News and Happenings

Everyone goes to elementary school — and Ellie and Scott love it! They talk about their favorite memories of 20th-century schooling, from Lunchables to tater tots, as well as their thoughts on the modern elementary school experience.

2024 was full of movies — as were the 140+ years prior, because film sure has been around for a long time. Ellie and Scott talk about the best movies they watched in 2024, even if those movies weren’t released in 2024, which means Scott reaches back only slightly to the summer for some Glen Powell, while Ellie takes full advantage of the freedom and brings one from 1936. Hey, some plots just stay relevant.

Scheduled hang outs? Impossible. FaceTime? Too much chin. In the eyes of comedian and writer Jo Firestone, the spontaneous phone call is where it’s at. Ellie and Scott may be skeptical of this particular form of communication, but after laying out all the positives, Jo might now have two new people she can catch up with while driving home from Burger King.

Sam Sanders has been a steady, calming fixture in the public radio world for the better half of a decade. So why does he always seem to be in a hurry? Where, you might ask, is he always speeding off to? Well, just about anywhere, as long as he’s doing it in a nice car. Sam takes Ellie and Scott back to his automobile origins in his mom’s green Mercedes, gives them a peek at the (more economical) car he drives these days, and tallies up all the speeding tickets he accrued in between.

It’s that time of year: the time when people take big, synchronous breaks from work. So here’s something to help you relax while Ellie and Scott relax, too. In this episode, they each share their favorite holiday movies with each other. They learn a whole lot about what the other finds fun — and how differently one can define “Christmas movie”.

There’ll be presents for boasting

and strangers for roasting

including someone you might know

There’ll be grocery store stories

don’t fret — nothing gory

just classic December “oh no”s!

Someone let Ben Affleck’s and Jeremy Renner’s publicists know: comedian Ego Nwodim might be giving you a run for your money. Ego exudes love for not only the 2010 Boston-based crime drama The Town, but for its relationships, storyline, New England accents, and the physique of one Doug MacRay — and by the end of this conversation with Ellie and Scott, she’s not the only one.

Every once in a while, Ellie gets to share her (singular) interest — running — with someone else. And this week, Randall Park is fresh off his first marathon. The actor and lifelong runner talks with Ellie and Scott about motivation and the lies you get told about how close you are to the end. He might even share his finish time… as well as what he really thinks about cast iron pans.

In the dark recesses of a heated yoga studio, there is one unlikely enthusiast who keeps coming back for more — and he will not be shamed for his choice of post-workout snack. Scott brings Ellie into the world of hot yoga, and the two talk about the highs and lows of the sweaty activity, plus what’s in and what’s out when playing a game of “big tennis” (Ellie’s words).

Dutiful and disinfected, the comedian Michelle Collins sings the praises of the cleaning wipes provided by her favorite airline. She has other travel takes to share, too, including insider knowledge that brings Ellie and Scott into the world of CLEAR. She also airs her worst appendix-based fear, and, unfortunately, Ellie realizes she might share it.