Podcast appearances and mentions of ngofeen mputubwele

When Dan hit 40, he noticed his body wasn't feeling as good. So recently, he embarked on a journey to change his lifestyle. Today, you'll meet the three people who've inspired him. (This episode is a satire. Please enjoy it as such!)This episode originally aired on March 31, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele. It was edited by Gianna Palmer and mixed by Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Giulia Leo, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Publishing by Shantel Holder.Every other Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app.

Shipbreaking Updated: The Most Dangerous Job in the World In mid 2024, students in Bangladesh organized mass protests and brought down the repressive government of Sheikh Hasana. The country is now under a caretaker government of Muhammed Yunus, a Nobel Laureate who is attempting reforms. Months before this Monsoon Revolution, we told you about shipbreaking, the waste management of industrial ships sent to Bangladesh that has been dubbed “the most dangerous job in the world.” Guest Rizwana Hasan was then the country's only environmental lawyer and fierce advocate against the shipbreaking industry. Today, she is the new government's Adviser for Environment, Forest and Climate Change. What has changed for shipbreakers under this new government. This week, host Ngofeen Mputubwele revisits last year's episode and catches up with Human Rights Watch researcher Julia Bleckner to understand this new moment in Bangladesh, and how it will impact shipbreaking. Julia Bleckner: Senior Researcher for the Asia Division and Global Health Initiative at Human Rights Watch Rizwana Hasan: Adviser for Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Bangladesh

Today, there are more displaced people in the world than at any other time in history. It is a humanitarian crisis on a global scale. But rather than seeking humane solutions to this crisis, many governments are choosing to weaponize it, creating a hostile environment for migrants and implementing laws that criminalize migration and undermine human rights. We have all read the headlines demonizing migrants, but we rarely hear from the people behind those headlines-their stories, their challenges, and what drove them to make a perilous journey in the hope of finding sanctuary far from home. In this week's episode, host Ngofeen Mputubwele speaks to Hanaa R., a former policewoman who, fearing for her life, fled Afghanistan when the Taliban took control. We will hear about the risks she took and the sacrifices she made on her journey to become an asylum seeker in the US. But we will also hear why Trump's new migration policies mean that this incredible story wouldn't be possible today. Hanaa Rahimi: Former Afghan policewoman sharing her story under alias Bill Frelick: Director of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Division at Human Rights Watch

We've bid farewell to 2024, but a lot of us are asking: What in the world just happened? Every January, Human Rights Watch publishes a World Report examining the human rights events of the previous year around the globe. In this episode, host Ngofeen Mputubwele talks with Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan about the status of human rights in 2024 – from conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan to leadership changes in Syria and the United States – and what it means for 2025. Tirana Hassan: Executive Director of Human Rights Watch.

Donald Trump built his reelection campaign off big promises – among them, the mass deportation of migrants, retaliation against political opponents, deploying the military to crush dissent, and allowing states to decide abortion rights. Having won a second term as the President of the United States, the question is, now what? Ngofeen Mputubwele talks to three Human Rights Watch experts from the front lines of advocacy in the United States. Tirana Hassan, Tanya Greene and Sarah Yager discuss not only the threats looming over human rights in the United States and abroad, but how they maintain their hope that rights can be protected and promoted. Tirana Hassan: Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Tanya Greene: Director of Human Rights Watch's US Program Sarah Yager: Washington Director at Human Rights Watch

Since April 2023, more than a half-million people have been displaced in Sudan due to fighting between two armed forces who were once aligned. The story of how the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces turned on each other, with devastating consequences for Sudan's civilians, can be traced back to 2013 when a group of dissidents were told by their interrogators to ride a bicycle drawn with chalk on the wall of a Sudanese jail. Detained for providing legal support to torture survivors, Human Rights Watch researcher Mohamed “Mo” Osman was introduced to the power structures that have shaped today's conflict. In “The Chalk Bicycle,” host Ngofeen Mputubwele takes listeners through a decade that began with conflict, then saw the ousting of a dictator and great hopes for democracy only to be plunged back into conflict again. Mohamed Osman: Researcher, Africa Division at Human Rights WatchChristopher Tounsel: Associate Professor of History, Director of Graduate Studies and Director of African Studies Program at the University of Washington

The comic, actor, writer, and podcast host, best known as Conan O'Brien's late night TV sidekick, tells us why he chose a really nice refrigerator over a sports car. And he traces his issues with weight back to a childhood ice cream outing with his grandmother. This episode originally aired on July 29, 2019 and January 31, 2017, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Every other Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Comedian and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. is known for his thoughtful and pointed takes on race. He joins us to discuss McRib conspiracy theories, the dangers of touring the South as a black comic, and the advantages of bad service and Confederate flags. Plus Roy talks about what he learned about food from his father over the course of their conflicted relationship.This episode originally aired on February 11, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with editing by Gianna Palmer and mixing by Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell. Transcription by Emily Nguyen.Every other Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells has been called the most feared food writer in America. He can make or break a restaurant with the power of one of his reviews. When he goes out, he does so in secret, making reservations under fake names because he doesn't want restaurants to know that he's coming. This week Pete takes Dan on an undercover mission to a New York restaurant. Then they talk about the nuts and bolts of Pete's life as a critic. He eats out five nights a week, meaning he has plenty of bad meals — so how does he decide which places warrant bad reviews? And how does he account for the fact that different people have different tastes?This episode originally aired on May 13, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Ngofeen Mputubwele, and Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Jared O'Connell, and Nora Ritchie.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

