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Artwork for The Sunday Story

The Sunday Story

NPR
FIFA World Cup
Lagos
Single Motherhood
Donald Trump
Cedar Rapids
Makoko
Immigration Policy
Visa Processing
Emotional Disturbance
EBD
Cedar Rapids Prep
Climate Solutions
Immigration
National Latino Evangelical Coalition
Mainstreaming
Nigeria
Ticket Pricing
Shakira Halftime Show

“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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes183Founded3 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsPolitics

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Artwork for The Sunday Story

Latest Episodes

The World Cup is back in North America for the first time in over 30

years. It’s the most popular sporting event on the globe and with 16

additional teams competing this year, it will be the biggest World Cup

to date. But in Trump’s America, visa ... more

Scientists say that sitting is the new smoking. The average American adult now sits for 9-10 hours per day. What’s the least amount of movement someone can do to offset the harms of our modern sedentary lifestyle? Manoush Zomorodi, host of NPR’s TED ... more

For people working to address climate change in the U.S., the last year has been a hard one. The Trump administration has been rolling back rules and regulations aimed at reducing planet-warming pollution. But some cities and states are moving forwar... more

For many of the poorest residents in Lagos, Nigeria, the land their families have lived on for generations is now being violently seized by the government to build luxury condos. The communities are fighting back, but even court injunctions haven’t s... more

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Recent Guests

Becky Sullivan
NPR sports correspondent
NPR
Episode: How America is shaping the World Cup
Jasmine Garst
Host of The Last Cup
NPR
Episode: How America is shaping the World Cup
Manoush Zomorodi
Host of NPR's TED Radio Hour; author of Body Electric
NPR / Columbia University Medical Center study partner
Episode: How 5 minutes of movement can change your life
Julia Simon
NPR's Climate Solutions Correspondent
NPR
Episode: Trump is rolling back climate solutions. What can cities and states do?
Emmanuel Akinwotu
NPR Africa correspondent
NPR Africa
Episode: The human cost of building the Dubai of Africa
Pallavi Gogoi
NPR's chief business editor, reporter who spoke to dozens of single moms
NPR
Episode: Why more women are choosing to be single mothers
Jason DeRose
NPR religion correspondent
NPR
Episode: 'The Bible is not a policy manual’: Christians reckon with immigration under Trump
Laurie Stern
Reporter who spent years covering education
NPR
Episode: The hidden cost of separating 'emotionally disturbed' students
Cory Turner
NPR education correspondent
NPR
Episode: In one Iowa city, public schools compete in the free market. Are students better off?

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
#234
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#27
Saudi Arabia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#51
Hong Kong/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#97
Argentina/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#114
Saudi Arabia/News
Apple Podcasts
#175
Japan/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#187
Hong Kong/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

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.
The hidden cost of separating 'emotionally disturbed' students
Q: What is emotional disturbance, and how is it defined in the context of special education?
Laurie explains that emotional disturbance is a catch-all label, not a medical diagnosis, tied to criteria in the law that created special education, including pervasive unhappiness, poor relationships, and inappropriate behavior.
In one Iowa city, public schools compete in the free market. Are students better off?
Q: In Cedar Rapids, what does the data show about the impact on the traditional district when a new charter or private option enters the market?
Turner describes a loss of students and funding for the traditional Cedar Rapids Community School District, the closure of some elementary schools, and tensions at school board meetings as the district grapples with financial strain and decisions that affect neighborhood schools.
In one Iowa city, public schools compete in the free market. Are students better off?
Q: So Cory, school choice is this idea that covers such a wide range of programs and policies. Can you walk us through the basics?
Cory Turner explains that school choice spans from open enrollment and magnet programs to charter schools and private school funding via ESAs. He notes Iowa's full spectrum, including generous private school ESAs that allow families to spend public dollars on private or religious schools, and describes how this aims to create competitive pressure on public districts to improve.

Audience Metrics

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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.

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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 NPR Politics Podcast
4. The Daily
5. Throughline

How many episodes of The Sunday Story are there?

The Sunday Story launched 3 months ago and published 183 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.

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What guests have appeared on The Sunday Story?

Recent guests on The Sunday Story include:

1. Becky Sullivan
2. Jasmine Garst
3. Manoush Zomorodi
4. Julia Simon
5. Emmanuel Akinwotu
6. Pallavi Gogoi
7. Jason DeRose
8. Laurie Stern

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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