Romance on the screen and on the page: Two Indicators

Summary

Planet Money Episode Summary: "Romance on the Screen and on the Page: Two Indicators"

In this engaging episode of Planet Money, hosted by Erica Barris, Danica McKeller, and Weylon Wong, listeners are taken on a deep dive into the flourishing worlds of holiday romantic comedies (rom-coms) and romance novels. The episode, titled "Romance on the Screen and on the Page: Two Indicators," unpacks the economic forces driving the popularity and success of these genres, explores the business models behind them, and discusses the evolving landscape in terms of diversity and inclusion.

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I. The Rise of Holiday Rom-Coms: Hallmark’s Dominance

A. Early Days and Business Strategy

The conversation begins with a nostalgic look at the early 2000s when holiday rom-coms were sparse on television. Weylon Wong humorously outlines the generic formula of a holiday rom-com, highlighting its predictability yet enduring appeal:

Weylon Wong [00:24]: "So there's this running joke that you can basically generate a holiday rom com from a list of options."

Danica McKeller adds to the template, emphasizing the character archetypes and plot devices that have become staples of the genre:

Danica McKeller [00:29]: "Yeah. So start with your main character. Maybe she is a hairy corporate lawyer... Or maybe she has to save the family Christmas tree farm from ruin."

Recognizing an untapped market, Bill Abbott, former CEO of Hallmark Channel’s parent company, recounts the strategic decision to expand holiday content:

Bill Abbott [03:34]: "For the most part, the TV movie space was really only a few movies leading up to Christmas... We kind of thought, what's a good number? And 12 kind of made sense for the business model anyway." [04:21]

B. Production Strategies and Budgeting

In 2009, Hallmark launched “Countdown to Christmas,” significantly increasing the number of holiday films. Despite operating on a tighter budget—spending approximately $12 to $15 million on twelve movies compared to Hollywood’s $25 million for a single film like No Strings Attached—Hallmark focused on creating immersive Christmas settings and relatable storylines.

Bill Abbott [05:01]: "There are Christmas movies that had no snow... which is so critical to making the viewer become immersed in Christmas." [05:24]

C. Maintaining Affordability and Efficiency

As the genre grew, budgets increased, but Hallmark retained cost-saving measures such as filming in small-town settings and shooting movies quickly:

Danica McKeller [05:46]: "As the genre's expanded, so have budgets. But a lot of the cost saving measures from the early days have stuck around... they’re shot quickly in just a few weeks." [05:59]

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II. Challenges of Diversity in Holiday Rom-Coms

Despite Hallmark’s success, the genre faced criticism for its lack of diversity and inclusivity. While Hallmark has begun to address these issues, the transition hasn’t been smooth for everyone involved.

A. Efforts Towards Diversity

Christine Larson, a media scholar, acknowledges the gradual inclusion of more diverse stories, noting significant milestones like Hulu’s Happiest Season:

Danica McKeller [08:01]: "Hello and welcome to Planet Money..." leading into the discussion on diversity.

Yuelene Kwong shares her personal experience attempting to infuse diversity into Hallmark’s workflow:

Yuelene Kwong [08:45]: "It's part of my lore that I was fired by Hallmark... They kept getting notes that the writing was too hip for Hallmark." [08:48]

Her efforts to include multicultural elements were met with resistance, leading to her departure but leaving a lasting impact on the push for more inclusive storytelling:

Yuelene Kwong [09:05]: "I'm still grateful for the Hallmark gig as a milestone in my early career." [09:29]

B. Balancing Sentimentality and Authenticity

Bill Abbott emphasizes the importance of avoiding excessive sentimentality to maintain authenticity:

Bill Abbott [10:17]: "There's a fine line... between familiarity and RePet, between earnestness and something that's too sentimental." [10:24]

This delicate balance is crucial in keeping the audience engaged without falling into cliché.

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III. The Booming Romance Novel Industry

Shifting focus from the screen to the page, the episode explores the explosive growth and economic triumph of romance novels, attributing their success to early adoption of digital technologies and strong community networks.