In 1964 Rocky Aoki, a Japanese immigrant, created hibachi restaurants in America when he opened his first Benihana. Rocky later said that he based his concept on the idea that "Americans enjoy eating in exotic surroundings, but are deeply mistrustful of exotic foods.” The restaurant took off, but Rocky's legacy is complicated. In this week's show we hear from people who knew Rocky, and we talk with a hibachi chef who's one of the more daring performers you'll find. We also hear from a former hibachi chef who says he was pushed to act "more Japanese" — and how that affected the way he thought about himself. And we answer the question of why certain cuisines are seen as “perpetually foreign” with the help of Professor Robert Ku.This episode originally aired on March 11, 2019. It was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Gianna Palmer, Jared O'Connell, and Harry Wood. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Ben Abbott wants to pair his meals with drinks, but as a Mormon, he doesn't drink alcohol. So Dan journeys to Galco's Soda Pop Stop, an offbeat soda shop in Los Angeles, to find Ben some beverages. Plus, linguist John McWhorter explains why some people say soda, coke, or pop.This episode originally aired on January 21, 2015, and again on March 25, 2019. It was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Gianna Palmer, and Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Every other Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

The native Minnesotan explains why a little internal bleeding can't keep her from a treat, and why the way she eats salad is like the way she deals with depression.This episode originally aired on April 24, 2016, and again on April 15, 2019. It was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with editing help from Gianna Palmer and special thanks to Paula Szuchman. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, Jared O'Connell, and Julia Russo.Every other Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.

When Jody Scaravella lost his grandma, his mom, and his sister within a few years, he opened a restaurant in their honor, as a way of dealing with his grief. But the restaurant, Enoteca Maria on Staten Island, NY, had a twist: the chefs were all Italian grandmas, or nonnas. After a few years, Jody started inviting grandmas from all over the world to cook at his restaurant. In this week's show, we attend Enoteca Maria's annual holiday party, one of the few days when all the nonnas come together. Dan is besieged on all sides by grandmas trying to feed him, and we find out whether the restaurant has done for Jody what he hoped it would.This episode originally aired on December 9, 2019 and was produced by Dan Pashman and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with editing by Tracey Samuelson. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, Jared O'Connell, and Julia Russo.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Sir Patrick Stewart joins us on the podcast to talk about how Shakespeare has shaped his life. Stewart tells host Barbara Bogaev about his Yorkshire youth, his audition for the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing Starfleet Captain Jen-Luc Picard, and more. Stewart's memoir, "Making It So," is available now from Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. From the Folger's Shakespeare Unlimited podcast. Published October 10, 2023. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This episode was produced by Matt Frassica. Garland Scott is the associate producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. Ben Lauer is the web producer. Leo Fernandez edits our transcripts. We had technical help from Ngofeen Mputubwele in New York and Andrew Feliciano at Voice Trax West in Studio City, California. Final mixing services provided by Clean Cuts at Three Seas, Inc.

Husband-and-wife comedians and podcast hosts Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher often perform standup together. In their Netflix special they offer couples relationship advice, and the occasional roast. This week on The Sporkful, Natasha and Moshe help Dan and his wife Janie resolve their long-simmering marital conflicts involving hand soap and hosting dinner parties. Can Dan and Janie figure out how to work together before a big party?This episode originally aired on September 2, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Ngofeen Mputubwele, with editing by Peter Clowney. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Breeders at Washington State University spent 20 years developing a completely new variety of apple: Cosmic Crisp. What exactly does it take to create a new kind of apple? And how do they come up with a name for it? We team up with Helen Zaltzman of The Allusionist podcast to learn about this apple innovation — and to heap a deserving amount of scorn on the ubiquitous, flavorless Red Delicious. Then we ask, four years after the apple's launch, was it a success?This episode originally aired on September 30, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Harry Huggins, John DeLore, and Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Foraged ingredients have become all the rage in high end restaurants, part of the move toward hyperlocal, farm-to-table ingredients. Of course, we humans have been foraging pretty much forever. And though it's less common in America today, Jay Marion's family never really stopped. Now he's carrying on that family legacy in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, where he searches the woods and fields for all kinds of wild ingredients, to sell, and to eat. Dan joins Jay for a foraging walk, and hears the story of how his business got to where it is today. Jay might have gotten in early on a growing trend — but he never expected what happened next.This episode originally aired on November 11, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Harry Huggins, Tracey Samuelson, Hali Bey Ramdene, and Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

A few years ago, Tommy Pico, a queer indigenous American poet, and lover of junk food, set out to learn how to cook. He wanted to get healthier, but also, he wanted a food culture to replace the one that was wiped out when the federal government forced his ancestors onto a reservation. Rather than turn to the past to connect with that culture, Tommy turned to friends to build a new one. His book Feed, an epic poem, is the result of that journey. Tommy and Dan chat about the horrors of airport vegetarian options (pesto-basil-mozzarella with soggy bread smh), what it's like when the food you grow up with is connected to trauma, and how queerness and looking to the future creates an opportunity to make your own legacy. Tommy also reads his poem, “I See The Fire That Burns Inside You.”This episode originally aired on November 4, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Peter Clowney, Tracey Samuelson, and Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

