequences of a surge in inflation? 

The latest coverage on the game of pure politics and political leverage – a game in which the only thing predictable is unpredictability – complete with analysis of politicians, parties, polls, and the drama between them. 

—

Through the places and mindspaces my podcasts take me, I laugh, cry, wonder, analyze, rethink, and sometimes, stare into space with my jaw hanging open in shock. Podcasts help me begin to wrap my head around the joy, suffering, and challenges of people who feel far removed from my small corner of the world. After writing this blog, I’m looking forward to opening my sketchbook and tuning into the next one on my list: HISTORY This Week’s ‘Shaving Russia’ (8/30). Listen with me, and I promise it’ll open your eyes to something new!