Start Here

Start Here is ABC News' daily podcast, hosted by Brad Mielke, and it aims to give you a straightforward look at the day's top stories in about 20 minutes. The format is clean: Mielke sets up each story, then brings in an ABC News correspondent who's been covering it to explain what's actually going on and why it matters. Since launching in 2018, the show has built a strong reputation as a morning commute staple. It holds a 4.5-star rating from over 6,200 reviews on Apple Podcasts, and listeners consistently praise its concise format and accessible tone. Each episode typically covers three to four stories, moving briskly between domestic politics, international affairs, and cultural news. Mielke's hosting style is conversational without being casual. He asks the kind of follow-up questions a regular person would actually want answered, and the correspondents generally respond in plain language rather than reporter-speak. The show wraps up with a "one last thing" segment that's usually lighter -- a palate cleanser before you head into your day. Start Here benefits from ABC News' reporting infrastructure, which means you're getting stories backed by a major network's resources. The pacing is tight enough that it never feels like it's wasting your time, but thorough enough that you come away actually understanding the stories rather than just hearing about them. It sits comfortably in that sweet spot between the ultra-brief ten-minute briefings and the deeper single-story shows.