This week in honor of July 4th, we're exploring an important part of American history – the contributions of enslaved Black chefs, whose work influences American cuisine to this day. In 1784, Thomas Jefferson brought the enslaved chef James Hemings, brother of Sally Hemings, with him to France to train under the French culinary masters of the day. Hemings created a cuisine that was half French, half Virginian, and brought it back to Jefferson's plantation, Monticello. This week, Dan tours the kitchens at Monticello with three descendants of enslaved Virginians: Michael Twitty, culinary historian and historical interpreter; Niya Bates, public historian of slavery and African American life at Monticello; and Gayle Jessup White, community engagement officer at Monticello.This episode originally aired on October 21, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with editing by Peter Clowney. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

In the 1980s, six women on an island off the coast of Massachusetts began selling lobster rolls as a church fundraiser. Today people travel by car, boat, and plane just to taste these hallowed summer treats. This week, one of those people is Dan. He travels to Martha's Vineyard to uncover Grace Church's secret recipe. Plus, Daniel Gritzer from Serious Eats breaks down the science of why frozen lobster might be better than fresh.On Saturday, June 3, Dan will be moderating a panel at a food festival on Martha's Vineyard called Martha's Vineyard Flavors. It's a weekend of talks, demonstrations, and delicious meals. You can buy tickets to part of the event or the whole thing here.This episode originally aired on June 17, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with editing by Peter Clowney. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Jared O'Connell, and Nora Ritchie.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

This week we're exploring the musical history of jelly, from the Harlem Renaissance to Beyoncé and beyond. Along the way, we hear the story of a famous moment in internet history, explore depictions of Black women in music, and learn how jelly became an affirmation for LGBTQIA+ identity. And then, for our grand finale, we write an original song about JELLY!This episode originally aired on August 12, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with editing by Peter Clowney. Original music by the Reverend John DeLore and Allison Leyton-Brown. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Jared O'Connell, and Nora Ritchie.Info and tickets available here for Dan's appearance at Martha's Vineyard Flavors.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Bill Nye is a goofball nerd to the core, and he's built a career on making science fun and accessible for everyone. So can Bill give Dan some satisfying answers to big, and small, food science questions? Like what's the deal with the five second rule? And how should we think about GMOs? Then, Bill and Corey S. Powell, his co-host on the podcast Science Rules!, chat with listeners to explain the science of salting pasta water, and what the deal is with lab-grown meat. This episode originally aired on July 22, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

When the renowned choreographer Akram Khan was commissioned to update the classic “Giselle” for the English National Ballet, he couldn't simply put new steps to a Romantic-era plot. Beautiful as it is, “Giselle” has a view of ideal womanhood that is insupportable in our century—and it didn't reflect the women he knew.  In Khan's 2016 “Giselle,” the title character doesn't chastely expire from a broken heart; she is a strong woman victimized by more powerful men.  The story still culminates in an act of forgiveness, but in a way that resonates with the era of #MeToo. Vincenzo Lamagna composed the production's new score. The producer Ngofeen Mputubwele describes the production as not simply a great modern ballet but a model for how to reimagine a story that doesn't work anymore.

During the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd, Broadway theatres were among the many institutions to announce a commitment to equity and protecting Black lives. But for many Black performers, the promise rang hollow. Frustrated by what he perceived to be a lack of accountability, the actor Britton Smith and colleagues at Broadway Advocacy Coalition organized events that pointed to the industry's failures and called for genuine change. BAC won a Tony Award for its work. But two years later, “the fire [has] crumbled into ashes, and now the ashes are starting to settle,” Smith tells Ngofeen Mputubwele. “You have to go through a process of (finding) peace. … Some people are horrible. Some people want to learn, some people don't. Some people want to keep their power, some people don't.”

We draw meaning and comfort from traditions, but when the world changes, traditions can stop reflecting our values and cause us pain. This episode features three people struggling against traditions that have become problematic.  The producer Ngofeen Mputubwele talks with Jeanna Kadlec, the author of “Heretic,” a memoir of leaving the evangelical church; and the actor Britton Smith, a leader of Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which seeks to make Broadway an equitable workplace for performers of color. “The fire was loud and the reckoning was very visible to everyone,” Smith tells Mputubwele. “The fire crumbled into ashes, and now the ashes are starting to settle.”

Neil Gaiman, one of the great fantasy writers of our time, first started writing his comic series “The Sandman” in the nineteen-eightiess. Decades later, a TV adaptation is a huge hit on Netflix, topping the platform's charts in countries across the globe. Gaiman talks with the producer Ngofeen Mputubwele about the powerful role that fantasy can play in helping audiences process real experiences in their lives. “You're making things that aren't true,” he says, “and you're giving them to people in order to allow them to see—we hope—greater truths.” Though the Netflix début marks a major expansion of “The Sandman” 's visibility, the series has long attracted audiences beyond ardent comic fans. Looking back to the early success of his comics, Gaiman recalls, “I would go to conventions and large, sweaty gentlemen would come over to me, grab my hands and say, ‘You brought women into my store. . . . Let me shake your hand.' ”

Much of the globe has seen record-breaking temperatures in recent heat waves that seem increasingly routine. Dhruv Khullar, a contributor and a practicing physician, looks at the effects of extreme heat in India, where the capital, New Delhi, recorded a temperature this year of 122 degrees. “People are amazingly resilient,” he notes. “But I think we're approaching that point where even the most resilient people, the type of lives that they have to live—because of climate change—are not going to be sustainable for very much longer.” And the climate activist Daniel Sherrell talks about his book “Warmth: Coming of Age at the End of the World” with Ngofeen Mputubwele. The book articulates Sherrell's view that we can live now only by walking a tightrope between hope and despair.

