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After losing his mother to an overdose, musician Billy Strings plays to honor her

NPR | By Sam Briger

Published September 25, 2026 at 12:39 PM CDT

Strings says his guitar has been his best friend for as long as he can remember. He has a new album, So Much for Goodbyes, inspired by his mom. Originally broadcast Sept. 8, 2025.

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Fresh Air

Sam Briger

'The Disappearers' is a fiercely personal novel that hits like a tidal wave

John Powers

Marlon James' new novel chronicles the events surrounding a vicious anti-gay attack in Jamaica in the late 1980s. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, The Disappearers churns with passion and ideas.
NPR News

'Bad Boy For Life' investigates the culture that enabled Sean Combs' alleged abuse

Tonya Mosley

Rolling Stone reporter Cheyenne Roundtree says rumors of abuse followed the media mogul for years. Her book examines how Combs remained so powerful, despite decades of warning signs and allegations.
NPR News

Mahershala Ali stars as a devout father of three, making ends meet as a hitman

Justin Chang

It's not easy, killing people and raising a family. The new action-thriller Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother reaffirms the power of faith — and delights in outrageous juxtapositions.
From cybersecurity to AI to Taiwan, what's at stake in Trump's summit with Xi

Terry Gross

As President Trump and China's President Xi prepare to meet, Rush Doshi of the Council on Foreign Relations explains the current state of U.S.-China relations and what to expect from this summit.
Inside a 'modern slavery situation' where cyber scammers are victims themselves

Terry Gross

Wired's Andy Greenberg explains how a cybercrime operation in Southeast Asia trapped computer engineers into defrauding victims of billions of dollars. Plus, he discusses the scam involving Fresh Air.