
Fresh Air
Weekdays at 7:00pm
Opening the window on contemporary arts and issues with guests from worlds as diverse as literature and economics.

Legal scholar sees immigrant arrests as a 'struggle for the soul of the country'
As ICE agents arrest international students at campuses across the U.S., professor Daniel Kanstroom discusses the law — and the human cost. He says the round-ups are designed to "send a message."
From comedy to drama, 'Gilded Age' co-star Christine Baranski always finds her voice
Baranski started her career in theater and now co-stars in The Gilded Age on HBO. "I was a passionate acting student and nothing was going to stop me," she says. Originally broadcast June 25, 2020.
Writer Russell Shorto chronicles his family's secret mob operation in 'Smalltime'
by Dave Davies
Russell Shorto's grandfather was a mob leader in the industrial town of Johnstown, Pa. He spoke to Fresh Air in 2021 about the havoc that resulted from his grandfather's business dealings.
W. Kamau Bell asks all the right questions in 'We Need to Talk About Cosby'
by David Bianculli
Nothing is sensationalized or trivialized in Bell's four-part documentary, which reckons with Bill Cosby's legacy both as a barrier-breaking Black star and as a sexual predator.
Remembering stand-up comic and actor Louie Anderson
by Terry Gross
Anderson grew up in Minnesota, in a family with 11 children. His Emmy-winning performance in the FX series Baskets was based upon his mother. Anderson died Jan. 21. Originally broadcast in 2016.
How Ginni Thomas, wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, influences the Supreme Court
by Dave Davies
New Yorker writer Jane Mayer discusses the conservative beliefs and influence of Ginni Thomas, an activist who's been associated with some groups involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh, peace activist and Vietnamese Buddhist monk
by Terry Gross
One of the world's most influential Zen masters, Thich Nhat Hanh championed "engaged Buddhism," which combines meditation and anti-war work. He died Jan. 22. Originally broadcast in 1997.