Congratulations for choosing Program B! Our goal is to challenge and elevate you. It won't be easy, but transformation is possible! If you trust the process. Written by Sheila Callaghan Directed, Designed, and Edited by Alex Barron Original music by Surrija CAST: Rashan – FRANCIS BENHAMOU Chatty Stranger – SHEILA CALLAGHAN Whispering Man – MATTHEW J. HARRIS Additional voices – BRANDT ADAMS, KAILEE AYYAR, ALEX BARRON, ALISON KOCH, NGOFEEN MPUTUBWELE, J.J. SUELTO, MAGGIE THOMPSON, NYSELI VEGA Learn more at phnyc.org/soundstage or text PHNYC to 44-321.

Evan Puschak, known on YouTube as the Nerdwriter, posts videos dissecting topics from Shakespeare and Tarkovsky to Superman; from Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump. The videos are complex; he may spend weeks editing image, sound, and written narration. He spoke with the Radio Hour's Ngofeen Mputubwele about what drew him to the essay form, and how he's found success online. “The essay is not a treatise. It's not a term paper. It's not something systematically covering everything about a subject,” Puschak says. “It is an inquiry. . . . The cool thing about the video essay is that you are seeing these people's thoughts articulated with a whole new toolbox.” As much as he loves the video form, Puschak is crossing over into print next month with a book of essays titled “Escape Into Meaning.” Plus, the writer Kelefa Sanneh highlights some notable tracks playing on country radio stations this summer.

Last week, a draft opinion was leaked which suggests that a majority of Supreme Court Justices are ready to overturn the precedents of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey—the decisions that have guaranteed a right to abortion at the federal level.  The case in question is Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, in which Mississippi officials seek to close the state's last remaining abortion clinic under a law that bans performing an abortion after the fifteenth week of pregnancy—a point well before the time of fetal viability.  In November, Rachel Monroe visited the Jackson abortion clinic, speaking to its director, Shannon Brewer; a physician who asked to remain anonymous, describing the risks to abortion providers; and a patient, who had driven all night from Texas, where she was not able to obtain an abortion. “Somebody else is telling me what I should do with my body, and it's not right,” she said. “It's my body. It's my decision. It's my choice. It's my life. It's my soul, if it's going to Hell.” Produced with assistance from Ezekiel Bandy and Kim Green. This segment originally aired November 19, 2021.   Plus, the staff writer Alexis Okeowo talks with the producer Ngofeen Mputubwele about why the Ukrainian refugee crisis seems both familiar and startlingly different from conflicts in other parts of the world.

There has been an explosion of popular and acclaimed work from Black creators on film and television in recent years. This is no fluke—it's the latest instance in a pattern that has repeated across film history. As the film scholar Aymar Jean Christian tells the Radio Hour's Ngofeen Mputubwele, industry players “always use the Black audience to draw people back into theaters when they've lost the audience in some other way.” Christian points to Blaxploitation films, which in the nineteen-seventies pulled the industry out of a viewership slump, and to the so-called ghetto pictures, which brought audiences back into movie theaters, despite the growing appeal of television. So what accounts for the current surge of Black stories coming out of Hollywood? “I really think it was ‘Django Unchained,' ” Christian says. After studio consolidation limited opportunities for Black creators in the early two-thousands, Christian believes, Tarantino's film reminded Hollywood that “Black people like movies, that we deserve movies.” But, for as much progress as there has been, Christian argues that there is something missing in today's film landscape: stories about the Black experience beyond trauma. “I think we also need stories about solidarity, about how to love each other, about how to heal,” Christian says. “And I just don't think that this hyper-capitalist, hypercompetitive environment is really incentivizing that kind of storytelling.”

The eldest millennials turned forty this year, and the producer Ngofeen Mputubwele comments on a sense of despair he finds in his generation, having to do with the state of the planet, the nation, the Internet, intolerance, and more. He set out to explore why millennials feel hopeless and how they can live with that feeling, in conversations with five writers: Kaveh Akbar, the author of “Pilgrim Bell”; Carlos Maza, the creator of the video essay “How to Be Hopeless”; Shauna McGarry, a writer on “BoJack Horseman”; Patrick Nathan, the author of “Image Control: Art, Facism, and the Right to Resist”; and the climate activist Daniel Sherrell, whose recent memoir is “Warmth: Coming of Age at the End of Our World.”

The eldest millennials turned forty this year, and the producer Ngofeen Mputubwele comments on a sense of despair he finds in his generation, having to do with the state of the planet, the nation, the Internet, intolerance, and more. He set out to explore why millennials feel hopeless and how they can live with that feeling, in conversations with five writers: Kaveh Akbar, the author of “Pilgrim Bell”; Carlos Maza, the creator of the video essay “How to Be Hopeless”; Shauna McGarry, a writer on “BoJack Horseman”; Patrick Nathan, the author of “Image Control: Art, Facism, and the Right to Resist”; and the climate activist Daniel Sherrell, whose recent memoir is “Warmth: Coming of Age at the End of Our World.”

