This American Life

People put in positions they’re completely unqualified to handle, but who try to make it work anyway. Including one story of a tough group of soldiers who attempt to save lives through the power of show tunes.

Adults telling kids who they are, and kids wondering — are they right?

How the pandemic has thrown college admissions process into a kind of slow-motion chaos. One of the biggest changes: most colleges have stopped requiring the SAT. For decades, there’s been a debate over whether schools should drop the test. What’s it mean that it finally happened?

People squirming in a world where everything is rated and reviewed.

This week, three men who came together to protest the murder of George Floyd. They were unified, loud, and impressive, but over time these three friends end up in three very different places.

Why we tell them, and what happens after we do.

Stories of people summoning up stuff that’s usually hidden down deep.

Things we’ve lost in the past year — since the first American coronavirus case — that we haven’t talked about so much. Gossip. The chance to make new friends. And much larger stuff.

There's always someone whose job it is to decide if you measure up.

This holiday season, we bring you a show filled with stories of people going to great lengths to throw a special Christmas for their families.