One of the first things you’ll notice as you walk into my house is the stereo, always tuned and playing 89.3 WFPL. NPR has become such a staple in my home that my dad and I can often be found sitting at the kitchen table listening to the stories as they echo out of the speakers.
As society has traded CDs for streaming, it’s no surprise that my heavy rotation on Spotify is mainly podcasts. So instead of a collection of my favorite songs this Music Monday, I’m sharing a list of my go to podcasts.

Linked is a  Spotify playlist of all the first episodes of these podcasts!

“The Argument” by the New York Times
I have only recently started listening to this podcast but it has quickly become one of my go to’s. In it, New York Times Opinion columnists debate different issues from across the political spectrum as they search for common ground. I often think of the Times as a left leaning publication so, to me, it’s really cool to listen to a glimpse of the discourse that happens behind the scenes and the array of opinions among the staffers. Once, they discussed who Joe Biden’s Vice President pick will be and I found the strategic analysis of each candidate very interesting.

“Civics 101” by New Hampshire Public Radio
I love history class and have missed it over quarantine. This podcast is a refresher on the basic functions of our democracy and I enjoy how they explain the historical background of the different parts of our government. I love to listen to it in the car, with each episode only about 15 minutes long I can learn something new before I reach my destination.

“Oh Hello: the P’dcast” by John Mulaney and Nick Kroll
John Mulaney and Nick Kroll are some of the funniest people alive right now and make such a great duo. In this podcast they resurrect their characters from their Broadway show “Oh Hello” as they investigate the death, and possible murder, of Princess Diana. As a fan of “This American Life,” I like how they cleverly invited Ira Glass to the show and interviewed him as Gil Fiazon and George St. Geegland. Just a while ago, I went on a road trip and listening to this podcast in its entirety made the car ride pass quickly.

“The Journal” by the Wall Street Journal
Easily this is my favorite podcast. I discovered it early this year and have become absolutely hooked since. The hosts, Kate Linebaugh and Ryan Knutson, explain the financial and economic implications of what’s in the news. For me, it’s really put into perspective the power of money in current society. They were covering the coronavirus before it even reached the United States. One of my favorite episodes was when they explained that health officials needed to quickly name the virus COVID-19 (then it was being called the Wuhan Virus) or could be potentially disastrous for the region in China.

“You Must Remember This” by Karina Longworth
This podcast takes a deep dive into the dicey history of Hollywood. Just before Disney announced that they are going to redesign Splash Mountain, I listened to the season of this podcast that explains the problematic story of Song of the South — which the theme park ride is based on. I really like how the podcast goes into the golden age of Hollywood and how some of its values are still entrenched in the movies and TV shows we consume today.