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Elise Hu Elise Hu is a host-at-large based at NPR West in Culver City, Calif.
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Elise Hu

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Monday

Culture

A teenage fire survivor competes in the L.A. Marathon

Abel Rivera lost his home in the Eaton fire, along with a beloved medal he got for running in the 2024 L.A. Marathon. On Sunday, he ran again with his mom and other fire survivors from his school.

FIRE SURVIVOR COMPETES IN L.A. MARATHON

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Wednesday

Close-up magician Paul Green displays a deck of playing cards.

Close-up magician Paul Green displays a deck of playing cards. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption

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Ryan Kellman/NPR

California Wildfires

LA's Magic Castle offers a brief escape during the wildfires

A Los Angeles institution spared from the flames gives back to the community with donations and magic tricks to lift evacuees' spirits.

L.A.'s Magic Castle gives back after surviving fires

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On Jan. 12, the 12th Best Friends Animal Society received cats and dogs from Pasadena Humane. Nina Lewis and Christy Pineda assist Veterinarian Ariana Dubelko run a check-up on a dog. Nina Lewis comforts a newly arrived dog before its medical inspection.

On Jan. 12, Best Friends Animal Society received cats and dogs from Pasadena Humane. Employees and volunteers spent the day intaking animals and donated supplies in an effort.  Here, Best Friends' Nina Lewis holds a dog before its medical examination. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption

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Ryan Kellman/NPR

The Picture Show

Photos: Southern California pets receive aid from rescue groups

A network of rescue groups are caring for animals affected by wildfires still burning in the Los Angeles area. A multi-state operation is under way to help relieve local animal shelters.

Saturday

Sunday, Jan. 12: Wildfires burnt through cars and buildings in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Sunday, Jan. 12: Wildfires burnt through cars and buildings in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption

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Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images/AFP

The Picture Show

Photos: Southern California residents return to devastation as two major wildfires rage on

At least 153,000 Los Angelenos have had to evacuate their homes and about 166,000 people were under evacuation warnings as of Saturday, according to the LA County Sheriff's Department.

Cedric Meadows (left), director of outreach, and Anthony Conley, director of support services, at the nonprofit shelter Covenant House California.

Cedric Meadows (left), director of outreach, and Anthony Conley, director of support services, at the nonprofit shelter Covenant House California. Elise Hu/NPR hide caption

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Elise Hu/NPR

California Wildfires

An army of community volunteers springs into action as LA fires rage

"It's wild. There's people out here that have just created a chain," said one woman who showed up to volunteer at a YMCA in Los Angeles' Koreatown neighborhood.

KOREATOWN MUTUAL AID

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Thursday

National

Wildfires in the Los Angeles area force tens of thousands to flee

Tens of thousands of people in the Los Angeles area have had to flee their homes, often very quickly, as strong winds fuel multiple wildfires.

Wildfires in the Los Angeles area force tens of thousands to flee

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Wednesday

Thursday

Tuesday

Presenting Alt.Latino: Rosalía on what makes a 'Motomami'

Spanish singer Rosalia performs during her Motomami World Tour in Bogota. Guillermo Legaria/Getty Images hide caption

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Guillermo Legaria/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Presenting Alt.Latino: Rosalía on what makes a 'Motomami'

Today we have a special drop from our friends at NPR's Alt.Latino! The show just welcomed Anamaria Sayre as a new co-host alongside Felix Contreras. In this conversation, Anamaria chats with Spanish musician Rosalía about her recent album Motomami, how she uses the album to play in different genres, and why she embraces change.

Presenting Alt.Latino: Rosalía on what makes a 'Motomami'

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Friday

How Tiny Desk became a go-to spot for hip-hop
Mhari Shaw/NPR

It's Been a Minute

How Tiny Desk became a go-to spot for hip-hop

When folks think about where to get the latest in hip-hop, NPR doesn't usually come to mind. But that's changing, thanks to the team at the Tiny Desk Concerts, which was just nominated as the Best Hip-Hop Platform for the 2022 BET Awards. Since 2008, Tiny Desk Concerts have delighted millions of listeners and viewers on YouTube with stripped-down performances from their favorite artists. Now the series is proving it's also an authentic space for showcasing all forms of hip-hop. Guest host Elise Hu talks to Tiny Desk Concerts series producer Bobby Carter about bringing new musicians into the mix, what goes on behind the scenes and where the team wants to take the show next.

