Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as the greatest president in American history, a transformational figure who guided the nation through civil war and paved the way for the abolition of slavery. But what if he was queer, by modern standards? Because historians say that may well have been the case.

In Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus,” the titular magician trades his soul to Lucifer for power. We’ve been captivated by such demonic transactions ever since.

On July 12, 1776, James Cook set sail aboard the HMS Resolution. It was Cook’s third voyage, and this time, he wouldn’t come home again.

Roads are such a common feature of the landscape that you can forget they aren’t natural at all — that is, unless you’re an animal trying to cross one.

Donald Trump has said that surviving an assassination attempt didn’t change him. But it sure did change Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.

The scholar Marion Gibson is an expert on witches. Her latest book tells a centuries-long history through the stories of 13 witch trials.

With a major reconstruction in the works for downtown Salt Lake City, the fate of Abravanel Hall hangs in the balance.

Norman Maclean became a literary star after publishing his largely autobiographical novella, “A River Runs Through It.” A new book recounts his lifelong efforts to reconcile the different parts of himself.

UFOs undoubtedly exist. After all, people have been seeing inexplicable things in the skies for centuries. So, if the truth is out there, what does the government know about it?

If you were born in post-9/11 America, the idea of a plane getting hijacked is terrifying. But once upon a time hijackers seemed more interested in the thrill than instilling fear. And one of them even became a kind of folk hero.

We’re continuing our conversation about Black Latter-day Saints and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ long-awaited decision to grant Black men the priesthood.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints granted Black men the priesthood in 1978. It reversed a practice that had lasted for more than a century.

This one’s going out to all the local green thumbs — the Utahns who want beautiful gardens that actually thrive in the West. Our guest says it’s totally possible.

Jeff Goodell knows a thing or two about the climate crisis. He’s been writing about it for years. But it didn’t become personal until the heat nearly killed him.

Alua Arthur’s life’s work is all about death. She’s a witness and shepherd to people who have reached the end of life. And she wants you to think about death too.

One of Utah’s many oddities is its state bird: the California Gull. But did you know that the humble gull is the hero in its own miracle tale?

Louisiana just passed a law that puts the Ten Commandments in public classrooms. That got us thinking: Where do the Ten Commandments really come from?

Sebastian Junger is no stranger to death. He covered the war in Afghanistan for years. But it was a medical emergency that brought him face to face with dying — and an afterlife.

When you think of the Grand Canyon, you probably think of rocks and, of course, the Colorado River. But in the summer of 1938, two women risked their lives to study another feature of the canyon: its plants.

Johann Hari spent a year on the weight-loss drug Ozempic, and it worked — better than he could’ve imagined. But the treatment left him deeply conflicted.

If you’ve ever wanted to share a room with two great actors talking about Shakespeare, here’s your chance — with Dame Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea.

The role that Samuel Adams played in fomenting the American Revolution once made him the most wanted man in the country.

If you’ve ever wanted to share a room with two great actors talking about Shakespeare, here’s your chance — with Dame Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea.

Almost 60 years ago, Salt Lake City’s Japantown was condemned to make way for the Salt Palace. Now, new plans for a big development have put what’s left of the Japanese American enclave in the crosshairs of urban development.

Writer Caroline Crampton survived cancer, but she still didn’t feel well. Instead, she was stuck with a persistent, anxious fear that the cancer would come back.

Life on earth is for the dogs. There’s too much regulation, too few resources and it’s burning up besides. Better to pack up and leave for Mars. Or is it?

With summer upon us, it’s time again for a “RadioWest” tradition — gathering our trio of local booksellers to get you set up with all their favorite reads for the season.

With summer upon us, it’s time again for a “RadioWest” tradition — gathering our trio of local booksellers to get you set up with all their favorite reads for the season.

Twins have captivated the human mind since ancient times. But often what’s imagined of them reveals more about everyone else than it does about real twin life.

Look into the eyes of an owl and what do you see? Is there any way to know what’s hidden behind those eyes? Thanks to new research, there might be.