Science isn't always dressed up in fancy lab coats and goggles — sometimes it goes undercover! In this episode, we go behind the scenes in the Congolese rainforest to show you just how down and dirty scientists are willing to get to answer their questions. We find out how the putty-nosed monkey might be chattier than we thought — and what all that monkey gab could mean. Researcher Frederic Gnepa Mehon gives us the scoop. Here's a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3jM6EtC This episode was produced by Ekedi Fausther-Keeys and Taylor White with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose, Michelle Dang, and Meryl Horn. We're edited by Blythe Terrell. Our voice actor is Shaka Mali. Interpreting by Dania Suleman, written translation by Ngofeen Mputubwele. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Claudia Stephan, Professor Klaus Zuberbühler and Dr. Kate Arnold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Science isn't always dressed up in fancy lab coats and goggles — sometimes it goes undercover! In this episode, we go behind the scenes in the Congolese rainforest to show you just how down and dirty scientists are willing to get to answer their questions. We find out how the putty-nosed monkey might be chattier than we thought — and what all that monkey gab could mean. Researcher Frederic Gnepa Mehon gives us the scoop. Here's a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3jM6EtC This episode was produced by Ekedi Fausther-Keeys and Taylor White with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose, Michelle Dang, and Meryl Horn. We're edited by Blythe Terrell. Our voice actor is Shaka Mali. Interpreting by Dania Suleman, written translation by Ngofeen Mputubwele. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Claudia Stephan, Professor Klaus Zuberbühler and Dr. Kate Arnold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode, we answer your questions about the Duolingo French Podcast! Listen as host Ngofeen Mputubwele takes you behind the scenes of this one-of-a-kind podcast — with a little help from some friends. A transcript of this episode is available at https://podcast.duolingo.com/french.

A surgeon and gynecologist, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muwkege has spent over twenty years treating women survivors of rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo and supporting their quest for justice. With a team of doctors and community leaders, Dr. Mukwege runs Panzi Hospital and the Panzi Foundation, which offer physical, psycho-social, economic and legal support to survivors. We talk to Dr. Mukwege about how he offers survivors hope and healing, in spite of continuous death threats and a horrific civil war. Special thanks to Ngofeen Mputubwele who voiced Dr. Mukwege in English, and to the various podcasters gathered by Paula Rogo from Africa Podfest for also lending their voices to the women featured in today’s episode: Lulu Jemimah of RealTalk256, Nuura Abdi and Teddy Mmasi of The Chai Podcast, Munirah Kaoneka of The Kaya Sessions and Sharon Rwaky of Cinema Red Pill podcast.This episode was produced by Colette Salima, in collaboration with our lead producer Caro Rolando. The story was edited by David Alandete, mixed by Martine Chaussard, and mastered by Laurent Apffel. Our team includes assistant producer Laura Ubaté, production manager Luis Gil, and executive producer Martina Castro. Georgetown University's liaison to the podcast is Sarah Rutherford.Season two of Seeking Peace is produced by Georgetown University's Institute for Women, Peace and Security and Adonde Media, in collaboration with Our Secure Future. Find all of our episodes and transcripts at SeekingPeacePodcast.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ngofeen Mputubwele is pretty clear about NOT being Moses, but his arms ARE wide open! Unlike the story of the girl (who cried a river and drowned the whole world), Moses parted the Red Sea. Now that’s lateral thinking!    Email us at dragonwheelshow@gmail.com Tweet us @dragonwheelshow

The word for ‘ghostwriter’ in French is a racist slur. How did THAT come about? And what word could French-speakers use instead? Ngofeen Mputubwele and Gregory Warner investigate. This piece originally aired on NPR’s Rough Translation; hear their new season at npr.org and on your pod app. Content note: the piece is about, and therefore contains, offensive terms. And towards the end of the episode, in the Minillusionist, I get into the racist violent etymology of the word ‘bulldozer’. The Allusionist music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin’s songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he’s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. He also composed the music for the new kids’ science podcast Maddie’s Sound Explorers. I make two other podcasts, Veronica Mars Investigations and Answer Me This, which are soothingly escapist. The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow. This month, the Allusionist is sponsored by: • BetterHelp online licensed professional counselling. Get started today at betterhelp.com/allusionist and receive a 10% discount off your first month with the discount code ALLUSIONIST. • Bombas socks, thoughtfully engineered for comfort and durability - and for every pair of socks you buy, Bombas donates a pair to someone in need. Get twenty percent off your first purchase at Bombas.com/allusionist. • Molekule, air purification reinvented. For 10% off your first air purifier order, visit molekule.com and at checkout enter the code allusionist10. • Mejuri, ethically sourced fine jewelry for everyday wear, without the markups. Visit mejuri.com/allusionist for 10% off your first order. • Squarespace, your one-stop shop for creating and running a good-looking and well-working website. Go to squarespace.com/allusion for a free trial, and use the code ALLUSION to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. • Progressive. See your insurance options and start a quote online at progressive.com.

In the United States, most of us take it for granted that every person born on American soil is granted citizenship; it’s been the law since 1868, with the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment. But birthright citizenship is more the exception than the rule globally. Not one country in Europe automatically gives citizenship to children born there. Ngofeen Mputubwele, a producer for the New Yorker Radio Hour, has been reporting on a group of Black Italians—children of African immigrants—who are working to change the citizenship laws of Italy, which they consider a system of racist exclusion. They are artists, intellectuals, and activists who use film, literature, music, and fashion to fight for the right to belong to the country in which they were born; Mputubwele compares their movement to “the start of the Harlem Renaissance.” Bellamy Ogak, a Black Italian, tells him that she was moved by the sight of white Italians carrying “Black Lives Matter” signs at protests following the killing of George Floyd but was angered that they seemed to overlook racism at home: “Why do Black American lives matter more than Black Italian lives?” she asks.

