"Sweet birthday baby!" Greta Lee talks about her role in the critically acclaimed Netflix show 'Russian Doll,' starring Natasha Lyonne as a woman who can't stop dying and reliving the same night. Greta tells guest-host Julia Furlan how the show was reincarnated from a failed NBC pilot, why she still struggles to avoid Asian-American stereotypes in television and what to expect from the HBO show she's developing.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

After a second fatal crash involving the Boeing 737 MAX airplane, countries around the world grounded the jet this week. Facebook and its suite of apps went offline for some time this week, leaving some social media users feeling disconnected. Plus, what one Ivy League-school graduate of color has to say about the college admissions scandal unveiled by the FBI. Julia Furlan is filling in for Sam this week, and she's joined by SELF editor Sally Tamarkin and WNYC reporter Arun Venugopal.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Andrew Rannells has come a long way from Omaha, which he left in the late '90s to follow his dream of becoming a Broadway star in New York City. His new book, "Too Much Is Not Enough: A Memoir of Fumbling Toward Adulthood" tells the story of his early years there. He tells Sam about learning his dad died on a half-hearted date, getting drunk in piano bars with his best friend, Zuzanna, and how a failed audition for Rosie O'Donnell might have changed the course of his career.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week an HIV-positive person was declared in remission. That increased hopes for a cure, but what does it mean for infection rates overall? Ride-hailing services may be worsening traffic, and Los Angeles is considering a new tax to ease the congestion. Plus, what's going on in the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir. Sam's guests are entertainment and sports journalist Audrey Cleo Yap and LA Times reporter Laura Nelson.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Phoebe Robinson is doing a lot. There's her acting and her second book, 'Everything's Trash, But It's Okay.' And on top of that, there's '2 Dope Queens,' the podcast turned HBO live show that she hosted with Jessica Williams. Sam catches up with Robinson on the comedy landscape in the #MeToo era, getting out of debt, and abreevs. You'll find out what that means. Tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam's "got money in the bank" with NPR correspondents Elise Hu and Eyder Peralta. President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walked away from the negotiating table without a deal this week. Does the "no deal" option have the broadest support? Tensions remain high in Venezuela as President Nicolas Maduro tries to retain office amid a push for a change of government in the country. Plus, how a Native American tribe's massive casino-profit payouts shape the lives of its membership.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Michaela Coel first got the idea for her hit British sitcom 'Chewing Gum' while at drama school. Her later work as the creator, writer, and lead actress on the show earned her a BAFTA. She tells Sam about the transparency that comes from shaving her head and once embracing the Pentecostal faith. Tweet feels @NPRItsBeenAMin or email [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam is losing himself with HuffPost news editor Saba Hamedy and editor-in-chief of The Advocate Zach Stafford. 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett was charged with filing a false police report in an alleged hate crime incident in Chicago last month. What does this development mean for other victims of hate crimes? Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders announced another bid for the presidency. Plus, Sam questions whether a big marketing budget is the secret to securing an Oscar.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Sam talks to musician Emily King about her new album, 'Scenery,' hailed by our NPR Music colleagues as "a precise-yet-fluid blend of '80s pop and rock, contemporary R&B and light jazz touches that, together, reveal a starry-eyed earnestness." They discuss the album, her slot at Coachella, and her journey away from the big city. Email [email protected] or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam will be seeing NPR's Susan Davis and Lulu Garcia-Navarro in the studio as they bid farewell to NASA's Opportunity Mars Rover. They're breaking down the issues raised as President Trump declares a national emergency in order to build the border wall. Also, what led more teachers — this time in Denver — to strike this week? Plus, Sue explains why she's over the TV show 'This Is Us' in a new segment.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Sam talks with three Oakland teenagers about the gun violence they regularly encounter. They have been held up at gunpoint and known friends and mentors who have been shot. These Castlemont High School students are involved with a violence intervention program called Youth ALIVE! Through the program, they mentor middle school students on the dangers of guns.