Episodes

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Episodes

Pope Leo excommunicates 2026-07-09
The recent excommunication of a conservative Catholic group and a sharp stance on AI means that Pope Leo XIV is dealing with the same problems as…
Smart glasses are officially here 2026-07-08
There's a race to get smart glasses on your face. But privacy and security concerns are freaking people out. This episode was produced by Avishay…
A white, male military 2026-07-07
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been blocking military promotions — especially if you're a woman, Black, or perceived as disloyal. This…
Trump’s secret war 2026-07-06
America's longest ongoing conflict isn't with Iran. It's in Somalia. But almost no one is talking about it. This episode was produced by Hady…
The socialists are coming! 2026-07-02
The Democratic Socialists of America is seeing a surge of enthusiasm for its candidates around the country. This episode was produced by Danielle…
Jared and Ivanka’s accidental revolution 2026-07-01
Jared and Ivanka Kushner thought they were investing in luxury resorts in Albania. Instead, they sparked the biggest protests the country has seen…
Everything is dupes 2026-06-30
Fender declared war on guitar makers. Lululemon declared war on Costco. Ugg declared war on Quince. Welcome to the era of the dupe product wars.…
The World Cup is healing us 2026-06-29
The World Cup is showing what Trump can’t destroy about America. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru and Kelli Wessinger, edited by Amina…
Can we cheat death? 2026-06-28
The trick to living a longer, happier life. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Michelle Hirsch,…
How Trump lost the bro vote 2026-06-27
The group of men that famously helped propel Trump to the White House in 2024 is having second thoughts. Here’s what that means for Republicans in…
Lonely fans 2026-06-26
No friends, no kids, no partner. You might think their lives are sad, but loneliness influencers are attracting huge followings. This episode was…
The Reflecting Pool fiasco 2026-06-25
Donald Trump famously came to Washington, DC to “drain the swamp,” but he may have inadvertently created one. This episode was produced by Hady…
The world’s stingiest trillionaire 2026-06-24
Ten ways Elon Musk could use his money to make the world a better place... and why he probably won’t. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru,…
The Trump phone grift 2026-06-23
President Trump's ongoing efforts to become a mobile mogul and to run a bank suggest Trump grift is alive and well. This episode was produced by…
North Korea's girl dad dictator 2026-06-22
North Korea has been led by a string of vicious dictators — all men. But Kim Jong Un seems to be auditioning his daughter for the job. This episode…
How to beat mosquitoes 2026-06-21
They’re the deadliest animal on the planet. Now even Google is getting into the extermination business. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru,…
The young candidates shaking up the Dem Party 2026-06-20
AI, policing and generational change are among the issues influencing two primary races in New York that reflect the broader 2026 midterms. This…
The death of dating 2026-06-19
Gen Z is saying no to dating and backing away from romantic relationships. This episode of The Gray Area explains why. This episode was produced by…
How Trump’s maps could backfire 2026-06-18
The president's push to redraw congressional maps to favor Republicans is making voters mad on both sides. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan,…
Iran won the war 2026-06-17
Deal or no deal? Doesn’t matter. The war on Iran has irrevocably transformed the country and the region. This episode was produced by Peter…
Why the Antichrist is back 2026-06-16
Former supporters of President Trump have speculated about whether he could be the Antichrist. Accusations like this are not new to politics in the…
Trump loves the inflation 2026-06-15
President Trump's messaging on the economy is increasingly bizarre. So is our perception of it. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh and…
The lost art of handwriting 2026-06-14
How our relationship with writing has changed, and how that’s changed us. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Avishay Artsy,…
Hasan Piker vs. The Establishment 2026-06-13
Hasan Piker has become one of the most prominent leftist voices in the US. But his rapid rise has sparked a furious backlash from establishment…
YouTube at the movies 2026-06-12
It's blockbuster season, but low-budget horror films from YouTubers — like Iron Lung, Obsession, and Backrooms — are what's got Hollywood talking.…
Nike lost its cool 2026-06-11
And once a brand has lost its cool, it's almost impossible to get it back. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jolie Myers,…
Is Platner too “authentic”? 2026-06-10
