In 1988, a high school football team in Odessa, Texas, was so good that it became the inspiration for a book, movie and, eventually, the television series “Friday Night Lights.” And in the decades since, as West Texas has weathered the unsettling undulations of the oil industry, football has remained steady.
So after the pandemic hit, the town did what it ... Show More
Today
1979: How the U.S. and Iran Went From Allies to Enemies
At the heart of the current U.S. war against Iran is an inconvenient truth: that the United States is, in many ways, responsible for creating the very regime it now seeks to topple. Today, Scott Anderson, a New York Times Magazine contributor, tells the story of America’s outsize ... Show More
49m 32s
Yesterday
The Young Economic Populists Reshaping the Left
College graduates used to lean right politically, but over the past few decades, they have increasingly moved to the left. Today, Noam Scheiber, the author of “Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class,” explains the economic forces that have left many col ... Show More
37m 25s
Jun 10
The Iran War's Devastating Butterfly Effect
The war in Iran has had some visible consequences, like skyrocketing energy costs and higher gas prices, but the effects of this war are often far less obvious and much more serious for the world’s most vulnerable people. Today, Peter S. Goodman tells us what he learned on a rece ... Show More
26m 56s
Mar 2021
Part 2: Friday Night Lights
In 1988, a high school football team in Odessa, Texas, was so good that it became the inspiration for a book, movie and, eventually, the television series “Friday Night Lights.” And in the decades since, as West Texas has weathered the unsettling undulations of the oil industry, ... Show More
43m 59s
Apr 2023
Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger
Scott Porter & Zach Gilford chat with the author of "Friday Night Lights: a Town, a Team, and a Dream" - Buzz Bissinger! Buzz tells us about how he got his start in journalism, moving to Odessa, Texas to cover the Permian Panthers, his intimate relationship with the players, Boob ... Show More
1h 2m
Apr 2021
Part 3: The Band Bus Quarantine
Last fall, as Odessa High School brought some students back to campus with hybrid instruction, school officials insisted mask wearing, social distancing and campus contact tracing would keep students and faculty safe. And at the beginning of the semester, things seemed to be goin ... Show More
36m 22s