The author Amanda Montell says magical thinking is everywhere. If you’ve ever wondered if you could manifest your way to wealth, this one’s for you.

Plans for a so-called “rejuvenation zone” in downtown Salt Lake City are quickly moving ahead, but there’s a lot we still don’t know.

This isn’t really an episode about a little-known Mormon writer from the 19th century: it’s an episode about the lifelong search to figure out what you believe.

Kevin Fedarko’s best friend said it would be easy: Hike from one end of the Grand Canyon to the other. He said it would be “a walk in the park.” It wasn’t.

In 1951, the U.S. government began test detonations of nuclear bombs in the Nevada desert. It wasn’t long before people started getting cancer.

Navied Mahdavian had always been a city guy. He had never fished, gardened, hiked, hunted or lived in a snowy place. Then he, his wife and dog moved from San Francisco to an off-the-grid cabin in rural Idaho.

Mary Beard is an expert on the Roman Empire, and her latest book is about the rulers who presided over it — 30 emperors in nearly three centuries.

On July 12, 1776, James Cook set sail aboard the HMS Resolution. It was Cook’s third voyage, and this time, he wouldn’t come home again.

Has America's gratuity culture reached a tipping point? With tip prompts popping up everywhere from butcher shops to airport kiosks, the social norms around tipping are more fraught than ever.

Scholars say the New Testament was authored by familiar names, like Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul. But they had important help: slave labor.

Utah’s Republican conventions have always been rancorous and incredibly contentious. But according to one longtime observer, this year’s meeting was as nasty as it’s ever been.

It’s official: Utah is getting a professional ice hockey team. But is this a hockey place?

Even if you aren’t afflicted by it, you probably know about obsessive compulsive disorder. But even if you have it, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of scrupulosity.

For the acclaimed writer and environmental activist Rick Bass, there are no hard lines between life, art and the natural world.

In 1888, the daily Salt Lake Herald-Republican reprinted a story from a Canadian paper. The headline? That a family of whales was flourishing in the Great Salt Lake.

If you live in the Salt Lake Valley, you know a thing or two about air pollution. There are days when you can see it. But if you live on the west side it’s even worse.

If you got a poet, a neuroscientist and a theoretical physicist together to talk about beauty, what would they possibly have to say to each other?

Hotshots are the hardened individuals who fight wildfires. Gabriel Mann’s new film gets viewers as close to the fire line as you can be without becoming a hotshot yourself.

The oceanographer Helen Czerski wants you to think of the ocean as a vast, planet-spanning engine. And what it drives is no less than life itself.

Ahead of the Salt Lake Film Society’s screening of the 1992 Clint Eastwood classic “Unforgiven,” we sit down to talk about this great Western.

A recent post on the LDS Church’s official Instagram page has racked up thousands of comments, many from women who see a vast gulf between how empowered the church says they are, and how empowered they actually feel.

Life on earth is for the dogs. There’s too much regulation, too few resources and it’s burning up besides. Better to pack up and leave for Mars. Or is it?

The scholar Marion Gibson is an expert on witches. Her latest book tells a centuries-long history through the stories of 13 witch trials.

Utah is suffering from megadroughts, a dying lake (or two) and a dwindling Colorado River. So, why, then, are we watering so much Kentucky bluegrass along the Wasatch Front?

Polyamory is having a bit of a moment right now. We wanted to learn more about the history of having more than one romantic partner.

UFOs undoubtedly exist. After all, people have been seeing inexplicable things in the skies for centuries. So, if the truth is out there, what does the government know about it?

In 2018, a group of inexperienced explorers — all women — set out on a journey that lots of people thought they couldn’t possibly finish: a trek to the North Pole.

According to one report, the LDS Church’s financial holdings are in the hundreds of billions of dollars. And that raises the question: When is a church less about spirit and more about profit?

Transporting oil out of the Uinta Basin isn’t easy. The place is remote and the roads aren’t great. But a Texas oil man named Jim Finley is trying to change all that.

