“Laïcité,” or secularism, the principle that separates religion from the state in France, has long provoked heated dispute in the country. It has intensified recently, when a teacher, Samuel Paty, was beheaded after showing his class caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.
We look at the roots of secularism and ask whether it works in modern, multicultural Fran ... Show More
Today
A Guide to Election Night 2026
After two years of campaigning, the 2026 midterm election is now in the hands of the American voters.As the ballot counting begins, Nate Cohn, the chief political analyst for The New York Times, offers a guide for how to understand the results.Guest: Nate Cohn, the chief politica ... Show More
35m 17s
Nov 1
Want to Enjoy Music More? Go For a Run.
Ben Ratliff, a music critic and avid runner, always ran in silence. Then he discovered how music opened up to him — while running. It changed his entire approach to criticism and listening. He calls it “running the song.”Today, for the New York City Marathon, Ben talks with our h ... Show More
36m 12s
Oct 2020
Dominique Schnapper on secularism in France after Samuel Paty's killing
The beheading of a teacher by an 18-year-old outside Paris struck a particularly jarring blow to the French psyche. Samuel Paty was murdered for teaching his students, including young Muslims, about freedom of speech, including the freedom to mock religion. His killing was seen b ... Show More
23m 27s
Nov 2020
French secularism and the resurgence of terror
Over the last few weeks, Islamist terror attacks in France, and then Austria shook Europe, and the world. In response, the UK has also raised its terror threat level to "severe". But the French President Emmanuel Macron's response to the attacks has sent ripples of anger through ... Show More
30m 7s