Fresh Air

CNN legal affairs correspondent Joan Biskupic discusses the roots of Roberts' conservatism and his work for the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations. She says he's had a conservative impact on the law, but is also deeply concerned about the court's reputation — something President Trump would be wise to remember. "The more Donald Trump talks about how the court is on his side, the more he's going to drive John Roberts to the left, because the last thing John Roberts wants to do is to...

John Mulaney was a writer at 'Saturday Night Live' for five years and recently returned to host for the first time. He talks about his 'SNL' audition, writing monologues for famous hosts, and drawing on his Catholic upbringing for stand-up material. Also, critic David Bianculli reviews 'What We Do In The Shadows' on FX. The series was created by Jemaine Clement ('Flight of the Conchords') and filmmaker Taika Waititi. Natasha Lyonne's character on the Netflix series 'Russian Doll' keeps...

Luis Alberto Urrea's book 'The House of Broken Angels' borrows from the story of his older brother, who died of cancer. He says the book went through a dramatic rewrite after Trump became president. [Originally broadcast March 2018.] Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews Jordan Peele's new 'Twilight Zone' reboot.

Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist who started seeing a therapist herself after the man she thought she would marry unexpectedly broke up with her. "I think that therapy at any age, it helps people to relate better to themselves and to the people around them," she says. "It helps them to examine the way that they live their lives and take responsibility for what's not working, and also for what they can change." Her new book is 'Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.' Also, critic John Powers...

Lyonne's character on the Netflix series 'Russian Doll' keeps dying and coming back to life. It's a premise that strikes a chord with the actor; Lyonne had a near-death experience in 2005. She talks with Terry Gross about how that experience informs her work, her signature raspy voice, and wanting to be a "tough guy." Also, critic David Bianculli reviews 'What We Do In The Shadows' on FX. The series was created by Jemaine Clement ('Flight of the Conchords') and filmmaker Taika Waititi.

Mulaney was a writer at 'Saturday Night Live' for five years and recently returned to host for the first time. "I was absolutely terrified," he says. "To be performing something you've written and trying to listen to the jokes while making sure you're on your mark and looking into the right camera and then being pulled around to do costume fittings — it was scary." He talks about his 'SNL' audition, writing monologues for famous hosts, and drawing on his Catholic upbringing for stand-up...

J.M. Berger studies the online activity of extremists. He warns that white nationalism is a growing phenomenon worldwide — with many in the movement drawing inspiration from President Trump. "When we do the social media analysis, it comes shouting out at you," he says. "We can count the links that they put out on Twitter and other social media platforms, and what we find is the most common is '#MAGA.' The most common description of somebody that they use in the profile, they use on Twitter,...

Primatologist Frans de Waal has spent 40 years studying the behavior and emotions of primates. He talks about how primates experience jealousy, reconciliation, and empathy — just like humans. "That's a spectrum of behavior that we have, and the same thing is true for many other species." His new book is 'Mama's Last Hug.' Film critic Justin Chang reviews Jordan Peele's new horror movie, 'Us.' As a teen, Heidi Schreck debated the Constitution in competitions. Later she realized it had...

W.S. Merwin, the former U.S. poet laureate, died March 15. He was a prolific writer as well as a conservationist and a conscientious objector during World War II. He spoke to 'Fresh Air' in 2008. Dick Dale, who was known as the "King of the Surf Guitar," died March 16 at 81. He spoke with Terry Gross in 1993 about his distinctive style of guitar playing, inspired by waves. Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new season of the Showtime series 'Billions,' and film critic Justin Chang...

'New Yorker' journalist Ed Caesar discusses Arron Banks, the British businessman who funded the most extreme end of the pro-Brexit "Leave" campaign — possibly with help from Russia. Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Carsie Blanton's new album 'Buck Up.'

As a teen, Heidi Schreck debated the Constitution in competitions. Later she realized it had failed to protect four generations of women in her family. "I believed it was perfect. I believed it was a tool of justice. I did not realize as a 15-year-old girl how profoundly I had been left out of it. I didn't realize that it didn't protect me," Schreck says. Her play, 'What the Constitution Means to Me,' is headed to Broadway. Pianists Lennie Tristano and Herbie Nichols were active on the New...

Primatologist Frans de Waal has spent 40 years studying the behavior and emotions of primates. He talks about how primates experience jealousy, reconciliation, and empathy — just like humans. "That's a spectrum of behavior that we have, and the same thing is true for many other species." His new book is 'Mama's Last Hug.' Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews 'Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal' by Yuval Taylor.

Dr. Homer Venters spent nine years overseeing the care of thousands of inmates on New York City's Rikers Island. He details horrific cases of inmate deaths from beatings and neglect, and how a new medical record system could be used as a human rights tool. "Jail settings [are] incredibly dehumanizing, and they dehumanize the individuals who pass through them," Dr. Venters says. Security staff and health staff can stop seeing inmates as people. "They look at them as problems. They look at...

'Saturday Night Live' cast member Aidy Bryant mourns the time she lost in her teens and early 20s feeling self-conscious about her weight and living in fear of judgment about her body. "The second I stopped being afraid of someone calling me fat, I was able to start to focus on my goals and my dreams," Bryant says. Now she stars in the Hulu series 'Shrill,' based on Lindy West's memoir about being fat and feminist. The series follows Annie, a journalist struggling with body acceptance....

Hal Blaine, one of the most prolific drummers in rock 'n' roll history, played on recordings with the Beach Boys, Elvis, Sinatra and many others. He died Monday at age 90. Blaine was part of the group of sought-after studio musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew." He spoke with Terry Gross in 2001. Chef Lidia Bastianich grew up eating farm-to-table meals with her Italian family. After they fled Europe as refugees, she drew on those meals in opening her first restaurant. Her 2018 book, 'My...

'Saturday Night Live' cast member Aidy Bryant mourns the time she lost in her teens and early 20s feeling self-conscious about her weight and living in fear of judgment about her body. She recalls counting calories, trying diets and hating everything about her body. "The second I stopped being afraid of someone calling me fat, I was able to start to focus on my goals and my dreams," Bryant says. Now she stars in the Hulu series 'Shrill,' based on Lindy West's memoir about being fat and...

How could an ER visit in which a patient receives nothing more than a Band-Aid cost $629? Sarah Kliff, a health policy reporter for 'Vox,' spent over a year reading ER bills and investigating the reasons behind the high costs. Emergency rooms have a facility fee, which can range from the low hundreds to the high thousands, where the patient pays essentially for just walking through the door. Kliff will also talk about the GOP's latest attempts to cut back Obamacare, and what a...

David McCraw, deputy general counsel for 'The New York Times,' talks about legal issues he's faced on the job — from the president's lawyer threatening to sue for libel to the decision to publish WikiLeaks documents and #MeToo allegations. His book is 'Truth in Our Times.' Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the album 'Take the Neon Lights' from Steph Richards' quartet.

Barbara Brown Taylor, an ordained Episcopal priest, left her job as rector of a church to become a professor of religion. Her new book, 'Holy Envy,' is about how teaching the religions of the world changed her understanding of her own faith, and how her students, who were mostly Christian, responded when she took them to mosques, synagogues, and Buddhist and Hindu temples. "I hoped it would be a way to convince them that they could find things they liked about other traditions, and it would...

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's new film, 'Never Look Away,' tells the story of an artist who grows up in Nazi Germany, comes of age in East Germany and travels to the West to find freedom for himself and his art. Jane Mayer's explosive new 'New Yorker' article reveals that Fox News killed the Stormy Daniels story in 2016 before the election to protect Donald Trump, and that President Trump tried to order the Justice Department to file a lawsuit to stop AT&T from acquiring Time Warner —...