Throughline

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Throughline

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Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalists Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei.Subscribe to Throughline+. You'll be supporting the history-reframing, perspective-shifting, time-warping stories you can't get enough of - and you'll unlock access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/throughline

  1. Sesame Street

    6D AGO

    Sesame Street

    Big Bird, politics, and the ABCs: how a television show made to represent New York City neighborhoods like Harlem and the Bronx became beloved by families around a divided country. This episode originally ran in 2022 as "Getting to Sesame Street." To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    49 min
  2. Throughline Book Club: The Troubles and Zora Neale Hurston (Throughline+)

    MAR 17 · BONUS • THROUGHLINE+ ONLY

    Throughline Book Club: The Troubles and Zora Neale Hurston (Throughline+)

    Throughline's Anya Steinberg and Casey Miner tell Cristina Kim about two history books they've read recently: "Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland" by Patrick Radden Keefe, and "Wrapped in Rainbows: The Biography of Zora Neale Hurston" by Valerie Boyd. They discuss what they learned, what stuck with them and how the books might have influenced their work on Throughline. To get access to this episode, listen to Throughline sponsor-free, and support NPR, sign up for Throughline+ at plus.npr.org

    24 min
  3. Winter is Coming

    MAR 13

    Winter is Coming

    Dinosaurs, Carl Sagan, and nuclear war. There was a moment in the not-so-distant past when we learned what drove the dinosaurs extinct — and that discovery, made during the Cold War, may have helped save humans from the same fate. In this episode, we'll take a journey from prehistoric times to the nuclear age and explore how humans contend with fears of the end. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    51 min

  4. MAR 6 • THROUGHLINE+ ONLY

    A few words about the future of federal funding

    This is a special message providing updates to our supporters about the future of federal funding for public media. For nearly fifty years, a bipartisan majority in Congress has supported funding for public media, and these efforts. But, today calls to defund public media are getting louder. Federal funding for all of public media amounts to about $1.60 per person each year, and it's an essential component for the sustainability of many local media organizations' work. Whatever the challenges, whatever the tests, together, we remain committed to ensuring that all communities across America continue to have access to reliable information, news and educational resources for generations to come. For now, please stay informed about the future of federal funding through www.protectmypublicmedia.org.

    1 min
  5. We the People: Succession of Power

    MAR 6

    We the People: Succession of Power

    The 25th amendment. A few years before JFK was shot, an idealistic young lawyer set out on a mission to convince people something essential was missing from the Constitution: clear instructions for what should happen if a U.S. president was no longer able to serve. On this episode of our ongoing series We the People, the story behind one of the last amendments to the Constitution, and the man who got it done. Correction: In a previous version of this episode we incorrectly said that John F. Kennedy was the youngest president in US history. Kennedy at 43 was the youngest person to be elected president but Theodore Roosevelt, who took office at age 42 after William McKinley was assassinated, was the youngest person to serve as US president. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    48 min
  6. Health Insurance in America

    FEB 27

    Health Insurance in America

    Millions of Americans depend on their jobs for health insurance. But that's not the case in many other wealthy countries. How did the U.S. end up with a system that's so expensive, yet leaves so many people vulnerable? On this episode, how a temporary solution created an everlasting problem. This episode originally ran in 2020 as The Everlasting Problem.To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    53 min
  7. The Evolution of Presidential Power

    FEB 20

    The Evolution of Presidential Power

    What can and can't the president do — and how do we know? The framers of the U.S. Constitution left the powers of the executive branch powers deliberately vague, and in doing so opened the door for every president to decide how much power they could claim. Over time, that's become quite a lot. This episode originally ran in 2020 and has been updated with new material. To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

    52 min
  8. Finding the Right Voices to Represent History (Throughline+)

    FEB 17 · BONUS • THROUGHLINE+ ONLY

    Finding the Right Voices to Represent History (Throughline+)

    Throughline producers Devin Katayama, Anya Steinberg, Sarah Wyman, and Lawrence Wu explain everything that goes into producing a crucial part of every Throughline episode: the voiceovers. To get access to this episode, listen to Throughline sponsor-free, and support NPR, sign up for Throughline+ at plus.npr.org

    15 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.6
out of 5
15,045 Ratings

About

Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalists Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei.Subscribe to Throughline+. You'll be supporting the history-reframing, perspective-shifting, time-warping stories you can't get enough of - and you'll unlock access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/throughline

Information

  • Creator
    NPR
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    368
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019-2021 NPR - For Personal Use Only
  • Show Website
    Throughline
  • Provider
    NPR

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