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NPR's home for audio documentaries brings untold stories to light through deeply reported narrative series. We go to hidden corners of the headlines to explore what's been sealed off, undisclosed, or overlooked – and the people at the heart of those stories. Support public media by joining NPR+ a

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New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 37 min
Latest: 8 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026 · 35 min

Where is Austin Tice?: Those who know

Josh and Austin’s mother Debra arrive in Beirut chasing the same man — someone who may hold the key to Austin’s fate. But he is not the only one who knows something, there are others. As Josh and Sara close in, competing accounts begin to emerge: stories of detention, death, survival and betrayal. Some may be telling the truth, others may be trying to bury it. But if anyone knows what really happened to Austin Tice, it is these men. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S28 · E7 · 29 Sep 2026 · 37 min
Where is Austin Tice?: The escape
When was the last time Austin was seen alive? Josh and Sara find the people who claim to know. Josh meets a man who says he interrogated Austin. Then two more witnesses are found. Each of them helps fill gaps in Austin’s story, and the hidden months of his captivity are revealed. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary between seasons). Learn more at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to…
S28 · E6 · 24 Sep 2026 · 40 min
Where is Austin Tice?: A meeting in Muskat
Josh uncovers a hidden world of secret negotiations, backchannels, and high-level talks. And, after years of failed promises, Austin’s mother Debra decides to go to Syria herself - alone. She believes the U.S. government could have done more to get her son home. Josh finds the men who took part in covert talks between Washington and Damascus. Could Austin’s release have been possible? And what was Syria offered in return? Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary between…
S28 · E5 · 22 Sep 2026 · 31 min
Where is Austin Tice?: The video
A video appears online titled: “Austin Tice Still Alive”. It shows Austin bound, blindfolded and terrified, surrounded by armed men. But as Josh and Sara dig deeper, the story begins to change. They uncover a trail that leads to the door of the most powerful man in Syria. Austin’s case is like no other. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary between seasons). Learn more at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data…
S28 · E4 · 17 Sep 2026 · 42 min
Where is Austin Tice?: The driver
Josh and Sara piece together Austin’s final route into Damascus. They find the farm, where he celebrated his 31st birthday — the last place his mother spoke to him. Then comes an unprecedented discovery. For years, the story was that Austin was taken at a checkpoint. But what Josh and Sara uncover suggests something far more deliberate. And at the center of Austin’s disappearance is one man. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary between seasons). Learn more at…
S28 · E3 · 15 Sep 2026 · 31 min
Where is Austin Tice?: The American journalist
The Austin Tice files begin to give up their secrets. Josh and Sara uncover names, locations and new leads about what happened to Austin Tice. But to understand them, they have to go back to the start - to Austin’s own journey through Syria, the rebels he befriended, and the road he took before he vanished. That road leads to a town outside Damascus - and a shocking discovery. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary between seasons). Learn more at plus.npr.org . See…
S28 · E2 · 10 Sep 2026 · 41 min
Where is Austin Tice?: A black box
In the chaos after the Syrian regime’s downfall, the hunt for Austin Tice is on. Josh Baker and his fellow investigative journalist Sara Obeidat are in Damascus as bombs fall and gunfights break out. Armed with a list of locations where Austin may have been held, they race across the Syrian capital searching for any sign of him. They find horrifying evidence of detention and torture on an industrial scale. Then, after climbing across a five-storey drop to reach a hidden room, they get a breakthrough — a trove of material about Austin that was never meant to be found. Support public media…
S28 · E1 · 8 Sep 2026 · 33 min
Where is Austin Tice?: We believe he’s alive
American journalist Austin Tice has been missing in Syria for more than a decade. Nobody knows what happened to him. Austin’s mother and even the president of the United States believe he is still alive. Then suddenly, the Syrian regime falls. As Josh Baker travels to try to find him, a source gives him secret information that might unlock where he is — and a simple instruction: “Find Austin.” Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary bit between seasons). Learn more at…
S28 · 1 Sep 2026 · 2 min
Introducing “Where is Austin Tice?” from NPR and the BBC
This is the story of one of the biggest missing-person cases of our time. It’s been more than fourteen years since American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria. There have been many stories about what happened to him. His disappearance has reached the highest levels of power and yet, so little is actually known. BBC’s award winning investigative journalist Josh Baker returns for his most ambitious chapter yet, in a major new series from BBC Radio 4 and NPR’s Embedded . Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include early…