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam is putting on his best falsetto to sing along with NPR reporters Sarah Gonzalez and Julia Furlan. They're digging into peculiar details of the 'El Chapo' trial, as well as how changes to federal law could be the cause of a rise in sex trafficking. Plus, Sam chats with a listener who grew up in Virginia about racism in the state.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Sam chats with Angie Thomas, author of the best-selling young adult novel 'The Hate U Give' about her new book, 'On The Come Up.' They talk about both her books, about proving there's a huge audience for the black experience in young adult literature, and about moving on up — and why it's complicated. Email [email protected] or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam's got one hand in his pocket, and the other one is welcoming LA Times reporter Amy Kaufman and NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates to the studio. They dive into Howard Schultz's possible 2020 presidential run, the latest in controversial technology and the reaction to a Michael Jackson-focused documentary that premiered at Sundance. Plus, what's with the NFL's recent ratings increase? Clinton Yates from ESPN's 'The Undefeated' weighs in.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Burgess is one of the stars of the hit Netflix show 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.' He gets real on playing an extrovert (as an introvert), going from rural Georgia to Broadway, and his love for 99-cent stores. Tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Uh-oh, another episode with Sam, this time with NPR Reporter Vanessa Romo (@vanromo) and KPCC science reporter Jacob Margolis (@JacobMargolis), host of 'The Big One.' They cover the latest on the military transgender ban and a new climate change survey, while Sam digs deep on the social media app TikTok with help from Atlantic staff writer Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz). Email [email protected] and tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Sam talks to 'Hamilton' star Brandon Victor Dixon and Broadway director Michael Greif about bringing the groundbreaking 1996 Broadway musical 'Rent' to live television — January 27 at 8 PM EST on FOX. They discuss the difference between stage and television performance, what made 'Rent' such an influential musical, and that time Brandon Victor Dixon spoke to Vice President-elect Mike Pence after a performance of 'Hamilton.' Email the show at [email protected] or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam ooga-chakas this week with NPR National Desk correspondent Leila Fadel (@LeilaFadel) and 'The Nevada Independent' editor Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports). They talk the latest on Syria, Brexit, and a family's choice not to return to Paradise, Calif., following the wildfires there. Plus, is Marie Kondo really telling you to throw away your books?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Sam talks to Dan Levy about the comedy series he co-created with his father, actor Eugene Levy. They discuss why Dan has always had to pay his own way, choosing to make his character on "Schitt's Creek" pansexual, and what he doesn't miss about working as a host for MTV. And, uh, Beyonce may have come up, too. Email the show at [email protected] or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam is swimming through the latest in shutdown and border wall news with help from NBC White House correspondent Geoff Bennett and CNN senior political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson. Race is seemingly absent from that debate, even though it's a big predictor of voter attitudes on immigration. Plus, why BuzzFeed writer Anne Helen Petersen dubbed millennials the "burnout generation."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday: Sam talks with Kathryn Hahn — best known for her work in "Transparent" and "I Love Dick" — about her new film 'Private Life.' She stars alongside Paul Giamatti in the film, which is about a couple struggling to have a baby, and what happens when your life doesn't turn out the way you thought. Email the show at [email protected] or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam is talking to everyone here, specifically NPR Congressional correspondent Susan Davis and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Sarah Halzack. A new U.S. Congress was sworn in this week and Rep. Nancy Pelosi returned as Speaker of the House, but what will Democrats' legislative priorities be? It's a new year, and tariffs could mean an uncertain future for retail in the months to come. Plus, what is CBD, why is it everywhere, and is it legal?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday: In her memoir, "The Mother of Black Hollywood," Jenifer Lewis chronicles a career that has spanned decades, from Broadway to the hit ABC show Black-ish. Along the way, she played fictional moms to Tupac Shakur, Taraji P. Henson, and Whitney Houston. Jenifer talks to Sam about her long career, struggling with addiction and bipolar disorder, growing up in Missouri, and lying her way into the DNC in 2008. Originally released in November of 2017. Email the show at [email protected] or tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with your feedback.