Deepen your language skills and knowledge of the French-speaking world through fascinating true stories in easy-to-follow French, with added English for context. From Duolingo, the world's #1 way to learn a language. Hosted by Ngofeen Mputubwele.

Just in time for the World Cup, we bring you the first installment of Gimlet’s new show, We Came To Win. The show tells the stories behind the World Cup’s biggest moments, and this episode brings you inside one of the most miraculous turnarounds in sports. It was 1990, and English soccer was in the doldrums. The national team was crap, the stadiums were crumbling, and there was the pervasive threat of violence from football hooligans. But one summer—and one World Cup—changed English soccer forever. Credits: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emily Ulbricht, Emma Morgenstern, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

Today, the English Premier League is the richest and most watched league in the world. But rewind to the end of the eighties, and English football was in the doldrums. The national team were crap, the stadiums were crumbling, and there was the threat of violence from football hooligans. This is the story of how one summer, and one World Cup, changed English football forever. CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emma Morgenstern, Emily Ulbricht, and Ngofeen Mputubwele with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

The retired Argentine midfielder Diego Armando Maradona is regarded by many soccer fans as the greatest player who ever lived. They’ll say he was creative, surprising, masterful—a gift to the game. But there are others who will tell you the opposite. That Maradona was the worst: A scoundrel, a villain, a cheat. In this episode, we tell the tale of soccer’s most complicated icon. CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emma Morgenstern, Emily Ulbricht, and Ngofeen Mputubwele with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Additional music by Emma Munger and Bliss Blood & Al Street. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com. To find a list of our sponsors and show-related promo codes, go to gimlet.media/OurAdvertisers

The year is 1989. The United States is a soccer desert, but it just won a bid to host the 1994 World Cup. If the U.S. is going to prove it deserves the honor, it’ll need to get its team to qualify for the 1990 World Cup—and they haven’t made it in nearly four decades. A coach named Bob Gansler and his gang of mulleted misfits are America's only hope. This is the story of their last-ditch attempt to put U.S. soccer on the map. CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emma Morgenstern, Emily Ulbricht, and Ngofeen Mputubwele with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

For years the Spanish women’s national team was treated like an afterthought by their coach and the Spanish Football Federation. The team’s most basic needs were ignored, they were paid almost nothing, and the coach regularly disrespected them. But when they qualified for the 2015 World Cup, they knew they had an opportunity to change that. They could harness the world’s attention and finally demand the resources and respect they deserved. But bringing about change meant taking on a century-old institution and a system built on inequality and rampant sexism.  CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emily Ulbricht, Emma Morgenstern, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

Say the name Byron Moreno to any fan of Italian soccer and you’re likely to get the same response: that guy is the worst. It all stems from one game at the 2002 World Cup where Moreno was the referee. It was a match between Italy and South Korea that resulted in an unlikely upset for South Korea. Italian fans have never gotten over it, insisting Moreno was part of a huge scandal to fix the results of the World Cup. But a look into Moreno’s past tells a more complicated story. To find a list of our sponsors and show-related promo codes, go to gimlet.media/OurAdvertisers CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emily Ulbricht, Emma Morgenstern, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

In 1974, the first all-black team competed at the World Cup: the national team of Zaire, now known as D.R. Congo. They were remembered for one of the strangest plays in World Cup history: a botched free kick that led some commentators to speculate that the African team didn't understand the basic rules of the game. But behind Zaire’s kick is a lesser-known story of nationhood, colonialism, and government corruption.  CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Ngofeen Mputubwele, Emma Morgenstern, and Emily Ulbricht with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. Original Congolese music by Nkumu Katalay. Additional scoring, sound design, and mixing by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

Making it to the World Cup had long been a dream of American defender Jimmy Conrad’s, and at the age of 29, he finally got his chance. U.S. coach Bruce Arena named Jimmy to the 2006 World Cup squad. Unfortunately, he spent the first game watching from the bench. It wasn’t until deep into the second game, when the U.S. was down a man and fighting for survival against the powerful Italians, that Jimmy was called in. Hear how he went from riding the bench to holding the line in one of the most epic matches in U.S. soccer history.   To find a list of our sponsors and show-related promo codes, go to gimlet.media/OurAdvertisers CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emma Morgenstern, Emily Ulbricht, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

Every Mexico fan remembers where they watched the round of 16 match between Mexico and the United States in the 2002 World Cup. This was a defining game—one that carried the weight of past World Cup defeats and the promise of the Mexican team’s future. That the match was against the U.S., Mexico’s powerful neighbor, only made the stakes higher. This is the story of how one game came to define an entire generation of Mexican soccer fans. To find a list of our sponsors and show-related promo codes, go to gimlet.media/OurAdvertisers CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emma Morgenstern, Ngofeen Mputubwele, and Emily Ulbricht, with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

In soccer, the glory usually goes to the attacking players like Maradona, Pele, and George Best. These legends of the sport created endless highlight reels with their powerhouse performances and game-winning goals. But every so often a goalkeeper comes along that’s so good that the saves they make, and the goals they stop, become the highlight of the game. One such goalkeeper is Hope Solo. On this episode of We Came to Win, we talk to Solo about what it's like to play in three tournaments—and finally win one. To find a list of our sponsors and show-related promo codes, go to gimlet.media/OurAdvertisers CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Emma Morgenstern, Anna Foley, Emily Ulbricht, and Ngofeen Mputubwele with help from Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. This episode was scored, sound designed, and mixed by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

The year is 1998. 12 years have passed since archrivals Argentina and England last met in a World Cup, but the grudges that defined that last match—most notably, the legendary Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal—are still fresh. On June 30, 1998, a young Iain MacIntosh, future football journalist, watched the two teams face off. In this Extra Time episode, he recounts the drama that unfolded during and after the game, one of his favorite World Cup memories. CREDITS: We Came to Win is hosted by Nando Vila. This episode was produced by Ngofeen Mputubwele, Emma Morgenstern, and Emily Ulbricht with help from Anna Foley and Jasmine Romero. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Caitlin Kenney, Devon Taylor, and Jessica Weisberg. Additional scoring, sound design, and mixing by Bobby Lord. Check out more Gimlet podcasts at gimletmedia.com.

