Here are new and noteworthy podcasts from public media to check out now
Between Valentine's Day and more and more hours of daylight, there's a lot to love about February. How about adding a new podcast to the mix? The NPR One team has gathered a few returning favorites as well as some new shows from across public media to add to your listening rotation.
White Lies
On the morning of August 21, 1991, a group of Cuban detainees took over a federal prison in Talladega, Alabama, and demanded their freedom. But how did they get here? And what became of them after?
Start the series with episode 1, "The Men on the Roof."
La Brega
Season 2 of La Brega explores Puerto Rico's most powerful export, its music: from superstar Bad Bunny to classic salsas. Hosted by Alana Casanova-Burgess; a co-production of WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios, available in English and Spanish.
Listen to episode 1, "Preciosa" — The Other Anthem. (Escucha en español aqui.)
The Spiritual Edge: A Prayer for Salmon
A Prayer for Salmon is a new audio documentary series from KALW's The Spiritual Edge podcast that tells the story of the Winnemem Wintu people of Northern California and their clash with Shasta Dam. The dam's construction turned California into an agricultural powerhouse, but it left the Winnemem homeless and without say over their land.
Listen to chapter 1, "A Protest at Shasta Dam."
50 Years of Hip-Hop
A party in the Bronx on August 11th, 1973 is widely considered to be the birthplace of hip-hop. The art form has since touched every corner of our world and evolved into one of the most significant cultural forces today. 50 Years of Hip-Hop, hosted by KEXP's Larry Mizell Jr, celebrates the anniversary by highlighting a different year of its history each week.
Get started with this dive into hip hop's origins and inspirations.
Shoes Off: A Sexy Asians Podcast
Asians have long been ignored, fetishized or made the butt of the joke in America. WBEZ's Shoes Off: A Sexy Asians Podcast, wants to put that to rest. Each week, we celebrate badass Asians who are making a mark on pop culture and entertainment.
Jump into this conversation with comedian and actor Joel Kim Booster.
Ohio After Roe
Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide, recently turned 50. The court's decision last summer to overturn Roe created confusion, worry and greater resolve for Ohioans on both sides of the debate. Ideastream Public Media surveys the new landscape in "Ohio After Roe."
Start with "Episode 1: The Abortion Provider."
Outside/In
NHPR's Outside/In is trying out a new segment called This, That, Or The Other Thing. It's all about the little decisions we make to try and build a more sustainable world—whether they have any effect, and what we can do instead if they don't.
When it comes to being environmentally friendly, does it really matter what we eat? Get some answers in the series opener.
Motive
Chicago gangs: Real people. Real stories. A way forward. The new season of WBEZ's Motive explores violence on the streets of Chicago and the former gang members working to stop it.
Start with episode 1, "After The Gunfire."
RISE
WEKU's RISE is a series of conversations that focus on the realities of the present and prospects for the future of Eastern Kentucky. It came about in response to the unprecedented flooding experienced by several Eastern Kentucky communities in July of 2022 and the myriad questions and dilemmas the flood event has raised.
Listen to episode 1, which captures what happened when the floodwaters began to rise across a swath of the state.
NPR's Jack Mitchell curated and produced this piece.
New and noteworthy public media podcasts to check out this January
It's a new year and with it new podcasts are here! The NPR One team has gathered a few returning favorites as well as some new shows from across public media to add to your playlist.
Ghost Herd
It started as an American success story. The Easterday family took a couple hundred acres of farmland in Eastern Washington and grew it into a farming and ranching empire worth millions. Then, it all came crashing down.
Check out KUOW and Northwest Public Broadcasting's new show Ghost Herd, starting with Part 1: The Empire Builders.
The Statue
In a moment of reckoning and reimagining for monuments, why do millions of people each year from around the world visit Philly's Rocky Statue? What does a statue celebrating a fictional boxer tell us about how we memorialize some stories over others? Monument Lab's Paul Farber dives deep into the story of the statue to the greatest Philadelphian who never lived.
