It's Been a Minute

How to be the star of your own summer rom-com 03.06.2026 21min

Are you ready for a whirlwind summer romance?Making plans to capitalize on summer can get overwhelming - from finding the right spot to hang or feeling comfortable in your clothes in the sweltering summer heat. So what does it mean to approach summer with a romantic joie de vivre? Brittany is joined by Carly Olson, freelance journalist covering architecture and business, and Garrett Schlichte, writer and chef, to walk us through how to have a rom-com summer where you're the star.Want more on how to be the best version of yourself? Check out these episodes:How to make friends & get good gossipIt only takes 30 minutes to be a good momSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

This is what you want to read this summer 02.06.2026 49min

It's hot, school’s out, put your PTO in - summer’s here! That means Brittany’s back for It’s Been a Minute’s annual summer books episode! This time around authors Sasha Bonét (The Waterbearers) and Cindy Pham (The Secret World of Briar Rose) join the show to give their summer reading recommendations. From wanderlust to first time love - there’s something for everyone. Want more summer book recommendations?Sexy & Spiteful: the best books to read this summerSimmering over summer booksSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Why don't your neighbors pick up their dog’s poop? 01.06.2026 29min

Left-behind dog poop is annoying. But it’s also a sign of anti-sociality.Spotting unidentified poop outside is an unfortunate and unavoidable part of being alive, but in some cities, there’s a scourge being left behind by some people’s four-legged friends. Manuela López-Restrepo, writer and producer at All Things Considered, couldn’t stop noticing it – and she wondered if it might be a sign of something deeper going on. Paired with dogs popping up in places they maybe shouldn’t be – she wondered: can dogs be a vector for anti-social behavior? And what would it look like for people – and their pets – to share space more harmoniously? Manuela shares her reporting with Brittany and they get deeper into the story of the dookie. (00:00) Genuinely, why do people leave dog poop on the street?(02:59) Dog poop as a symbol of urban entitlement(05:38) When dogs show up at restaurants(07:27) How the pandemic created a 'dog's rights movement'(10:58) Dogs, race, and surveillance(18:13) Is dog poop a policy issue?(26:32) Investing in cleanliness and a more compassionate publicFor more episodes about culture and how we share public space, check out:The Coldplay kiss cam & moral surveillanceCrime is down. Why don't people feel safe?In search of a safe place to cry...Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The D-List pop star purgatory 29.05.2026 25min

We love a pop princess, but what about the pop peasants?These are the pop music artists who might have some mainstream success and fame, but they're not exactly household names. Fans on the internet have created a metaphorical space for these pop almost-stars...the Khia Asylum. But how can artists break out of this pop star purgatory? And what does a fictional mental institution say about the way fans and artists are thinking about the music industry? Brittany is joined by Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR music reporter, and Billboard staff writer Kyle Denis.Want more episodes about how we perceive pop stars? Check out these episodes:Bad Bunny redefined what "America" meansRosalía & the evolving definition of LatinidadSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

GLP-1s & eating disorders: a complicated relationship 27.05.2026 21min

What happens when GLP-1s interact with eating disorders?About 1 in 8 US adults are currently taking a GLP-1. They’ve been described by a lot of people as a miracle drug – they treat high blood sugar and diabetes, and have also shown promise as a treatment for addiction and metabolic conditions like PMOS, formerly known as PCOS. And a lot of Americans are taking it for one reason: weight loss. But for people with eating disorders, that weight loss could be dangerous. So even though GLP-1s are a miracle drug for many struggling with certain health conditions – what does it mean that they’re becoming incredibly available to everyone? And how do we reckon with their place in a culture that prioritizes thinness… sometimes to the point of real danger to someone’s health?Brittany is joined by Dr. Allegra Broft, a psychiatrist and an assistant professor at Columbia University Medical Center who specializes in eating disorders, and Hannah Seo, an independent journalist who wrote about GLP-1s and eating disorders for The Guardian.For more episodes about weight, body image, and culture, check out:Peptides & the pursuit of the "perfect" bodyThe difference between losing weight & being "healthy"The strange politics of PilatesSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

