801
June 9, 2023

Must Be Rats on the Brain

The one animal we can’t seem to live without, even when we really, really want to.

Charlie Hamilton James

Prologue

Prologue

At the announcement of New York City’s inaugural rat czar, we meet Darneice Foster, who despises the rats outside her apartment. And host Ira Glass introduces two special co-hosts for today’s show. (11 minutes)

Rats performed throughout the show by Bashir Salahuddin and Chandra Russell.

Act Two

The Big Bag Theory

Fifty years ago, New York City started to put garbage out in plastic bags. This has become the number one food source for rats. Producer Ike Sriskandarajah investigates the decision that led to the city’s rat baby boom. (10 minutes)