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The Sunday Story

NPR
FIFA World Cup
Lagos
Cambodia
Phnom Penh
New Illinois Movement
Artificial Intelligence
Cyber Scam Industry
Cambodia Scam Industry
Nuclear War
Seattle
Single Motherhood
Donald Trump
Cedar Rapids
Makoko
Immigration Policy
Visa Processing
Uganda
Illinois
Climate Change
Charles Charny

“The Sunday Story” from Up First is where storytelling meets the issues of the day. Hosted by Ayesha Rascoe, “The Sunday Story” is NPR’s weekly news and culture magazine exploring one topic in depth through conversations, interviews and deeply-reported narrative journalism. Publishing every Sunday in the Up First feed.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes189Founded5 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNews

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Artwork for The Sunday Story

Latest Episodes

What defines a family? For a group of strangers, that question took on a profound, unexpected meaning after DNA tests revealed a hidden, decades-old deception. They discovered they were all half-siblings conceived through artificial insemination in t... more

From climate change to the rise of AI - it’s hard not to feel like human civilization could be nearing the end. What threats are really worth worrying about? And what can we do to survive a global catastrophe? Today on The Sunday Story, Ben Bradford,... more

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed, marking the birth of a new nation. But if you read the Declaration closely, it’s not just about creating something new;  it’s about ridding itself of something unwanted. It’... more

What happens to famous works of art when they are stolen from museums and private art collections? In the Netherlands, museums and collectors reach out to Arthur Brand, a self-styled art detective who works to track down art that has gone missing and... more

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Recent Guests

Ben Bradford
Host of Are We Doomed?
Nuance Tales / NPR Network
Episode: Should we worry about the end of the world?
Connor Towne O'Neill
Reporter following the New Illinois movement
Contributor, reporting for The Sunday Story
Episode: The growing movement to secede from Illinois and become the 51st state
GH. Merritt
Chairman of New Illinois (New Illinois leadership)
New Illinois
Episode: The growing movement to secede from Illinois and become the 51st state
Loretta Newland
Leader in Illinois Separation / Illinois Separation Referendum
Illinois Separation / New Illinois movement
Episode: The growing movement to secede from Illinois and become the 51st state
Kenneth Owen
History professor, secession movements expert
University of Illinois Springfield
Episode: The growing movement to secede from Illinois and become the 51st state
LaShawn Ford
Democrat in Illinois Legislature
Illinois General Assembly
Episode: The growing movement to secede from Illinois and become the 51st state
Virgil Strader
New Illinois transitional legislator; auctioneer by day
New Illinois
Episode: The growing movement to secede from Illinois and become the 51st state
Octave Durham
Dutch art thief, also known as Aki Durham
Criminal underworld figure, involved in Van Gogh heists
Episode: The secret life of a stolen Van Gogh
Shibani Mahtani
Investigative reporter covering Southeast Asia
NPR / The Sunday Story contributor
Episode: Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 1

Host

Ayesha Rascoe
Host of The Sunday Story (NPR), leading in-depth conversations and narrative reportage.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#207
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#98
China/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#120
Sweden/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#139
South Korea/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#205
Switzerland/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#212
Sweden/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Should we worry about the end of the world?
Q: How would artificial intelligence wipe out humanity?
Bradford clarifies that the risk isn't sentience or deliberate destruction; it's that AI given open-ended, high-stakes tasks can cause humans to become unintended adversaries as systems optimize the wrong objective, underscoring the need for guardrails and proper context.
Should we worry about the end of the world?
Q: So why did you start making that list of doomsday scenarios?
Bradford explains that his background across business, energy, environment, and politics, plus observing polarization, led him to explore what's coming next and distinguish real threats from fiction, with a focus on practical risks and how society can respond.
The secret life of a stolen Van Gogh
Q: What is an art detective, and how does Brand describe his work?
An art detective is someone who helps the police track stolen art or forgeries, often without a formal path to the profession, using networks and expertise to locate and recover works.
How 5 minutes of movement can change your life
Q: So you have a new book out this month. It's called Body Electric. And that's a great title. And it's based on research you started back in 2023.
Manoush explains how the body and technology interact, highlighting the biological aspects of how screen time affects our physiology and energy, and how the study translates those findings into practical, everyday movement strategies.
The hidden cost of separating 'emotionally disturbed' students
Q: What impact does labeling and segregating students with EBD have on their education and future outcomes?
The discussion highlights how segregating EBD students into separate classrooms creates a cycle that undermines academic progress and increases the risk of disengagement, with mainstreaming showing mixed results depending on implementation and support.

Audience Metrics

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Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Sunday Story

What is The Sunday Story about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A weekly deep-dive program that blends long-form storytelling with reportage on current-day issues across politics, society, and culture. Episodes typically combine on-the-ground reporting, expert context, and intimate personal voices to illuminate how policy and daily life intersect—from urban development and housing justice to education reform, religion and immigration, and family narratives. A standout trait is the strong character-driven storytelling that grounds complex policy topics in human experiences, offering listeners both rigorous context and emotionally resonant moments. The format tends to attract listeners who enjoy thoughtful analysis, narrative journalism, and conversations that connect macro issues to lived experiences.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Sunday Story?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Sunday Story. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Sunday Story and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Sunday Story get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Sunday Story?

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How many subscribers and views does The Sunday Story have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Sunday Story has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Sunday Story?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Sunday Story:

1. Up First from NPR
2. Consider This from NPR
3. The Daily
4. NPR News Now
5. The NPR Politics Podcast

How many episodes of The Sunday Story are there?

The Sunday Story launched 5 months ago and published 189 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Sunday Story?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Sunday Story?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Sunday Story from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on The Sunday Story?

Recent guests on The Sunday Story include:

1. Ben Bradford
2. Connor Towne O'Neill
3. GH. Merritt
4. Loretta Newland
5. Kenneth Owen
6. LaShawn Ford
7. Virgil Strader
8. Octave Durham

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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