Podcast · 106 episodes
Throughline, page 5
by NPR · English
Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalist Rund Abdelfatah. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Throughline.
All episodes, page 5
The Queen of TupperwareThe episode explains how Tupperware became an iconic American brand and how its success—and later erasure from corporate history—was tied to Brownie Wise, a pioneering female executive and Tupperware…21 Aug 2025 · 49 min · 20 chapters
We the People: Succession of PowerHow the 25th Amendment was created to fix constitutional uncertainty about presidential succession when a president dies, resigns, or is unable to serve; it also covers later real-world uses…14 Aug 2025 · 48 min · 17 chapters
We the People: Cruel and Unusual PunishmentThe meaning of the Eighth Amendment’s “cruel and unusual punishments,” tracing it from English “Bloody Assizes” and Cesare Beccaria’s anti-torture ideas to U.S.7 Aug 2025 · 48 min · 20 chapters
We the People: The Right to Remain SilentThe Fifth Amendment’s right against self-incrimination and how the “right to remain silent” became enforceable in police interrogations, plus why most suspects still talk.31 Jul 2025 · 49 min · 21 chapters
Embedded: The NetworkEpisode 1 of NPR’s Embedded series “The Network” explains how a decentralized global network helped women self-manage safe abortions at home, focusing on Brazil’s late-1980s origins and the pill…29 Jul 2025 · 40 min · 17 chapters
We The People: Canary in the Coal MineThe Third Amendment’s purpose and how it has been ignored during crises, especially when troops are housed in civilians’ homes; it’s framed as a “guardrail” against authoritarianism.24 Jul 2025 · 47 min · 15 chapters
Congress has voted to eliminate government funding for public mediaNPR CEO Katherine Marr responds to Congress voting, at the White House’s request, to eliminate all federal funding for public media, arguing it will reduce local journalism and access to trusted…18 Jul 2025 · 2 min · 1 chapter
Edward Said and the Question of PalestineEdward Said’s life and work on Palestine—how his 1967 experience, his critique of Western “Orientalism,” and his activism shaped U.S.17 Jul 2025 · 51 min · 18 chapters
What Makes Us Free?How a small 1947 group of economists and scholars helped shape modern “free market” ideology, and how that worldview (often called neoliberalism) reshaped government, politics, and even personal life.10 Jul 2025 · 49 min · 21 chapters
Does America Need a Hero?How Captain America, created as a WWII-era “American values” hero, changes as America’s wars and politics change—especially identity, patriotism, and whether a hero can stay moral when the nation’s…3 Jul 2025 · 51 min · 21 chapters