Episodes

  • In one Iowa city, public schools compete in the free market. Are students better off?

    In one Iowa city, public schools compete in the free market. Are students better off?
    Apr 19 2026
    Public education used to enjoy strong bipartisan support, but across the country, there’s a growing push to offer students alternatives to traditional public schools. The idea behind “school choice” is that competition improves education. President Trump and Republicans have attacked public education for failing students and for being too “woke,” while Democrats who strongly oppose school choice often dismiss valid criticism of public schools.

    Today on The Sunday Story, NPR education correspondent Cory Turner travels to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to understand how school choice can change a city's education landscape. Are students better served when schools compete in a free market?

    You can find more of Cory's reporting from Cedar Rapids here.

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • Dozens of Black pilots disappeared during WWII. Who are the men still lost?

    Dozens of Black pilots disappeared during WWII. Who are the men still lost?
    Apr 12 2026
    Dozens of Tuskegee Airmen went missing in action during World War II. Most of them have not been found. Who were these men and what happened to them? In her book, "Forgotten Souls," NPR investigative correspondent Cheryl W. Thompson tells their stories.

    To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
  • The Americans caught in ICE’s web of surveillance

    The Americans caught in ICE’s web of surveillance
    Apr 5 2026
    Since taking office last year, the Trump administration has pushed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ramp up deportations. This increase in enforcement operations has meant that American citizens and lawful residents have increasingly been entangled in ICE’s activities. Today on The Sunday Story, we talk to NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf and Meg Anderson about the growing trend of Americans getting caught up in ICE’s growing web of tracking and surveillance.

    To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • RFK Jr lauds Italy's addiction treatment. Can it work here?

    RFK Jr lauds Italy's addiction treatment. Can it work here?
    Mar 29 2026
    As many as 50 million people in the United States are thought to struggle with an addiction to drugs or alcohol. The majority don’t get treatment for it, and of those who do seek treatment, about half relapse within the first year.

    Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has his own story of addiction and credits Alcoholics Anonymous with keeping him sober. But Secretary Kennedy has said that a treatment program in Italy that has shown great success in keeping people sober should serve as the vision for what addiction treatment could be here in the US. On this episode of The Sunday Story, WBUR’s Deborah Becker travels to Italy to see firsthand how a treatment program at an Italian vineyard has created so many success stories.

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • Trailer: The Sunday Story

    Trailer: The Sunday Story
    Mar 23 2026
    Every news the week just keeps on coming; it's hard to make sense of it all. The Sunday Story from NPR is for people who want to go deeper. Every week, we dive into the political forces reshaping our country. Hosted by Ayesha Rascoe.

    To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show More Show Less
    2 mins