We are three weeks into 2025, it's time for some fresh podcasts. The NPR One team has podcast recommendations from across public media to start your year off right.
The podcast episode descriptions below are from podcast webpages and have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Host Scott Detrow curates NPR's reporting, analysis and updates on the people wielding power in President Trump's second administration and the policies they are pursuing — from his closest political advisors to cabinet secretaries and top military leaders. We explore who they are, what they believe and how they'll govern.
As Donald Trump prepares to once again assume the office of the presidency, a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds that, despite his claims of an "unprecedented and powerful mandate," Trump may have to be careful about how far he decides to go with what he wants to do.
Start listening to, "Trump will begin his presidency in delicate position, poll finds."
The Big Disaster: The Big Burn - LAist
LAist Science Reporter Jacob Margolis looks at what Angelenos affected by the LA wildfires can expect as they try to rebuild their lives. In this hour, Margolis turns to experts about what to know about housing options, recouping losses, and making homes and neighborhoods more fire resistant. And he also gets insights from a 2017 Tubbs Fire survivor about the recovery and healing process after losing everything.
Listen to, "What to expect when recovering fire losses and rebuilding."
State of the World from NPR - NPR
A ceasefire deal has been announced that would end more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. We learn about the details, how the agreement was reached and hear reaction from Israelis and Palestinians. We also look at what the war has meant for both sides and for the Middle East region.
Listen to, "Israel and Hamas Reach A Deal to End the War in Gaza."
On January 20th, President-elect Donald Trump will take over the reins from outgoing President Joe Biden and make his return to the Oval Office. But this Inauguration Day is a little different than most others, because it also falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We saw this as an opportunity to step back and look at King's legacy, how he's remembered and if we'll ever truly see the progress he envisioned.
Start listening to, "Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy in 2025."
Wild Card with Rachel Martin - NPR
David Lynch, the visionary filmmaker behind Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead and Twin Peaks has died. We're remembering him with a listen back to his Wild Card episode from last summer, now with an additional question about his thoughts on the afterlife. Rachel and David also touch on his love for transcendental meditation and his fractured adolescence.
Listen to, "Remembering David Lynch — Producer's Cut."
Inauguration Day has been a hallmark of American democracy since the presidency of George Washington. The ceremonies have evolved since then but the basic idea is the same: It signifies a peaceful transfer of power.
Start listening to, "The presidential inauguration."
You remember a guy named Martin Shkreli? If his name rings a bell, it's probably because back in 2015, he jacked up the price of an old drug — from around $13 a pill to $750. The media dubbed him "the pharma bro," and he became a symbol of brazen pharmaceutical greed. Now, he's the namesake for the Shkreli Awards — a kind of Oscars for the most outrageous examples of greed, fraud and general brokenness in American health care. Every year, a health care think tank called the Lown Institute ranks the top ten worst stories and holds an award ceremony to "honor" the winners. We're bringing you highlights from this year's ceremony – featuring things like human bones for sale without the consent of the deceased or their families, phantom urinary catheters, and so much more – and some reflections from the Lown Institute's president, Dr. Vikas Saini. "Showing all these stories together paints a picture of a health care system in desperate need of transformation," Saini said at the ceremony. "Not just because the stories are shocking, but because often what they're depicting, like Martin Shkreli's infamous price hike, is perfectly legal."
Listen to, "The 'Shkreli Awards' — for dysfunction and profiteering in health care."
Throughline associate producer Anya Steinberg talks to supervising senior editor Julie Caine about her reporting trip to Owens Valley in northeastern California for the episode, "Water in the West," about the creation of—and controversy over—the Los Angeles aqueduct.
Listen to, "Going to the Source of LA's Water."
After attending culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu, and then cooking at a two Michelin-star restaurant in Chicago, Chef Ken Miller brought his skills back to Michigan. His most recent culinary experiments, including his accidental everything-bagel miso, incorporate fermentation, preservation and zero-waste strategies. Chef Ken let us into his creative process within Michigan's fine dining world.
Start listening to, "Chef Ken Miller fights food waste in fine dining."
Cardio — exercise that gets your heart rate up — can support good health in many ways. It can help prevent heart disease, increase your energy levels, decrease stress and more. In this episode, we cover what exercise and activities count as cardio, how to reap its benefits and how much to do.
Listen to, "What you need to know about cardio."
Us & Them - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
With the start of 2025, legislators in some states are determined to pass even tighter abortion restrictions. In the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, more than 40 states have passed abortion bans - some with very limited exceptions. Abortion rights advocates are equally determined to expand access to reproductive care — and some are looking at the lessons learned from half a century ago, before there was a right to legal abortion. On the next episode of Us & Them host Trey Kay hears from people who took on that work decades ago. We hear from supporters of reproductive rights who are ready for a new era of advocacy, while anti-abortion advocates encourage a new Republican power center in Congress to tightly regulate medications and enact a federal abortion ban.
Start listening to, "They've Been Here Before."
NPR's Jessica Green and Jack Mitchell curated and produced this piece.
300x250 Ad
300x250 Ad