Skip to main content

The best new podcasts for the week of September 6, 2019: Hit Man and more

The best thing about podcasts is that you can listen to them while you’re doing other things: Washing dishes, going for a run, coloring, and especially, driving. But there are so many podcasts these days that it’s simply impossible to keep up. There are new ones debuting all the time, and it’s hard to know whether they deserve a spot in your feed.

Every week, we highlight new and returning podcasts we couldn’t put down. Whether you’re looking for the latest and greatest or you’re just dipping your toe into the vast ocean of podcasts, we’ll find you something worth listening to. This week, we’ve got podcasts about a hitman manual, a deep dive into Chicago’s South Side, and a 12-year-old science fan.

True crime podcast 

Hit Man

Hit Man Podcast
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A Catholic school made news recently for banning the Harry Potter series. Students were at risk of “conjuring evil spells,” said the school’s pastor. But Harry Potter is a work of fiction, not a how-to manual.

Recommended Videos

Can a book be deadly? Should one, even a manual for murder, be banned? These questions drive Hit Man as host Jasmyn Morris recounts what happened when a man seemed to follow a mysterious book’s instructions to the letter. He ended up killing three people, including a four-year-old. Morris is also trying to discover the identity of the author, perhaps to figure out if he or she feels culpable in any way. In tandem, Morris speaks with members of the Horn family, whose lives were destroyed by murders.

Science podcast 

Tai Asks Why

Tai Asks Why Podcast
Image used with permission by copyright holder

When I was 12 and had a science question, I had to look up the answers in an encyclopedia or, perhaps, Encarta it.

Tai Poole is 12 and is curious about how the world works. Not satisfied by a mere Google search, he finds experts willing to answer his many queries. Whether he’s trying to figure out if his brother can train ducks or what happens after you die, his questions are thoughtful and reactions are often entertaining. Even adults are likely to learn something, like what it means when a shrimp is bioluminescencing at you.

Culture podcast 

South Side Stories

South Side Stories Podcast
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Lots of people have opinions about Chicago’s South Side, including those who have never set foot there. But the area isn’t one adjective, one set of statistics, or even one neighborhood.

Hosts Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin are the duo behind Comedy Central’s South Side. Instead of creating a podcast about the show, they wanted to introduce listeners to the area’s residents. In episode one, you meet Rosemary, who just might convince you to buy a bedroom set without even visiting her store. Comedian Kellye Howard rides along with a police officer in episode two, and he shows his courage with an anecdote about a bad joke.

Jenny McGrath
Former Senior Writer, Home
Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…
Topics
Christopher Nolan got the tonal balance exactly right on Batman Begins
Batman gliding down a stairwell in Batman Begins.

It's been 20 years since Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins first hit theaters, and in that time, the superhero movie has evolved dramatically. The entire Marvel Cinematic Universe came after Batman Begins, as did Ben Affleck's version of Batman. Given all of that new history, you might think that Batman Begins would look a bit quaint by modern standards, the same way that Tim Burton's Batman remains an interesting movie as a new generation was indoctrinated by Nolan.

What's more, Nolan's Batman movies have developed a reputation as the trilogy that proved that you could take superheroes seriously. They spawned an entire generation of fans who would get upset when it felt like the characters they loved weren't being treated with the kind of weight they deserved. That's basically the entire project of Zack Snyder's DC Extended Universe, which is now about to be wiped off the map by yet another version of DC.

Read more
3 great action movies on Tubi you need to watch in June
Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock in Demolition Man.

If you haven't downloaded Tubi, what are you waiting for? As a FAST service, Tubi is free. You read that correctly. Tubi is a free service that offers hundreds of movies and television shows at no cost to the consumer. The quality of movies is better than expected. Jaws, Memento, Air, the Great Escape, and On the Waterfront are all on Tubi.

Tubi's action genre remains one of its best. If you need some recommendations, we have you covered. One of our picks this month is Demolition Man, a 1993 sci-fi movie with a legendary action hero. Read our picks below.

Read more
3 rom-coms on Netflix you need to watch in June 2025
A woman and a man sit at a bar.

You can never have enough romance in your life, especially when watching movies. The rom-com is a lost art in theaters. However, Netflix is dedicated to keeping the rom-com alive with its wide selection of delightful movies. The Life List, Set It Up, Love at First Sight, The Kissing Booth, and To All The Boys I've Loved Before are all Netflix originals.

Add one of our picks, The Perfect Date, to the list of movies you need to watch this month. Noah Centineo has carved out a role in Netflix lore as a leading man for the streamer. Learn more about The Perfect Date and our two other recommendations below.

Read more