How Tiny Desk became a go-to spot for hip-hop

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Tuesday

For author Julissa Arce, 'sounding white' isn't a compliment

Author Julissa Arce makes the case for rejecting assimilation in her latest book, You Sound Like a White Girl. Aly Honore hide caption

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Aly Honore

It's Been a Minute

For author Julissa Arce, 'sounding white' isn't a compliment

Julissa Arce used to think that the secret to fitting in was to "sound white" — to speak English perfectly, with no accent. And for years after her family came to the U.S. from Mexico, she did all the things immigrants are "supposed" to do to assimilate: she went to college, got a job at Goldman Sachs and became an American citizen.

For author Julissa Arce, 'sounding white' isn't a compliment

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Monday

Is your kid misbehaving? Instead of time-out, try 'connecting' with them first
Tilda Rose for NPR

Perspective

Life Kit

Is your kid misbehaving? Instead of time-out, try 'connecting' with them first

It all starts with the assumption that your kids have good intentions and want to do the right thing, says Becky Kennedy, a psychologist and host of the Good Inside parenting podcast.

Is your kid misbehaving? Instead of time-out, try 'connecting' with them first

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Friday

Actor Judy Greer on 'Reboot' — and why are there so many TV reboots, anyway?

Judy Greer playing Bree Marie Jensen in the new Hulu sitcom 'Reboot.' Michael Desmond/Hulu hide caption

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Michael Desmond/Hulu

It's Been a Minute

Actor Judy Greer on 'Reboot' — and why are there so many TV reboots, anyway?

We talk TV REBOOTS. Guest host Elise Hu chats with Judy Greer about her role in the new Hulu series Reboot; her work as a comedic actress, and the state of television. Then, Elise talks with Daniel Herbert, associate professor of film and TV at the University of Michigan and co-editor of the book Film Reboots, about why so many old shows are being remade now. Plus, a special reboot-themed "Who Said That!" with Rob Pearlstein, co-executive producer and writer of the CBS MacGyver reboot (note: Rob is also Elise's partner) and his sister Joanna Pearlstein, opinion editor at The New York Times.

Actor Judy Greer on 'Reboot' — and why are there so many TV reboots, anyway?

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Tuesday

How HBO transformed television

HBO set out to do what networks wouldn't (and couldn't) do. In the process, the company changed TV as we know it. Thiago Prudencio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption

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Thiago Prudencio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

How HBO transformed television

HBO gave us some of the most iconic television shows of our time: Sex and the City. The Sopranos. Game of Thrones. But is the era of HBO coming to a close?

How HBO transformed television

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Friday

Who needs the monarchy? Plus, why gray floors and barn doors are everywhere

Britain's King Charles III outside Buckingham Palace in London. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Who needs the monarchy? Plus, why gray floors and barn doors are everywhere

King Charles III doesn't enjoy the same popularity as his mother. In the face of mixed feelings towards the new king, some are asking: Is this the beginning of the end of the British monarchy? Guest host Elise Hu talks to Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, lawyer, activist and author of This Is Why I Resist about this new era for the British royals, the power they hold and the potential opportunities for the new monarch.

Who needs the monarchy? Plus, why gray floors and barn doors are everywhere

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Thursday

3 common thinking traps and how to avoid them, according to a Yale psychologist
Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop

Life Kit

3 common thinking traps and how to avoid them, according to a Yale psychologist

Humans have a tendency to make snap judgments and assumptions due to our cognitive biases, says Woo-kyoung Ahn in her book 'Thinking 101.' So how do we fight them?

3 common thinking traps and how to avoid them, according to a Yale psychologist

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Tuesday

How Girls' Generation shaped K-pop as we know it

Girls' Generation performs onstage during the Tencent K-pop Live Music at WAPOP Hall in Seoul, South Korea on August 31, 2015. The Chosunilbo JNS/Multi-Bits/Getty Images hide caption

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The Chosunilbo JNS/Multi-Bits/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

How Girls' Generation shaped K-pop as we know it

To celebrate their 15th anniversary, the K-pop group Girls' Generation put out their newest album, 'Forever 1.' Today, we're taking a look back at their career and how they changed the standards for K-pop through music, choreography and beauty. Their impact doesn't stop at that — Girls' Generation's debut song is now being used to change the world, just not in the way they planned. Guest host Elise Hu discusses their legacy with music critic Tamar Herman and Korean film and culture scholar Michelle Cho.

