Surpassing:New and noteworthy public media podcasts to check out this month

The SurpassingNPR One team is back with more podcast recommendations to add to your list. If you're in the market for a new show, we've got you covered with these picks from across public media.

The Last Ride

Nearly 20 years ago, two young men of color vanished three months apart, on the same road in Naples, Florida, under eerily similar circumstances. They were last seen with the same white sheriff's deputy. The since-fired deputy's story could never be corroborated. He's the only person of interest, but has never been charged. No one has. What went wrong?

Start listening with episode 1, "One deputy, two missing men."

Violation

How much time in prison is enough? Who gets to decide? And, when someone commits a terrible crime, what does redemption look like? From WBUR and The Marshall Project, Violation explores America's opaque parole system through a 1986 murder case that binds two families.

Listen to episode 1, "Two Sons, Lost."

Taking Cover

In episode one of NPR's Taking Cover, Pentagon Correspondent, Tom Bowman, receives a shocking tip from a trusted source: A deadly explosion during the Iraq War was an accident — friendly fire, covered up by the Marine Corps — and the son of a powerful politician may have been involved.

Outside/In: The Underdogs

This special series from NHPR's Outside/In follows a journey inside the guarded world of competitive sled dog racing. It all starts with a tip about the first team from New Zealand to complete the Iditarod — a 1,000-mile race across some of Alaska's harshest terrain — and the burned bridges, destroyed friendships and trail of debt they left behind.

Join host Nate Hegyi as he travels to Alaska to start the search for answers.

Louder Than A Riot

The new season of NPR's Louder Than A Riot kicks off examining the December 2022 trial of Tory Lanez. The moment felt like it sparked a divide in hip-hop, but it just stoked the flames of a 50-year-long battle for Black women to be heard.

Episode one looks at Megan Thee Stallion's testimony and unpacks the impact of misogynoir on rap.

Mid Pacific

CapRadio's Mid Pacific explores what it means to be Asian American and the feeling of being caught between two worlds.

Visit one of America's oldest Chinatowns, where the only constant these days is change.

Admissible: Shreds of Evidence

VPM's Admissible: Shreds of Evidence examines how a key building block of our justice system — evidence itself — is often flawed, disputed or even manipulated. The first season is a deep dive into the moment when DNA testing transformed the field of forensic science.

Start listening to, "Chapter 1: The Holy Cow Moment."

The Wild

In KUOW's The Wild, host Chris Morgan takes listeners around the world to Italy, Germany and his own backyard of the Pacific Northwest to explore the beauty and wonder of the outdoors and its inhabitants.

What happened when a wedding guest gave a dozen gray squirrels to a lucky Irish couple? An ecological catastrophe — then, a pleasant surprise.

Living for We

Ideastream Public Media's Living for We addresses a recent study that ranked Cleveland — a city with a nearly 50% Black population — the least livable city in the country for Black women. Each episode shares firsthand accounts of Black women's experiences in the city's workplaces, schools and educational systems.

Listen to episode 1, "Least Livable."

Me & My Muslim Friends

WUNC's Me & My Muslim Friends explores faith, rituals and spirituality. Through discussions of the five pillars of Islam and even death, host Yasmin Bendaas dives into the practices that make up our individual spiritual journeys and unite Muslims as a community.

Listen to this episode about the joys and challenges of celebrating Ramadan.

NPR's Jack Mitchell curated and produced this piece.