Fresh Air

NPR

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. <br><br>Subscribe to Fresh Air Plus! You'll enjoy bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening - all while you support NPR's mission. Learn more at plus.npr.org/freshair <br><br>And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair

  • 45 minutes 3 seconds
    From Beatles break-up to John’s murder, a look at Paul’s transformation

    Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville tells us about his new film, ‘Man on The Run.’It begins when the Beatles end, with Paul McCartney trying to figure out who he is as a musician and as a person— without John Lennon and the band that defined him since he was a teenager. Neville got access to previously unseen archival footage of McCartney with his young family and forming his new band, Wings. He spoke with Fresh Air contributor/producer Ann Marie Baldonado.

     
    Also, jazz critic Martin Johnson reviews an Art Blakey concert album, ‘Strasbourg 82.’ 

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    4 March 2026, 6:26 pm
  • 44 minutes 28 seconds
    A look at Trump's plans to restrict voting

    President Trump is promoting tighter restrictions on mail-in ballots as well as passage of the SAVE Act, which requires proof of citizenship to vote. UCLA professor Richard Hasen unpacks the ramifications.

    John Powers reviews the Oscar-nominated Japanese film ‘Kokuho.’

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    3 March 2026, 8:44 pm
  • 44 minutes 37 seconds
    Jessie Buckley loves the ‘shadowy bits’ of her characters
    Jessie Buckley spoke with Terry Gross about her role as Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, in ‘Hamnet,’ directed by Chloé Zhao. She’s nominated for an Oscar and already won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for her performance. The Irish actor talks about motherhood, the singing competition show she did in her teens, and the infamous crying scene in ‘Hamnet.’ 

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    2 March 2026, 9:14 pm
  • 47 minutes 56 seconds
    Best Of: Kate Hudson / Stellan Skarsgård

    Kate Hudson is up for an Oscar for her role as Claire in the film ‘Song Sung Blue,’ starring opposite Hugh Jackman as one half of Lightning & Thunder, a Neil Diamond tribute band. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about pursuing singing late in her career. We also hear from Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard. He’s earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film ‘Sentimental Value.’ He’ll talk with Dave Davies about his many roles over the years -- from 'Dune' to 'Good Will Hunting,' and 'Mamma Mia!' and recovering from a stroke that impaired his ability to memorize lines.

    David Bianculli reviews a new documentary about Paul McCartney in his decade after the Beatles.

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    28 February 2026, 6:05 am
  • 46 minutes 24 seconds
    The voice of SpongeBob, Tom Kenny

    We take a trip to Bikini Bottom and revisit our interview with Tom Kenny, who plays SpongeBob on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series, and in the new ‘Spongebob SquarePants’ film. Kenny’s been voicing the character since the show began in 1999. In 2004 he talked about creating the voice, including experimenting with inhaling helium.

    TV critic David Bianculli reviews ‘Man on the Run,’ the new documentary about Sir Paul McCartney in the decade after the Beatles split up, and Justin Chang reviews the new erotic drama ‘Dreams,’ starring Jessica Chastain. 

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    27 February 2026, 5:05 pm
  • 44 minutes 35 seconds
    Is the U.S. headed toward military conflict with Iran?

    New York Times journalist David Sanger discusses how we got here, the state of Iran's nuclear weapons program, the likelihood of U.S. military force against Iran and if Trump's goal is regime change.

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    26 February 2026, 8:46 pm
  • 45 minutes 46 seconds
    Stellan Skarsgård doesn’t believe in bad guys

    Aside from the evil Baron Harkonnen in ‘Dune,’ actor Stellan Skarsgård doesn’t really believe in bad guys. He looks for nuance in every role. He’s Oscar-nominated for his performance in ‘Sentimental Value,’ as a successful filmmaker who is estranged from his grown daughters. Skarsgård spoke with Dave Davies about improvising with Robin Williams in ‘Good Will Hunting,’ raising actor children, and how a stroke impacted his acting.

    Also, critic Maureen Corrigan reviews ‘This is Not About Us,’ by Allegra Goodman.

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    25 February 2026, 7:59 pm
  • 44 minutes 32 seconds
    Tayari Jones on friendship, writing, and choosing your ‘Kin’

    Eight years after her bestseller 'An American Marriage,' Tayari Jones has written a new novel, 'Kin,' set in the Jim Crow South. It follows two girls, Vernice and Annie, who grow up next door to each other without their mothers. That shared wound binds them and carries them through adulthood and across class lines. Jones says the idea for the book came from her own experience of losing a friend — and the particular kind of grief that the world doesn't always recognize. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about female friendship, growing up with civil rights activist parents, and the writing class that changed her life.'Kin' was just selected by Oprah’s Book Club. 

    Also, critic David Bianculli gives his take on the latest TV shows.

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    24 February 2026, 8:11 pm
  • 44 minutes 29 seconds
    Kate Hudson

    Kate Hudson has had a hugely successful career as an actor and entrepreneur, but knew she'd always regret it if she didn't try her hand at music. Finally in 2024 she released her debut album, 'Glorious,' and got to share a whole other side of herself with the world. “I'm very happy with myself as a mother. Like I feel like I've made all the right mistakes and all the wrong mistakes,” she says. “But I couldn't say that about my art. And that would be my own personal sadness and regret, is that I didn't share my writings as a musician.” She spoke with co-host Tonya Mosley about taking the leap, her Oscar-nominated performance in 'Song Sung Blue,' and what she remembers from the set of 'Almost Famous.' 


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    23 February 2026, 8:11 pm
  • 48 minutes 25 seconds
    Best Of: The life and legacy of Fela Kuti / Michael Pollan on consciousness

    The Nigerian musician Fela Kuti used his music in the ‘70s as a weapon against colonial values and his country’s brutal dictatorship. The danceable music and political lyrics inspired a youth movement. Award-winning podcaster Jad Abumrad talks with Terry about his podcast series, ‘Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.’ 

    Also, we hear from best-selling science journalist Michael Pollan. His new book ‘A World Appears’ asks how technology is changing our consciousness. “Consciousness is under siege,” he says. “I think that it’s the last frontier for these companies that want to sell our time and, of course, our time is our mind time.” Pollan also questions whether A.I. is capable of achieving consciousness.

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    21 February 2026, 12:00 pm
  • 46 minutes 27 seconds
    Remembering actor Robert Duvall &amp; filmmaker Frederick Wiseman

    The great actor Robert Duvall made his mark starring in epic movies and intimate dramas including ‘The Godfather,’ ‘Tender Mercies,’ ‘The Great Santini,’ and, of course, ‘Apocalypse Now.’ He died Sunday at age 95. We listen back to archival interviews from 1996 and 2010. 

    Also, the documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, whose approach was to choose a subject and capture it at great, revealing length, died Monday at age 96. His films include 'Titicut Follies,' 'Central Park,' 'Juvenile Court,' 'High School,' and 'Hospital.' He spoke with Terry Gross in 1986 about why he chose documentary as his medium. 

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    20 February 2026, 5:35 pm
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