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Coming Soon: "Freak Out and Carry On"

WBUR announces the launch of Freak Out and Carry On, a new politics and history podcast that addresses the urgent issues of our time through a historical lens. Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author Ron Suskind and noted Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson, the podcast examines the national political landscape and explores the historical context for today’s events. New episodes are available every Thursday starting June 15.

Freak Out and Carry On is meant to address the incessant, and often unexpected news coming from the White House that has caused hand wringing and anxiety among both Democrats and Republicans.

“This podcast will elevate the current political discourse and provide context from some of the smartest observers of our politics,” said Iris Adler, Executive Director for Programming, Podcasts and Special Projects at WBUR. “Freak Out and Carry On will delve into what’s happening in the Trump administration and ask has this ever happened before? Ron and Heather have the intelligence, the gravitas and insight to help us all gain perspective.”

Listeners will get a new understanding of Washington events beyond the current news cycle. By hearing analysts and historians, they’ll learn about the historical antecedents to current events in Washington, and better understand how we ended up here and where we are in the cycle of American history. Notable guests on the podcast so far include Matt Bai, Yahoo News; Rick Perlstein, historian; Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic; Matthew Dallek, historian, George Washington University; and McKay Coppins, The Atlantic.

“Our political culture of pitched combat and exploding news cycles has left much of America in a constant state of freak-out,” said Suskind. “In 20 years reporting from Washington about power and perfidy, you can’t help but develop context – context that allows us to exhale and carry on. That’s why I wanted to do this show: to deepen listeners understanding of events…and help them sleep at night!”

“In 1939, with the maelstrom of WWII on the horizon, the British government issued a poster reminding citizens that victory depended on their faith that the nation would endure. ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ voices the quiet truth that principles survive catastrophe so long as people continue to believe in them. That message rings true in America today, hence the title of our podcast,” said Cox Richardson. “It’s easy to freak out about the relentless cascade of crises coming from Washington. But America’s long history has seen plenty of crises before this, and we too have always found a way to ‘carry on'. ”

Freak Out & Carry On is produced by WBUR. You can follow the program on Twitter and visit the website at wbur.org/freakout. Freak Out & Carry On is available on iTunes, Stitcher and other podcasting apps.

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