Podcast Episodes

How stolen vehicles move around the world

Episode 805

Today's story: How do stolen cars move around the world? Easy. They're loaded into standard shipping containers and sent overseas using the same freight network that moves legal goods. Weak customs e…

Published on 8 hours ago

Car theft goes global

Episode 804

Today's story: Car theft is on the rise, and it's high tech and global. Thieves in rich countries steal luxury SUVs using relay devices and other tools, then ship them overseas to markets in Africa a…

Published on 3 days, 8 hours ago

Women are making inroads into officiating men’s sports

Episode 803

Today's story: Umpire Jen Pawol made history as the first woman to officiate a Major League Baseball game in 150 years. Her milestone highlights the growing presence of female officials in men’s spor…

Published on 1 week ago

Italy envisions a bridge to Sicily

Episode 802

Today's story: Italy has approved plans for the Messina Bridge, a €13.5 billion suspension bridge linking Sicily to the mainland. If completed by 2033, it would be the world’s longest suspension brid…

Published on 1 week, 3 days ago

The era of slim clothing is over

Episode 801

Today's story: Skinny jeans and tight-fitting clothes are out, and loose, oversized fashion is in. The shift is driven by comfort after the pandemic, greater body inclusivity, and a wave of 1990s nos…

Published on 2 weeks ago

‘Coldplay couple’ in a viral nightmare

Episode 800

Today's story: A playful concert tradition took a serious turn when Coldplay’s “Jumbotron Song” captured an embrace between a tech CEO and his HR director. The viral video ignited a nationwide scanda…

Published on 2 weeks, 3 days ago

How prescription drugs get their names [archive episode]

Episode 557

Xoloft, Ibrance, Zocor, Mounjaro: How do drug companies come up with these names? That's exactly what we explored in this classic episode of Plain English.

When a pharmaceutical company develops a new…

Published on 3 weeks ago

What it’s like to stare at a painting for a full hour [archive episode]

Episode 497

It can be hard to focus on one thing for an extended period of time. An art class at Harvard takes this to the extreme. All students get an assignment during the class. They have to go to a museum an…

Published on 3 weeks, 3 days ago

Egypt’s long-awaited mega-museum nears completion

Episode 799

Today's story: After years of delays, Cairo’s Grand Egypt Museum is finally nearing completion. The massive museum will house over 100,000 artifacts from Ancient Egypt, including more than 5,000 item…

Published on 4 weeks ago

The poison mushroom and Australia’s sensational murder trial

Episode 798

Today's story: Erin Patterson invited her estranged husband’s family to lunch and served them beef wellington. But her guests soon got sick, and doctors discovered the recipe had been made with poiso…

Published on 1 month ago