A. Economic Success and Growth Factors

Christine Larson, a journalism professor and author, investigates why romance writers have thrived even as other genres struggled. Her research highlights a remarkable 73% rise in median income for romance authors between 2009 and 2014, contrasted with a 42% decline for other authors:

Christine Larson [13:37]: "Using data from author surveys, Christine found that during this period, romance writers saw their median income rise by 73%." [13:56]

B. Embracing Self-Publishing and Digital Platforms

One key to their success was the romance genre’s early embrace of self-publishing and digital platforms. Romance authors were pioneers in selling ebooks and PDFs online even before mainstream platforms like Kindle:

Christine Larson [14:19]: "Romance writers were actually the very first writers to start digitally self publishing." [14:35]

This adaptability allowed them to capitalize on the ebook boom, with by 2011, 60% of romance books sold were digital, maximizing their revenue through favorable payment structures:

Yuelene Kwong [15:15]: "If I'm self published, I sell the same book for $10, I get seven bucks... I can sell fewer books and make a lot more money." [15:27]

C. Open Elite Networks: Community and Collaboration

Another critical factor is the formation of Open Elite Networks—communities where established authors mentor newcomers, share industry insights, and support each other’s growth:

Christine Larson [16:02]: "In the romance industry, she's found a long history of authors helping each other get public and sharing information on how much they make." [16:16]

Priscilla Oliveras, a romance novelist, illustrates how these networks foster collaboration and mutual success:

Priscilla Oliveras [17:02]: "When you're offered this opportunity... I think it's that idea of there is enough for all of us and... who can we help?" [17:24]

D. Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion

While the romance novel industry has seen growth in diversity, significant challenges remain. Traditional publishing still predominantly features authors from non-marginalized backgrounds. Open Elite Networks are crucial in providing opportunities and fostering diversity:

Yuelene Kwong [18:10]: "Traditional publishing has long been criticized for excluding authors from marginalized backgrounds." [18:24]

Natalie Kanya, a newer author, credits these networks for her breakthrough, highlighting the importance of mentorship and community support:

Natalie Kanya [17:34]: "I instantly fell in love with romance and I decided that was what I was going to write." [17:42]

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IV. Success Stories and Future Outlook

The episode concludes by showcasing how networking and community support within the romance genre have empowered authors like Priscilla Oliveras and Natalie Kanya to achieve success. Their stories exemplify the transformative power of collaboration and adaptability in a competitive industry.

Weylon Wong [19:24]: "Check out the indicator from Planet Money this week for the rest of their series on love." [19:39]

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Conclusion

"Romance on the Screen and on the Page: Two Indicators" offers a comprehensive look at the economic and social dynamics fueling the success of holiday rom-coms and romance novels. By examining the strategic business models, community networks, and adaptability of creators, the Planet Money team underscores the significant impact of these genres on the economy and popular culture. The episode not only celebrates their popularity but also critically addresses ongoing challenges related to diversity and authenticity, providing listeners with a nuanced understanding of the romance industry’s evolution.

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Notable Quotes:

• Bill Abbott [04:21]: "We kind of thought, what's a good number? And 12 kind of made sense for the business model anyway."

• Yuelene Kwong [08:48]: "After maybe like three or four rounds of that back and forth, I'm sure some beleaguered executive at Hallmark was like, pull the plug."

• Christine Larson [13:37]: "Romance writers were actually the very first writers to start digitally self publishing."

• Yuelene Kwong [18:35]: "It was like a very fangirl moment."

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This in-depth exploration by Planet Money not only highlights the financial success behind beloved romantic narratives but also sheds light on the collaborative and adaptive spirit that drives these enduring genres.

Transcript

[Erica Barris]

This message comes from solidigm. Yesterday's approach to storage can't meet the demands of today's AI ambitions. Bigger, faster and more energy efficient Solidigm solid state storage solutions are optimized for AI. Learn more at storageforai.com this is Planet Money from NPR.

[Weylon Wong]

So there's this running joke that you can basically generate a holiday rom com from a list of options.

[Danica McKeller]

Yeah. So start with your main character. Maybe she is a hairy corporate lawyer.

[Weylon Wong]

From the big city or a beat down interior designer.

[Danica McKeller]

Ooh, or a baker. And she returns to her bucolic small town at Christmastime.

[Weylon Wong]

Of course, you know, she wants to like, enter like some kind of like folksy contest or something.

[Danica McKeller]

Or maybe she has to save the family Christmas tree farm from ruin. But then, then she falls for an old flame.

[Weylon Wong]

Or maybe the other baker in town, I don't know.

