Fresh Air

Stacey Abrams is known as a voting rights activist, former candidate for Georgia governor, and founder of Fair Fight Action. But she's also a bestselling author, and has a new novel, a thriller revolving around a former Supreme Court clerk investigating a murder inside an AI company. Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan recommends two summer non-fiction books.And we hear from musician and producer Raphael Saadiq. He's known for his work as a member of Tony! Toni! Toné! and as a solo artist. He's produced and written for artists like Solange, D'Angelo, Beyoncé, John Legend, and many more.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As Major League Baseball celebrates a memorable All Star Game, we feature some of our favorite baseball interviews – with crafty veteran pitcher Jamie Moyer, cerebral and successful manager Tony La Russa, and slugger Mike Piazza on his epic confrontation with Roger Clemens in the World Series. John Powers reviews Cloud, the new psychological thriller from Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Act now to ensure public media remains free and accessible to all. Your donation will help this essential American service survive and thrive. Visit donate.npr.org now.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For decades, Condé Nast publications such as Vogue and Vanity Fair were consequential tastemakers. Writer Michael Grynbaum explores the heyday of these magazines and how they lost their footing. His book is Empire of the Elite: Inside Condé Nast, the Media Dynasty That Reshaped America. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

ProPublica Editor-at-Large Abrahm Lustgarten says the deadly flooding in Central Texas — which has killed over 130 people — underscores the dangers of a more volatile climate. Despite clear scientific evidence, the federal government has made cuts to research and forecasting, even threatening to dismantle FEMA. "We could talk about the floods in Texas as being an early warning sign of policy degradation to come," he says. "And we can expect to be more on our own and unsupported by those policies when these disasters continue to happen in the future. Also, film critic Justin Chang reviews Sorry, Baby.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Abrams isn't running for office — but she's not ruling it out, either. "Politics is a tool ... for getting good done, but it's not the only one." Her new thriller novel is Coded Justice. She spoke with Tonya Mosley about voter suppression, her faith, and collaborating with her siblings on her books. Also, David Bianculli reviews the BritBox period drama Outrageous.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

While serving a life sentence for a murder he didn't commit, Calvin Duncan studied law, hoping to appeal his case. In the process he became a jailhouse lawyer. We'll talk about how he managed to help free many wrongly convicted prisoners, including himself, while facing countless legal obstacles confronting people who are poor and Black. His memoir is The Jailhouse Lawyer. Maureen Corrigan recommends two summer non-fiction books: The Salt Stones By Helen Whybrow and A Marriage at Sea By Sophie Elmhirst.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Tamara Yajia grew up Jewish in Argentina, intent on becoming a child star. But just when her break was coming along, her family emigrated to California. Her new memoir is Cry for Me, Argentina. TV critic David Bianculli reviews a new HBO Max documentary about Ms. magazine.Leila Mottley's novel The Girls Who Grew Big follows a group of teenage mothers in the Florida Panhandle who form a close-knit community to support each other through the challenges of young motherhood.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Novelist Danzy Senna spoke with Terry Gross about racial identity, growing up with a Black father and white mother in an era when "mixed-race" wasn't a thing. "Just merely existing as a family was a radical statement at that time," she says. Her latest book is Colored Television. Also, Justin Chang reviews the new Superman movie.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New York Times reporter Adam Liptak discusses the Supreme Court's decisions to limit the power of lower courts while expanding presidential power, and its consequential use of the so-called shadow docket. "It's it's not an overstatement to say that in a matter of months American democracy has been transformed," he tells Terry Gross.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Leila Mottley gained critical acclaim at 19 with her debut novel Nightcrawling, which was longlisted for the Booker Prize. Now, she returns with her second novel, The Girls Who Grew Big. It follows a group of teenage mothers in the Florida Panhandle who form a close-knit community to support each other through the challenges of young motherhood. Mottley talks about why she views this novel as a response to the current political moment surrounding reproductive rights.And TV critic David Bianculli reviews the season premiere of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and its crossover with Abbott Elementary.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Raphael Saadiq talks about his process — from collaborating with Beyoncé and Solange, to his song in Sinners, to his R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné! He just announced an extended tour of his one-man show, No Bandwidth: One Man, One Night, Three Decades of Hits. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jennifer Senior has had insomnia for 25 years. Her new piece in The Atlantic, "Why Can't Americans Sleep?," is about her often futile attempts to fall asleep, and about the latest research into insomnia and the medications and therapies used to treat it. Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews a new HBO Max documentary about Ms. magazine.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jeffrey Seller has been a key behind-the-scenes figure for some of the Broadway's biggest hits including, Hamilton and RENT, but he got his start on a much smaller scale. He looks back in a new memoir called Theater Kid. Ebon Moss-Bachrach has won two Emmys for his portrayal of Cousin Richie, the abrasive and ornery cook/maître d' on the FX series The Bear. He talks about the making of the show. Ken Tucker reviews a new collection of Bruce Springsteen music, songs he wrote and recorded from the mid '80s to the late 2010s, but hadn't released until now.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Author Ricky Riccardi says Armstrong's innovations as a trumpeter and vocalist helped set the entire soundtrack of the 20th century. His book about Armstrong's early life is Stomp Off, Let's Go. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Tamara Yajia grew up Jewish in Argentina, intent on becoming a child star. But just when her break was coming along, her family emigrated to California. Her new memoir is Cry for Me, Argentina. Also, Ken Tucker reviews a new release of "lost" Bruce Springsteen music.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jacob Soboroff of NBC News says the Trump administration promised to deport the "worst of the worst" criminal immigrants, but is now detaining undocumented workers with no serious criminal record. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about the condition of some detainment centers, the impact on L.A. communities, and child separation.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Longtime TV correspondent and commentator Bill Moyers died last week at age 91. Before he began his long career in broadcasting, he was presidential aide to Lyndon B. Johnson and later became White House press secretary. In a compilation of archival interviews with Terry Gross, we hear Moyers reflect on his career, his upbringing, and the polarization of American politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jeffrey Seller has been a key behind-the-scenes figure for some of the Broadway's biggest hits including, Hamilton and RENT, but he got his start on a much smaller scale. He looks back in a new memoir called Theater Kid. Seller spoke with Terry Gross about his path from poverty in Michigan to the epicenter of musical theater.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What happens when a former federal government employee turns his lens on the psychology of panic? You get Hysterical, a podcast series from Dan Taberski. In it, Taberski investigates a mysterious illness that swept through a group of high school students in upstate New York. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about his award-winning podcast.Book critic Maureen Corrigan recommends some mystery and suspense novels for your summer reading list. Also, we'll hear from Larry Charles who has been a writer, director and/or executive producer on a number of culturally impactful TV shows and films including Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, and Borat. He spoke with Terry Gross about his new memoir.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy