Best Ian Coss Podcasts (2025)

1
“Questioning everything” ft. Lupita Infante 28:20

6d ago28:20

28:20

Lupita Infante is the granddaughter of Mexican cultural icon, Pedro Infante, but she is also an artist in her own right, carrying legacies from both sides of her family. Through songwriting, GRAMMY performances and stints on Mexican television, Lupita is charting a new path for herself, while honoring and questioning the culture she’s inherited.…

1
Personally Introduces: We’re Doing The Wiz 40:05

15d ago40:05

40:05

In 2004, a racial controversy erupted at a small, mostly white performing arts high school in rural Massachusetts. There were protests. TV news crews. A tense all-school assembly. And then, an announcement: the school would stage an iconic American musical that no one saw coming. We're Doing The Wiz from Radiotopia is the story of that production. …

1
“I don't tell people I'm a musician” ft. Peter One 24:55

23d ago24:55

24:55

Peter One has had two big breaks, decades apart, on different continents. But both times, he has chosen to live a double-life: working as a touring musician and also holding down a “regular job” in order to lead a “simple life.”By Meklit Hadero

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Part 5: Aunt Rari 32:23

30d ago32:23

32:23

My aunt Rari divorced her husband so completely and so long ago that I don’t even know the man’s name. She tells me that story and about the life she built without him. It makes me contemplate the value of a life spent alone — but also of lifelong companionship.

1
“Syrians must go back" ft. Omar Offendum 26:12

1M ago26:12

26:12

In the early 1900s, the ‘Little Syria’ neighborhood thrived in Lower Manhattan, but today few people know it even existed. Rapper and poet Omar Offendum aims to change that.By Meklit Hadero

1
Part 4: Uncle Eric 29:56

1M ago29:56

29:56

Most divorces in my family bring some sense of relief. It may take three years to get there, or it may take thirty years, but once it’s over, it feels pretty clear that this is for the best. But it’s not so clear for my Uncle Eric’s relationship.

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Part 3: Aunt Mia and Uncle Paul 32:24

1M ago32:24

32:24

The idea of a lifetime commitment can feel impossible, when it can still fall apart in year 20, or year 30, or 35. My own parents’ marriage never made it that far, but some of my aunts and uncles did, only to find that after all those years, they too were better off apart.

1
“I sound like an alien to them” ft. Satomi Matsuzaki 21:20

2M ago21:20

21:20

For Satomi Matsuzaki, the lead singer and bass player in Deerhoof, music has been a humanizing tool in the face of the sometimes dehumanizing experience of being an immigrant. Look no further than the band’s new single, Immigrant Songs.By Meklit Hadero

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Part 2: My Grandmother, Marianne 35:45

2M ago35:45

35:45

My grandmother never sent presents for birthdays or holidays, and didn't expect us to either. She seemed to resist anything that felt like authority, convention and tradition; which is why it's so strange that she was once married to my grandfather — a Harvard-educated lawyer.

1
Part 1: My Parents, Ellen and Tom 32:09

2M ago32:09

32:09

My parents divorced when I was eight years old — young enough that I don’t have a lot of clear memories of it, but old enough that I was definitely watching, listening, and learning. So I asked them both to tell me what happened, and got two pretty different stories.

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Introducing: Forever is a Long Time 3:39

2M ago3:39

3:39

When I decided to get married, every living member of my family who had ever been married had also gotten divorced. Apparently, I thought my marriage would end differently. Listen to Personally: Forever is a Long Time starting June 16, 2025.

1
“I can speak to my ancestors through this” ft. Lalin St Juste 33:02

2M ago33:02

33:02

Lalin St Juste knew, even as a child, that singing was a path towards her own healing. As she grows up, she goes on a journey reclaiming her Haitian heritage – and uses music as a process of healing herself and her bloodline.By Meklit Hadero

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"A Really Bad Deal" ft. Annahstasia 24:20

2M ago24:20

24:20

The LA-based folk musician Annahstasia was “discovered” by the music industry when she was just 17, but the backing of a label wasn’t the breakthrough she’d imagined. The breakthrough had to come from within.By Meklit Hadero

1
Introducing: Creation Myth 2:30

3M ago2:30

2:30

Introducing an upcoming season of Personally, called Creation Myth. Helena does not want kids. Her husband does. What else is the purpose of life, he keeps asking her, hoping she’ll change her mind. But after eight years he gives up and leaves. Lost and alone, she’s left with his question. What is our purpose? And what if it is already here? This s…

1
How to sue the government, and win from NPR's Throughline 45:20

4M ago45:20

45:20

Last week, we heard about a movement to challenge the authority of government agencies and push power down to the people. This week, the story of a central figure in that movement: Ralph Nader. This episode comes from NPR’s Throughline, co-hosted by Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei.By GBH News

1
Why do some parts of government work better than others? 43:55

4M ago43:55

43:55

This podcast has featured two stories about government endeavors: the much-criticized infrastructure project known as ‘The Big Dig,’ and of course the wildly successful state lottery. So why do these two stories play out so differently? In the final interview episode for this season, host Ian Coss speaks with Marc Dunkelman, a research fellow at Br…

1
Should we be nostalgic for machine politics? 39:10

5M ago39:10

39:10

There’s a lot of talk lately about patronage politics returning to Washington – a system based on loyalty, relationships, favors and transactions – but this kind of system is not new. Patronage was once the beating heart of the Democratic Party, and of course, the Massachusetts state lottery. So what changed? How did the party of patronage become t…

1
Why does sports betting feel different? 49:05

5M ago49:05

49:05

Lotteries are part of a long trend toward more and more legal gambling: bingo helped open the door for lotteries, just as lotteries helped open the door for casinos. And by that logic, sports betting is just the latest addition to the trend. So why does it feel so different? In the first of three interview episodes expanding on themes from the seri…

1
Toy Soldier, Episode 5: ‘L’chaim – To Life’ 26:42

5M ago26:42

26:42

As Alex’s newfound family grapples with who he really was and what side of the war he was fighting for, COVID sets in. Will Alex ever get a real reunion?

1
The Other Massachusetts Miracle 46:32

5M ago46:32

46:32

Part 8: Most lottery games follow a predictable life cycle: a burst of interest followed by a long decline. But something else happened with the scratch ticket, and it changed how every lottery in the country operates. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hi…

1
Toy Soldier, Episode 4: A Complicated Miracle 40:25

5M ago40:25

40:25

Alex finally takes a DNA test, hoping to prove his identity – once and for all. What will it find? Who will it find? The results surprise everyone, even Alex.

1
The Dirtiest Race in the Commonwealth 51:05

5M ago51:05

51:05

Part 7: By 1986 Treasurer Bob Crane has turned the lottery into the most successful operation of its kind, but now he’s in the fight of his political life with a challenger who says he’s the real crook. To cement his legacy he will have to win one last election, and it’s a dirty one. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian C…

1
Toy Soldier, Episode 3: The Money Angle 33:04

5M ago33:04

33:04

Alex’s story goes viral (as viral as it can in the early 2000s), but doubts and accusations swirl around him – dividing his family and community. Alex is called a liar and a conman trying to profit from the Holocaust, yet he refuses to do the one thing that would prove he’s telling the truth.

1
The Game Dreams Are Made Of 45:59

6M ago45:59

45:59

Part 6: The Mass Lottery stumbles when it attempts to launch the nation’s first ‘lotto’ game. But that failure soon becomes an opportunity – and a national craze – when Treasurer Bob Crane brings in a new agency to take over the state’s marketing efforts. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin…

1
Toy Soldier, Episode 2: Born a Second Time 32:37

6M ago32:37

32:37

Uldis is now Alex – living an ordinary, happy life in Australia, but the horrors of his past have resurfaced. Fifty years after his name was stolen from him, can he find it again? A letter from Minsk might hold the answers.

1
The Cherry Sheets 56:02

6M ago56:02

56:02

Part 5: The lottery was never just about stopping crime; it was about bringing in money. In 1980, an anti-tax ballot measure throws Massachusetts state finances into chaos, putting new pressure on the lottery to close the gap. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: I…

1
Toy Soldier, Episode 1: The Hidden Suitcase 32:41

6M ago32:41

32:41

Uldis Kurzemnieks believed he would take his lie to the grave – his life had depended on it. For decades, he told the same story of how he survived the Second World War as a boy, but his niece always believed there was more to the story. Now, she’s learning the whole truth – piece by shocking piece.

1
Introducing: Toy Soldier 3:06

6M ago3:06

3:06

As a child, Alex Kurzem faced a choice: be killed or join the killers. After escaping the massacre that killed his family during the Holocaust, he’s found by the enemy and taken in as one of their own – becoming a Jewish boy masquerading as a Nazi soldier. He’d live with this false identity for so long, he no longer remembered who he was before. Th…

1
The Last Mafia Boss of Boston 43:48

6M ago43:48

43:48

Part 4: The state lottery can’t run the mob out of the numbers business on their own. Luckily they’ve got help from the FBI, who are just launching a daring operation of their own – to bug the headquarters of the Boston mafia. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: I…

1
Have You Played Your Number? 50:52

6M ago50:52

50:52

Part 3: Before the Massachusetts Lottery can claim to be number one, they have to take out the competition. So in 1976 the state lottery challenges organized crime head on by copying their most popular game: 'the numbers.' --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabe…

1
Sorry About The Kid | Ep 4: Macho Man Ninja 34:00

6M ago34:00

34:00

“Isn’t this the a-hole who killed Paul McKinnon? Shut up and die!” A distracting obsession. An unexpected letter. And a controversial method of regaining lost memories. Plus, a final message from Paul.

1
The Lottery Czar 56:50

7M ago56:50

56:50

Part 2: When states got into the gambling business, they wanted the same thing organized crime wanted: money and power. The question now is who in government will get to wield that awesome power? --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss Stor…

1
The Instant Ticket 49:36

7M ago49:36

49:36

Part 1: It’s 1974, illegal bookies are everywhere and the brand new state lottery is struggling to compete. But a simple piece of paper is about to change the game forever: the nation’s first scratch ticket. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hibbard and I…

1
Sorry About The Kid | Ep 3: Ghost 29:39

7M ago29:39

29:39

“Were you waiting for me to just say goodbye?” Alex and his grief counsellor, Yvonne, dive into one memory of Paul that Alex never forgot and try to trigger others. Plus, Alex’s parents discover that some of their own memories are not what they seem.

1
Introducing: Scratch & Win 4:02

7M ago4:02

4:02

Legal gambling is everywhere. But how did it get like this? And why can't we fully embrace it? "Scratch & Win" looks for answers in the unlikely story of America's most successful lottery, and the charismatic state treasurer who was determined to beat the mob at their own game. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Ex…

1
Sorry About The Kid | Ep 1: Where’s Paul? 29:27

7M ago29:27

29:27

Alex worshipped his older brother, Paul. But when Paul was killed by a speeding police car at age 14, Alex almost immediately started to forget him. First his voice. Then his laugh. Then pretty much everything else. But what if those memories could be retrieved? Through a series of intimate conversations with family and friends about Paul’s final m…

1
Sorry About The Kid | Ep 2: Paulbearers 34:10

7M ago34:10

34:10

A funeral. A strange smell. A story that just doesn’t add up. In the days after Paul’s death, grief consumes Alex’s family. His mom is catatonic. His dad is furious. Both are focused on one thing: demanding the police take responsibility for what they’ve done. Meanwhile, Alex’s memories of Paul are already slipping away. Now, he confronts the roots…

1
"Why I was spared" ft. Mon Rovîa 23:56

7M ago23:56

23:56

How do we turn pain into empathy? Meklit talks with Liberian-American singer Mon Rovîa about his long journey to doing just that.By Meklit Hadero

1
Introducing Sorry About The Kid 2:10

7M ago2:10

2:10

How do you forget your favourite person in the world? Alex remembers everything about the day a speeding police car killed his brother. But his brother, alive? Those memories are lost – and he wants them back. Sorry About the Kid is an emotional, deeply personal meditation on the losses that define us. Hosted by Alex McKinnon. Produced with Mira Bu…

1
“I’m ready for that transformation” ft. Dayme Arocena 29:00

7M ago29:00

29:00

Daymé Arocena has one of the most stunning voices in music today. But when Meklit heard Daymé's latest album, Alkemi, she could tell something dramatic had changed. Her voice had changed, and Daymé had changed too. Learn more about Movement at: https://www.movementstories.com/By Meklit Hadero

1
"Syria is finally free" ft. Hello Psychaleppo 11:53

8M ago11:53

11:53

Bashar Al Assad, Syria’s brutal dictator, has fled the country -- opening a new and uncertain chapter after more than a decade of Civil War. Meklit speaks with the Syrian electronic composer Samer Saem Eldahr (otherwise known as Hello Psychaleppo) about how that conflict changed his life and music.By Meklit Hadero

1
Short Sighted | E5: How to surf when you're going blind 14:27

8M ago14:27

14:27

Graham faces his fears and travels to Vancouver to learn how to surf from blind screenwriter Ryan Knighton. Special thanks to Ryan Knighton.

1
"I'm sorry I wasn't here" ft. Diana Gameros 19:19

8M ago19:19

19:19

Diana Gameros was living in the US in 2010 when her home city of Juarez, Mexico became known as one of the most dangerous places on Earth. She was undocumented at the time; she couldn't travel back and forth even to see family. In this episode Diana tells the story of what it meant to finally go back and perform in Juarez after many years away.…

1
Short Sighted | E4: How to be photographer when you can’t see 13:54

8M ago13:54

13:54

After an unsuccessful eye surgery, Graham feels estranged from his camera. Blind photojournalist Samantha Hurley offers a different perspective before she leaves to photograph the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris. Special thanks to Sam Hurley. For more about Sam Hurley’s work visit https://samanthahurley.myportfolio.com/ New episodes will be released…

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Short Sighted | E3: How to dance for people who don’t see 15:06

8M ago15:06

15:06

Graham talks to blind artist Devon Healey, who makes dance shows for people who don’t see and explores the world of audio description. Special thanks to Justin Miller, Tarragon Theatre, Outside The March Theatre company and Vanessa Smythe. For more on Devon Healy’s “Rainbow on Mars” visit https://outsidethemarch.ca. New episodes will be released we…

1
"22 Nights" ft Chhom Nimol -- Live on stage 16:44

9M ago16:44

16:44

Chhom Nimol of the band Dengue Fever tells the harrowing story of the 22 night she spent in an immigration detention facility.By Meklit Hadero

1
Short Sighted | E2: How to tell people you're losing vision 13:40

9M ago13:40

13:40

Because there are no visual identifiers for Graham’s condition, people don’t think he’s losing his sight. They think he’s an asshole. Graham talks to his friends about why they think he has problems in social situations. Special thanks to Dan Barra-Berger, Yvonne Felix, Steven Aquino, Steven Scott, and Erica Peck. New episodes will be released week…

1
Short Sighted | E1: How to be a TV host when you can't see? 16:07

9M ago16:07

16:07

Writer and journalist Graham Isador has a degenerative eye disease. It’s started to impact his day-to-day and his work prospects. He’s been looking for the best way to talk about it. New episodes will be released weekly on Tuesdays. Don't want to wait? Binge the whole season right now via CBC Stories Premium on Apple Podcasts.…

1
"A circle moment" ft. Emel Mathlouthi 24:40

9M ago24:40

24:40

Meklit talks with Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi about the moment that turned her into a viral sensation and the voice of a revolution -- but also about what it means to move beyond the shadow of that one moment.By Meklit Hadero

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Introducing Short Sighted 1:09

9M ago1:09

1:09

Graham Isador is losing his vision. Through Short Sighted's mini episodes, he situates listeners in the everyday experience of a blind or low vision person for an intimate and irreverent look at accessibility and its personal impacts. A five-part series from CBC’s Personally. New episodes will be released weekly on Tuesdays, starting Nov. 19. Don't…

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