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It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders Each week, Sam Sanders interviews people in the culture who deserve your attention. Plus weekly wraps of the news with other journalists. Join Sam as he makes sense of the world through conversation.

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It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

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Each week, Sam Sanders interviews people in the culture who deserve your attention. Plus weekly wraps of the news with other journalists. Join Sam as he makes sense of the world through conversation.

Most Recent Episodes

Workers wear personal protective equipment as they check ballots beside security cages at a Board of Elections facility, Wednesday, July 22, 2020, in New York. John Minchillo/AP hide caption

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John Minchillo/AP

Another Wrench In The (Voting) Works, Plus Robin Thede On 'A Black Lady Sketch Show'

Everyone's talking about obstacles to voting this year, from the post office to the pandemic. Sam talks with NPR's Miles Parks about how everything's supposed to work with the election in November. Then, Sam calls up historian Martha S. Jones, author of the forthcoming book Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All. They talk about why voting looks the way it does even in a normal cycle, and what the U.S. Constitution actually says about voting. Plus, Sam talks with comedian Robin Thede, creator and showrunner of A Black Lady Sketch Show, which is nominated for three Emmys this year. They talk about her long career in comedy, which includes her time as head writer for The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and as host of The Rundown with Robin Thede, and play the game Who Said That.

Another Wrench In The (Voting) Works, Plus Robin Thede On 'A Black Lady Sketch Show'

Listen · 35:09
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Supporters cheer as President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Wittman Airport, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, in Oshkosh, Wis. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

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Evan Vucci/AP

All About That Base: Trump And Biden Voters In 2020

We're in the homestretch of the 2020 presidential election campaign. Joe Biden announced Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, Democrats have their national convention this week, Republicans next week, and each party's candidate is hoping to energize their voter base. Sam talks to The Atlantic's McKay Coppins about Donald Trump's base and how his campaign's digital efforts have evolved since 2016. Then NPR political correspondent Asma Khalid turns the focus to Biden's eclectic coalition of voters — who include not only a growing number of Black and brown voters, but also white, college-educated suburban voters — and who have one goal in common: to defeat Trump in November.

All About That Base: Trump And Biden Voters In 2020

Listen · 31:40
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Joyce Lilly moves a filing cabinet as her dog Max follows, Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in the Riverdale neighborhood of The Bronx, in New York. Mark Lennihan/AP hide caption

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Mark Lennihan/AP

The Good, Bad And Ugly Of The Pandemic Housing Market, Plus TikTok Under Fire

Home sales are up, but the number of people facing evictions is also up. Sam talks to The Indicator's Stacey Vanek Smith and Cardiff Garcia about the good and bad news of the housing market in a pandemic. Then, TikTok is massively popular around the world, but now it's under fire from the Trump Administration due to national security concerns. We hear from NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn about the latest on the social media upstart and what a proposed ban has to do with China and user data.

The Good, Bad And Ugly Of The Pandemic Housing Market, Plus TikTok Under Fire

Listen · 35:24
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Co-hosts Peter Kafka and Rani Molla dive deep into the streaming service in the podcast Land of the Giants. Vox Media hide caption

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Vox Media

The Rise of Netflix

One of the few companies doing well during this pandemic is Netflix. In the last few months, the streaming service has seen a huge uptick in new subscribers. Sam talks to Peter Kafka and Rani Molla, co-hosts of the podcast Land of the Giants, about the Netflix effect — how it got to where it is today, its win over Blockbuster, and the one TV show that launched a thousand binges (figuratively speaking).

The Rise of Netflix

Listen · 26:27
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Regina King attends the Premiere Of HBO's Watchmen at The Cinerama Dome. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images hide caption

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Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Regina King on Race, Policing and HBO's 'Watchmen'

Sam revisits his chat with Regina King from 2019 after the actress' recent Emmy nomination for her performance on the HBO series Watchmen. In this encore interview, King talks about why she gravitates toward work that deals with race and policing, why she's still proud to call herself an American and why that also means demanding things to get a lot better than they are now.

Regina King on Race, Policing and HBO's 'Watchmen'

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The evolution of a nickname for a certain type of white woman. Connie Hanzhang Jin/NPR hide caption

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Connie Hanzhang Jin/NPR

Code Switch: What's In A 'Karen'?

"Karen" is not just a name. It's also a persona, an attitude, a label for a certain type of white woman determined to get what she wants—especially at the expense of Black people. Karens are part of a long lineage going back at least a couple centuries. This week we share an episode from Code Switch about the origins of "Karen" as an archetype, who her ancestors were, and why such a label even exists.

Code Switch: What's In A 'Karen'?

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Asian Enough is a podcast from The Los Angeles Times. The Los Angeles Times hide caption

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The Los Angeles Times

Bonus Episode: Padma Lakshmi on 'Asian Enough'

A special bonus feed drop from The Los Angeles Times podcast Asian Enough: A conversation with Top Chef host, model and writer Padma Lakshmi about growing up Indian American in the San Gabriel Valley, cultural appropriation vs. appreciation in food, and her new Hulu show Taste the Nation.

Bonus Episode: Padma Lakshmi on 'Asian Enough'

Listen · 48:31
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Andrew Stuart wears a bandana as a mask while taking a selfie with his dog, Voltron, on Sunset Blvd, Thursday, July 2, 2020, in West Hollywood, Calif. Ashley Landis/AP hide caption

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Ashley Landis/AP

Coronavirus Questions Answered, Plus A Chat About 'Indian Matchmaking'

Should I wear a mask while running? How often should I wipe down my phone? Can I say hello to other people's dogs? Our listeners had questions about coronavirus, we have answers. Sam is joined by Short Wave host Maddie Sofia to dig into the science behind some of the decisions we have to make about everyday encounters in this pandemic. Then, Sam is all caught up in the buzz around Netflix's Indian Matchmaking, and he calls up journalist and former It's Been a Minute intern Hafsa Fathima to break it down.

Coronavirus Questions Answered, Plus A Chat About 'Indian Matchmaking'

Listen · 37:16
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Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman are the co-authors of Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close. Milan Zrnic hide caption

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Milan Zrnic

Aminatou Sow, Ann Friedman And Their 'Big Friendship'

All relationships have a backstory, even friendships. Best friends Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, hosts of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend, are out with a new book called Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close. In it, they write about their friendship story and they share lessons for all of us about how to keep our own friendships strong. Sam chats with them about going to friend therapy and what it's like to have a deep friendship with someone of a different race.

Aminatou Sow, Ann Friedman And Their 'Big Friendship'

Listen · 26:30
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Two women and a child wait to take a COVID-19 test at a mobile testing site in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP hide caption

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Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

It's A Women's Recession

We're in a recession, and it's hitting women especially hard. So how does it compare to the last recession, and how much of it has to do with childcare? Sam is joined by Planet Money's Mary Childs and Stacey Vanek Smith to make sense of it all. Then Sam chats with Reverend Jes Kast, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, about how faith and scripture provide solace in moments of uncertainty like this.

It's A Women's Recession

Listen · 34:25
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