APM Presents - News & Talk Specials
Americans Reconnect: Talking Across the Political Divide
At a time of stark polarization, Americans Reconnect: Talking Across the Political Divide offers an antidote to our national malaise: stories of people who model the listening skills and humanity necessary to bridge political differences, showing that Americans are still capable of civility and compassion when they disagree over hot button issues.
This radio program stands out amidst a firehouse of media stories that not only seem to accept polarization as an inalterable truth but, at times, even stoke it. By contrast, this program focuses on solutions to polarization. The production team spent more than a year researching and reporting on how people can maintain relationships despite stark political differences, offering hope for a divided electorate that Americans can still come together.
A partnership with the national nonprofit organization Braver Angels is central to the reporting. The group uses family and marriage therapy techniques to help people bridge political divisions. The insights of Braver Angels co-founder Bill Doherty deeply inform the radio special and are woven throughout.
Reported by award-winning journalist Catharine Richert and produced and edited by Annie Baxter and Lorna Benson. The team has led a year-long reporting project examining polarization – and how to overcome it.
One hour
Broadcast Window: April 1, 2025 - July 31, 2025
Call to Mind: Mental Health Awareness Month Series
Call to Mind is bringing you five new hour-long specials for May Mental Health Awareness Month. Each hour explores emerging research and informed perspectives on vital issues along with thought-provoking interviews with top experts, the voices of people living with mental illness, and sound-rich stories from across the country. The hourlong programs are hosted by Kimberly Adams, a host and senior correspondent for APM’s Marketplace.
Five, one-hour specials
Broadcast Window: April 4, 2025 - August 31, 2025
Selected Shorts: Tangled Lives
SELECTED SHORTS host Meg Wolitzer presents three stories about those moments, those situations, those people that pull you in and won’t let you go. These works focus on unexpected encounters that end up affecting a character's life in some unusual or enduring way:
“Missed Connection—M4W” by Raphael Bob-Waksberg takes the idea of “chance encounter” to its limits. It’s performed by Richard Kind.
“My Years of Living Dangerously” by Danielle Henderson explores the idea of sin and redemption. It’s performed by Karen Pittman.
And in Melissa Banks’ ruefully comic “Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Away,” performed by Julianna Margulies, one sibling makes a bad choice the other has to live with.
One hour
Broadcast Window: June 1, 2025 - September 6, 2025
The Poetry Cafe: Juneteenth
Tune in to our open mic over the airwaves for a collection of live performances about overcoming, freedom and perseverance . We’ll also be talking to singer and songwriter Tanya Ross about her music, the power of art, and coming back strong after a life-changing stroke. Join us for a special Juneteenth edition of The Poetry Café as we feed your mind, your body, and your soul.
One hour
Broadcast Window: June 1, 2025 - August 31, 2025
How We Survive: Investing for the Climate
In this station special from Marketplace’s “How We Survive” climate team, we investigate the rise, fall and reincarnation of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing. And we look at where Wall Street money is driving solutions, where it’s causing more problems, and we ask if capitalism is even compatible with sustainability.
One hour
Broadcast Window: July 1, 2025 - September 30, 2025
Niche to Meet You: Every Hobby Has a Story
The Niche to Meet You podcast celebrates the joy and meaning found in hobbies and niche subcultures—those small, surprising passions that connect us and keep us grounded. This premiere radio special, Every Hobby Has a Story, takes listeners on a summer road trip through unexpected corners of American life, exploring niche interests both on-the-road and at home. From Rubik’s speed cubing to dog agility, and from regional cooking to competitive jigsaw puzzling, Niche to Meet You: Every Hobby Has a Story highlights how hobbies offer more than just fun—they foster connection, support mental and physical health, and provide a sense of purpose at any age.
One hour
Broadcast Window: July 1, 2025 - September 30, 2025
The Retrievals: C-Sections
Many patients go into C-sections thinking they’re not going to feel anything. A new study reveals that a shockingly high number of them not only feel something—they feel severe pain. There’s no other major surgery where this would be acceptable. Season Two of the award-winning podcast “The Retrievals” investigates this underreported problem, and goes behind the scenes at one hospital that may just have the solution to it. This special is the first episode in that series.
One hour
Broadcast Window: August 11, 2025 - October 31, 2025