Episodes

  • The growing movement to secede from Illinois and become the 51st state

    The growing movement to secede from Illinois and become the 51st state
    Jul 5 2026
    Two hundred and fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed, marking the birth of a new nation. But if you read the Declaration closely, it’s not just about creating something new; it’s about ridding itself of something unwanted. It’s a break-up text, announcing secession from the British Crown. Today, that same spirit is fueling a modern-day movement in Illinois.

    A growing number of rural counties want to secede from Illinois and create a 51st state called “New Illinois.” Driven by frustration over the dominance of Chicago politics, they are organizing for a new future. This week on The Sunday Story, reporter Connor Towne O'Neill takes us inside the movement to split Illinois, and the challenges facing a modern secessionist movement in the land of Lincoln.


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    28 mins
  • The secret life of a stolen Van Gogh

    The secret life of a stolen Van Gogh
    Jun 28 2026
    What happens to famous works of art when they are stolen from museums and private art collections? In the Netherlands, museums and collectors reach out to Arthur Brand, a self-styled art detective who works to track down art that has gone missing and fallen into the criminal underworld.

    This week on The Sunday Story, when a famous Van Gogh painting is stolen from a museum, Brand teams up with an unlikely partner – art thief Octave Durham. Together, the pair work to rescue a masterpiece from the underground market and return it to its museum home.


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    31 mins
  • Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 1

    Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 1
    Jun 21 2026
    Who are the workers behind the global scam industry?

    In Cambodia, more than 200,000 scam workers have been released from fortified compounds, where many of them had been trafficked, held against their will, and forced to work for little pay. The Cambodian government’s recent crackdown has enabled reporters to get a closer look at an industry responsible for defrauding Americans of at least 20 billion dollars in 2025.

    But how did these workers end up in Cambodia, and what was the promise that drew them there? In this two-part series for The Sunday Story, investigative reporter Shibani Mahtani dives into the previously hidden world of the global scam industry. And she follows the story of one Ugandan man, who traveled far from home for a job that was “too good to be true.”

    Listen to Part 2 here.


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    32 mins
  • Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 2

    Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 2
    Jun 21 2026
    PART 2: With the Cambodian government’s ongoing crackdown on the scam industry, tens of thousands of former scammers are stranded on the streets of Phnom Penh. Are they being treated as criminals or as victims themselves of a global industry designed to extract their labor? In part 2 of our series on The Sunday Story, investigative reporter Shibani Mahtani continues the story of one Ugandan scam worker as he tries to make his way home.

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    32 mins
  • Trailer: The Sunday Story

    Trailer: The Sunday Story
    Mar 23 2026
    Every news the week just keeps on coming; it's hard to make sense of it all. The Sunday Story from NPR is for people who want to go deeper. Every week, we dive into the political forces reshaping our country. Hosted by Ayesha Rascoe.

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    2 mins