How Girls' Generation shaped K-pop as we know it

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Friday

Serena's final serve; plus, the Emmys in an era of too much TV

Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open on September 02, 2022 in New York City. Al Bello/Getty Images hide caption

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Al Bello/Getty Images

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Serena's final serve; plus, the Emmys in an era of too much TV

Serena Williams just played her last U.S. Open. In the historic two-plus decades of her tennis career, she's won 23 Grand Slams and four Olympic gold medals — all while becoming a mother, dealing with injuries and health crises and facing more scrutiny and downright bias than her peers. Guest host Elise Hu talks to Alex Abad-Santos, senior correspondent at Vox, about her legacy in sports and beyond.

Serena's final serve; plus, the Emmys in an era of too much TV

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Friday

The game has changed for D&D and 'A League of Their Own'

Close-up of Dungeons and Dragons game dice on table. Jared Hammonds/EyeEm/Getty Images hide caption

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Jared Hammonds/EyeEm/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

The game has changed for D&D and 'A League of Their Own'

For a long time, Dungeons & Dragons was stereotyped as a game for nerdy young white guys in their parents' basement. But not anymore — the game has exploded in popularity and players of all backgrounds are joining in. Guest co-host Andrea Gutierrez talks to Jasmine Bhullar and Persephone Valentine, both content creators and dungeon masters, about how D&D has become an exciting medium for marginalized people to tell new kinds of fantasy stories.

The game has changed for D&D and 'A League of Their Own'

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Tuesday

From cupcakes to private jets, how the quest for status drives culture

Celebrities in the front row of London Fashion Week. Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images hide caption

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Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

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From cupcakes to private jets, how the quest for status drives culture

What is culture, where does it come from and why does it change? W. David Marx, author of the new book Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change, says the answers come from our desire for prestige. Marx tells guest host Elise Hu how status has historically worked to drive trends like gourmet cupcakes or dark wash jeans, how the internet can lead to cultural stagnation, and ways we can redefine status to build a more equitable society.

From cupcakes to private jets, how the quest for status drives culture

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Friday

Will BeReal just make us BeFake? Plus, A Guidebook To Smell

The BeReal app is blowing up - but does it give users what they want from social media? Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption

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Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Will BeReal just make us BeFake? Plus, A Guidebook To Smell

BeReal may be the hottest new social media app on the market, but can it live up to its promise to be a more authentic alternative to other platforms? Guest co-host Elise Hu talks with writers Haley Nahman and Ryan Broderick about how BeReal signifies a shift in what we want from our apps and why social media always barrels towards its worst self. They also flex their pop culture knowledge in a game of Who Said That.

Will BeReal just make us BeFake? Plus, A Guidebook To Smell

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Tuesday

Joel Kim Booster on making a queer, Asian American 'Pride and Prejudice'

Conrad Ricamora and Joel Kim Booster in the film Fire Island. Jeong Park/Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Jeong Park/Searchlight Pictures

It's Been a Minute

Joel Kim Booster on making a queer, Asian American 'Pride and Prejudice'

The first time Joel Kim Booster vacationed on New York's Fire Island with his friend, comedian Bowen Yang, he brought with him Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as a beach read. Over the years, he'd often joke with friends about making a gay version of the novel. Today Booster is the writer and star of Hulu's Fire Island, a queer, Asian romcom based on Austen's classic, set in the titular gay vacation spot. Booster talks with guest host Elise Hu about how the film honors his queer friendships, subverts hetero romcom norms, and tells a personal story that feels universal.

Joel Kim Booster on making a queer, Asian American 'Pride and Prejudice'

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Friday

Reframing guns on screen; plus, is it just us, or are movies getting longer?

A sign asking for a change hangs on a fence near Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Friday, June 3, 2022. Jae C. Hong/AP hide caption

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Jae C. Hong/AP

It's Been a Minute

Reframing guns on screen; plus, is it just us, or are movies getting longer?

Once again, Americans are asking how to end mass shootings. With consensus on gun laws unlikely, some are turning to Hollywood to help change the narrative. Can those who control the levers of culture shift the public's relationship with guns? Guest host Elise Hu speaks with former video game creative and now TV writer Nadra Widatalla about a world where on-screen heroes don't rely on guns.

Reframing guns on screen; plus, is it just us, or are movies getting longer?

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