[Danica McKeller]

Ooh. As long as he's wearing plaid. Or maybe he has a dog.

[Weylon Wong]

He always has a dog. They at the dog park actually.

[Danica McKeller]

Oh, my gosh. Holding cups of coffee that obviously don't have any coffee in them.

[Weylon Wong]

Maybe all of the above.

[Danica McKeller]

All of the above, yes.

[Weylon Wong]

I would 100% watch that movie. I actually have watched that movie multiple times.

[Danica McKeller]

I have, too. It is a seasonal ritual with me and it turns out it is a tradition for a lot of people. And this formula we talked about is actually part of what makes the industry so successful.

[Weylon Wong]

Everywhere you look, from holiday movies to bestselling books, the romance genre is taken over. Hello and welcome to Planet Money. I'm Erica Barris.

[Danica McKeller]

And I'm Weylon Wong. Today we're bringing you two episodes from our daily show, the indicator from Planet Money. All week we've been diving into the economics of love. Today, television executive Bill Abbott of Great American Family tells Adrian Mami about how holiday rom coms took over the seasonal airwaves. And then Darren woods and I speak with media scholar Christine Larson about how romance novels went from a punchline to a booming gen.

[Adrian Mami]

This message comes from Apple Card. Apple Card is the perfect card for your holiday shopping. When you use Apple Card on your iPhone, you'll earn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, including products at Apple like a new iPhone 16 or Apple Watch Ultra. Apply now in the wallet app on your iPhone, subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and [e-mail] this message comes from Grammarly. 88% of the work week is spent communicating. So it's important your team gets it Right. Enter Grammarly. Grammarly's AI helps teams communicate clearly the first time. It goes beyond basic grammar to help teams instantly create and revise drafts in just one click, all without leaving the page they're on. Join the 70,000 teams and 30 million people who use Grammarly to move work forward. Go to Grammarly.comenterprise to learn more Grammarly Enterprise Ready AI it's become kind of.

[Erica Barris]

A national pastime to grumble about how the holiday marketing blitz seems to start earlier and earlier every year. But believe it or not, there was a time when it seemed like there was not enough Christmas, at least not when it came to made for TV movies. Bill Abbott was CEO of Hallmark Channel's parent company for over a decade, and he remembers those barren days way back in the early 2000s.

[Bill Abbott]

For the most part, the TV movie space was really only a few movies leading up to Christmas. You know, maybe you do five or six Christmas movies a year.

[Danica McKeller]

Bill says he and others at Hallmark believed there was a big untapped audience for Christmas content. People who wanted presents, snowflakes, sleigh rides, and most Importantly, they wanted PG rated romance.

[Erica Barris]

So in 2009, Hallmark launched Countdown to Christmas, a collection of movies that would air in the weeks leading up to December 25th. And Bill says things really got going a couple years later. That's when the network aired 12 original holiday films with titles like A Princess for Christmas and Mistletoe Over Manhattan.

[Danica McKeller]

Did you pick that because it was like the 12 Days of Christmas?

[Bill Abbott]

There was a little bit of that there, to be candid. You know, we kind of thought, what's a good number? And 12 kind of made sense for the business model anyway.

[Danica McKeller]

A key part of this business model was frugality. Bill says they spent around 12 to 15 million dollars on those dozen movies. To give you an idea of how thin that shoestring is. Around that same time, Paramount released a romantic comedy in theaters called no Strings Attached, starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. That single rom com cost a reported $25 million to make.

[Erica Barris]

Yeah, Bill did not have that kind of Hollywood budget, so there were some trade offs made you look back.

[Bill Abbott]

There are Christmas movies that had no snow, that were clearly in warm weather, things we would never do now because we didn't have the budget to create that overall setting and location that is, we've learned, is so critical to making the viewer become immersed in Christmas. And so those were choices that we had to make just due to financial constraints.

[Erica Barris]

Even without Hollywood A listers and elaborate sets, these movies have found both enthusiastic viewers and advertisers. Hallmark already kicked off Countdown to Christmas last week and will play holiday movies 247 through the season. And this year's lineup has over 30 new films. Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have also aired their own original holiday rom coms.

[Danica McKeller]

As the genre's expanded, so have budgets. But a lot of the cost saving measures from the early days have stuck around. For example, the movies tend to have simple small town town settings and they're shot quickly in just a few weeks.

[Christine Larson]

We have so many years in the business that we don't need more than two takes.

[Danica McKeller]

You may recognize that voice as Danica McKeller. She played girl next door Winnie Cooper in the TV series the Wonder Years. She is also a Christmas movie mainstay. Maybe you watched Crown for Christmas or Coming Home for Christmas on Hallmark.

[Christine Larson]

You'll see a lot of, you know, 90s child stars like myself in these movies, in part because we know how to do this stuff.

[Erica Barris]

Danica is now at a network called Great American Family, which Bill Abbott launched after leaving Hallmark. Danica followed Bill when he switched jobs and so did several other actors along with the holiday movie playbook that Bill helped develop at Hallmark.

[Danica McKeller]

One strategy in the playbook is shooting in Canada. The provincial government in Ontario offers a tax credit of 35 to 40% as long as productions meet certain requirements around hiring local labor.

[Erica Barris]

And one movie Danica shot in Ontario was Christmas at the Drive In. In this film, her character is trying to save the town drive in movie theater from getting torn down.

[Christine Larson]

Christmas is a beautiful tradition and so is the Drive In. If that goes away, how could that possibly be a good thing for Brennington?

[Erica Barris]

Classic. Rescuing a troubled local business is of course a recurring theme of these movies. So of course we had to ask Danica about this economic angle.

[Christine Larson]

We don't like to have a lot of bad guys because we don't want to model bad behavior. So who's the bad guy? The bank. The rates have gone up. The bank is going to have to foreclose.

[Adrian Mami]

Right.

[Christine Larson]

You're not fighting against a person. You're fighting against the big economic structure that works pretty well most of the time in this country. But then there's some pitfalls, right?

[Danica McKeller]

Yeah. Capitalism. Are you allowed to say capitalism in a script?

[Christine Larson]

Are we allowed to say capitalism? It's never come up. But no, you don't want to get political in these scripts because our goal is to make people feel good. So if you bring up anything controversial at all that might interrupt their feeling.

[Erica Barris]

Good These stories present a pretty specific view of the world. One persistent critique of the genre is that it predominantly features straight white couples, although you can now find more of a variety of stories at Hallmark and other streaming services. Hulu released a rom com called happiest season in 2020, which starred Kristen Stewart, and Variety said it was the first queer Christmas rom com.

[Danica McKeller]

A lot of the movies, though, still tend to take place in small towns or the occasional fictional European monarchy that's untouched by current events or even pop culture. Yuelene Kwong realized this in 2019 when she was hired to help write a Hallmark rom com called Love on Iceland. And spoiler alert.

[Yuelene Kwong]

It's part of my lore that I was fired by Hallmark.

[Erica Barris]

Oh. Yuline says she worked on the script with a partner, and they kept getting notes that the writing was too hip for Hallmark. Like, for example, one draft had a reference to George Clooney and his wife Amal. Yulin said that had to go. So did a mention of a character working in politics.

[Yuelene Kwong]

After maybe like three or four rounds of that back and forth, I'm sure some beleaguered executive at Hallmark was like, pull the plug.

[Danica McKeller]

Yuline and her partner were let go via a polite conference call. But Yuline says they did get paid. She remembers her earnings being $30,000, and she and her partner are still credited as writers on the movie. That means they get residual payments whenever the film airs.

[Erica Barris]

Yuline has since moved on to rom com projects with major studios, but she says she's still grateful for the Hallmark gig as a milestone in her early career.

[Yuelene Kwong]

Before going into it, I thought they were very vanilla kind of cookie cutter romances. What I have learned is that there's a lot of work that goes into the making of a Hallmark movie. That said, I do hope that they continue to go more diverse and give more opportunities to other plucky young screenwriters and other plucky not so young screenwriters.

[Erica Barris]

As for Bill Abbott, he says a vanilla cookie cutter production was never his vision. There's a fine line, he says, between familiarity and RePet, between earnestness and something that's too sentimental.

[Bill Abbott]

One thing we have a. It's like the cheese alert. The minute we sniff it out, it's like, move on.

[Danica McKeller]

Is there like a button you press to play a sound in, like, a screening room? That's the cheese alert.

[Bill Abbott]

That's like, that's a great idea. I watched a movie today that I would have been pushing the button all day long.

[Danica McKeller]

Coming up after the break, we dive into the romance genre and look at how novelists have found success in a challenging industry.