Jean Grae is a rapper, comedian, producer, writer, and much more... and her genealogy is as wide-ranging as her career. But Jean doesn't know very much her family's past. So we help her out. We take Jean through South Africa’s complicated racial history, the birth of a political movement in Cape Town, and the pivotal role of carnivorous plants in science. And then, we’ll introduce her to a mystery relative. Tell us what you think of the show by filling out this survey! CREDITS: Twice Removed is produced by Meg Driscoll, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Audrey Quinn, and Kimmie Regler. Our senior producer is Eric Mennel. Editing by Jorge Just and Alex Blumberg. Michelle Harris is our fact checker. Music and sound design by Haley Shaw with additional mixing by Martin Paralta. Special thanks to Basil George, Colin Fox, Damien Samuels, the Archives on St Helena, CeCe Moore, Andy Kill, Tanja Hammel, Patricia McCracken, Dr. Sean Field, Mark Adams, Cherie Bush, Adam Brown, Eowyn Langholf, Brian Willan, and Andrew Lumby. Voice casting by NYC VO Coach Shelly Shenoy. Carol Muller is the author of Musical Echoes: South African Women Thinking in Jazz. Extra thanks to Caitlin Kenney, Stevie Lane, Ale Lariu, Kevin Turner, Kelly Coonan, Katelyn Bogucki, and all of the lovely people around Gimlet who helped us get this show off the ground. Plus, Harrison Topp, Chris Wright, Rebecca Heymann, Jon Anderson and Terri Raymond. Bonnie Antosh and Jeremy Lloyd sing our jingles. You can email us at TwiceRemoved@gimletmedia.com. We tweet @TwiceRemoved. We’re also on Facebook. Get in touch! Seriously. We’d love to hear from you. If you’re a fan of the show, we would love it if you could rate or review us on iTunes. It makes a big, big difference and is really one of the best ways to help others find out about the show. So hop into iTunes or your podcast app and let us know what you think of the show. Twice Removed is a production of Gimlet Media. I’m AJ Jacobs. Thank you for listening, it's been wonderful to get to know you this season. OUR SPONSORS 23 and Me - To order your kit, visit 23andme.com Adobe Video Tools - Download free trials and learn more at adobe.ly/twice Audible SincerelyX - To listen go to audible.com/sincerelyx. Audible and Amazon Prime members listen free Blue Apron - Get your first three Blue Apron meals delivered for free by going to blueapron.com/twice Family Tree Magazine - Download their free ebook at familytreemagazine.com/ancestry Squarespace - Go to squarespace.com and use the offer code "TWICE REMOVED" at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase

Abbi Jacobson is an actress, comedian, illustrator, and co-creator of Comedy Central’s Broad City. In this episode, we journey through her family’s past: we uncover a 50-year-old unsolved crime; one of the most contentious battles in New York history, and a pioneer in women’s sports. We’ll tell these stories and introduce Abbi to a mystery relative...and another surprise!  CREDITS: Twice Removed is produced by Meg Driscoll, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Audrey Quinn, and Kimmie Regler. Our senior producer is Eric Mennel. Editing by Jorge Just and Alex Blumberg. Michelle Harris is our fact checker. Research help from The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Robert Rockaway. Genealogical help from Jordan Auslander, J. Mark Lowe, David Zuckerman, Erica Howton and the people at Geni. Music and sound design by Haley Shaw. Special thanks to John Molina, Sandra Mann, Jane Trepagnier, Tim Martin, Andrew Hudson, Bria Schreiber, Melissa Kates and our Olympic Co-Eds singers: Molly Messick, Simone Polanen and Stevie Lane. You can email us at TwiceRemoved@gimletmedia.com. We tweet @TwiceRemoved. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re a fan of the show, we would love it if you could rate or review us on iTunes. It makes a big, big difference and is really one of the best ways to help others find out about the show. So hop into iTunes or your podcast app and let us know what you think of the show. After all, we’re family... Twice Removed is a production of Gimlet Media. I’m AJ Jacobs, we’ll be back in two weeks. OUR SPONSORS Squarespace – Go to squarespace.com and use the offer code “TWICE REMOVED” at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase Tinder - DTR is a new podcast about defining relationships in the digital age. Listen to it on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts 