There is a new format for the Utah Legislative session — start with the most controversial bills up top. However, now that we near the end of the session, important bills are still in flux.

Utah is one of only four states without a lottery. A longshot bill under consideration by the Utah State Legislature could potentially change that.

“There is pain here,” “But there is also a lot of nobility.” From the book “The Forbidden Memory” by Augusto Góngora.

“There is pain here,” “But there is also a lot of nobility.” From the book “The Forbidden Memory” by Augusto Góngora.

On September 19, 1961, Betty and Barney Hill claimed they were abducted by “beings that were somehow not human.”

Growing up in Northern Utah, the scholar Erin Stiles often heard stories from her Mormon friends about visits from spiritual beings. In a new book, she explores just how common these experiences happen to be.

If you were born in post-9/11 America, the idea of a plane getting hijacked is terrifying. But once upon a time hijackers seemed more interested in the thrill than instilling fear. And one of them even became a kind of folk hero.

A new plan to protect Great Salt Lake was recently released. This one has the endorsement of Utah’s most powerful political leaders. But does it have what it will take to save the lake?

Roads are such a common feature of the landscape that you can forget that they aren’t natural at all — that is, unless you’re an animal trying to cross one.

Lawmakers are rushing an anti-D.E.I. bill through the 2024 Utah Legislature.

In 2021, unmarked graves were discovered at several residential boarding schools in Canada. Then, investigations began.

Upstate New York, 1830: self-proclaimed prophets are creating new faiths. Joseph Smith was one such man, and it was his new religion that would endure.

The controversial bills — including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — will kick off the 2024 Utah Legislative Session.

A good swear is like a bomb, shocking and offensive to all in the blast-radius. Except for those times when swears don’t quite go off. So, what’s the difference?

Mary Beard is an expert on the Roman Empire, and her latest book is about the rulers who presided over it — 30 emperors in nearly three centuries.

In biological and medical research, the majority of studies that use mice are only using males. Why? Because female mammals’ estrous, or sexual, cycle means that their bodies are more “messy” than their male counterparts.

You’ll find plenty of lists of the best films of 2023 out there. But only ours includes the tenth installment of a notoriously grisly horror franchise.

For the new year, we’re sharing our conversation with psychologist Wendy Wood, who told us that changing habits and keeping goals isn’t about willpower — it’s about tapping into our unconscious selves.

Our planet is filled with sound — birdsong, music, speech. Even the earth itself makes noise. That sonic diversity is in danger.

If you’re into food writing or follow celebrity chefs, the chances are good that you've run across British food star Nigella Lawson. But how much do you actually know about her work?

A recent report from the Associated Press tells the story of Chelsea Goodrich, who alleges that her father, a former Mormon bishop, sexually abused her as a child. He’s since been excommunicated from the LDS Church, which sought to keep Goodrich’s allegations under wraps.

If you’re into food writing or follow celebrity chefs, the chances are good that you've run across British food star Nigella Lawson. But how much do you actually know about her work?

It’s our favorite time of year – when we indulge in gathering piles of books and gifting them to our family and friends.

Being featured in a documentary changes your life — and not just during the filming. Being a participant can often also mean public scrutiny, maybe trauma, for years and years.

In recent years, many Americans have cut carbs and sugar, reduced fat and tried every diet. Yet millions of us still have high blood pressure, are pre-diabetic and obese. Why?

With Ridley Scott’s film “Napoleon” in theaters, we’re talking today about the real "Petit Caporal," a normal man who lived a life that was anything but small.

In 1874, a farmer named Joseph Glidden patented what became known as “the perfect fence:” two wires lined with sharp, metal barbs.

When you think of the Grand Canyon, you probably think of rocks and, of course, the Colorado River. But in the summer of 1938, two women risked their lives to study another feature of the canyon: its plants.

For many of us, cooking is an annoying, boring chore. But the food writer Bee Wilson says there’s a simple secret to an easier life in the kitchen, and it begins with the person who cooks.

Miranda couldn’t wait to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She just didn’t know her weight would be a problem.

In 1951, the U.S. government began test detonations of nuclear bombs in the Nevada desert. It wasn’t long before people started getting cancer.

The race for Salt Lake City mayor comes down chiefly to two people, and both are, in a way, seeking re-election.

During the silent film era, women directed, wrote scripts and had a lot of say over how they were portrayed on screen. Fast forward a hundred years to the #metoo movement, and that dynamic has entirely changed.

The oceanographer Helen Czerski wants you to think of the ocean as a vast, planet-spanning engine. And what it drives is no less than life itself.

When Mitt Romney was 17 years old, he attended the 1964 Republican national convention with his dad, then-governor of Michigan. George Romney, disgusted by the extremes he saw in his party, delivered a scathing rebuke. Years later, his son found himself in a very similar situation.

Plan B Theatre and “RadioWest” are back with a new hour of live radio — and a live audience — with “Sherlock Holmes and the Final Problem.”

It’s through the senses of taste, sight, hearing, smell and touch that we perceive the world around us. But just how reliable, really, are those senses?

The Utah Department of Transportation received more than 35,000 comments about its plans to build a gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon. According to one count, more than 60% of commenters opposed the idea.

In 1740, the Wager set sail from England in search of Spanish treasure. Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

In 1973, moviegoers were seen fleeing from theaters. Some fainted; others threw up. That was the year that “The Exorcist” was released.

If you find yourself fixating on something you want but know you don’t need, it’s not your fault; it’s the “scarcity brain” at work.

In 2018, Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe, a transgender woman, ran for a city council seat in San Antonio, Texas — just as a flurry of anti-trans legislation was kicking up.

In July, Tim Ballard stepped down as CEO of Operation Underground Railroad, just as “Sound of Freedom,” the movie based on his work, was released. Since then, a series of strange stories about Ballard have emerged.

Wanna talk like a real Utahn? Well, pour yourself a glass of “melk” and head on up to the “ruf.” We’ve got some “explainin’” to do.

Navied Mahdavian had always been a city guy. He had never fished, gardened, hiked, hunted or lived in a snowy place. Then he, his wife and dog moved from San Francisco to an off-the-grid cabin in rural Idaho.

Thirty years ago, in September of 1993, six prominent intellectuals were disciplined and excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Between 1995 and 2001, Stéphane Breitweiser stole 239 works of art from more than 100 museums around Europe. He never sold a single one.

More than fifty years ago, there was a proposal to build a gondola from the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon to Snowbird Ski Resort. What if it was the right idea all along?

Here’s a way in to understanding what author Henry Grabar wants to tell you about parking: it’s one of the reasons we’ve got a housing crisis in America.

Look into the eyes of an owl and what do you see? Is there any way to know what’s hidden behind those eyes? Thanks to new research, there might be.

If each of us lives to be 80, we’ll have spent about four thousand weeks being alive on this planet — which isn’t really much time at all. So, how should we spend it?

American culture promotes a strong sense of individualism. But, what happens when individualism trumps community?

Clint Eastwood has been a constant in American cinema for more than 60 years. But if you think it’s all Westerns and machismo, you’d be wrong.

By now you’ve probably heard about the gondola, the one that’s slated to go up Little Cottonwood Canyon. It’s still decades away, but debate over the plan is holding steady at a fever pitch.

In 1888, the daily Salt Lake Herald-Republican reprinted a story from a Canadian paper. The headline? That a family of whales was flourishing in the Great Salt Lake.

In 2016, Utah Republicans declared pornography a public health crisis. But their resolution was merely a modern salvo in the ongoing pornography wars.

At the height of its power, the Ku Klux Klan was run by a depraved charlatan named D. C. Stephenson, until a woman's deathbed confession brought him down.

Religions and myths tell us of paradise — where there is no suffering and bliss abounds. But can a real paradise ever be reached or made?

