This season, Wynton Marsalis marks 25 years at the helm of Jazz at Lincoln Center. To celebrate this milestone, Marsalis sat down with Elliott Forrest, the Peabody Award-winning radio host of WQXR and WNYC.

Marc Maron sits down with fellow comic Robin Williams for a full hour conversation.

Comedian Carl LaBove was Sam Kinison's best friend and opening act. Sam died in his arms. He talks with Marc about that night, as well as his wild early days at The Comedy Store. Plus, he shares in detail his attempts to get his life back after he found out a secret of Sam's that turned everything upside down.

Host Michael Feinstein uncovers the intimate journey singers and songs take with one another, each changing the other through the course of a lifetime.

Two conversations, first with Ben Stiller and then with comic Tig Notaro. Ben Stiller may be one of the biggest movie stars in the world, but he is not above sitting in the garage for a chat with Marc about show biz, parents, rivalries, Apatow, anxieties and, of course, Heat Vision & Jack. Plus Tig Notaro talks about why she hates people who take pity on female comics.

Olympic Gold Medal winner and world record holder Usain "Lightning" Bolt is the fastest human on Earth, but what's the fastest fish?  Fastest car?  Fastest train? As a prelude to this summer's Olympic Games, IEEE Spectrum Radio takes your listeners around the globe to find the fastest on earth.

A tribute to George Carlin with one of the people who knew him best — his "spouse without papers," Sally Wade. She reveals the George that few people got to know and talks about her last moments with him. Sally provides a fitting memorial to the man who influenced just about every comedian in the business

Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler remembers her early days as an improv comedian in New York City when she used to cross paths with an edgy young stand-up named Marc Maron. She also talks about her feelings toward Lorne Michaels and her marriage to another very funny individual.

No Fracking Way: The Natural Gas Boom is Doing More Harm Than Good

Can natural gas be part of a clean energy solution, or is it a dangerous roadblock to a fossil-free future?

Kids in the Hall. Newsradio. A Bug's Life. Now you can add Marc's Garage to Dave Foley's amazing list of credits. Dave talks with Marc about the roots of Kids in the Hall, some turbulent times in his life, and getting into the stand-up game -- not because he WANTS to, but because he HAS to.

In a series first, SOTRU explores a vast community that's based around a medium, rather than a geographic location. Despite the outdated stereotype of a solitary nerd holed up in his bedroom, burying himself in a world of fantasy, comic books serve as the connection point for a diverse community of people, who are drawn to them for all manner of reasons. And sometimes, comics become the vehicle for people to take action within the community itself or inspire individuals to make a difference in the wider world. We meet the wide range of people who make up this community and hear stories of their efforts to seek justice and right wrongs in the comics ecosystem. We'll meet the people who love this world, the people who create it, those who believe there's something awry in Nerdville, and those who've made it their life's missions to bring superheroes off the page and into the real world.

The Ozarks have long been an isolated place—steep mountains break up the landscape into hills and hollows, making each little town its own microcosm.  Outsiders might know little beyond the stereotypical hillbillies, generations of poverty, and an infamous meth problem, one of the worst in the country. But people in the Ozarks are pushing for ways to build community with few resources, to hold on to what is authentic about their identity while bucking stereotypes imposed on them by the outside world.  In this hour we meet fathers parenting from prison, famous fiddlers passing on their craft, and people re-imagining the iconic Ozarks one-room schoolhouse, finding pockets of innovation in a place that much of America seems to have forgotten.

Baltimore is a city of many neighborhoods, of intense divides--racial, class, and otherwise--not easily overcome. It’s a city bogged down by a reputation for crime, poverty and dysfunction--a reputation not entirely undeserved. But all of that overshadows the passion and dedication many Baltimoreans have for their city, and for taking on what’s wrong with it in ways small and large. In this episode, we tell stories of people who are working from outside the system to take on Baltimore’s problems and shepherd its promises into fruition. 

The Tri-Cities are Richland, Pasco and Kennewick—3 cities clustered near one another in the vast plains and deserts of Washington state, to the east of the Cascade Mountains. It’s a region that seems like it would have little to attract newcomers—it’s largely remote, prone to dust storms, not close to any major city. But, over the decades, this area has drawn people from the world over, and, in this episode, we’ll explore how and why.

Ban College Football

Corruption and a growing concern for head injury have put college football in the spotlight.  Are football program’s millions in profits exploitation? Or are they still a celebration of amateur sport?  Does football’s inherent danger and violence have any place in institutions of higher learning?  Or does it provide young men with educational opportunities they would not otherwise have?

When it comes to politics, the Internet is closing our minds

Does the internet poison politics? It’s been argued that the rise of “personalization,” the use of algorithms to filter what you see online, and easy access to the like-minded, has served to reinforce our pre-conceptions.  Is the information bubble a myth, or is it undermining civic discourse?  Is the rise of social media really broadening our world views, or narrowing them?

Yoko Ono and her son, Sean Lennon, join David Garland to present and talk about Yoko Ono's music. Yoko and Sean tell many interesting stories, speak intimately about the music, and reminisce about the events that inspired the compositions. Plus, see photos here.

China does capitalism better than America

For all appearances, China has emerged unscathed from the global economic crisis, in stark contrast to its biggest debtor, America.  China’s admirers point to its ability to mobilize state resources, quick decision-making and business-friendly environment as reasons for its economic ascendency.  But can its brand of state-directed capitalism overcome rampant corruption and the threat of growing inequality, or will the American model of innovation and free-markets prevail?

Obesity is the Government’s Business

With 33% of adults and 17% of children obese, the U.S. is facing an obesity epidemic. A major risk factor for expensive, chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, it costs our health care system nearly $150 billion a year. Should government intervene, or is this a matter of individual rights and personal responsibility?

The UN should admit Palestine as a full member state

On September 23, 2011, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appeared before the U.N. General Assembly to request full membership for the State of Palestine. America’s veto power renders their bid largely symbolic, but there could be leverage gained– like indirect recognition of statehood– in the process. After 20 years of failed talks with Israel, can this plea to the international community be the only path left to a two-state solution, or have the Palestinians set the peace process back by bypassing negotiations?