It only takes 30 minutes to be a good mom 26.05.2026 44min

How much time should moms spend with their kids? What if it's quality over quantity?CEO and co-founder Emma Grede set social media on fire when she described herself as a “max three-hour mum” and said that she would rather focus on creating “high-impact, core memories” with her children. The founding partner of Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS also said that remote work is ‘career suicide’ for women. The idea that a working mother - even a CEO mom - would spend so little time with her kids was outrageous to some…but isn’t that the reality for most parents? To get into all of this, Brittany is joined by Kathryn Jezer-Morton, writer of the Brooding column from The Cut, and Helena Andrews-Dyer, journalist and author, to unpack the 'controversial' notion of a mother not wanting to spend all her time with her kids.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The end of the American Empire 25.05.2026 29min

Is the American empire in decline?The Trump administration's recent military actions have had certain observers asking... are we going full empire? But Daniel Immerwahr, a historian and the author of How to Hide an Empire, argues that the U.S. has engaged in empire building for hundreds of years — we've just been sneakier about it than other countries.In this episode from our friends at Code Switch, host Gene Demby is joined by Daniel to break down why we don’t really think of ourselves as a colonial power – and how President Trump's international escapades are scrambling the global order.For more episodes about the US empire, check out:The human labor that makes AI workCanada hates us, but it's not all Trump's fault.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

'New Skin' and the botched quest for beauty 22.05.2026 18min

What happens when you can't recognize your mom anymore?For Linli, the protagonist of the book New Skin, this is her reality: her mom Fanny has gone through so many back-alley plastic surgery procedures, Fanny’s face barely looks human anymore. When Fanny gets the opportunity to go on a reality TV show for the chance to fix her botched face, she jumps at it – and Linli tags along. But what happens when you can’t recognize your parent anymore? And what would achieving the perfect face really help?Brittany chats with author Sarah Wang about New Skin, immigration and intergenerational trauma, and our botched quests for beauty.For more episodes about parent relationships or beauty culture, check out:Why some families stop speakingThe morbid lifelessness of modern beautyThe beauty industry has an Epstein problemSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Why are tech bros embracing Psychedelics? 20.05.2026 19min

Are psychedelics the next big thing?Psychedelics include the drugs LSD, magic mushrooms, peyote, and often ketamine and MDMA too, among others. And some of these drugs have a history of spiritual practice spanning millennia. Then many of these drugs became synonymous with hippies and 60s and 70s counterculture. But now, psychedelics have new cheerleaders: tech bros and CEOs. So why the rebrand?To get into it all, Brittany is joined by Maxim Tvorun-Dunn, PhD candidate at the University of Tokyo, and Emma Goldberg, business reporter at the New York Times, to discuss what it means that these drugs are getting championed – and sometimes financially backed – by the tech elite, and how might that affect our culture’s relationship with psychedelics.This episode originally aired on March 24, 2025.Interested in hearing more of Brittany's series "Losing My Religion?" Check out these episodes:Goodbye, church... Hello, Wellness Industrial Complex!Am I a god?! Why "manifesting" your reality is easier than ever Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The women leaving the 'New Right' 19.05.2026 32min

Defectors from the ‘New Right’ say that sexism is a feature, not a bug of modern-day conservatism.New York Magazine’s Sam Adler-Bell published The Young Women Leaving the New Right, detailing the experiences of conservative women who say that rampant misogyny within the space is pushing them out of a community they helped build. From demanding that women stay home and out of public life to advocating for the repeal of civil rights law - some conservative women have reached their limit. But host Brittany Luse wonders: will this change of heart stick in the voting booths? Or is this just more of the same?To answer that question, Brittany is joined by Editor at Large of the 19th and NABJ President, Errin Haines. Errin helps unpack the link between the ‘new’ and ‘old’ right, white women checkered political history, and how searching for community can sometimes lead people down dark paths. Want more about women and politics? Check out these episodes:Progressive women have 'had it!' And they're fighting back.The political power of Gen Z womenEnough is enough. Is it time to leave America?Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Are you a "high agency" person? 18.05.2026 21min

