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After ten years of the #amwriting podcast, KJ, Jess, and Sarina are marking a milestone—and a transition. In this episode, the longtime hosts reflect on what the writing world looked like when the show began and share their best advice for writers trying to do meaningful work. They also pass the microphone to Jennie, who will carry the podcast into its next chapter.Moving forward, Jennie will keep the show focused on helping writers do their best work and make smart decisions about their writing lives. Expect familiar features and new conversations, including Write Big solo episodes, Book Lab breakdowns of listener submissions, coaching sessions with writers across genres, and Margin Notes exploring the thinking behind creative choices. The mission remains the same: helping writers play big in their writing life, love the process, and stick with it long enough to finish what matters most.#AmWriting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.TranscriptJennie: [00:00:00] Hi, I'm Jennie Nash and you're listening to the hashtag am Writing podcast. The place where we help writers of all kinds play big in your writing life, love the process, and stick with it long enough to finish what matters most.KJ: Hey everyone. I'm kj and you are listening to the hashtag am Writing podcast, the place where we help writers of all kinds play big in your writing life, love the process, and stick with it long enough to finish what matters most.So today is a big day. We're we'reJess: big day.KJ: Yeah. We're celebrating the 10th year of the hashtag am writing podcast, which I have to say is officially the longest I've been able to sustain any job-like thing. Um, and we're announcing that we're going in a new direction. So this is really cool. After a decade of talking to y'all, um, Jess and I and then [00:01:00] Sarina, who is at minus a decade. I don't wanna, um, have decided to step back and hand over the reins to Jennie.Jess: YeahJennie: It is, it is such a big milestone and such a big deal. And before we. Actually say goodbye to the three of you. I mean, it's not forever. You're coming back as guests, all of you, all the time, hopefully.KJ: Oh, heck yes. Absolutely. You, you, you and I have already planned all the things, so don't get too excited and, and weepy here folks, but things are just, things are gonna be. New and fresh and more interesting and, uh, more craft filled and more inspirational. When I need inspiration to write, I look for one of our episodes.That's Jennie. So I think this is gonna be, this is gonna be great.Jennie: I think it's gonna be great too. But before we actually say goodbye, I mean, 10. Is a long time and I thought it would be fun to ask you all what it was like 10 [00:02:00] years ago when you started, and Sarina 10 minus whatever the time is, but what was the writing landscape like as a whole maybe for you, and then all this wisdom, all these years that you've shared.What's, what's the thing that sticks in your head the most is what you would want to leave with, with the listeners, what is the your best piece of writing advice from all of this time? So. Jess, why don't you start? You're the og.Jess: Well, I, I definitely wanted to start. For those people who have not been around since the very beginning, you have to understand that it's really horrifying when people say they go back and like start from the beginning because, um, and we'll be posting pictures in the show notes.I have a ton of pictures throughout the years, but we originally, um, we, we would go into this little, I had a tiny, tiny house and we would go into the eve space off of my daughter's room. And it was raw insulation with a light bulb, and we sat on the floor and it was [00:03:00] like. Maybe at the tallest point, maybe four feet high, so you had to kind of crawl in.And I have a picture of us, um, podcasting from inside there. And it was, and it was very hot in the summer. It would get very, very hot. My house did not have air conditioning and um. But it was delightful and it was this thing that we had talked about doing for such a long time, and I was so proud of us.And mainly it was kj. KJ was the one who said, we're not gonna talk about this anymore, we're just gonna do it. So she got us into gear and just brought her stuff over to my house in her basket and said, let's go. Let's do it. And we bought microphones and everything and it was. It was a big new adventure.And if you had said, then, how long do you think this is gonna last? I don't know that I would've said 10 years. But there's, you know, then Sarina came in and, and Sarina has, has been a part of this as a guest since the very beginning too. And a couple of things that I wanted to share were that one time Sarina and KJ and I, uh, were doing a [00:04:00] double, a double header episode and I forgot to hit record for both of them.And so. We did this incredibly fun, very long episode, broken into two pieces that, um, it went off into the ether and. I did learn from that. And then at the same time, by the time we were sort of on our game enough to be able to really interview people, we went up to Maine to interview Richard Russo and we went to record at his daughter's wonderful bookstore in Portland, Maine.And um, I had three modes of recording. I had, um. Two microphones and I had a handheld digital thing that I had on the table between us and, um, mode one failed and mode two failed. And so the only thing we had was, you know, our little digital handheld on the table in between us. So. There's a lot of stuff like that.There was the moment I got to text KJ and tell her that we were getting David [00:05:00] Sedaris, there was the day she emailed me to tell me that we were getting Anna Quinlan. You know, and I just so many cool things that, um. It makes me so happy that we've produced something good out of all of that. And one last thing.The, the, the thing that I think I've learned the most is there is no one right way to do this. That every single time I hear about, like whether it's the, you have to write, writer write every day, you have to write every day, or you have to write in a certain way, or you have to write in a certain place, or you have to write with the door closed, or you have to write with the door open, all of those things.Um, none of those are rules. None of them are rules. They're things that people do and I'm really glad that I've had the opportunity to talk to a lot of people about all the different ways they do it.Jennie: That's amazing. Um, kj, do you remember this, uh, light bulb and no insulation time? KJ: Oh yeah. I don't remember the time you didn't record particularly just ‘cause it happened more than once. And [00:06:00] the other thing I would throw in is that the more famous, the guest, the. Less interesting. They were, it was almostKJ: always true. Jess: It wasn them. It was, yeah. I think we got all jacked up about like, I don't know. It just,Jess: I don't know.Wasn David Sari's advice to young writers was the worst.KJ: Yeah. It advice really wasJess: anyone has ever given, itKJ: was,Jess: yeah, a writer. He said, don't submit your work. Don't ask. Don't try to get you, wait for people to read it. Wait for people to ask you if they can read it.KJ: Yeah,Jess: that's which this, this is, KJ: this worked for him. He is an NF one and it will not work for you.Jess: Right. Yeah, I think thatKJ: my favorite, I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna lay it out there. I'm not even gonna put any caveats on that. That won't work.Jess It won't work.KJ: No. I think it's always been the most fun when we get in deep into the craft and anytime someone is too practiced with their answers or it's the same answer they've given a million times.You're [00:07:00] right. It was cold and it was, um, it just wasn't good.Sarina: Yeah. So the more fun people were always the people who were really in it with us.KJ: Yeah. Yeah.Jennie: So, Sarina, do you know when you came in, do you know what the, the n minus number is?Sarina: No, because I was a guest star even before we got out of the, the, um, kgs closet.It's true. It's true.KJ: One of those not recorded episodes was recorded in the eve space. That's true. We had, we roped during fairly early.Jennie: Yeah. In that 10 years, you've probably written more. More than, well, how many books have you written in that time? Sarina, I mean,Sarina: um, 50. At 50 50 ish.Jennie: That's crazy. That's crazy. So what do you know now that you didn't know then?Sarina: Oh, so much, so much that, like giving advice, you know, I, I [00:08:00] now feel like less qualified to give advice than I did then, you know how that goes. Like, the job gets harder, not easier. I have a, a good working vocabulary for why, but it doesn't make me feel like anybody's, you know, special savior.Jennie: Yeah. Yeah. What do you remember about starting in and the, the, um, all these episodes? What sticks in your mind asSarina: you know? Um, I loved the opportunity to talk to people who I think are fantastic. I also learned that I am not a fantastic interviewer and that, and that, um. That isn't a skill of mine that I, it's, there's so many things, like I'm so busy, I write so many books.I can't learn to be the interviewer that you deserve. So I only. Did interviews selectively and sometimes they were just so fun. Like, [00:09:00] um, the, the person who broke broke the mold about the interview being interesting, the more famous they are was Emily Henry. ‘cause she was Oh yeah. She was fun to talk to.She was just right there with us and, and ready to have a good time and, and so wise and also so, so nice. And that, that's really great when you can talk to somebody who's killing it in your own genre and you know, they're just so wonderful about it. Um, and then, you know, then we had the odd, very sweaty interview where nothing seems to go according to plan.And I won't name the author because I do admire this person very much, but they were not. Willing to take any expertise onto themselves. So KJ and I just sweated all the way through this interview trying to get this person to, to tell us KJ: Say something. Say anything.Sarina: Yeah. Tell us how you feel, you know?KJ: Yeah.Sarina: And it could not be done.KJ: Nope.Sarina: So, you know, that one, I, [00:10:00] I will never re-listened to that one, but, um, but I really, what I got out of it, honestly, was spending time with all of you guys, and you teach me things every single day. And another thing about this job is that I find that I have to relearn the best lessons over and over again.And when you are compelled to speak lucidly about your job, you know, a couple of times a month, um, it forces a certain reckoning with your own skill and expertise. Like I might say that I, you know, don't want to be anybody's, um, masterclass, but I really do know a lot at this point and, um, every time I talk to you guys and we'd, and we gathered together like this, I always learn something.Jess: I love, I think Sarina is the most amazing explainer and teacher. And so getting to learn, um, especially, you know, in these [00:11:00] recent, uh, nerd Corner Publishing Nerd Corner episodes, it's been so cool to just learn from her. It's really, really fun. And, you know, if, if we take it all the way back, like the first, your first romance novels, you know.We're just coming out when we just, when we started this thing. It's just been such an incredible journey from there to where we are now. The other thing that's been really cool is that this podcast has made me really accountable to my goals and to, you know, not that. You guys also do that for me. But saying things out loud in front of other people has always been my, the thing that has saved me, whether that's about my recovery or, um, you know, whatever it is.Um, people talk to me all the time and say, you know, was it hard to come out publicly about, you know, being an alcoholic? I'm like, absolutely not. It's what's kept me sober. And I feel the same way about the writing, that when I talk to, um, the listeners that I, I feel like. Someone may [00:12:00] come along someday and ask how that, uh, that goal of mine is going. And, and I like that.Jennie: Yeah. That's so good. Kj, what, what are your best memories and, um, best, best advice that you've gotten or, or given?KJ Well, you know, spend 10 years, so it is a long time ago, but I do remember the time Jess was riding her dinosaur to my house to record and got hit by a snowplow. Mm-hmm. Um, that was, that was good times.Jess: Yep.KJ: We have Snow Fred Dinosaurs up here. Yep. In New Hampshire. Um, the Sedaris thing that was, that was just funny and also really cool ‘cause I have such deep admiration for, for him, and I'm quite certain that if somehow he ever heard. I, he would not care. We think that was terrible advice.Jess: What's also really was really funny about that one is this is an only David Sedera sort of situation where, oh Lord, he, he has said very specifically that he, during COVID, he refused.To get Zoom, any [00:13:00] kind of zoom sort of situation. So we had to, we went all the way to Concord to,KJ: this wasn't Coco COVID, this was before that. No, no, no. I, I know, but I'm saying like, he has, this is not new information. He has said very publicly that he doesn't do likeJess: Oh, yeah. So he wouldn't even, even let us have somebody bring him a laptop to his apartment.Right. And set it up for us, which we were like, happy to do, butKJ: Yeah. Yeah. We had to go there.Jess: So he called and yeah, we went to NHPR in Concord and, uh, our, and our wonderful producer Andrew was. Able to get everything connected for us. Um, but it was one of those moments where, you know, we are constantly talking about how to like bend over backwards to get marketing and get people to listen to what we have to say.And yet, even though he puts obstacles in the path of people who want to hear