This American Life

Thirteen parole board members decide whether or not one man should be released from prison.

Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

• Prologue: Henry Dee has been locked up for most of his life, nearly 50 years. Now, he’s up for parole. Reporter Ben Austen tells the story. (19 minutes)
• Part 1: The parole board members puzzle through the pros and cons of releasing Henry Dee from prison and c...

What happens when people create alternate versions of themselves and release them into the wild?

Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

• Prologue: Host Ira Glass talks about a recent experience being interviewed and the realization that he was being asked about another version of himself. (4 minutes)
• Act One: Reporter Evan Ratliff creates an AI version of himself and then sets it loose on...

When Zohran Mamdani won the primary race for New York mayor, the Democratic establishment's lukewarm response echoed the treatment of another charismatic, unconventional candidate decades earlier. This week, we bring you the story of Harold Washington, the greatest politician you've probably never heard of, and the backlash that ensued when he became Chicago's first Black mayor.

Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up f...

A group of immigration judges, who almost never speak to the press, describes the dismantling of our immigration court system from the inside.

Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

• Prologue: Zoe Chace gives an eyewitness account of what has been happening at 26 Federal Plaza, an immigration courthouse in New York City. (5 minutes)
• Act One: The judges walk us through how different their ...

Things are different on college campuses this year. We see inside the drama, with students and staff.

Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

• Prologue: We go to orientation at Arizona State University and meet international students who are trying to make friends. (6 minutes)
• Act One: The president of the Black Student Union at the University of Utah fights to keep the B in BSU. (30 minut...

Small human plans that run into much larger obstacles.

Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

• Prologue: Angela's dad, an accountant, made a spreadsheet to prepare for their family trip to a national park. But there are things you never think to put in a spreadsheet. (7 minutes)
• Act One: A young couple, excited to start a new chapter in their lives, is suddenly put on a very different tra...

Since October 7th, while the world has focused its attention on Gaza, the Israeli government has tightened the screws on the three million Palestinians in the West Bank in all sorts of dramatic ways. We travel to the West Bank to see these changes in person.

Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

• Prologue: Ira joins Hamed on his Monday commute. He has to navigate a constantly changing s...

The story of the most commonly performed surgery, and what goes wrong with it – terribly wrong – 100,000 times a year in the United States. We’re excited to bring you the first episode of The Retrievals, Season 2, the new show from longtime This American Life producer and editor Susan Burton. It’s from Serial Productions and The New York Times.

Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

• Pro...

People on a mission to achieve their goals before their window of opportunity closes.

Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

• Prologue: Guest host Emmanuel Dzotsi goes to a packed sports bar in Brooklyn for his favorite soccer team’s biggest game in years. (6 minutes)
• Act One: Connie Wang tells the story of a championship window she didn't realize she was in — until it was too late. (14 m...