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Nida Allam and Lela Ali are two trailblazing Muslim women in politics. Allam is the first Muslim woman elected to office in North Carolina as Durham County Commissioner, and she recently announced her bid for Congress (no big deal). Ali is Policy and Program Director at Muslim Women For, nurturing vibrant Muslim communities through grassroots organizing. In this episode, the first of a two-part conversation, Yasmin asks both guests about their motivations for entering politics and the challenges they face, including Islamophobia.

9/11: 20 Years Later

Host Yasmin Bendaas was just a kid in elementary school on September 11, 2001. Yet, the events of that day shaped her childhood experiences into young adulthood. Her friends Lynn Zitawi and Sarah Derris were even younger on 9/11— just toddlers. Their childhoods were also affected, an even stranger experience when you have no recollection of the terror attacks.

An illustration of a person bending over to smell a candle with two wicks lit. The word "scented" is formed from the scent vapors coming off the candle.

Scented: Life According To Your Nose (Revisited)

Anita sniffs out what's so fascinating about the science of smell — and gets her mind blown. A psychologist shares why smell is our most emotional sense, plus stories about the mental health consequences of anosmia (losing your sense of smell) and a scent designer describes how to re-create memories through candles.

An illustration of a group of five people gathered outside at dusk socializing with beverages in their hands. In the foreground are two people standing close to a fire: one is holding a red Solo cup, and the other is holding a white cup that appears to be filled with water. In the background is a group of three people: two are holding red Solo cups, and one is holding a water bottle. At the top right of the illustration is the text “Sobered.”

Sobered: Reexamining Your Relationship With Alcohol

Anita has not participated in a Dry January, but there are times when she's motivated to pay extra-close attention to her relationship with alcohol. Most recently: during the pandemic. While some of us started drinking more, another group of folks committed to sober curiosity: a movement encouraging introspection about your relationship with alcohol. She meets two people who are years into building sober lives and asks them to reflect on how their sobriety journeys have shaped everything from relationships to thoughts about the future.

Decided: Child-Free By Choice

Anita has interrogated so many aspects of parenthood. But how about the decision to become a parent at all? She talks with three women about making their child-free decisions and meets a psychotherapist who's devoted her career to helping people find clarity in that choice.

An illustration from above, looking down on two parents leaning over a bassinet. In the bassinet is a newborn wrapped in a blue and white striped blanket, wearing a blue hat with three thin white stripes on it. The parents' faces are not visible, and the person on the left has one hand down on the baby and the other around the other parent's shoulders. The word "(Un)circumcised" is in the middle of the right half of the illustration.

(Un)Circumcised: How Parents Decide

It's a small procedure, but a big question. Anita talks with a urologist about what medical advice to consider while making the circumcision decision (and where medicine doesn't have the answers). She also meets a rabbi and mother who offers alternatives to centuries-old circumcision rituals and hears from a circumcised father raising an uncircumcised son.

An illustration featuring a woman with dark hair on the beach at sunset. She is wearing a red-orange bikini and has her hands on her lower abdomen, showcasing stretch marks and a C-section scar. A young child plays in the surf nearby, at her feet. In the upper-left of the image are the words "Delivered Part One."

Delivered (Part One): Supporting A Post-Baby Body (Revisited)

Anita has been around enough postpartum folks to know that there's a whole lot they felt unprepared for when it came to how their physical bodies would experience pregnancy and childbirth. In part one of a two-part series, she hears from folks about meeting their new postpartum bodies. A postpartum doula talks about her trauma-informed approach to caring for the physical body; a photographer shares why they're trying to diversify the images we associate with postpartum bodies; and a former Marine talks about navigating the pressures of a highly physical job postpartum.

An illustration of two people with brown skin kissing with a heart above their heads. One person is sitting on a pink and green moped, with pink-framed glasses, a blue shirt and yellow shorts. They're holding on the handlebars of the moped with the second person in their lap facing them, wearing a yellow jumpsuit and white-framed glasses. The background of the illustration is purple. The word “Smooched” is in the upper righthand corner.

Smooched: Why You'll Never Forget Your First Kiss

Anita's highly-anticipated (and highly-awkward) first kiss was in eighth grade … but she remembers it like it was yesterday! A scientist tells her why our brains respond so strongly to kissing and how our kissing customs have changed over time. She also unpacks the power of a kiss with a photographer who documents queer Black love in public and three Gen-Zers school her on contemporary kissing culture.

An illustration of a Black man walking down the street in a suit. He is surrounded by other faceless people, all colored in purples and pinks, and he is looking down and off to the side at someone pushing a stroller with a toddler in it. There is a spotlight on this man, highlighting his purple figure in yellow. The word "Isolated" is in the upper righthand corner of the illustration.

Isolated: The Silence Around Male Infertility

Male fertility issues make up half of all infertility cases … but you’d never know it from consuming fertility content through culture, media and even medicine. Anita meets three men breaking the silence in hopes that others get the help and support they need.

An illustration showing a new parent with long hair clipped back holding a baby in a doctor's office. The person is looking down and to the side. On the wall is a poster saying "postpartum depression" showing a woman with her head in her hands leaning over a crib where a baby is sleeping. "Delivered Part Two" is written in the upper-right corner of the image.

Delivered (Part Two): No More Postpartum Silence (Revisited)

Anita treasures sleep and moments of silence. So when she hears typical narratives of early parenthood that include unending cries and restless nights, she has concerns for the mental toll on new parents. But culturally there is a lot of silence around how challenging it can be and recognizing deteriorating mental health while caring for another person can be isolating. In part two of the postpartum series "Delivered," she meets a prolific artist whose experience with postpartum depression catalyzed a mental health journey and a diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder. She also talks to a couple about what folks should know about sex and relationships postpartum and why the mental health of non-birthing partners should be part of the postpartum conversation.

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