In 2019, author and broadcaster Alvin Hall drove from Detroit to New Orleans, using the same guide that was used during the height of segregation, The Negro Motorist Green Book.

Filmmaker Sam Green is obsessed with sound. After you see his documentary, you might feel the same way.

The first known peace treaty was negotiated by Ramesses II, a pharaoh who came from a line of commoners and was the only Egyptian king known as “the Great.”

“Did Brigham Young order the Mountain Meadows Massacre?”

On September 11, 1857, a Mormon militia attacked a wagon train of California-bound emigrants. They killed more than a hundred men, women and children.

With the release of the new film, “The Sound of Freedom,” Operation Underground Railroad and its founder, Tim Ballard, are back in the news, so we are reposting our 2022 episode about the organization and the realities of child-sex-trafficking. This episode mentions an investigation into Operation Underground Railroad, which has since been dropped.

As the longtime editor of The New Yorker, David Remnick has profiled many of rock n’ roll and pop music’s greatest performers, often later in their lives.

On September 19, 1961, Betty and Barney Hill claimed they were abducted by “beings that were somehow not human.”

In 1740, the Wager set sail from England in search of Spanish treasure. Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

Even if you aren’t afflicted by it, you probably know about obsessive compulsive disorder. But even if you have it, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of scrupulosity.

After the birth of her son, documentary filmmaker Natalia Almada asked herself: Will technology be a better mother than me?

You know that feeling you get when you see something so incredible that it transcends understanding? That’s awe. But, really, what is awe?

Between 1995 and 2001, Stéphane Breitweiser stole 239 works of art from more than 100 museums around Europe. He never sold a single one.

The role that Samuel Adams played in fomenting the American Revolution once made him the most wanted man in the country.

What do you get when you mix conversations about burgers in Europe, debates about Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” plus lots of violence? A Tarantino movie.

An effort is underway to bring a Major League Baseball team to Utah. But what does it mean, and what does it take to make the jump to the big leagues?

Abraham Verghese’s new novel “The Covenant of Water” is already a critical sensation. We’re talking with him about writing it, as well as the intersection between art and medicine.

What do Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy” and “Elegy” by The Nice have in common? All are iconic albums — visually, as well as musically.

What do Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy” and “Elegy” by The Nice have in common? All are iconic albums — visually, as well as musically.

With summer here, it’s time once again to gather our trio of booksellers, who are full of good ideas about what to read poolside this year.

What do Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy” and “Elegy” by The Nice have in common? All are iconic albums — visually, as well as musically.

Today, we’re talking about the history of the LGBTQ+ experience in Utah. At the beginning of Utah’s statehood, it was common for people of the same gender to live together. Think of groups of women in polygamist households or scores of men living together on ranches. So, did anyone question these groups’ sexuality?

If you’ve been following the news, you’ll know that Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are currently burning. But this area of Canada, located just above the Northeastern U.S., is not one of North America’s hot, dry, fire prone areas.

The first known peace treaty was negotiated by Ramesses II, a pharaoh who came from a line of commoners and was the only Egyptian king known as “the Great”.

Armando Solorzano, a professor at the University of Utah, says the time has come for Latino-American Utahns to reclaim their history and regain a sense of belonging to this state.

In 2008, NPR Music created the Tiny Desk concerts — a video series of live concerts performed at the desk of “All Songs Considered” host Bob Boilen. What began as a simple and intimate performance has turned into somewhat of a “cult following.”

At the height of its power, the Ku Klux Klan was run by a depraved charlatan named D. C. Stephenson, until a woman's deathbed confession brought him down.

Plan-B Theatre and “RadioWest” are back with a new hour of live radio: a world premiere by Brandan Ngo, “The Case of the Missing Dog.”

On Tuesday, Heather Armstrong died by suicide after a lifetime struggle with depression.

43 years after his death, John Wayne is still among America’s most popular and revered movie stars. Today, we’re talking about his life, roles and legacy.

In 2016, Utah Republicans declared pornography a public health crisis. But their resolution was merely a modern salvo in the ongoing pornography wars.