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam rings like a bell wrapping up the year in news with NPR reporter Elise Hu and The Wall Street Journal film industry reporter Erich Schwartzel. Plus a call to professor Lilliana Mason about how politics and identity have become entwined. It's topped off with the best things that happened to listeners all year. Tweet @ NPRItsBeenAMin with feels.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday (and Christmas). Sam is in the kitchen with Samin Nosrat, author of the James Beard Award-winning book 'Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat' and star of the Netflix show of the same name. She talks to Sam about adjusting to fame, how she became a chef, and what makes her pessimistic about the world right now.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam is on an island in the sun with 'Los Angeles Times' education reporter Sonali Kohli (@Sonali_Kohli) and 'Broken Record' podcast producer Justin Richmond (@JustJRichmond). Plus a year-end music check in with NPR music critic Ann Powers. Happy Holidays from the IBAM fam! Tweet @NPRItsBeenAMin with feels.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Jennifer Lopez dishes to Sam on life lessons from her "Jenny from the Block" days to her starring role in the upcoming romantic comedy, "Second Act." Tweet @NPRItsBeenaMin with feels or email [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam is joined by NPR political editor and correspondent Ron Elving and NPR breaking news reporter Camila Domonoske. Sam and Camila are looking for answers to all the latest and burning questions on the Mueller investigation and President Trump's political agenda. Then Sam catches up with a listener from Portland, Maine, who last year shared her story of hosting a family of asylum seekers from Burundi.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. The Grammy-nominated solo artist and Maroon 5 keyboardist joins Sam to talk about his album "Christmas With PJ Morton," a soulful take on Christmas classics. They also discuss PJ's childhood and his father, the famous preacher and gospel singer Paul S. Morton; what makes a classic holiday song; working with Stevie Wonder; and Maroon 5 possibly playing the Super Bowl. Tweet @NPRItsBeenaMin with feels or email [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam is counting the ways he could make this last forever with NPR's Nathan Rott and KPCC's Priska Neely. The United Nations is meeting in hopes of finding ways to slow climate change. Sam wonders if journalists are going too far in their remembrances of President George H.W. Bush, who died last week. Plus, Sam chats with the BBC's Rich Preston to break down exactly what's going on with Brexit.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday: 'All Things Considered' host Audie Cornish joins Sam to share her conversation with Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis, recorded on stage at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Audie and Viola talk about her new film, 'Widows,' and the harsh reality of being a black leading woman in Hollywood.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam wishes he "had a rabbit in a hat with a bat and a six-four Impala." Instead he's joined by Quartz's David Yanofsky and the L.A. Times' Cindy Carcamo to dig into the latest happenings at the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as why we're not stopping to celebrate NASA's landing on Mars. Plus Sam chats with Marketplace's Kai Ryssdal about what the stock market's roller coaster means for the economy.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Sam is live with comedian and writer Guy Branum at the Crawford Family Forum at KPCC in Pasadena, Calif. Branum went from his small, rural hometown to hosting his own talk show in Hollywood. He gets real with Sam on destroying the white, straight, male-dominated comedy world, challenging narratives about gay people in entertainment, and takes questions from the audience.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam is revisiting some of our favorite moments and funniest guests: D'Arcy Carden from "The Good Place," "Saturday Night Live" alums Taran Killam and Sasheer Zamata, Timothy Simons from "VEEP," Natasha Rothwell from "Insecure," Jimmy O. Yang from "Silicon Valley" and Ike Barinholtz from "The Mindy Project."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sam and Dan Pashman, host of "The Sporkful," swap Thanksgiving horror stories with listeners — and one special guest. First recorded for Thanksgiving 2017. Episodes of The Sporkful at www.sporkful.com. Tweet @NPRItsBeenaMin with feels or email [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Guest host Elise Hu tries to "work this whole" news thing out with Los Angeles Times health reporter Soumya Karlamangla and Snapchat's Good Luck America host, Peter Hamby. Soumya talks twin tragedies in her hometown of Thousand Oaks, Peter questions CNN's election night re-do, and Elise finds no great deception in this week's North Korea news.