Ray and Becky Queen live in rural Oklahoma with their kids (and chickens). The Queens were able to buy that home with a VA loan because of Ray's service in the Army. During COVID, the Queens – like millions of other Americans – needed help from emergency forbearance. They were told they could pause home payments for up to a year and then pick up again making affordable mortgage payments with no problems.

That's what happened for most American homeowners who took forbearance. But not for tens of thousands of military veterans like Ray Queen.

On today's show, we follow two reporters' journey to figure out what went wrong with the VA's loan forbearance program. How did something meant to help vets keep their houses during COVID end up stranding tens of thousands of them on the brink of foreclosure? And, once the error was spotted, did the government do enough to make things right?

Today's episode was produced by James Sneed. It was edited by Meg Cramer. And fact-checked by Dania Suleman. Engineering by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

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Back in the 90s, the federal government ran a bold experiment, giving people vouchers to move out of high-poverty neighborhoods into low-poverty ones. They wanted to test if housing policy could be hope – whether an address change alone could improve jobs, earnings and education.

The answer to that seems obvious. But it did not at all turn out as they expected.

Years later, when new researchers went back to the data on this experiment, they stumbled on something big. Something that is changing housing policy across the country today.

Today's episode was originally hosted by Karen Duffin, produced by Aviva DeKornfeld, and edited by Bryant Urstadt. The update was hosted by Amanda Aronczyk, produced by Sean Saldana and fact checked by Sierra Juarez. Our supervising executive producer is Alex Goldmark.

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What happens when paralyzing fear stops you from following your dream? In our final episode of the season...Jim Von Stein has written 8000 songs, but almost nobody has heard a single one of them...until now...

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On this short Memorial Day episode, we'll hear from Marine Lance Cpl. Travis Williams, an Iraq War veteran who lost every other member of his 12-man squad.

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There are people who help us at every stage of life –– from the moment we're born to our last breath. But at the end, who's helping us when we're gone? On the season finale of the StoryCorps Podcast, twin mortician brothers look back on a life of caring for the dead.

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As we continue celebrating StoryCorps' 20th anniversary, we bring you two of our favorite stories that made a strong impression on our listeners, and we share updates with the participants from the last two decades.

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As we celebrate StoryCorps' 20th anniversary, we bring you the story of a man who integrated his high school as a teenager in Knoxville, Tennessee, and how a StoryCorps listener comment helped him reckon with his past five decades later.

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We're back with more stories that listeners, like you, have shared on our voicemail. This week: The thin lines between life and death, and friendship and love. Leave your own voicemail at 702-706-TALK, or email us at podcast@storycorps.org.

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As communities across the Southern United States set about recovering from one of the most devastating hurricane seasons ever, we're doing what Mr. Rogers always told us to do when the news is scary: we're looking for the helpers. In this episode, two stories about people who have stepped up for their neighbors, despite their differences.

Leave us a voicemail at 702-706-TALK, or email us at podcast@storycorps.org.

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StoryCorps does a lot of different things, but they all come down to connecting people— even if they disagree. That's the idea behind our One Small Step initiative, where we pair strangers with opposing political views to have a conversation, not about politics, but about their lives. In the last episode of our season, two people who connected — even though their beliefs divided them.

Leave us a voicemail at 702-706-TALK, or email us at podcast@storycorps.org.

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The music of Long Island duo Michael and Brian D'Addario is rooted in '70s rock and pop.

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From Hikaru Utada to imase, these tracks showcase the versatility found within Japanese pop music.

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The Philadelphia-born singer found a thriving community of jazz and blues musicians after moving to Japan.

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A new box set chronicles Elvis Presley's time in Grind City.

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The folk duo's latest album is named after the East Nashville studio that was destroyed by a devastating tornado outbreak in 2020.

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The Australian artist performs songs from her latest album.

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The Australian musician talks about the motivation and meaning behind Wild God, a new album with his band The Bad Seeds.

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The Los Angeles-based musician was inspired by the dark side of state's mythology in the making of her fourth studio album.

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The English guitarist and songwriter joins us to talk about his fifth studio album.

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Denver's iconic outdoor venue comes with a unique set of challenges.

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The punk pioneers talk about their ninth and final studio album.