what he has to say, they will gladly jump through those hoops, uh, for him.Jess: Yeah. Crazy. Yeah. I mean, you know, so kind of him to do it.KJ: Yes. Anyway, I mean, that was super funnyJess: and, and I am looking at my wall that [00:14:00] has the postcard, the thank you postcard that he sent us.So when he says he sends thank you notes to everyone, he sends thank you notes to everyone because we got one. And from what I understand, he sends them to every bookseller, every person who drives them everywhere. He sends thank you notes to everyone.Jennie: Wow. That's what I think of when I think of you, Jess.mThat's a thing you do too. You're so good at that. Well, I, I have to say that I have been a listener for this whole time, and the thing that you all brought was. This authenticity, this sense of what it's really like to do this work. And you all are writing such different things and so accomplished at those things, and your willingness to kind of just open, open it up and share what that looks like with no, you know, varnish over it or, or you know, polished.Just like, this is what it's really like and this is who we are and this is how it happens, and [00:15:00] that the work gets done in such. Messy circumstances and, um, that lesson and, and that generosity of showing people that that's true. Which kind of goes to what you were saying, Jess, like there is no way, but, but also just doing the work is the way and.That's what you have all modeled and continue to model, and obviously,KJ well, that's what I want people to take away from this. Mm-hmm. Is listen. Okay. We're joking that 10 years is a long time and 10 years is a long time. It's a long time to do anything. But also 10 years ago I had one book to my name. And you've never heard of it.It was called Reading with Babies, toddlers, and Twos, and it got me all my other jobs. Jess had no books to her name. Mm-hmm. 10 years ago, Sarina Couple not, you know, just, just, just barely getting started. Jennie actually had a ton of books to her name, but that's, you know, that's a different story. So here we were.10 years ago sat down and said, [00:16:00] we are gonna do these things. And we did not all, I mean, it wasn't, nobody came and asked us for it. All of David Saris. Um, nobody had, none of us had instant success. You know, no one called up and said, Hey, can I do this? And like immediately got articles in the New Yorker or whatever.Uh, publishers were not banging down our doors. We. We were banging down theirs and we were all very determined to, um, to make this a professional endeavor. The, the podcast and the writing and the books and all of it. And so I guess what I'm saying is I don't know where you are listener, but wherever you wanna be in 10 years.Uh, you know, maybe you won't get exactly there. I wouldn't say any of us has gotten exactly there ‘cause we're not done. But still, we came a long way in 10 years and I would like to see other people, [00:17:00] um, sit down and actually do the thing so you can go to the place.Jess: That's been one of the big joys, I think, also of this podcast is seeing other people's work happen.Like hearing from listeners that, oh my gosh, I hadn't started my book. I was trying to get motivated to start my book, and then I created this proposal and now the book is coming out, and that's, I, I, I just, I can't, I can hardly wrap my brain around that. Um, it's been a really amazing progression and the, the group of people that have sort of coalesced around listening to this podcast and getting in, in touch, some of them have become friends and that's been really amazing too.Sarina: I hope what some people will take away from this, um, is that very few people who do what we do are truly trained for it. You know, I don't have an MFAI don't KJ and just don't have journalism degrees. They have law degrees instead. But, um, you can, you can [00:18:00] do this on the job training. That's what we did.That's what you listened to us do. And I'm reminded of that, um, quote by El Doctoral. You know, writing a book is like driving at night with the headlights on. You can. You can't see the whole distance, um, but you can still get to your destination. And there was this Time when KJ and I were debating this quote on this podcast and KJ said, yeah, but the last time we went driving at night, we almost hit a bunny.And it was true. And I think that what might be the, one of the times I laughed the hardest on this podcast.Jess: You know, it's also interesting, I was thinking that, um, you know how I said that there isn't one way to do things, and even the way that we do things has evolved over time and like Sarina has learned how to, has become a coffee shop writer and has learned how to write in other places.And I've learned how to write in other places and I never used to be able to do that. Um, [00:19:00] so how we get the work done really has. Uh, evolved with the needs of what's going on around us and what our career needs from us, and, and that's been really pleasant. Pleasant to watch too.Jennie: Well, it's been an honor to listen to you all and to be, uh, working alongside you.And I am, I'm thrilled to be carrying the show forward. I have lots of big ideas to bring to these episodes To continue to center the writer and the writing and getting the work done in authentic conversations about what it takes, both from a craft perspective and a mindset perspective. So I'll be reaching out soon for submissions to book Lab because that's gonna continue with a twist and I will be letting you know about what's coming. Um, for sure. New episodes with our producer Andrew, who's stepped out from behind the mic, um, as you heard last week. And I'll be continuing to coach him forward, which will be really [00:20:00] fun. So lots of good stuff coming and I appreciate your ongoing support and I appreciate.Getting you to stand on the shoulders of these three incredible writers and entrepreneurs and thinkers and friends, and, um, thank you all.KJ Thank you. I'm just so glad. Thank you guys to see this, uh, keep going and to become a little bit more of a passenger. I have very much been the driver for the past few years.Um, Jess had her turn in the, in the driving seat and Sarina said from day one, no, no, I am buddy, humble guest. So, um, I'm so thrilled that you're taking over and I am excited to listen when I am not part of it, and to also continue to be part of it. Yay. Thank you guys.Jennie: Thank you all so, so much.Hey, why don't you, uh, why don't you take us out?KJ No, no. Jess has to take us out. It's cool. That's the tradition.Jess: Alright. And actually coming up with our, this little bit of the show happened in the eve space, so [00:21:00] it's a very. Yeah, that's a sentimental phrase for me too. So until next week, everyone, keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game.Jess: The hashtag am writing podcast. Is produced by Andrew Perilla. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