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. Elise Hu steps in the hosting chair for Sam and gets deep with Yeun on why he's sick of talking about Asian identity, his time as Glenn Rhee on The Walking Dead, and his new South Korean thriller. Send thoughts about the episode to Elise at [email protected] or tweet her @elisewho.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam is getting in the zone with Linda Holmes and Glen Weldon of NPR's podcast "Pop Culture Happy Hour." This week, Sam is asking whether Democrats really won or lost in the midterms, and Linda and Glen are wondering if we should care about a so-called alien spacecraft and Alec Baldwin. Also Sam is digging into what Amazon's reported expansion to Crystal City, Va., might mean for people living there.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday. 'Broad City' co-star Abbi Jacobson's new book, 'I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff,' chronicles her cross-country road trip following a devastating breakup. Tweet @NPRItsBeenaMin with feels or email [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam is clapping along because he's happy to be in the studio with NPR "Morning Edition" host David Greene and journalist Audrey Cleo Yap. The 2018 midterm elections are just days away, and David shares some insights from conversations he's had with voters. Sam explains why race is the primary subtext of all U.S. politics right now. After the mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Sam chats with a man whose father was killed in a massacre at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin six years ago.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday: Sam talks with photographer Bruce Talamon on capturing famous black musicians in their most intimate moments from their living rooms to the stage. His photos are out in a new book: Bruce W. Talamon. Soul. R&B. Funk. Photographs 1972-1982.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday. Sam's loneliness is killing him, so he's joined by podcast maker and journalist Julia Furlan and Stacey Vanek Smith, host of NPR's The Indicator podcast. The Trump administration may seek to limit the federal government's definition of "sex" — potentially allowing for the rollback of protections for transgender people under federal civil rights law. Plus, Sam looks at the success of Netflix's "Summer of Love" and wonders if it could revive the romantic-comedy genre in film.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Elizabeth Heng talk to Sam about running as women in 2018, and NPR political reporter Danielle Kurtzleben (@titonka) explains why even 2018's record number of female candidates won't mean parity.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Sam is joined by NPR's Kelly McEvers, host of Embedded, and Code Switch correspondent Karen Grigsby Bates. Questions continue to mount after the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Plus, Sam digs into an elaborate hoax designed to discredit research in so-called "grievance studies" — what the hoaxsters call academic fields focused on identity. Tweet @NPRItsBeenaMin with feels or email [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Tuesday: Cindy Shank was living a comfortable life at home with her three little girls and husband when one day the feds came knocking. They were there to arrest her for not telling the police about an ex-boyfriend's drug dealing several years prior. That's the story behind a new HBO documentary, 'The Sentence' - directed by Shank's brother, Rudy Valdez. Sam talks to Cindy and Rudy about documenting the impact on their family, a mother's love for her children, and how the film has brought politicians together on both sides of the aisle.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday: Sam has waited hours for this weekly wrap with hosts of the WNYC podcast "Nancy," Tobin Low and Kathy Tu. A study from the United Nations says current efforts to fight climate change are not enough. Plus, Sam talks to a former lobbyist who is leading an effort to restore voting rights for felons in Florida — because he is one. Tweet @NPRItsBeenaMin with feels or email [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

To mark National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, Sam examines the history, meaning and future of coming out with University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor Marcia Gallo and E. Patrick Johnson of Northwestern University. He also shares coming out stories from listeners and swaps stories with NPR film critic Bob Mondello. Tweet @NPRItsBeenaMin with feels or email [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Friday: Sam is up on his feet with Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner), legal editor at Buzzfeed News, and Alina Selyukh (@alinaselyukh), business correspondent at NPR. They're talking about Supreme Court strategy, net neutrality, and Amazon's minimum wage. Plus, Sam talks to two high school girls who are changing the rules of homecoming royalty.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy