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Rund Abdelfatah Rund Abdelfatah is the co-host and producer of Throughline.
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Rund Abdelfatah

Thursday

The Land of the Fee

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Throughline

The Land of the Fee

Tipping is a norm in the U.S. But it hasn't always been this way. A legacy of slavery and racism, tipping took off in the post-Civil War era. The case against tipping had momentum in the early 1900's, yet what began as a movement to end an exploitative practice just ended up continuing it.

The Land of the Fee

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Thursday

Chaos

Xuanyu Han Getty Images hide caption

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Chaos

What happens when teenagers are shipwrecked on a deserted island? Can you find the fingerprint of God in warzones? Why was the concept of zero so revolutionary for humanity? A year into a pandemic that has completely upended the lives of people around the world, we look at how we cope with chaos, how we're primed to make order out of randomness, and why the stories we're taught to believe about our propensities for self-destruction may not actually be true.

Chaos

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Thursday

N95

A plague doctor in protective clothing. The beak mask was filled with incense thought to purify air and the cane was used to avoid touching patients. Artwork by Paul Furst. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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N95

The N95 respirator has become one of the most coveted items in the world during the pandemic, especially by medical professionals. But how did this seemingly simple mask become the lifesaving tool it is today? From bird beaks to wrapping paper to bras, we follow the curious history of one of the most important defenses in our fight against COVID-19.

N95

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Thursday

History

Marcus Garvey: Visionary, Orator, And Black Empowerment And Pan-Africanism Champion

From NPR's history podcast Throughline comes this profile of the visionary, orator, and champion of Black empowerment and Pan-Africanism, Marcus Garvey.

Marcus Garvey: Visionary, Orator, And Black Empowerment And Pan-Africanism Champion

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Remembering Bayard Rustin: The Man Behind the March on Washington

Joelle Avelino NPR hide caption

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Throughline

Remembering Bayard Rustin: The Man Behind the March on Washington

Bayard Rustin, the man behind the March on Washington, was one of the most consequential architects of the civil rights movement you may never have heard of. Rustin imagined how nonviolent civil resistance could be used to dismantle segregation in the United States. He organized around the idea for years and eventually introduced it to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But his identity as a gay man made him a target, obscured his rightful status and made him feel forced to choose, again and again, which aspect of his identity was most important.

Remembering Bayard Rustin: The Man Behind the March on Washington

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Tuesday

Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction‬
Joelle Avelino

It's Been a Minute

Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction‬

A special episode from our friends at NPR's history podcast Throughline: Octavia Butler's alternate realities and 'speculative fiction' reveal striking, and often devastating parallels to the world we live in today. She was a deep observer of the human condition, perplexed and inspired by our propensity towards self-destruction. But along with her warning is her message of hope - a hope conjured by centuries of survival and persistence. For every society that perishes in her books comes a story of rebuilding, of repair.

Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction‬

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Saturday

BONUS: Throughline — Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction‬

Artistic rendering of Octavia Butler. Joelle Avelino hide caption

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Joelle Avelino

Short Wave

BONUS: Throughline — Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction‬

To round out our celebration of Black History Month, we're bringing you a special episode featuring acclaimed science fiction writer Octavia Butler from our friends at NPR's history podcast Throughline.

BONUS: Throughline — Octavia Butler: Visionary Fiction‬

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Thursday

'Black Moses' Lives On: How Marcus Garvey's Vision Still Resonates
Joelle Avelino

Throughline

'Black Moses' Lives On: How Marcus Garvey's Vision Still Resonates

Decades before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey attracted millions with a simple, uncompromising message: Black people deserved nothing less than everything, and if that couldn't happen in the United States, they should return to Africa. This week, the seismic influence and complicated legacy of Marcus Garvey.

'Black Moses' Lives On: How Marcus Garvey's Vision Still Resonates

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Thursday

What Happened After Civilization Collapsed

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What Happened After Civilization Collapsed

What happens after everything falls apart? The end of the Bronze Age was a moment when an entire network of ancient civilizations collapsed, leaving behind only clues to what happened. Today, scholars have pieced together a story where everything from climate change to mass migration to natural disasters played a role. What the end of the Bronze Age can teach us about avoiding catastrophe and what comes after collapse.

What Happened After Civilization Collapsed

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Thursday

The Anatomy Of Autocracy: Masha Gessen

Former President Donal Trump speaks from a Jumbotron screen as crowds gather for the "Stop the Steal" rally just before a mob descended on the Capitol. Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images hide caption

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The Anatomy Of Autocracy: Masha Gessen

Russian-born journalist Masha Gessen talks to us about how the rule of the people becomes the rule of the one, the role of the media, and what we can learn about the building blocks of autocracy from the work of philosopher and writer Hannah Arendt, and what history tells us are the ways to dismantle it.

The Anatomy Of Autocracy: Masha Gessen

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Monday

History

'Throughline': The Rise Of The Modern White Power Movement

NPR's history podcast Throughline examines the evolution of the modern white power movement, starting at the end of the Vietnam War.

'Throughline': The Rise Of The Modern White Power Movement

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Thursday

The Anatomy of Autocracy: Timothy Snyder

Police clash with supporters of US President Donald Trump who breached security and entered the Capitol building in Washington D.C. Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption

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Analysis

Throughline

The Anatomy of Autocracy: Timothy Snyder

When a mob of pro-Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, they also incited a defining moment in United States history. Now what? Historian Timothy Snyder talks to us about how we got here and what an insurrection could mean for the future of America.

The Anatomy of Autocracy: Timothy Snyder

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Thursday

Impeachment

The impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson in the Senate on March 13, 1868. The House approved 11 articles of impeachment against Andrew Johnson. After a 74-day Senate trial, the Senate acquitted Johnson on three of the articles by a one-vote margin each and decided not to vote on the remaining articles. Library of Congress/Getty Images hide caption

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Impeachment

When Andrew Johnson became president in 1865, the United States was in the midst of one of its most volatile chapters. The country was divided after fighting a bloody civil war and had just experienced the first presidential assassination. We look at how these factors led to the first presidential impeachment in American history.

Impeachment

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Wednesday

History

'Throughline' Examines When The Supreme Court Got Ultimate Power

The U.S. Supreme Court has the final say over what is and isn't constitutional. NPR's history podcast — Throughline — explores the evolution of that power.

'Throughline' Examines When The Supreme Court Got Ultimate Power

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Thursday

Supreme
Kaz Fantone

Throughline

Supreme

When, why, and how did the Supreme Court get the final say in the law of the land? The question of the Court's role, and whether its decisions should reign above all the other branches of government, has been hotly debated for centuries. And that's resulted in a Supreme Court more powerful than anything the Founding Fathers could have imagined possible.

Supreme

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