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We're hard at work on new episodes of the TED Radio Hour, which will start rolling out in March. In the meantime, new host Manoush Zomorodi shares some of her favorite episodes of the show. This episode originally aired on February 1, 2019.

The Me Too movement has changed the way we think and talk about gender discrimination. This hour, TED speakers explore how the conversation has moved beyond a hashtag, and where we go from here. Guests include Me Too movement founder Tarana Burke, actor and activist Ashley Judd, writer Laura Bates, and anti-sexism educator Jackson Katz.

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We're hard at work on new episodes of the TED Radio Hour, which will start rolling out in March. In the meantime, new host Manoush Zomorodi shares some of her favorite episodes of the show. This episode originally aired on May 10, 2019.

Our greatest breakthroughs and triumphs have one thing in common: creativity. But how do you ignite it? And how do you rekindle it? This hour, TED speakers explore ideas on jumpstarting creativity.

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We're back next week with brand new episodes of the TED Radio Hour featuring our new host, Manoush Zomorodi. While we finish those episodes, Manoush shares a favorite episode of the show from over the years. This episode originally aired on December 7, 2018.

We're told if the economy is growing, and if we keep producing, that's a good thing. But at what cost? This hour, TED speakers explore circular systems that regenerate and re-use what we already have. Guests include economist Kate Raworth, environmental activist Tristram Stuart, landscape architect Kate Orff, entrepreneur David Katz, and graphic designer Jessi Arrington.

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Change is hard. Transitions can be tough. But they're also opportunities to discover and reimagine what you thought you knew. In her first episode, Manoush Zomorodi explores the power of reinvention. Guests include OK Go lead singer Damian Kulash Jr., former college gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, and entrepreneur Nick Hanauer.

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As the pandemic reveals the weaknesses of our economy, businesses and consumers are rethinking what they value. This hour, TED's Corey Hajim shares ideas on shifting the role of business in society.

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Change is hard, but it's also an opportunity to discover and reimagine what you thought you knew. From our economy, to music, to even ourselves—this hour TED speakers explore the power of reinvention. Guests include OK Go lead singer Damian Kulash Jr., former college gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, and entrepreneur Nick Hanauer.

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Original broadcast date: May 1, 2020. As the pandemic reveals the weaknesses of our economy, businesses and consumers are rethinking what they value. This hour, TED's Corey Hajim shares ideas on shifting the role of business in society.

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From prehistoric cave art to today's social media feeds, to design is to be human. This hour, designer Debbie Millman guides us through a world made and remade—and helps us design our own paths.

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From prehistoric cave art to today's social media feeds, to design is to be human. This hour, designer Debbie Millman guides us through a world made and remade—and helps us design our own paths.

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After an exhausting year for everyone, how can we bring what's been dormant back to life? This hour, TED speakers explore ways to revitalize our minds, bodies, buildings--and even populations. Guests include psychologist Guy Winch, visual artist Amanda Williams, biophysicist Andrew Pelling, and writer Wajahat Ali.

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Art not only spreads joy, but also inspires us to think deeply about the world around us. This hour, TED speakers explore how dance, poetry, and film can shift beliefs and empower creative expression. Guests include choreographer Camille A. Brown, director Jon M. Chu, and poets Amanda Gorman and Lee Mokobe.

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Oceans cover nearly 75% of the Earth. While they seem vast and frightening, they're also enchanting and whimsical. This hour, TED speakers dive into stories of connection — and even love — in the sea. Guests include adventurer Catherine Mohr, marine biologists Marah Hardt and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and venom scientist Mandë Holford.

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Original broadcast date: April 9, 2021. After an exhausting year for everyone, how can we bring what's been dormant back to life? This hour, TED speakers explore ways to revitalize our minds, bodies, buildings—and even populations. Guests include psychologist Guy Winch, visual artist Amanda Williams, biophysicist Andrew Pelling, and writer Wajahat Ali.

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What does it take to deliver a message, precious cargo, or vaccines — meant for exactly the right place in our bodies? This hour, TED speakers explore the often perilous journey of crucial deliveries. Guests include theater director Amir Nizar Zuabi, astrophysicist Erika Hamden, chemical engineer Kathryn Whitehead, and entrepreneur Keller Rinaudo.

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Original broadcast date: May 13, 2021. Art not only spreads joy, but also inspires us to think deeply about the world around us. This hour, TED speakers explore how dance, poetry, and film can shift beliefs and empower creative expression. Guests include choreographer Camille A. Brown, director Jon M. Chu, and poets Amanda Gorman and Lee Mokobe.

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Original broadcast date: June 11, 2021. Oceans cover nearly 75% of the Earth. While they seem vast and frightening, they're also enchanting and whimsical. This hour, TED speakers dive into stories of connection — and even love — in the sea. Guests include adventurer Catherine Mohr, marine biologists Marah Hardt and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and venom scientist Mandë Holford.

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New innovations in gene and stem cell technology have the power to shape ecosystems and even change humanity. This hour, TED speakers share the breakthroughs heralding the next scientific revolution. Guests include biochemist Jennifer Doudna, physicist and biotech entrepreneur Nabiha Saklayen, and conservation innovator and biotech entrepreneur Ryan Phelan.

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Fiction can serve as a window into multiple realities—to imagine different futures or understand our own past. This hour, author and TED speaker Dave Eggers talks technology, education, and the healing power of writing.

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In the last century, human life expectancy has doubled. This hour, we talk with writer Steven Johnson on the many breakthroughs that made this possible — and where we go from here.

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Original broadcast date: April 9, 2021. During exhausting times, how can we bring what's been dormant back to life? This hour, TED speakers explore ways to revitalize our minds, bodies, buildings—and even populations. Guests include psychologist Guy Winch, visual artist Amanda Williams, biophysicist Andrew Pelling, and writer Wajahat Ali.

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Original broadcast date: October 29, 2021. What does it take to deliver a message, precious cargo, or vaccines — meant for exactly the right place in our bodies? This hour, TED speakers explore the often perilous journey of crucial deliveries. Guests include theater director Amir Nizar Zuabi, astrophysicist Erika Hamden, chemical engineer Kathryn Whitehead, and entrepreneur Keller Rinaudo.

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For millennia, humans have created artifacts of their lives—from art, to books, to music. This hour, we explore ideas about capturing the ephemeral human experience for future generations to find. Guests include paleoanthropologist Genevieve von Petzinger, museum curator Ariana Curtis, music curator Alexis Charpentier and artist Katie Paterson.

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Original broadcast date: June 11, 2021. Oceans cover nearly 75% of the Earth. While they seem vast and frightening, they're also enchanting and whimsical. This hour, TED speakers dive into stories of connection — and even love — in the sea. Guests include adventurer Catherine Mohr, marine biologists Marah Hardt and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and venom scientist Mandë Holford.

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Resolutions are easy to make, even easier to break. But what if a story or idea can motivate us in a whole new way? This hour, TED speakers offer different perspectives on our most common resolutions. Guests include neuroscientists Wendy Suzuki and Sandra Aamodt, science journalist Catherine Price, behavioral scientist Wendy De La Rosa, and authors Pico Iyer and A.J. Jacobs.

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Original broadcast date: May 6, 2022. MLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin are household names, but what about their mothers? This hour, author Anna Malaika Tubbs explores how these three women shaped American history.

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There are an infinite number of ways to be a happy family, and just as many ways to be an unhappy one, says Andrew Solomon. This hour, the author and psychologist discusses modern family dynamics — and how families can find joy even when life gets complicated.

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Original broadcast date: March 22, 2022. In the last century, human life expectancy has doubled. This hour, we talk with writer Steven Johnson on the many breakthroughs that made this possible — and where we go from here.

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Original broadcast date: January 7, 2022. New innovations in gene and stem cell technology have the power to shape ecosystems and even change humanity. This hour, TED speakers share the breakthroughs heralding the next scientific revolution. Guests include biochemist Jennifer Doudna, physicist and biotech entrepreneur Nabiha Saklayen and conservation innovator and biotech entrepreneur Ryan Phelan.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without ads. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

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Original broadcast date: November 4, 2022. For millennia, humans have created artifacts of their lives — from art, to books, to music. This hour, we explore ideas about capturing the ephemeral human experience for future generations to find. Guests include paleoanthropologist Genevieve von Petzinger, museum curator Ariana Curtis, music curator Alexis Charpentier and artist Katie Paterson.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/ted

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