The U.S. Senate voted down a war powers resolution this week that would have blocked the US military from continuing attacks on Iran without Congressional approval. New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen voted in favor of the resolution, telling NHPR, “There was real concern about having the sole authority to go to war vested in the president of the United States.” Shaheen said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was a dictator who was responsible for American and Iranian deaths, but she's concerned about how the war has escalated and the loss of lives, including six American service members. On this week's edition of the New Hampshire News Recap, we hear more about her position on the war with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and NHPR reporter Todd Bookman.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is ditching its plan for an ICE detention facility in Merrimack. Emails released by the federal government shed further light on New Hampshire businessman Dean Kamen's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. And state lawmakers are considering a bill that would restrict abortions to 20 weeks. We talk about these stories and more on this edition of NHPR's New Hampshire News Recap with NHPR's Todd Bookman and Boston Globe's Amanda Gokee.

The Midterm elections will be upon us soon, and some campaigns are gaining traction here in New Hampshire. A federal court issued a ruling this week that ends the Trump administration's ban on diversity and equity initiatives in public schools, including here in New Hampshire. And Republican lawmakers are backing a bill that would allow students to attend any public school in the state. We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap with NHPR's Josh Rogers and Annmarie Timmins.

A few weeks ago, Nate gathered a group of storytellers in front of a live audience in Portsmouth, N.H. to celebrate 10 years of Outside/In. From goats to ghosts and ill-fated coloring book pages, this motley crew of storytellers explored the theme of metamorphosis in a changing world.   If you've got a special moment or episode from Outside/In's long history, we'd love to hear about it. Send us a note at outsidein@nhpr.org.   Featuring Gretchen Legler, Kianny Antigua, Sara Lamagna, Jake Lewis, Aubrey Nelson, Dave Anderson  Produced by Taylor Quimby and Zoë Mitchell. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Check out Gretchen Legler's blog, where she writes about all sorts of nature and farm-inspired subjects, here.  More on the work of Kianny Antigua can be found on her website.  Listen to Sarah Lamagna's interview for a previous episode of Outside/In, where she and Taylor talk about tricking kids into loving hiking.  Listen to more musings from naturalist Dave Anderson on NHPR's Something Wild.  If you want to hear more of Nate's music, check out “Snoweater on Bandcamp.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Kelly Ayotte has long denied knowing anything about Immigration and Customs Enforcement's plan for a detention facility in Merrimack. But at a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday, ICE director Todd Lyons told New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan his agency had been in contact with the governor. Thursday night, Ayotte released an additional statement that she now has documents on the facility from the Department of Homeland Security. These updates come after other communication gaps within Ayotte's administration about the facility. We discuss these stories and more on this week's edition of the NH News Recap with reporter William Skipworth at the New Hampshire Bulletin and NHPR's Annmarie Timmins.

The latest batch of Epstein files include dozens of records about the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, and New Hampshire businessman Dean Kamen. The board of directors for ARMI, the government-funded Manchester research project led by Kamen, says it will investigate its founder. Newly revealed documents show some state officials had known for weeks about federal plans for an immigrant detention facility in Merrimack. And the Gov. Kelly Ayotte gave her second State of the State address this week. We talk about these stories and more with NHPR's Todd Bookman and Kate Dario.