Are you a “high agency” person?The tech world has been buzzing about the benefits of being a “high agency” person: someone who doesn’t wait for permission to pursue their own agendas. And that idea has been trickling out into the wider culture - for instance, posts that say things like “you can just do things,” or “when you remember you have free will.” High agency's wider appeal speaks to some of our biggest anxieties and existential questions, like: do we have control over our lives? And what do we risk to achieve the things we want?Brittany is joined by Sophie Haigney, a journalist and critic who wrote about high agency for The New York Times, and Max Read, a journalist and editor of the Read Max newsletter, where he covers trends, tech, politics and culture.(00:00) Are you a "high agency" person?(03:09) High agency's appeal in Silicon Valley(06:33) High agency people vs. agentic AI(11:27) Do we really have control over our own lives?(14:11) High agency and the gambler's mindset(19:01) When high agency means logging offFor more episodes about agency in our modern world, check out:The joy of breaking up with dating appsThe high cost of getting food delivered.Make life harder (and better): Learn another language.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Is the 'biological clock' just one big scam? 15.05.2026 21min

How does it feel to be called hostile?What about barren? Inhospitable? Geriatric? These are all words women over the age of 35 have heard in doctor's offices for decades to describe their reproductive health as they explore options for childbirth. The terminology has been changing, but for some, not quickly enough. When the culture is pushing for more humane ways to talk about women's bodies, how long will it take modern medicine to catch up? Brittany talks with Rachel E. Gross, author of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage to understand what the use of these words reveal about our cultural expectations of pregnant people.Want more on the culture of women’s health? Check out these episodes:Sex is pleasurable. It should feel safe too.The key to thriving later in life: menopauseSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

You can break the cycle of overthinking 13.05.2026 18min

Is social media giving you analysis paralysis? You’re not alone.In his new book, ‘Minor Black Figures,’ novelist Brandon Taylor explores this vicious cycle and what it does to our self-worth. His characters are artists hyperaware of how social media can make or break their careers - and how it affects the art they make too.In this episode, Brandon joins Brittany to talk through what it means to make art in a world of critics - online and off - and the beauty of giving yourself grace.This episode originally aired on October 15, 2025.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Progressive women are fed up & fighting back (feat. IHIP News) 12.05.2026 37min

Political podcasting is said to be a men's game (and predominantly conservative). But two women stood up and said "I've had it!" Now they are revolutionizing political commentary in America.The hosts of the ‘I’ve Had It’ podcast: Jennifer Welch, a lifelong atheist, and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan, a former evangelical conservative, started their podcast to air petty grievances. But, as American politics got heated so did their podcast. Wine jokes became unfiltered takedowns of both Democrats and Republicans. In the process, they gained millions of followers and changed how the progressive media system works. And there's no slowing them down. Host Brittany Luse sits down with Jennifer and Angie to talk about the power women have for shaping politics, why women just can't let go of Trump, and how Democrats can actually listen to progressive women.(00:00) IHIP's success as an indictment of the Democratic party (03:16) Jennifer and Angie's personal political journey (10:30) White women leaving the right (15:11) Jennifer's journey to progressivism (20:45) Why IHIP's unfiltered approach resonates (25:00) Why Democrats like Jack Schlossberg seek out IHIP's platform (30:28) The importance of women's voices ahead of the midterms (35:03) Why we should pay attention to how women do their politicsSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Is your data getting colonized? 11.05.2026 28min

Can AI really do everything by itself?AI has impressed a lot of people with its output. But even though it’s sold as an autonomous, inhuman tool, there’s a lot of human work that goes into it. While that work does happen in the US, many AI laborers also live overseas – and get paid less to do it. Everything that goes into making AI function – from the data it feeds on to the labor that trains it – smacks of colonialism, according to some scholars and researchers. This has led to the emergence of the term "data colonialism." Is this comparison a fitting one, and what are the broader implications of data colonialism for society at large?First, Brittany chats with Sam Mallari, Network Content Strategy Manager on the NPR Member Partnership Team, about when she first noticed the human hands behind AI's work. Then, Brittany gets deeper into it with Regine Cabato, a freelance journalist based in the Philippines who’s written about AI laborers there for The Washington Post, and Ulises Mejias, professor at SUNY Oswego and co-author of the book Data Grab the New Colonialism of Big Tech and How to Fight Back.(00:00) Does AI really do everything by itself?(04:20) The human labor behind AI(06:46) The work conditions of overseas AI laborers(09:43) Why AI companies recruit some workers from the Global South(14:56) The narrative of AI's magic(18:04) Is AI shaped by colonialism?(24:53) Is an ethical generative AI possible?For more episodes about AI and modern life, check out:You might be suffering from AI brain fryMe and my partner don't see eye-to-eye about AI. Now what?The hard work of having "good taste"Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

