WPRB Princeton 103.3 FM

News and Culture embraces the journalistic love of gossip – with stories of and about the habit. Natalia Maidique and Navani Rachamallu speak to bartenders about the ways gossip shapes their job. Sophie Leheny and Synai Ferrell learn about the anthropological bases of gossip. And Clara McWeeny, Izzy Jacobson, and Helen Heuer explore some real-world gossip from listeners like you.

News and Culture takes a trip to the cinema to denounce the myth that movie theaters have died. First up, Navani Rachumallu and Sophie Leheny explore the intricacies of the Princeton Garden Theatre and its success as a nonprofit cinema. Then, Tommy Goulding looks at the trailer for the new film Napoleon and questions why it's gotten history buffs so hot and bothered. And in a story from our archives, Adam Sanders speaks to researcher Adam Golub about the nature of twins in horror film.

News and Culture tackles stories of domestic effort and labor – and explores the ways these oft-pigeonholed talents and works are evolving in our changing world. Adam Sanders heads to the garden, and learns about the seeds at the forefront of the new agricultural revolution. Mollika Jai Singh speaks to Lena Hoplamazian about her wild sewing and designing adventures, from tailoring clothes for her sibling to creating a condom dress. Alan Plotz explores ideas of domestic work around New Jersey at the Princeton Student Laundry Agency and reflects on the NJ Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. And we head to the rubbish bin with a story from our Archives – Oliver Whang learns about where our trash goes, and the aesthetic value of the junkyard.

On 11/11, News and Culture thinks about moments in our day: commutes, routines, junction points, stories from years past and new stories alike. From the archives, Elizabeth Shwe interviews an EMT about a day in the life - saving lives. Henry Moses and Luke Carroll bring us a new story of people at a junction, literally, speaking to folks in the midst of their commutes during rush hour at the Princeton Junction NJ Transit station. We return to the archives to hear a story from Hope Perry, about the path books take in Princeton University's massive Firestone Library, from the circulation desk all the way home. And finally, Anna Hiltner speaks to a farmer at the junction between spirituality and agriculture. The key word? Biodynamics.

Produced and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Elizabeth Shwe, Henry Moses, Luke Carroll, Hope Perry, Anna Hiltner, Oliver Whang, and Adam Sanders.

Theme song: “Montanita” by Ratatat.

Included music all under Creative Commons license.

Halloween special!

News and Culture dedicates this Very Special Episode® to those in our community who strive to make it a better place for everyone involved – in the radically freeform way we know how.

Ashley Olenkiewicz and Julian Hartman-Sigall explore the mechanics of a congressional campaign in Pennsylvania's competitive 1st District, just across the Delaware River from Princeton. Clara McWeeny and Izzy Jacobson speak to Naomi Hess, a 2022 Princeton graduate who has spent her life fighting for disability rights, at home, at school, and in Washington. Lia Opperman and Mira Ho-Chen talk with Udi Ofer, former director of the New Jersey ACLU and current Princeton visiting professor about strategies of organizing, the fight against mass incarceration, and the state of cannabis justice in this community. And Adam Sanders learns about the growing trend of "mutual aid" networks working to make stronger community support systems – including one in our own backyard.

Produced and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Ashley Olenkiewicz, Julian Hartman-Sigall, Clara McWeeny, Izzy Jacobson, Lia Opperman, Mira Ho-Chen, and Adam Sanders.

Theme song: "Montanita" by Ratatat.

Included music all under Creative Commons license: "My Dear Commissar" by Heifervescent, "Welcome River" by the IMLC, and "Good Mood" by Manuzik.

News and Culture continues its second Fall season by pointing the microphone not at a genesis or an ending, but rather at three stories in the middle of their journeys of transformation. Abani Ahmed and Daniel Yeo speak to the developers and planners seeking to revitalize Trenton, New Jersey's capital city. Natalia Maidique and Navani Rachamallu explore the comeback of vinyl record culture in recent years – from the perspectives of both the music team here at WPRB and the iconic Princeton Record Exchange. And Claire Kaneshiro learns about the experiences of those who identify as “born-again” Christians – and discovers a new perspective on self-transformation.

Directed and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Abani Ahmed, Daniel Yeo, Natalia Maidique, Navani Rachamallu, Claire Kaneshiro, and Adam Sanders.

News and Culture returns for the Fall season with four stories on beginnings – starts informed by faith, technology, crisis, and community.

Charlie Nuermberger and Henry Moses speak to art critic and writer Dean Kissick about the rise of AI-generated art, and what this new path could mean for artistry and creation in the digital age. Clara McWeeny and Izzy Jacobson explore how activism for reproductive rights has resurged since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and speak to those demonstrating for their bodily autonomy. Alan Plotz and Clara McWeeny learn more about the value of canvassing as a new election season begins – and the risks, benefits, and lessons of a campaign. And Adam Sanders speaks to religious leaders about the modern-day culture of cynicism we see all around us – and ask how we can change the narrative to find meaning and drive in our journey to improve the world.

** For more information about the AI image generation, visit https://discord.com/invite/midjourney.

Reported, recorded, and produced by Charlie Nuermberger, Henry Moses, Clara McWeeny, Izzy Jacobson, Alan Plotz, and Adam Sanders. Directed and hosted by Adam Sanders.

In our last Summer Dispatch, we celebrate the end of our radically-freeform summer by tying up some loose ends. Charlie Nuermberger finishes his exploration of an abandoned mansion in western Maryland, purportedly home to an infant poltergeist. Hannah Lee explores what makes a great summer read. And Tommy Goulding muses on melancholic wanderings in the streets of Nuremberg.

This episode was directed and hosted by Adam Sanders. Reported, recorded, and produced by Charlie Nuermberger, Hannah Lee, and Tommy Goulding.