Nazanin Rafsanjani is a beloved member of the Gimlet family, overseeing Gimlet’s advertising wing. She also has an incredible family story, moving to the U.S. from Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. And Nazanin’s family tree is filled with people who left their communities and started over, from the victim of an epidemic, to two literary icons. We’ll tell these stories, and introduce her to a mystery relative. CREDITS Twice Removed is produced by Meg Driscoll, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Matthew Nelson, Audrey Quinn, and Kimmie Regler. Our senior producer is Eric Mennel. Editing by Jorge Just and Alex Blumberg. Michelle Harris is our fact checker. Research and genealogy by J. Mark Lowe and Eowyn Langholf. Music and sound design by Haley Shaw. Interpreting and translations by Raha Hakimdavar and Sara Goudarzi. Additional music by Blue Note Sessions. Special thanks this week to Casey Turner, Loretta Shugrue, Sarah Rodriguez, Suzanne Campbell and the West Texas Collection at San Angelo State University,Vickie Webb, Dr. Frank Sousa, Heather Wylie, Brad Moseley and The American School for the Deaf, Dr. Amy Malek, Khodadad Rezakahani, and the band Lowland Hum. Jeffrey Einboden’s new book which talks about Emerson and his Persian influences is “The Islamic Lineage of American Literary Culture.” You can reach us at TwiceRemoved@gimletmedia.com. We tweet @TwiceRemoved, and we’re also on Facebook. Twice Removed is a production of Gimlet Media. I’m AJ Jacobs, we’ll be back next week with more Twice Removed. Hopefully you’ll be filled with delight… or perhaps abject horror. You never know. It’s family. Our Sponsors Blue Apron- Get your first three Blue Apron meals delivered for free by going to blueapron.com/twice Squarespace - Go to squarespace.com and use the offer code "TWICE REMOVED" at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase And be sure to check out another podcast about family: The Longest Shortest Time, hosted by Hillary Frank! 

What happens when life forces you to be right in the center of the world's problems? Three people share the story of one day that did just that. Check out the English version of Part II here: https://youtu.be/xzCkeo5Mgzs Don't forget to leave a voice message with the app Anchor (www.anchor.fm). Look me up @ Ngofeen Mputubwele. Music by Wood Spider ("Hot October", "Empty Home", "Elysian Vows") used under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license. Additional music by Nathan Hack, Thom Cote, and Monplaisir. Find a full episode transcript at www.thepowerisoutpodcast.com.

What happens when life forces you to be right in the center of the world's problems? Three people share the story of one day that did just that. Don't forget to leave a voice message with the app Anchor (www.anchor.fm). Look me up @ Ngofeen Mputubwele. Music by Wood Spider ("Hot October", "Empty Home", "Elysian Vows") used under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license. Additional music by Nathan Hack, Thom Cote, and Monplaisir. Find a full episode transcript at www.thepowerisoutpodcast.com.

Ted Allen’s family tree is so rich with culinary history that his Food Network stardom might be genetic. From baristas, to royal dinner guests, to a celebrity diet icon, Ted’s family tree shows that one of the best ways to look at history is food. We’ll tell these stories and introduce Ted to a mystery relative. CREDITS Twice Removed is produced by Meg Driscoll, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Matthew Nelson, Audrey Quinn, and Kimmie Regler. Our senior producer is Eric Mennel. Editing by Jorge Just, Alex Blumberg and Caitlin Kenney. Original music and mixing by Haley Shaw. Research and genealogy help from J. Mark Lowe, Angela Walton-Raji, Erica Howton and the folks at Geni. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Extra thanks to Brittany Luse, Jon Grinspan, Cherie Bush and Lee Mazur. Alex Prud’homme’s new book about Julia Child is “The French Chef In America: Julia Child’s Second Act.” And thanks to Lauri Ditunno at Cake Alchemy for making our sugarworks swan. You can see the pictures of the swan and a graphic of the family tree on our website, Gimletmedia.com/TwiceRemoved. We’re on Twitter, @TwiceRemoved and Facebook @twiceremovedshow. Twice Removed is a production of Gimlet Media. I’m AJ Jacobs. Thanks for listening. Our Sponsors Audible - Start your free 30-day trial by going to Audible.com/twiceremoved Blue Apron - Get your first three Blue Apron meals delivered for free by going to blueapron.com/twice Squarespace - Go to squarespace.com and use the offer code "TWICE REMOVED" at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase

Dan Savage has helped redefine what it means to be a family in the 21st Century. And given his ancestors, it’s no surprise why. Dan’s family history traces back to the 1920s Chicago mob scene, a South Asian autocracy, and to a New York City apartment filled with men trying to save a community. We’ll tell these stories and introduce Dan to a surprise relative. CREDITS: Twice Removed is produced by Meg Driscoll, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Audrey Quinn, and Kimmie Regler. Our senior producer is Eric Mennel. Editing by Jorge Just and Alex Blumberg. Original music and mixing by Haley Shaw. Research and Genealogy help from J. Mark Lowe, Krista Reynen, Eowyn Langolf, Erika Howton and the folks at Geni. Additional music by R-A-C, Tyler Strickland  and Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks to Gene Trimble, Monica Garcia, Senator Dick Durbin (also a cousin of Dan’s), Riz Rollins, Amina Steinfels, Charles Manning and Richard Godbeer. Twice Removed is a production of Gimlet Media. Our website -- where you can see photos from our research -- GimletMedia.com/TwiceRemoved. We’re on Twitter and Facebook @TwiceRemoved. I’m @ajjacobs, because I am AJ Jacobs. See you next week. Our Sponsors Audible - Start your free 30-day trial by going to Audible.com/twiceremoved Blue Apron - Get your first three Blue Apron meals delivered for free by going to blueapron.com/twice Squarespace - Go to squarespace.com and use the offer code "TWICE REMOVED" at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase