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99% Invisible

99% Invisible

Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we've just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture. From award winning producer Roman Mars. Learn more at 99percentinvisible.org.

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Episodes

100 Objects #15: Bundy Clock

In 1888, Willard Bundy created the first employee "time clock" ? essentially a souped-up grandfather clock that could, for the first time, produce an accurate record of when workers arrived and left. Though Bundy?s aim was simple, his invention soon sparked a change in American life far broader than he intended. Roman Mars and reporter Ellie Lightfoot trace how the time clock not only ignited a revolution in workplace efficiency and surveillance, but transformed our relationship to time itself.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-08-28
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Spolia

Spolia, from a Liverpool neighborhood to ancient Rome.

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2026-08-25
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100 Objects #14: Basketball Sleeve

Producer and reporter Ramtin Arablouei (co-creator of the NPR show, Throughline) has a simple question: why are so many NBA players wearing a compression sleeve on their arm? It seems like everyone has one. Do they all have elbow issues? The answer is really the story of Allen Iverson, an underdog player who went from a prison cell to international fame in just a few years. And through the story of him and his sleeve, you can see the whole history of basketball?s relationship with race, with respectability politics, and who gets to look like what on the court.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-08-21
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The Bone Wars

Two rival paleontologists turn a hunt for dinosaur bones into an all-out scientific war.

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2026-08-18
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100 Objects #13: The Sand Letters

This episode is sponsored by Claude. For problems worth solving, get started with Claude at Claude.ai.

On his deathbed, President Chester Arthur ordered that all of his personal and professional papers be burned. Three barrels of documents went up in flames. But 23 letters survived, initialed only "J.I.S." Comedian Elliott Kalan joins Roman Mars to tell the story of how a politician who owed so much to a corrupt government system became the one to dismantle it, thanks to one woman: Julia Isabella Sand. It?s the story of how a woman no one had ever heard of helped transform a president few remember, and in the process created the American government as we know it.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-08-14
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Bamboo Is Innocent

A devastating fire put one of Hong Kong's oldest building traditions on trial, but the real story runs much deeper.

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2026-08-11
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100 Objects #12: "Negro Cloth"

In 1821, two Rhode Island brothers went looking for buyers for their woolen fabric, and stumbled into a lucrative, captive market: Southern slave plantations. Roman Mars and historian Seth Rockman trace the strange life of so-called "Negro cloth" ? a textile category defined by nothing but who it was worn by. Along the way, they uncover how enslaved people shaped the very cloth used to control them, and how New England manufacturers convinced themselves they were the good guys.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-08-07
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The Borrowed Nature of Biomimicry

Behind every perfect nature-inspired design is a far more complicated story.

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2026-08-04
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100 Objects #11: Brannock Device

In 1925, the world saw the birth of what just might be the greatest gadget in American History: the Brannock Device. The metal contraption transformed the way we measure feet forever, and more than a century after its invention?it has barely changed. Roman Mars and journalist Paul Lukas trace the life of the Brannock Device, from its role outfitting WWII sailors to its surprising endurance into the modern era, even as the entire world changed around it.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-07-31
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The Finnish Baby Box

A simple cardboard box helped transform Finland into one of the best places in the world to raise a child.

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2026-07-28
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100 Objects #10: Nunchaku

In the early 1970s, Bruce Lee made nunchaku (nunchucks) cool ? kids were building their own and buying them in record numbers. But the nunchucks craze coincided with something much bigger: the birth of a radical new Asian American identity. Roman Mars and historian Jeff Chang trace how nunchucks went from ancient weapon to symbol of resistance ? not only uniting Asian Americans in the fight for their own rights, but connecting them to every other group pushing back from the margins.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-07-24
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The Original 100 Objects

Neil MacGregor reflects on creating the landmark series that changed how people think about history. Then, revisit the Rosetta Stone, the artifact that unlocked ancient Egypt.

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2026-07-21
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100 Objects #9: Missing Children Milk Carton

In 1982, a twelve-year-old paperboy, Johnny Gosch, vanished from a quiet Iowa street and sparked an unlikely campaign: the faces of missing children printed on milk cartons by the billions. Roman Mars and Annie Brown trace how a regional dairy campaign exploded into a national symbol ? and how the ?stranger danger? fears it stoked shaped American misconceptions about child safety that still echo today.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-07-17
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If Mosquito Hawks Can Fly

A Louisiana man born into slavery designs an airship with hopes to take flight. Those plans are interrupted, but maybe not forever.

Listen to Family Lore wherever you get your podcasts.

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2026-07-14
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100 Objects #8: Billy Possum

In 1902, an American classic was born: the teddy bear. Named after President Theodore Roosevelt, the toy became a huge hit, and sparked an idea?maybe every president from then on should have their own viral stuffed animal. Jon Mooallem tells the story of the ill-fated billy possum, and how our fickle feelings about animals have shaped the history?and perhaps the future?of our relationship with the natural world.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-07-10
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The Score

We keep score of everything these days. But what happens when the numbers start changing what we actually care about?

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2026-07-07
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100 Objects #7: The Otis Pamphlet

Before the Declaration of Independence was even a twinkle in the founding fathers' eyes, there was James Otis. Journalist Jack Hitt returns to tell the wild, tragic story of America?s forgotten proto-founding father and his inflammatory 1764 pamphlet. A story that is, in many ways, the story of the founding document of the United States of America.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-07-03
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Transatlantic Fiber-Optic Expialidocious

Before the internet went global, one undersea gamble made it possible. 

Jane Ruffino?s story, "Say Goodbye to the Undersea Cable That Made the Global Internet Possible," appears in the May-June issue of Wired magazine.

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2026-06-30
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100 Objects #6: "Sharpened Screwdriver"

In this episode, Roman and historians Heather Ann Thompson and Elliot Williams tell the story of the sharpened screwdriver: the object at the heart of the 1984 Bernhard Goetz subway shooting. In a difficult moment in New York City, four Black teenagers were transformed in the public imagination into armed criminals. What follows is a gripping account of how misinformation takes hold, how fear shapes public opinion, and how one narrative can ripple outward ? echoing through decades of similar cases that continue to unfold today.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-06-26
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The Most Exciting Change America Has Ever Seen

Billions of state quarters disappeared from circulation...and that was exactly the plan.

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2026-06-23
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100 Objects #5: Blue Back Speller

In this episode, Roman and historian Imani Perry follow the Webster Blue Back Speller from the early days of the United States, to the heart of Black intellectual life. Through the lives of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, Roman and Imani uncover how a single object became a gateway to literacy, self-determination, and an enduring debate about what education, citizenship, and freedom should mean in America.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-06-19
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The Horn That Divided the World Cup

Love it or hate it, one buzzing horn changed the sound of the World Cup forever.

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2026-06-16
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100 Objects #4: Lowe's Gas Bag

In 1861, one man and a ?gas bag? filled with hydrogen sparked America's obsession with going higher, farther, into the unknown. In this episode, Roman and journalist Jack Hitt tell the story of Thaddeus Lowe ? showman, scientist, and dreamer ? whose balloon flight from Cincinnati went wildly off course and straight into the Civil War. Lowe pivoted to create the US military's first aerial reconnaissance unit, a precursor to the Air Force, and today his legacy spans generations? stretching all the way to the dark side of the moon.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-06-12
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Karaoke Videos

Behind every cheesy karaoke track was a surprisingly ambitious filmmaking experiment.

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2026-06-09
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100 Objects #3: The Pension Files

What do Civil War pension files reveal about one of history's most successful slave rebellions? Historian Edda Fields-Black joins Roman to trace a story of fire, flight, and freedom ? beginning on a South Carolina rice plantation in 1863, where a Union raid liberated over 700 people in a single night. By unearthing Black soldiers' testimonies buried in military pension applications, they resurrect not just the raid, but the lives and communities it transformed.

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2026-06-05
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The MAPL Test

Canada reshaped its music industry with a quirky radio rule that changed who got heard.

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2026-06-02
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100 Objects #2: 60-Degree Screw

In the early 20th century, nothing quite fit ? fire hoses couldn't connect to one another, football teams played with different balls, traffic lights meant different things in different states. Then World War II exposed the deadly cost of incompatibility, and the US quietly imposed a single solution on production lines across the world: the 60-degree screw. Roman Mars and historian Daniel Immerwahr tell the story of a hidden industrial empire, built one standard at a time.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-05-29
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Drug Story: Ivermectin

What started as a revolutionary treatment for river blindness became something far messier.

Listen to Drug Story wherever you get your podcasts!

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2026-05-26
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100 Objects #1: The Century Safe

In 1876, Americans filled an iron safe with objects meant to tell their story ? to be opened a century later. Roman Mars and historian Jill Lepore trace its long wait, from Reconstruction to Watergate, and the surprising, unsettling contents that emerged in 1976. What do the objects we choose to preserve ? or forget ? reveal about how we author our own history?

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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2026-05-19
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Ask Your Doctor About

As wild and random as they might seem, a lot of work?and even poetry?goes into coming up with today's catchiest, most unforgettable drug names.

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2026-05-12
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A History of the United States in 100 Objects Trailer

America?s 250th birthday calls for a history as sprawling and contradictory as the country itself. 

A History of the United States in 100 Objects ? hosted by Roman Mars and produced by BBC Studios and 99% Invisible ? tells that history one thing at a time. A gold coin from an 1857 shipwreck that triggered a financial panic. An antebellum schoolbook that became an instrument of Black liberation. A ceramic dalmatian from the set of Wheel of Fortune. Or a tiny screw that shows how the US created a hidden industrial empire.

Each week, an object opens the door into an extraordinary, often shocking story ? about who we?ve been, what we?ve built, and what we?ve allowed ourselves to forget. Some of these objects are well-known. Many are not. But all of them carry the story of how we got to this moment. This is not one narrative. It?s a hundred of them ? forming a kaleidoscope that reveals a country stranger and more fascinating than any single telling could capture.

Launching May 19, 2026, wherever you listen to 99% Invisible.

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2026-05-08
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Enshittification

Why is it suddenly so hard to fix the stuff we depend on most?

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2026-05-05
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Citizen of the World

One man rejected nationality and dared the world to recognize him anyway.

Listen to Far From Home wherever you get your podcasts.

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2026-04-28
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Constitution Breakdown #9: Alondra Nelson

This is the ninth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution.

This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article VI and VII, which include some odds and ends like the Debts Clause, the No Religious Test Clause, and the process for ratification. But tucked into Article VI is the all-important Supremacy Clause, which states that the Constitution is the ?supreme Law of the Land,? and is probably the most frequently used constitutional law in practice.

Roman and Elizabeth are also joined by Dr. Alondra Nelson, a leading expert on AI. She discusses why AI is a challenge to regulate, what to think of the tug of war between the states and the federal government on the topic, and whether she?s optimistic governments will figure this out.

The 99% Invisible Breakdown of the Constitution

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2026-04-24
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Co-op City

The world?s largest housing co-op?built to save New York City?s middle class?became the unlikely site of a resident revolt

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2026-04-21
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RoboUmp Hits the Big Leagues

One study from 2018 found that Major League Baseball umpires blow about 14 calls every game. That?s 34,000 bad calls every year. And it makes a difference. A blown strike call can decide a win or a loss, a championship or six months at home, wondering what could have been. And while umpires are about 97% accurate in calling balls and strikes, Major League Baseball has been considering something drastic. Something to take us up to 100% accuracy. They have a plan to replace human umpires with robots. Now, with an update!

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2026-04-14
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Service Request #5: Dude, Where's My Car?

A missing car reveals the confusing rules, murky fees, and private actors behind modern towing.

What infrastructure mystery keeps you up at night? Submit your Service Request by recording a voice memo with your question and emailing it to [email protected].

Service Request is a production of 99% Invisible and Campside Media.

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2026-04-07
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Service Request #4: How Does the Grid in Phoenix Work?

In a place where losing power can turn deadly, keeping the lights on is a high-stakes balancing act.

What infrastructure mystery keeps you up at night? Submit your Service Request by recording a voice memo with your question and emailing it to [email protected].

Service Request is a production of 99% Invisible and Campside Media.

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2026-04-03
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Service Request #3: Why Is There So Much Litter in San Francisco?

Why did it take nearly a decade to redesign a city trash can, and why haven't more bins made the streets cleaner?

What infrastructure mystery keeps you up at night? Submit your Service Request by recording a voice memo with your question and emailing it to [email protected].

Service Request is a production of 99% Invisible and Campside Media.

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2026-03-31
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Constitution Breakdown #8: Jill Lepore

This is the eighth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution.

This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article V, which lays out the process to amend the Constitution.

Then, Jill Lepore lays out her thesis that the Constitution is truly meant to be amended, explains why Article V amendments have become functionally impossible, and tells some fascinating stories about the people who have championed amendments.

The 99% Invisible Breakdown of the Constitution

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2026-03-27
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Service Request #2: Why Is This Red Light So Damn Long?

What the world's most advanced traffic system can?and can't?do for the city that invented gridlock.

What infrastructure mystery keeps you up at night? Submit your Service Request by recording a voice memo with your question and emailing it to [email protected].

Service Request is a production of 99% Invisible and Campside Media.

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2026-03-24
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Service Request #1: What Happens When I Call 311?

The surprising power of a simple phone number to connect a community.

What infrastructure mystery keeps you up at night? Submit your Service Request by recording a voice memo with your question and emailing it to [email protected].

Service Request is a production of 99% Invisible and Campside Media.

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2026-03-17
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A Man, a Plan, a Canal?Mars!

How one wealthy, amateur astronomer convinced the world Martians were real.

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2026-03-10
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Where the F*** Are We?

For centuries, the world's greatest minds were stumped by the deadly mystery of longitude, until an obsessive underdog entered the fray and changed navigation forever.

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2026-03-03
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Constitution Breakdown #7: California AG Rob Bonta

This is the seventh episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution.

This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article IV, which outlines the relationship between states and between states and the federal government. They add the 10th Amendment to the conversation, because that also talks about the states.

Then, California Attorney General Rob Bonta joins to talk about how his office is using Article IV and the 10th Amendment to protect the state from federal overreach.

The 99% Invisible Breakdown of the Constitution

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2026-02-27
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The Longest Fence in the World

How a fence meant to protect sheep transformed the entire Australian landscape.

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2026-02-24
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Molar City

How a small Mexican border town transformed itself into the dental tourism capital of the world, where dental care costs up to 80% less than what it might cost in the United States.

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2026-02-17
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Artistic License Redux

Idaho was the first state to slap a slogan on a license plate, ?Idaho Potatoes,? which may not seem like a big deal, but it turns out this idea would end up having outsized consequences, and not just for Idaho. Because what started in one state would soon spread. And when it did, the question of what should go on a license plate, and what shouldn't, would prove surprisingly contentious.

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2026-02-10
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The Em Dash

The strange history of a punctuation mark that makes writing feel human, and why people now think it proves the opposite.

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2026-02-03
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Constitution Breakdown #6: Adam Liptak

This is the sixth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution.

This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article III, which establishes the judicial branch, alongside New York Times chief legal affairs correspondent, Adam Liptak.

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2026-01-30
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