[Adrian Mami]

This message comes from Capital One. Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.combank for details. Capital1NA Member FDIC this is IRA Glass.

[Weylon Wong]

Of this American Life. Each week on our show, we choose a theme, tell different stories on that theme. All right, I'm just going to stop right there. You're listening to an NPR podcast. Chances are you know our show. So instead I'm going to tell you we've just been on a run of really good shows lately. Some big, epic, emotional stories and some weird, funny stuff, too. Download us this American Life. Alexi Horowitz Ghazi here.

[Erica Barris]

Sure, subscriptions offer convenience, but are they bad for competition?

[Danica McKeller]

When you're not canceling because you forget.

[Bill Abbott]

About it or it's difficult to cancel.

[Yuelene Kwong]

Those forces of consumers taking their business to another product are blunted.

[Erica Barris]

That's from our recent Planet Money bonus episode, my extended interview with Stanford economist Neil Mahoney.

[Weylon Wong]

Listen with [e-mail] this message comes from Wondery.

[Adrian Mami]

Some of the craziest conspiracy theories are actually classified government operations. To hear more about these hidden truths, listen to Declassified Mysteries with Luke lamanna on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danica McKeller]

If the last romance novel you looked at was a paperback at your local supermarket with a woman and a shirtless man embracing on the COVID well, fetch your smelling salts because things have really changed in the last couple of decades.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

Yeah, romance has gone mainstream. You'll find the books prominently displayed at Target and on the front tables at Barnes and Noble. Romance is one of the fastest growing and best selling categories within publishing and.

[Danica McKeller]

This growth comes with a lot of variety. There are modern day stories and historical stories. There's characters representing different facets of sexuality and gender and settings from college campuses to fairy kingdoms to outer space.

[Yuelene Kwong]

The romance genre is this vast and varied genre of books that feature a central love story and an emotionally satisfying ending. So that's the traditional definition of romance.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

Christine Larsen is a journalism professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

[Yuelene Kwong]

I define romance a little bit differently because I'm interested in media economics. So I define romance as an almost entirely female dominated industry of books, mostly written about women, by women and for women.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

Christine is the author of the book Love in the Time of Self Publishing How Romance Writers Changed the Rules of Writing and Success. Her research involves studying authors incomes between 2009 and 2014. That window of time covers the early boom in ebooks, which was fueled by Amazon's Kindle and Apple's iPad.

[Danica McKeller]

Using data from author surveys, Christine found that during this period, romance writers saw their median income rise by 73%. Contrast that to a 42% drop in income for other authors.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

Christine lays out two big factors for the success. Number one, an early adopter mindset and a willingness to experiment with digital technology.

[Yuelene Kwong]

Romance writers were actually the very first writers to start digitally self publishing. Even long before the Kindle came out, they were selling PDFs of books online in the 90s.

[Danica McKeller]

When Amazon introduced self publishing in 2007, romance writers took to the platform right away. They were also really productive, often publishing multiple books a year.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

And these authors didn't need the approval or marketing muscle of traditional publishers. Many writers already had built relationships with readers online via early Internet communities like Prodigy, Christine says they could mobilize their fandoms to buy books.

[Danica McKeller]

Romance readers historically buy more books than the average American. And these readers flocked to ebooks. I mean, OnePlus as a reader is that with an ebook, if you're maybe feeling a little sheepish about an explicit cover, I mean, no one knows what you're reading.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

And so by 2011, 60% of romances sold were in digital form. And plus, the payment structure for ebooks let self published authors keep more of their sales revenue.

[Yuelene Kwong]

If I am a traditionally published author, let's say my book sold for $10, I would get about a dollar in royalties. But if I'm self published, I sell the same book for $10, I get seven bucks, I get around 70% so I can sell fewer books and make a lot more money.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

So after ebooks, the second big reason behind the commercial success of romance writers, Christine says, is that they formed something called Open Elite Networks. This is where more established or senior members of a group are willing to forge relationships with newcomers.

[Danica McKeller]

Christine says Open Elite Networks are credited for the growth of the Silicon Valley biotech industry in the 80s. In the romance industry, she's found a long history of authors helping each other get public and sharing information on how much they make.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

Priscilla Oliveras is an author who has published eight romance novels and four novellas. Her latest book, kiss Me Catalina, is about two mariachi musicians who fall in love on tour.