On Jan. 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after takeoff. All seven crew members on board were killed. The disaster was one of the most significant events in NASA history, watched live by millions of people around the world. It grounded all space shuttle missions for almost three years. Adam Higginbotham, author of the book "Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space," talks about what happened, the lives lost, and what NASA learned from the disaster. Then, Christa McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school teacher from New Hampshire, was one of those crew members. She was set to become the first teacher in space. NHPR's Patrick McNameeKing discusses McAuliffe's life and legacy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Senators reached a deal Thursday to avoid a government shutdown. The deal funds most of the government, and also gives Republicans and Democrats time to negotiate on future funding for the Department of Homeland Security. At the center of the negotiations is the federal immigration crackdown across the country and criticisms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, who shot and killed a U.S. citizen, Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis last weekend. We hear how New Hampshire's congressional delegation is responding to the immigration crackdown around the country. In New Hampshire, Gov. Kelly Ayotte said this week she's reached out to the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, saying the town of Merrimack should have a say on ICE's alleged proposal to establish a detention facility there. And a federal judge blocked New Hampshire from ending annual mandatory auto inspections, which were supposed to permanently end starting in February. We discuss these stories on this week's edition of the New Hampshire News Recap with NHPR's Josh Rogers and Mara Hoplamazian.

A New Hampshire town finds out its water has been contaminated by a chemical. The most basic question — whether the water is safe to drink — doesn't have a clear answer. Nobody seems to know much about this so-called forever chemical, which is weird… because all of this has all happened before. From the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, Safe to Drink is a four-part series about a water contamination story that keeps repeating in town after town — and about the people who fought for answers through a maze of chemistry, regulations, and illnesses. You can binge the whole series now: subscribe to Safe to Drink on Apple Podcasts, or check out their page on NHPR's website.  Reported by Mara Hoplamazian. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Celebrate our 10th anniversary with us! Join the Outside/In team for Stories from Outside on Friday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth. Tickets are available here. Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, we talked about the ethics and regulations around sending private citizens to space, but one thing we didn't linger on much was the lasting impact of Christa McAuliffe; the teacher slated to become the first private citizen to space before she was killed in the Challenger disaster.  So today, we've got a series of stories and interviews that are all part of NHPR's series “Remembering Christa: 40 Years After the Challenger.”   We'll hear from a local journalist that covered her story, the students she mentored, and the community charged with remembering her legacy.  Produced by Patrick McNameeKing. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Grab a ticket for our 10 year anniversary live show here!  Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Manchester schools spread across social media and within local communities this week. The Manchester School District says it has not received any substantiated reports of ICE activity, but would continue to monitor the situation. And earlier in January, federal officials dropped the number of vaccines recommended for children. Now it's up to the state as to whether it will adopt those same recommendations. At the same time, New Hampshire lawmakers are considering proposals to eliminate some or all vaccination requirements for children. We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap with NHPR's Lau Guzmán and the Boston Globe's Amanda Gokee.

In 1985, high school teacher Christa McAuliffe was selected to become the first private citizen to travel to space. After the Challenger explosion that killed her and 6 other astronauts, NASA scrapped its Teacher in Space Project; it was still too risky to send private citizens to space.   40 years later, things are looking very different.  Today, celebrities and billionaires are buying trips on commercial rockets. Private companies are designing new, private space stations. How is safety being regulated for these private space companies? And what happens if – or when – something goes wrong?  Featuring Kim Bleier, Ben Miller, Doug Ligor, Peggy Whitson, and Dana Tulodziecki. Produced by Daniel Ackerman. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Listen to NHPR's multi-part series honoring Christa McAuliffe 40 years after the Challenger shuttle disaster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Protests have erupted in Minneapolis and across the country this week in opposition to tactics used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. How active is the federal agency here in New Hampshire? State lawmakers repealed the death penalty in New Hampshire in 2019. Now some lawmakers are looking to bring it back. We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap with NHPR's Josh Rogers and the Boston Globe's Steven Porter.

Two New Hampshire courts have told the Legislature that it needs to increase the amount of money the state spends per public school student. But in the first meeting of the legislative session this week, lawmakers voted against doing so. And the Trump administration has frozen child care funding in several states amid allegations of fraud in Minnesota, but Gov. Kelly Ayotte told child care providers this week funding hasn't paused here in New Hampshire. We discuss these stories on this week's edition of the New Hampshire News Recap with NHPR reporter Annmarie Timmins and Ethan DeWitt from the New Hampshire Bulletin.

Sometimes, we just have to make a "101" episode of Civics 101. That is the case this week, in the wake of the arrest of Venezuela's sitting president by the United States. So, what's happening with Venezuela, Maduro, and the Trump administration's plan to "run" that country? CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week Nick appears on The Middle, with Jeremy Hobson. The topic is civility in politics, and they're joined by former New Hampshire State Legislator Doug Teschner and Citizens Count Executive Director Anna Brown.  This episode was recorded live at the Bank of NH Stage in Concord, NH and features audience questions and comments.  Write to us at civics101@nhpr.org to tell us what you think: is there a political middle? CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the past few decades, CGI has allowed directors to put virtually anything they can imagine onto the big screen. But in the world of theater, practical effects still rule supreme. So how do these special effects wizards make it snow, rain, and gust inside the confines of a theater, where real live audiences are sitting just feet away? And what are the challenges to dumping more than 100 gallons of water indoors, or coating the stage in slippery fake snow? We tour a Brooklyn warehouse that houses the secrets behind Broadway's wildest special effects, where one engineer is inventing new ways to wow audiences with the magic of the elements.Featuring Jeremy Chernick.Produced by Taylor Quimby. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org.SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.LINKSTo see some of the effects we mention in action, check out Jeremy Chernick's website gallery of shows he's worked on.ALSO! Did Operation Night Cat leave you wanting more? Make a year-end gift to NHPR, and we'll invite you to a special Operation Night Cat Virtual Q&A on January 8th 6PM EST, featuring our very own Nate Hegyi!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we answer this question from a listener, "Is Santa a criminal?"We get to the bottom of the myriad actions of the jolly old elf, and whether he could reasonably be tried for civil and criminal violations, including but not limited to trespassing, breaking and entering, voyeurism, stalking, surveillance, burglary, tax evasion, bad labor practices, emotional distress, and (in one instance) involuntary manslaughter.Taking us through this complex web of charges is Colin Miller, professor at University of South Carolina School of Law and co-host of the true crime podcast Undisclosed. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's been a busy year in politics with Donald Trump's return to the White House bringing sweeping federal funding cuts and an aggressive anti-immigration agenda to New Hampshire. The state also saw the start of Kelly Ayotte's first term as governor. As we near the end of 2025, we're recapping the some of the year's top headlines with NHPR's Josh Rogers, Annmarie Timmins and Lau Guzmán.

Why does it take, in practice, 60 votes for a bill to pass in the Senate? Why doesn't it seem like anyone is up there talking for days anymore? And why do we even have it in the first place?Today is all about the filibuster; from its benign origins to its use and misuse, the arguments for and against it, and what it would take to eliminate it entirely. Our guest is Molly Reynolds from the Brookings Institution. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A conversation with Deesha Philyaw and Gwydion Suilebhan from the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Foundation offering a behind-the-scenes look at what makes a book stand out—and their favorite books you might have missed.

Parts of New Hampshire have been under extreme drought conditions this year. This summer was the driest on record in the state, and that's led to more than 200 households with dry wells. What's the state doing in response? And state lawmakers won't officially head back to Concord until next month, but Gov. Kelly Ayotte and leaders in both parties are starting to lay out their priorities. We talk about these stories and more on this edition of the New Hampshire News Recap with NHPR's Josh Rogers and New Hampshire Bulletin's Molly Rains.

The lottery generates over $70 billion in revenue each year. Today on Civics 101 we explore how we got here; from failed lotteries in the Revolutionary War to the Golden Octopus to the Numbers Game to a Mega Millions ticket from your neighborhood shop. Where does all of that money GO? And why are states so dependent on them in the first place?Taking us on this madcap journey are two experts on the lottery in the US; Kevin Flynn (author of American Sweepstakes) and Matthew Vaz (author of Running the Numbers). CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Disability Rights Center in New Hampshire is investigating the state's disability care system following reporting from the New Hampshire Bulletin, which revealed allegations of systemic abuse and neglect. Congressional Republicans made some significant changes to Medicaid this year, but they need states like New Hampshire to figure out a system for implementing those changes. We discuss these stories and more on this week's edition of the NH News Recap with New Hampshire Bulletin reporter William Skipworth and NHPR's Kate Dario.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, once upon a time called food stamps, helps nearly 42 million Americans every month. While the 2025 government shutdown showed us what happens when SNAP dries up, we have yet to see the effects of major new legislative changes to the program.So what, exactly, is SNAP? How does it work? Who gets it? Why do we have it to begin with, and what does it look like now? Our guide is Sarah Bleich, Professor of Public Health Policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Click here to listen to the next episode of Operation Night Cat.A New Hampshire Fish and Game warden follows a tip to a man's backyard. He finds a twisted game of one-upmanship, digital trophy rooms, and one of the biggest poaching cases in recent state history. Then, the hunting investigation takes a surprising turn when it reveals another set of potential crimes – this time, behind the brick walls of New Hampshire's State Prison for Men. Host Nate Hegyi has spent the past year digging into what happened next. CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND SUPPORT THE TEAM THAT MADE BEAR BROOK. Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made continuing this work an essential part of what we do. Your donation means so much. Thank you. Photos, transcripts and more at bearbrookpodcast.com. Bear Brook has been named an Apple Podcasts Series Essential. Time Magazine named it one of the 100 best podcasts of all time. Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.Bear Brook, hosted by Jason Moon, is the critically-acclaimed true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio. Season 1 - Two barrels. Four Bodies. And a cold case that's changing how murders will be investigated forever.Season 2: A True Crime Story - Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn't commit. The only evidence against him? His own taped confession. More than 30 years later, is it possible to get to the truth – and who gets to tell it?Stephen King called both seasons “the best true crime podcasts I've ever heard. Brilliant, involving, hypnotic.” The New Yorker said season one “stands out for its ambition, complexity, and thoughtful tone.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we talk about the myriad procedures involved in getting the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed in record time. How do discharge petitions work? What did HR 581 do exactly? How did it get through the Senate so quickly? And while we're at it,  why did it take a record seven weeks to swear in a new representative?Here is the discharge petition signed by 218 members of Congress.Here is the full text of HR 581, passed by the House on 11/17.And finally, here is HR 4405, related to HR 185, which was brought to the floor by HR 581.    CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“Operation Night Cat” is a special three-part series from NHPR's Document team and Outside/In.Episode 3: A Duck's a DuckTwo sets of potential crimes, investigated by more than five sets of law enforcement agencies. Why most of them never took a shot at accountability.News audio clip credit: WMUR. For a full list of credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org.  SUPPORTOperation Night Cat is made possible with listener support. Click here to support independent, investigative journalism. To hear more of Document's investigative journalism, including their three-part series on New Hampshire's YDC scandal, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein spent nearly a decade making a twelve-hour documentary on the American Revolution. This is what they learned from the thousands of stories and events that resulted in the United States of America. It's a story of world-changing ideas, contradictory figures, myths that do us no good and what it means to be in pursuit of a more perfect union.You can watch Ken Burns The American Revolution on PBS, PBS.org and the free PBS app.  CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“Operation Night Cat” is a special three-part series from NHPR's Document team and Outside/In.Episode 2: Behind the Brick WallThe poaching investigation takes a surprising turn when it reveals another set of potential crimes – this time, behind the brick walls of New Hampshire's State Prison for Men.This episode contains strong language that may not be suitable for all listeners. For a full list of credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org.SUPPORTOperation Night Cat is made possible with listener support. Click here to support independent, investigative journalism. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In sixty years, we have gone from 2 billionaires in the United States to just under 2,000. How on earth did that happen?Today, Timothy Noah from the New Republic takes us all the way from our framers fearing excessive wealth to the country's first (potential) trillionaire. To learn about their proliferation, their desires, and their outsized effect on American policy, check out his article, How the Billionaires Took Over.  CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“Operation Night Cat” is a special three-part series from NHPR's Document team and Outside/In.Episode 1: Why Did the Deer Cross the Road? A New Hampshire Fish and Game warden follows a tip to a man's backyard. He finds a twisted game of one-upmanship with digital trophy rooms.This episode contains strong language. For a full list of credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORTOperation Night Cat is made possible with listener support. Click here to support independent, investigative journalism. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Off-year elections -- as in, not a presidential or a midterm -- have fairly dismal voter turnout. Yet they matter a great deal. Most of our lives are lived at the local, not the national, level. So why do so many skip their state and local elections?We spoke with Luis Lozada, the CEO of Democracy Works, to understand why people don't show and why they should. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Introducing a special three-part series from NHPR's Document team and Outside/In: Operation Night Cat. A New Hampshire Fish and Game warden follows a tip to a man's backyard. He finds a twisted game of one-upmanship, digital trophy rooms, and one of the biggest poaching cases in recent state history. Then, the hunting investigation takes a surprising turn when it reveals another set of potential crimes – this time, behind the brick walls of New Hampshire's State Prison for Men. Host Nate Hegyi has spent the past year digging into what happened next. Catch the first episode right here, on November 5th.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has published a Mandate for Leadership since 1981, making policy recommendations to the federal government. The latest edition is part of something much bigger: Project 2025. The newest Mandate is part of a four-pillar project designed to fundamentally change the federal government from the inside. Though President Trump and his team spent his third presidential campaign claiming they had nothing to do with it, Trump is no longer distancing himself from Project 2025. So let's dig in. Our guide to Project 2025 is the former director of factcheck.org and author of A Guide to Project 2025, Eugene Kiely.For more information on Project 2025, you can access the full policy playbook at the link above or by clicking here. You can watch the fourteen hours of instructional videos obtained by ProPublica here. More information about The Heritage Foundation and its stated values and goals can be found at their website.  CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is a crossover with our sister NHPR podcast, Outside/In.What do pastries have to do with environmental justice? Cat butts with the climate crisis? And what US president ate a half-chewed piece of salmon leftover from a bear on reality TV?Grab a pencil (and maybe a pint?) and get ready for the inaugural Outside/In trivia episode we're calling “Natural Selection.” We've got a game called “Guess That Animal!” We're testing our panel's knowledge on the environment in movies and music. And, maybe, we'll learn a thing or two along the way about environmental policy, past and present. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we give a brief explanation of what's behind the current government shutdown. The, we explain all the ins and outs of government shutdowns. Have they always been part of our legislative process? How do they happen? And what happens when they happen? Our guest is Charles Tiefer, professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we're bringing you an episode of What Could Go Right from our friends at The Progress Network.Each Wednesday on What Could Go Right, hosts Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas converse with diverse experts to have sharp, honest conversations about what's going on in the world, even during difficult times. In this episode, Nick spoke with Emma and Zachary about the state of civics education in the US, as well as how we can start to talk to each other civilly in an increasingly polarized political landscape.You can listen to What Could Go Right here or, as they say, wherever you get your everything. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Did you know cartoonists were on Nixon's enemies list? Or that LBJ prevented a cartoonist from getting a medal when he made a cartoon against the Vietnam War? Today we talk about the history of editorial cartoons and political satire, from "Join or Die" to the Obama fist bump, from Thomas Nast to Jimmy Kimmel. Our guide is New Yorker cartoonist Tom Toro, author of And to Think We Started as a Book Club.To see the illustrations we discuss in the episode, click here.   CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Click here to listen to part one of our airing of the grievances if you haven't yet! Today we tackle charges 13-27 against the King, as well as comparisons that have been made between George III and Donald Trump. Our guide is once again Craig Gallagher from Colby-Sawyer College, who breaks down what exactly got the colonists so darn mad.  CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When designer Matt Leacock decided to make a board game about climate action, he knew he wanted to make it – first and foremost – fun to play. “If we sold anything as an educational game… people would run screaming and running for the hills,” he told us. But can simulating the climate crisis really make for a good Friday night with your friends? What are the limits to gamifying social issues as complex as global warming?In this episode, we speak with Matt about what it took to design an entertaining game about one of the most challenging topics of our time, and enlist a few friends to playtest his game: “Daybreak.” Featuring Matt Leacock, with appearances from NHPR's Marina Henke, Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy. This episode was produced by Taylor Quimby. For a full list of credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org SUPPORTTo share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, call the show's hotline and leave us a voicemail. The number is 1-844-GO-OTTER. No question is too serious or too silly.Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our newsletter (it's free!).Follow Outside/In on Instagram and BlueSky, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKSRead game designer Matt Leacock's 2020 NYT opinion piece about his game, Pandemic, and what it says about social cooperation during an actual pandemic. One of Daybreak's inspirations was “The 100% Solution” by Solomon Goldstein-Rose. Here's his TED Talk about building a new global electricity system. For more insight into how Daybreak was made, check out Matt and co-designer Matteo Menapace's design diaries. A climate scientist/board gamer's break down of the science and gameplay of DaybreakListen to Civics 101's great episode on civics-centered board games.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The American public has long been on the lookout for unsteadiness in the leader of the free world. It's important to us (or, historically, has been) that the president seems, well, well. If not robust. Of course, the president is a human, and as such is not immune to malady. So why do we care so much about the president's health? Are they under obligation, legal or otherwise, to keep us in the loop? What happens when they don't?Our guide today is clinical ethicist Joel Wu. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"He" has done bad things. Twenty seven of them. And these things were so bad that the colonists used them to demonstrate that they had no choice but to become an independent nation. King George III was, in their eyes, a despot. So what did he do?Today we talk about grievances 1-12 in the Declaration of Independence. We will cover the rest, as well as modern-day parallels, in a few weeks. Our guest is Craig Gallagher, professor at Colby-Sawyer College.To hear about the entire Declaration of Independence, please listen to our episode on it here. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Investigators make a discovery that brings the case of the Bear Brook murders to a close after 40 years – and reveals a new mystery.Click here to check out more podcast series from NHPR's Document team. CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND SUPPORT THE TEAM THAT MADE BEAR BROOK. Bear Brook is made by NHPR, a public radio station. Recent funding cuts have made continuing this work an essential part of what we do. Your donation means so much. Thank you. Photos, transcripts and more at bearbrookpodcast.com. Bear Brook has been named an Apple Podcasts Series Essential. Time Magazine named it one of the 100 best podcasts of all time. Do you have information about the Bear Brook murders or the Sharon Johnson murder case? Email us.Bear Brook, hosted by Jason Moon, is the critically-acclaimed true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio. Season 1 - Two barrels. Four Bodies. And a cold case that's changing how murders will be investigated forever.Season 2: A True Crime Story - Jason Carroll is serving life in prison for a murder he says he didn't commit. The only evidence against him? His own taped confession. More than 30 years later, is it possible to get to the truth – and who gets to tell it?Stephen King called both seasons “the best true crime podcasts I've ever heard. Brilliant, involving, hypnotic.” The New Yorker said season one “stands out for its ambition, complexity, and thoughtful tone.”