Have you ever wondered what Hillary Clinton might’ve said if she’d become president? Actually, you can know — by reading her speech that was never delivered.

The trial of Lori Vallow Daybell is underway in Idaho and it is bringing attention to her “doomsday” religious beliefs. This week we are revisiting our conversation with the author Leah Sottile, who wrote about Daybell in her book: “When the Moon Turns to Blood”.

When A Martínez got his first job in public radio in 2012, he was already well into a very successful radio career. He also knew nothing about public radio or the public radio world. So, how did he end up here?

Wes Anderson’s films are among the most stylistically recognizable in American cinema. And “The Royal Tenenbaums” is among his most lauded.

Dan McClellan is a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who oversaw scripture translations at the Church for years. Dan Beecher is an ex-Mormon and an atheist. Together, they host a podcast about the Bible.

Is it okay to consume — even to love — the art created by people who’ve done terrible things? What are the ethics of making a choice like that?

It was spring of 1983, Utah skiers were happy, snowpack was at a record high and temperatures kept it there well into May. Until it didn’t. Sound familiar?

In 2019, “Atlantic” writer and editor John Hendrickson wrote a piece about then-presidential candidate Joe Biden’s struggle with stuttering. It forced Hendrickson to reconcile with his own stutter, too.

For nearly a century, the murder of 120 emigrants by Mormon militiamen at Mountain Meadows in early September, 1857, existed as little more than whispers around Utah. Then a rural housewife and writer named Juanita Brooks dared to tread where others had long feared to and write the first history of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Religions and myths tell us of paradise — where there is no suffering and bliss abounds. But can a real paradise ever be reached or made?

Out of the polluted skies over New Delhi, India, birds of prey known as Black kites fall to the ground. Two brothers care for and rehabilitate them.

We’ll forgive you for laughing at the headline of this episode. But the thing is, butts have a serious cultural history.

Last month, a Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) poll gauged the rising influence of Christian nationalism among religious Americans. Its findings were eye opening.

You know that feeling you get when you see something so incredible that it transcends understanding? That’s awe. But, really, what is awe?

On Wednesday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that it will donate a permanent yearly transfer of 20,000 acre feet of water to the Great Salt Lake.

Early this month, the Utah Legislature passed a bill that would make it legal to kill mountain lions year-round. All you’d need is a basic hunting license.

On Wednesday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that it will donate a permanent yearly transfer of 20,000 acre feet of water to the Great Salt Lake.

On Wednesday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that it will donate a permanent yearly transfer of 20,000 acre feet of water to the Great Salt Lake.

A report released earlier this year declared that, if it continues to dry up at its current rate, Great Salt Lake “as we know it will disappear in five years.” So, what can be done to prevent that?

37% of American fourth-graders read at “below basic” levels, which really means they can hardly read at all. A new film asks why.

The 2023 Utah Legislative Session concludes at midnight on March 3rd. We’re processing what lawmakers did—and didn’t—get done this time around.

Last week, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission issued a cease-and-desist to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with a $5 million fine.

The role that Samuel Adams played in fomenting the American Revolution once made him the most wanted man in the country.

In 2019, author Alvin Hall drove from Detroit to New Orleans, using the same guide that was used during the height of segregation, The Negro Motorist Green Book.

The rapid decline of Great Salt Lake has happened within easy eyesight of the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, leading some to ask what responsibility the church has to help.

Today, it’s received wisdom that screens ruined our ability to concentrate. But Medieval monks were obsessed with distraction, too — and the stakes were higher.

In 2019, The Atlantic published a story by John Hendrickson about Joe Biden’s struggle with stuttering. And it forced John to reconcile with his own stutter, too.

For thousands of years, women in China shared a secret language — a code only women could read, that bonded them together in solidarity and sisterhood.

A true multi-hyphenate, writer-director-actor Lake Bell is obsessed with how we sound. Her new audiobook celebrates that “least-appreciated” trait: our voices.