[Weylon Wong]

I write closed door romance so things can get hot and heavy, but then it fade to black. I figure we all know what's happening there and I want to give my character some privacy, give them the room.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

They'Re Practicing their songs.

[Danica McKeller]

Yeah, that's right. That's what they're doing.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

And when it came to networking with other romance writers, though, Priscilla had more of an open door approach. She's part of a group of Latina authors who get together periodically for writers retreats and they share details about their careers. Priscilla says she believes helping other authors improves conditions for everyone.

[Weylon Wong]

If I'm offered this opportunity or this contract at these numbers, why would I not think, you know, my friend who I know is working equally as hard as I am, right. That. And so I think they are equally as deserving. So for me, I think it's that idea of there is enough for all of us and even more so who can we help?

[Danica McKeller]

One of the newer authors in Priscilla's network is Natalie Kanya. She discovered the romance genre in college when she picked up a novel from the bargain bin at her university bookstore.

[Weylon Wong]

I instantly fell in love with romance and I decided that was what I was going to write.

[Danica McKeller]

Natalie said that the beginning of her career was lonely, but then she learned about a conference for romance writers, and from there she started making connections.

[Weylon Wong]

You know, I would meet somebody and somebody would be like, you have to meet Priscilla. You got to meet Mia. You have to talk to Adriana. I really found having that network super helpful, especially having and building a network with other women of color, because we know that the system works differently for us than it works for other people.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

Traditional publishing has long been criticized for excluding authors from marginalised backgrounds. In romance, only about 10% of books published in 2023 were by Black, indigenous or authors of color, according to one industry report.

[Danica McKeller]

For Natalie, the Open Elite network has helped her break through. Early on in her career, she went to a luncheon and she ended up sitting next to a romance writer she admired named Kristen Higgins.

[Weylon Wong]

It was like a very fangirl moment.

[Danica McKeller]

Kristen asked Natalie, what kinds of things do you want to write about?

[Weylon Wong]

At the time, I was worried about writing Latin characters because I wasn't sure if they would sell. And Kristen Higgins said, always tell the story that you want to tell because it will reach who it needs to reach.

[Danica McKeller]

Natalie eventually signed a contract to write three books about a Puerto Rican family in Chicago. Next week, the third novel in the series comes out. It's called Sleeping with the Florida Frenemy, and it's about a firefighter reuniting with an old flame. Pun intended. Darian.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

I get it. And I'm starting to maybe catch the flame of romance novels after this episode.

[Weylon Wong]

Check out the indicator from Planet Money this week for the rest of their series on love. Tomorrow, they talk to the CEO of Hinge about the dating app backlash. And on Friday, they ask economists to put their economic wisdom to the test and offer advice on love and dating.

[Danica McKeller]

These episodes of the Indicator were originally produced by Giulia Richie and engineered by Kwesi Lee. They were fact checked by Sierra Juarez. Kate Concannon is the Indicator's editor. I'm Weylon Wang.

[Weylon Wong]

I'm Erica Barris. This is npr. Thanks for listening.

[Yuelene Kwong]

Joe Biden's on his way out and Donald Trump's on his way back. Want to know what's happening as the presidential transition is underway? The NPR Politics podcast has you covered with the latest news and analysis. Listen to the NPR Politics podcast.

[Weylon Wong]

The Code Switch team spent Election Day talking to folks about how the outcome might impact them. It's a time capsule of people's hopes and fears before they knew the results. One way or another, there's a change coming. I wanted to vote for Trump, but I voted for her.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

Gays for Trump.

[Weylon Wong]

I cried this morning. I've been crying on and off. I'm terrified. Listen to Code Switch, the podcast about race and identity. From npr.

[Yuelene Kwong]

NPR brings you the updates you need on the day's biggest headlines.

[Erica Barris]

The Senate narrowly passed the debt ceiling bill that will prevent the country from.

[Priscilla Oliveras]

Defaulting on its loans.

[Yuelene Kwong]

Stories from across the world.

[Danica McKeller]

Knowing how to forage and to live with the land is integral to anise.

[Yuelene Kwong]

Culture and down your block.

[Weylon Wong]

From CPR News, this is Colorado Matters.

[Yuelene Kwong]

And you can find all of that and more in your pocket. Download the NPR app Today.