S27 · E8 · 30 Jul 2026 · 48 min
We Keep Us Safe: Circles of Silence
EPISODE 8: As the lawsuit over Antonio Mays Jr.’s death goes to trial, more clues bring us closer to identifying the person who shot him at close range. Will Antonio’s father finally get answers, and will anyone be held accountable? Support journalism like this by signing up for NPR+ at plus.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S27 · E7 · 16 Jul 2026 · 41 min
We Keep Us Safe: The Sentinels
EPISODE 7: The hunt for Antonio’s killer leads us to a mysterious security group called the Sentinels. For the first time, former members speak about their operation at CHOP and describe the person they say shot Antonio at close range. Support journalism like this by signing up for NPR+ at plus.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S27 · E6 · 16 Jul 2026 · 36 min
We Keep Us Safe: Inside the White Jeep
EPISODE 6: An interview with a protester who witnessed the aftermath of the shooting leads to a tip that changes the entire investigation. Support journalism like this by signing up for NPR+ at plus.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S27 · E5 · 9 Jul 2026 · 37 min
We Keep Us Safe: The Chase
EPISODE 5: What really happened the night Antonio Mays Jr. was killed? Protesters claim he was attacking CHOP and they had to defend themselves. But new evidence from that night turns everything we thought we knew about the shooting upside down. Support journalism like this by signing up for NPR+ at plus.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S27 · E4 · 2 Jul 2026 · 39 min
We Keep Us Safe: Pocket’s World
EPISODE 4: Who was Antonio Mays Jr.? What was he up to at CHOP? A deep dive into Antonio’s last few weeks leads to perplexing rumors, new details about the night he was killed and conversations with the people whose lives were changed by his death. Support journalism like this by signing up for NPR+ at plus.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S27 · E3 · 25 Jun 2026 · 35 min
We Keep Us Safe: This Ain’t Coachella
EPISODE 3: After police retreat from their precinct, protesters begin occupying roughly eight blocks of Seattle. It's their attempt at a police-free world. But as rumors spread, fear and paranoia take over, setting a dangerous stage for Antonio Mays Jr.'s arrival. Support journalism like this by signing up for NPR+ at plus.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S27 · E2 · 18 Jun 2026 · 39 min
We Keep Us Safe: The Standoff
EPISODE 2: In the summer of 2020, protests are happening all across the country. But Seattle is different. A confrontation between protestors and police outside a precinct leads to the birth of CHOP. A thousand miles away, Antonio Mays Jr. hears about what’s happening in Seattle. He was shot and killed there three weeks later. Support journalism like this by signing up for NPR+ at plus.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S27 · E1 · 11 Jun 2026 · 35 min
We Keep Us Safe: Who Killed Antonio Mays Jr.?
EPISODE 1: When 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. was shot and killed inside Seattle's CHOP protest zone in 2020, protesters claimed self-defense. For years, that version of events went unchallenged. Reporters Sydney Brownstone, Will James and David Gutman investigate what really happened the night Antonio died. Support journalism like this by signing up for NPR+ at plus.npr.org See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S27 · 4 Jun 2026 · 3 min
Introducing "We Keep Us Safe" from NPR, KUOW and The Seattle Times
In the summer of 2020, sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled a thousand miles to join the racial justice movement of his generation. He arrived in Seattle during the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, known as CHOP. Less than a week later, he was shot and killed there. The case remains unsolved. In this eight-part series, hosts Sydney Brownstone of The Seattle Times and Will James of KUOW team up with NPR’s Embedded to investigate Antonio’s death. Alongside reporter David Gutman, they track down key figures and eyewitnesses from the night of the shooting and surface crucial evidence that…
S26 · E4 · 21 May 2026 · 57 min
The Girls: “This is my story to tell”
Alleged victims of the Stoners find each other online and band together to demand justice. But they run up against police and prosecutors who have different ideas than they do about the best path to accountability. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S26 · E3 · 21 May 2026 · 48 min
The Girls: “If it was your daughter”
17-year-old Aryalle Stoner runs away from home and tells the police that her father, Ronnie Stoner, has been sexually abusing her for years. The cursory investigation that follows is representative of a larger issue with child sex abuse investigations in Louisville. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S26 · E2 · 14 May 2026 · 44 min
The Girls: “This isn’t ringing alarms to y’all?”
Allegations pile up, but Child Protective Services declines to investigate and the school district continues to promote Ronnie Stoner. We include an update at the end of the episode. “The Girls” is a 4-part series from the Louisville Public Media’s investigative podcast, Dig . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S26 · E1 · 14 May 2026 · 34 min
The Girls: “I need to tell you something”
In 2023, 17-year-old Abbie Jones and her family accuse her high school football coach, Donnie Stoner, of child sex abuse. Another Louisville woman, Alexis Crook, says she was abused by Donnie too, and his twin brother Ronnie, when they were coaches at her private Christian school almost 20 years earlier. Reporter Jess Clark looks at how the school system and local government responded to these accusations so many years apart. “The Girls” is a 4-part series from the Louisville Public Media’s investigative podcast, Dig . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of…
S24 · E4 · 7 May 2026 · 4 min
The Network: Pivoting as mifepristone access shifts
After next Monday, doctors may not be able to mail people the abortion pill Mifepristone. That would increase barriers, but experts say it won't stop people's ability to get the pills in the mail. Getting abortion pills without a doctor’s oversight isn’t new—in fact its history begins nearly 50 years ago, in Brazil. Listen to "The Network," Season 24 of NPR's Embedded , about how a loosely connected movement has been helping people access the pills this way for decades: Episode 1: lnk.to/phh5a9 Episode 2: lnk.to/Bw6QHD Episode 3: lnk.to/MHSBG1 See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our…
S23 · E5 · 23 Dec 2025 · 31 min
Alternate Realities: Double or Nothing
As soon as Alternate Realities publishes, Zach Mack calls his dad to hear his reactions to the series. The conversation takes an unexpected turn, launching them into another year-long experiment. To listen to this series sponsor-free and support NPR, sign up for Embedded+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S25 · E3 · 1 Dec 2025 · 50 min
The Harvard Plan: The Endless Frontier
Universities were not always so vulnerable to the whims of politics. The whole system of taxpayer-funded, university-led scientific research came about at the end of World War II, and was the brainchild of a man named Vannevar Bush. He felt the partnership of government and academics had to be equal in order to yield breakthroughs. Today, the Trump administration is proposing a new “compact” that would make the President the dominant partner. We speak with one of the authors of the Trump compact, May Mailman. Find On the Media every week, here:…
S25 · E2 · 24 Nov 2025 · 51 min
The Harvard Plan: Jay & Alan
Harvard president Alan Garber and National Institutes of Health head Jay Bhattacharya are two main characters at the heart of the national fight over the future of academia. Alan Garber has been cast as the defender of academic freedom and democracy; Jay Bhattacharya is Donald Trump’s pick to lead the NIH, the agency withholding billions of dollars in research grants from Harvard. Oddly enough, the two men go way back: Garber was Bhattacharya’s undergraduate thesis advisor and mentor in the late 1980s. This episode tells the story of how the two men found themselves adversaries — and what it…
S25 · E1 · 17 Nov 2025 · 47 min
The Harvard Plan: And so it begins…
The Harvard Plan, a collaboration between On the Media and The Boston Globe, is about the fight for the soul of America’s oldest and most prestigious university. In the new season, they explore what has unfolded at Harvard since Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2025. Three main characters, inside Harvard, tell the story from their perspective: politics professor Ryan Enos, genetics professor and cancer researcher Kamila Naxerova and campus conservative Kit Parker, lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve and Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics. Find more On the Media…
S23 · E4 · 9 Oct 2025 · 2 min
Alternate Realities: A Question for Listeners
After we released Alternate Realities , hundreds of listeners reached out, sharing stories about friends and family members who had also fallen under the spell of conspiracy theories. Many of them had tried everything they could think of to get that person back... and failed. Has anyone had success with this? If you or anyone you know has come up with an intervention or experiment or strategy that actually worked — please email us at [email protected] . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship…
18 Jul 2025 · 2 min
Congress has voted to eliminate government funding for public media
Act now to ensure public media remains free and accessible to all. Your donation will help this essential American service survive and thrive. Visit donate.npr.org now. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
S24 · E3 · 12 Jun 2025 · 43 min
The Network: Déjà vu
Part 3: The network and its method took off in countries where women didn't have a legal option for abortion. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, many Americans have found themselves in that very situation. We travel to the US to see how the network is responding to exploding demand and mounting abortion restrictions. Embedded+ supporters get first access and sponsor-free listening for every Embedded series. Sign up at plus.npr.org/embedded . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR…

About Embedded

Embedded is a English society & culture podcast from NPR. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: NPR
Language: English
Category: Society & Culture
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 37 min
Latest episode: 8 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1091709555

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