Congress appropriates funds, the executive branch ensures those funds are spent and spent wisely. That is how it works. It is not, however, how it is working right now. The Trump Administration has, in recent months, repeatedly and often successfully frozen the funds that Congress assigned to certain departments and agencies. Jobs have been lost, research shelved, life-saving care ended, budgets and plans thrown into disarray.So why and how has this happened? Why were we funding education, science, medicine and foreign aid in the first place? Our guide to this tumult is Samuel Bagenstos, professor of law at the University of Michigan and former Chief Counsel at both the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Health and Human Services.   CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

It's another edition of Civics 101 Trivia! This time, it's also the swan song for one of our own.Senior Producer Christina Phillips, our mastermind of minutiae and all things related to taxes, joins us to convene a final round of her trademark trivia.Here is the link to the FOIA documents about the government's involvement in Hollywood productions.  CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

This is the decision that said the fundamental right to marry is protected under the 14th Amendment. How did it come about? What was the status of marriage before June of 2015? And why is the government so involved in the marriage business anyways?This episode features the voices of Melissa Wasser from the Project on Government Oversight and Jim Obergefell, the named party in Obergefell v Hodges. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

In 2015, the Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land. However, for the first time in over five years, Kim Davis (an opponent of same-sex marriage) petitioned for a writ of certiorari to overturn Obergefell. Is there a possibility the court will revisit its finding? How does this decision compare to other recently overturned decisions like Roe v Wade? And is even talking about this a problem in itself??Talking us through the situation and possible scenarios is Danaya Wright, Professor in Constitutional Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

Our Constitution provides for its own changes -- the framers knew that, while they worked hard, the law of the land was neither perfect nor should it be entirely immutable. So they included Article V, which allows either Congress OR the states to amend the Constitution if enough people agree. We've never had a constitutional convention of the states before, but that doesn't mean we won't. There's currently a movement trying to make it happen -- we dig into the why and how of this totally legal but very difficult path to change. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!