People say America doesn't have a monarchy. They're wrong. 08.05.2026 23min

The Kennedys are the first family that comes to mind when Americans consider homegrown, pseudo-royal dynasties. From Joe to John and Jackie, they have been elevated to a mythical cultural status. But is it possible that they share more in common with another prominent American family, the Kardashians? Today, Brittany is joined by MJ Corey, author of Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto, to find out how these two American 'royal' families share a cultural Krown.Want more about famous families and the narratives they spin? Check out these episodes:Inside the Michael Jackson legacy industrial complexMelania Trump’s multi-million dollar “infomercial”Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

How to survive a millennial midlife crisis 06.05.2026 17min

Many millennials either are already in their 40s or are staring them down. Are they having a midlife crisis?As this generation enters midlife, their lives look really different from their parents' lives: Millennials are more educated and have a higher median net worth, but the generation is also more unequal than previous generations, has higher debt and has lower rates of homeownership and marriage. How does that all shape what millennial midlife crises are starting to look like?Brittany finds out with Vox senior correspondent Alex Abad-Santos, who recently wrote an article about the millennial midlife crisis, and Sara Srygley, research associate at the Population Reference Bureau.This episode originally aired on June 20, 2025.For more episodes about the forces shaping Millennials’ lives, check out:You're not broken - the job market is.Enough is enough. Is it time to leave America?The ugly truth of America's expensive homesSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Was that the worst MET Gala ever? 05.05.2026 28min

The MET Gala 2026 was eclipsed by its own sponsors, making the event feel out of touch and out of fashion.Beyoncé made her first MET Gala appearance in ten years. Rihanna showed up (very late). And there were many incredible fashion moments: from Emma Chamberlain to Nicole Kidman to Lena Dunham. But the whole affair was overshadowed by the sponsorship of Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Plus, other tech billionaires, Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin, made their MET Gala debuts. All calling into question...what is this event (and art) really for?To get into it, NPR Music's Anamaria Sayre is joined by culture critic Marjon Carlos and culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith. Together they rate the best and worst of fashion's biggest night and explain why the MET Gala feels like it's in decline.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Tonight's MET Gala is the most controversial yet 04.05.2026 17min

The MET Gala 2026 is already off to a controversial start, and no one has even shown up yet.That's because Anna Wintour has been buddying up with a certain billionaire, Jeff Bezos, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos. The couple are the lead sponsors of this year's gala. To be clear, the wealthiest people have always been involved with fashion's biggest night, but this year some folks feels its more in the spotlight - at a time when many Americans feel like life is getting more and more unaffordable. Brittany is joined by culture critic Marjon Carlos and culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith to lay out the stakes of this year's MET Gala - from the billionaires to the best dressed.Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Inside the Michael Jackson legacy industrial complex 01.05.2026 26min

The Jackson family and estate have joined forces to give us another biopic of Michael Jackson's life. Michael doesn't tell us anything new about the King of Pop, but it has had the biggest opening weekend of a music biopic ever. From Whitney Houston to Freddie Mercury, why do these posthumous biopics always seem to fall flat, and what do decades of Jackson family drama say about how we reckon with the complicated figures in pop culture and our own lives? Brittany talks with Aisha Harris, critic and co-host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, to find out.Want more deep dives on the legacies of pop culture icons? Check out these episodes:Jesse Jackson & the end of the civil rights superheroMarilyn Monroe was more than just 'Blonde'Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy