Accessibility links
Dave Davies Dave Davies is a guest host for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross.
Stories By

Dave Davies

Dave Davies

Guest Host, Fresh Air

Dave Davies is a guest host for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

In addition to his role at Fresh Air, Davies is a senior reporter for WHYY in Philadelphia. Prior to WHYY, he spent 19 years as a reporter and columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, covering government and politics.

Before joining the Daily News in 1990, Davies was city hall bureau chief for KYW News Radio, Philadelphia's commercial all-news station. From 1982 to 1986, Davies was a reporter for WHYY covering local issues and filing reports for NPR. He also edited a community newspaper in Philadelphia and has worked as a teacher, a cab driver and a welder.

Davies is a graduate of the University of Texas.

Story Archive

Thursday

Thursday

World

Foreign policy analyst weighs in on two critical conflict zones: Ukraine and Gaza

Georgetown professor Daniel Byman discusses Ukraine’s daring offensive into Russian territory. And he reflects on the future of Gaza, after Israel’s military operation ends.

Foreign policy analyst weighs in on two critical conflict zones: Ukraine and Gaza

Listen · 45:13
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-18866/g-s1-18896" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Politics

How Trump bent the Justice Department and FBI to his will

NBC Newsinvestigative reporter David Rohde says that since 2016, Trump has used conspiracy theories, co-option and threats to undermine federal law enforcement. His new book is Where Tyranny Begins.

How Trump bent the Justice Department and FBI to his will

Listen · 36:33
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-18371/g-s1-18390" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Fresh Air

Following Harris and Walz through the battleground states

Fresh Air

New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos sees evidence of a generational change -- a central nerve running through American politics. He looks ahead to the DNC and how the race may take more somersaults.

Following Harris and Walz through the battleground states

Listen · 37:44
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-17139/g-s1-17174" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

History

Did the U.S. need to drop two atomic weapons on Japan in order to end World War II?

In The Road to Surrender, Evan Thomas examines the closing months of WWII, exploring the motivations of key U.S. leaders, and of Japanese commanders and diplomats. Originally broadcast June 20, 2023.

WWII

Listen · 37:26
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-16200/g-s1-16245" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Movie Interviews

'Janet Planet' star Julianne Nicholson is proud to be a character actor

Nicholson says when strangers recognize her on the street, they're never quite sure how they know her: "They might think I sold them kittens, or I work in the ice cream shop."

'Janet Planet' star Julianne Nicholson is proud to be a character actor

Listen · 39:14
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-10929/g-s1-11064" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

Author Interviews

How a quest for greater profits upended the global supply chain during the pandemic

Everything from disinfectant wipes to computer chips were in short supply during the pandemic. New York Times journalist Peter Goodman explains the disruptions in How the World Ran Out of Everything.

How a quest for greater profits upended the global supply chain during the pandemic

Listen · 37:40
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-5913/g-s1-5947" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 03: Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic at the Rayburn House Office Building on June 03, 2024 in Washington, DC. The Subcommittee is holding a hearing on the findings from a fifteen month Republican-led probe of former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci and the COVID-19 pandemic's origins. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Dr. Anthony Fauci testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee Select Subcommittee on June 3. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Health Care

Why Anthony Fauci approaches every trip to the White House as if it's his last

Over the course of his decades-long career in public health, Fauci vowed he would never shy away from speaking the truth with the U.S. president— even when it was inconvenient. Fauci's memoir is On Call.

Why Anthony Fauci approaches every trip to the White House as if it's his last

Listen · 43:18
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5006045/g-s1-5056" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Sports

'Satchel' recalls the iconic pitcher who helped integrate Major League Baseball

Hall of Famer Satchel Paige started his career pitching in the Negro leagues and later became a major league star. Author Larry Tye tells his story in Satchel. Originally broadcast in 2010.

'Satchel' recalls the iconic pitcher who helped integrate Major League Baseball

Listen · 37:22
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-4350/g-s1-4532" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Politics

How Ronan Farrow's reporting on Weinstein led to the criminal case against Trump

While reporting on Harvey Weinstein, Farrow unearthed details of the National Enquirer’s plan to pay for damaging stories about Trump and then bury the stories — a practice known as "catch and kill."

How Ronan Farrow's reporting on Weinstein led to the criminal case against Trump

Listen · 43:06
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-3170/g-s1-3245" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Culture

MSNBC host Ali Velshi chronicles his ancestors’ migrations across three continents

In his memoir, Small Acts of Courage, Velshi traces his family’s journey, from India to South Africa — where his grandfather crossed paths with Mahatma Gandhi — to Kenya, Canada and the U.S.

MSNBC host Ali Velshi chronicles his ancestors’ migrations across three continents

Listen · 36:38
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/g-s1-2692/g-s1-2763" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Movie Interviews

'Mad Max' director George Miller says the audience tells you 'what your film is'

Fresh Air

Miller directed the first Mad Max in 1979, as well as Mad Max: Fury Road in 2014 and the new prequel Furiosa. In 2016, he revealed that he was never sure how his movies would hold up over time.

'Mad Max' director George Miller says the audience tells you 'what your film is'

Listen · 26:37
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1252912312/g-s1-845" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Author Interviews

How a colorful Malaysian businessman bilked the U.S. Navy for millions

Fresh Air

In Fat Leonard, journalist Craig Whitlock tells the story of a defense contractor who plied Navy commanders with lavish meals, trips, cash and sex workers. In return they let him overcharge taxpayers.

How a colorful Malaysian businessman bilked the U.S. Navy for millions

Listen · 43:04
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1252908155/g-s1-511" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Author Interviews

What the 'Dawn of the Civil War' can tell us about today's acrimonious politics

Fresh Air

In The Demon of Unrest, author Erik Larson chronicles the five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the start of the Civil War, drawing parallels to today's political climate.

What the 'Dawn of the Civil War' can tell us about today's acrimonious politics

Listen · 36:11
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1248451301/1248517589" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Africa

Journalist says a 'land grab' in Tanzania is forcing the Maasai off their land

Fresh Air

Atlantic journalist Stephanie McCrummen says foreign interests are acquiring territory in Northern Tanzania, effectively displacing indigenous cattle-herders from their traditional grazing lands.

Journalist says a 'land grab' in Tanzania is forcing the Maasai off their land

Listen · 36:43
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1244071519/1244129474" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Television

A 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' appreciation, as the series comes to an end

Fresh Air

After 25 years and 12 seasons, Curb wraps April 7. We mark the occasion with archival interviews with Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, Robert B. Weide, Timothy Olyphant, Ted Danson and others.

A 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' appreciation, as the series comes to an end

Listen · 59:00
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1242529156/1243080163" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Author Interviews

'The Wide Wide Sea' revisits Capt. James Cook's fateful final voyage

Fresh Air

"A lot of things started going wrong from the very beginning," historian Hampton Sides says of Cook's last voyage, which ended in the British explorer's violent death on the island of Hawaii in 1779.

'The Wide Wide Sea' revisits Capt. James Cook's fateful final voyage

Listen · 35:17
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1242508406/1242573559" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Health

Why Oregon's groundbreaking drug decriminalization experiment is coming to an end

Fresh Air

In 2020, voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of hard drugs. Journalist E. Tammy Kim explains how and why public opinion has turned.

Why Oregon's groundbreaking drug decriminalization experiment is coming to an end

Listen · 33:44
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1240892448/1241217512" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Weather

How climate-driven migration could change the face of the U.S.

Fresh Air

ProPublica reporter Abrahm Lustgarten says millions of Americans are likely to move in the coming decades to escape wildfires, rising seas, oppressive heat and drought. His new book is On the Move.

How climate-driven migration could change the face of the U.S.

Listen · 35:49
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1239904742/1240955867" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Asia

An American reporter offers a first-hand account of Japan's toughest crime bosses

Fresh Air

Reporter Jake Adelstein's memoir about covering the organized crime beat in Japan is the basis of the Max series Tokyo Vice, now in its second season. Originally broadcast Nov. 9, 2009.

An American reporter offers a first-hand account of Japan's toughest crime bosses

Listen · 38:27
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1239879553/1240210503" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Food

At your service: A restaurant maître d' tells all in 'Your Table Is Ready'

Fresh Air

Michael Cecchi-Azzolina has worked in several of New York City's hottest restaurants, where he encountered celebrities, captains of finance and one bonafide mobster. Originally broadcast Dec. 6, 2022.

At your service: A restaurant maître d' tells all in 'Your Table Is Ready'

Listen · 26:32
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1238531911/1238834846" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Television

Eugene Levy gets out of his comfort zone in 'The Reluctant Traveler'

Fresh Air

The Schitt's Creek star visits distant lands and tastes exotic foods as the host of the Apple TV+ series. Levy describes it as a show about "a guy traveling who doesn't love to travel."

Eugene Levy gets out of his comfort zone in 'The Reluctant Traveler'

Listen · 30:09
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1238274312/1238325182" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Author Interviews

A Hollywood filmmaker talks about making movies (and sometimes throwing chairs)

Fresh Air

Writer, director and producer Ed Zwick has made dozens of films and TV shows. In Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions, he writes about studios, actors and the frustrations and joys of the business.

A Hollywood filmmaker talks about making movies (and sometimes throwing chairs)

Listen · 36:18
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1236539789/1236662586" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

National

How NYC is coping with 175,000 migrants from the Southern border

Fresh Air

New York Times reporter Andy Newman says the city's legal mandate to provide shelter to any who need it is being tested by a stream of migrants — some of whom were sent on buses by Southern governors.

How NYC is coping with 175,000 migrants from the Southern border

Listen · 36:15
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1231712535/1231782652" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Browse archive or search npr.org