Start listening to WHYY's new show The Statue, episode 1 "Patron Saint of the Underdog."
Systemic: Equity & Education
Colorado Public Radio's Systemic, hosted and reported by Jo Erickson, is back for Season 2. This season, teachers, parents, students and administrators of color are asking hard questions about the American education system. What topics get to be included in the curriculum? How can educators make schools a place where every family feels like they belong? And how do we keep students safe?
Start listening to season 2 with "No Equity, No Voice."
Detours
Season 3 of DETOURS dives into the dirt behind some of the items found on America's favorite antiques show! Join Adam Monahan, host and longtime producer for GBH's Antiques Roadshow, as he reveals more never-before-told stories of fakes, fumbles, and unforgettable moments that happened after the cameras stopped rolling.
Listen to last season now and catch new episodes starting January 23.
Nerdette: Undercover
For the special series "Undercover," WBEZ's Nerdette crew is taking a deep dive into some of the different ways a book comes to life! First up, we take a look at a seemingly small, but very important element of a book: blurbs. Praise from well-known writers can help a new author find their footing, but the system is all about who knows who. We talk to authors, editors and readers about whether it's time for a revamp.
Start with part one, "Undercover: The thorny business of book blurbs."
Terra Firma
Terra Firma is a podcast about the outdoors, the sounds of the natural world and our place in it. Each episode runs about 5-10 minutes and pairs reflections on nature with gorgeous soundscapes captured in wild places. Terra Firma unites stories and musings by CMarie Fuhrman, a Colorado-born, Indigenous poet and writer, with audio captured by outdoor sound recordist Jacob Job.
Start with "Welcome to Terra Firma."
Studio B Sessions
KBIA's music and conversation series is dropping four new episodes for the holidays, featuring mid-Missouri's most dynamic musical acts.
Start with Episode 1: The January Lanterns.
The Zest
Hosted by WUSF's Robin Sussingham, The Zest explores the way Florida's unique culture is showcased in its food and shares fascinating culinary stories from around the globe.
Catch the season premiere with EPCOT culinary director Albert Youngman.
State Street
From KUER, State Street is the place where Utah politics tastes good. Where the stories are covered in fry sauce and you can boost your civic IQ without all the campaigning, cajoling and cross-talk. This is politics, the Utah way.
Start with "Before #UTLEG starts: So happy together."
Plus, it's not too late to catch up on these 15 podcasts to binge before the new year!
NPR One's Jack Mitchell curated and produced this piece.
NPR One is moving (and keeping everything you love). Come with us!
Big news: NPR One on Android is moving to a new home. Come with us!
Everything – everything – you know and love about NPR One is moving to the NPR app, our new one-stop destination for the best of public radio. This change is happening on Android now and will happen on iOS in coming months.
You'll immediately recognize the new NPR app design as the NPR One experience you already know. That's because we've been rolling out our new design to you in advance, incorporating the features our audiences on both apps love, in order to make your move to the NPR app as seamless as possible. With a single NPR app, you can expect faster development of new features and more streamlined support.
Starting today, you can download the NPR app on Android as the replacement for your NPR One app. When you sign in with your username and password, all of your listening history and preferences will come with you – followed podcasts, favorite stations and more. Pick up right where you left off. All you need to do is turn notifications back on so we can keep you up to date on breaking news and episodes from your favorite podcasts.
To find the Notifications setting after you download the NPR app, go to the gear-shaped Settings button in the top-left of your screen.
From now on, new app features will launch exclusively inside the NPR app, so we recommend downloading it today to get the most up-to-date experience. Meanwhile, we'll continue to remind you to download and start using the new app. At some point later this year, we'll turn off the old app and updates will continue only in the NPR app.
We're excited for this new phase for the NPR One experience on Android and thrilled to have you with us on the journey.