Senate candidate Graham Platner swept the Maine Democratic primary no problem. The question is whether his "authenticity" can carry him past his…
America's birthday blues 2026-06-09
America's 250th birthday party has gotten political. So did its last big one. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Hady Mawajdeh, edited…
Putin's plan to live forever 2026-06-08
Russia has long been a cradle of modern longevity science, even before its current president started spending billions to extend his life. This…
DIY or don’t? 2026-06-07
YouTube has advice for how to do everything from plumbing to electrical work. Should you take it? This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited…
Can corruption drive voter turnout? 2026-06-06
We went to Virginia to report on redistricting. What we found was a potential new message for Democrats to win over voters. This show was edited by…
The Ferrari of electric vehicles 2026-06-05
Ferrari is about to drop an almost $700,000 electric vehicle on the market. It has even fewer fans than the typical EV. This episode was produced by…
Why Israel won’t stop 2026-06-04
Trump and Netanyahu are beefing over Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon. Israel has seized land there, in Gaza, and in Syria. And in service of…
Trump enters his flop era 2026-06-03
The Trump administration will no longer create a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, the latest in a series of losses for the President and…
AI goes IPO 2026-06-02
Some of the richest companies on Earth want your money. OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX are racing to raise as much of it as possible by going public.…
Ebola conspiracies 2026-06-01
As Ebola continues to spread in Central and East Africa, conspiracies and myths about the disease are making it harder to control. This episode was…
Why people cheat 2026-05-31
Our fears about infidelity reveal a lot about us. And so do our reasons for cheating. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Hady…
You voted. Does it matter? 2026-05-30
Democrats talk a lot about protecting democracy, but for most Americans, the system was written to exclude them a long time ago. This show was…
The steroid olympics 2026-05-29
The Enhanced Games are kind of like the Olympics except everyone is on performance enhancing drugs. The organizers want to push back on the shame of…
The fall of Ben Shapiro 2026-05-28
Ben Shapiro used to be the leading voice in MAGA media. His downfall tells a bigger story of chaos and shifting allegiances in the conservative…
Raw milk is having a mooment 2026-05-27
Lawmakers around the country are trying to make it easier to access raw milk. Our co-host Sean takes a sip. This episode was produced by Avishay…
Cuba, too 2026-05-26
Cuba seems willing to concede more than ever if the Trump administration is willing to take the win. This episode was produced by Peter…
Dating my AI 2026-05-25
Real-life humans are searching for love and seem to be finding it… with their chatbots. We revisit our conversation with them. This episode was…
Ew, are we post-literate? 2026-05-22
In this episode from last year, we explain how a return to orality is frying our politics and our brains. This episode was produced by Peter…
Late night’s long goodbye 2026-05-21
The end of Colbert is just the beginning. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov,…
Everything is clips now 2026-05-20
An army of people posting clips of podcasts, songs, and movies has taken over your algorithm, which means everything you see could be a psyop. This…
The Great American Road Trip? 2026-05-19
The Secretary of Transportation took a sponsored road trip across the US with his wife and nine kids. Now if only Boeing could pay for YOUR family's…
How the right embraced psychedelics 2026-05-18
The MAGA right is enthusiastically embracing a potent psychedelic called ibogaine. Its the new counter-counter-culture. This episode was produced by…
Prepping for doomsday (or Tuesday) 2026-05-17
How to prepare for the worst while still living your best life. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by…
The data center war 2026-05-16
There’s a growing disconnect between a local community that says it’s being treated as the "guinea pigs" in a new industrial revolution, and…
The rise of death doulas 2026-05-15
Celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Chloé Zhao say they're training in this growing field. What preparing people for death teaches us about life.…
All Quiet on the Climate Front 2026-05-14
The fight against climate change has never been more urgent, but no one in US politics wants to talk about it anymore. And maybe they shouldn’t.…
Is it a bad book or is it AI? 2026-05-13
An author gets her book pulled after accusations that it was written with AI, but it might not always be so easy to catch AI writing. This episode…
Abortion pills at the Supreme Court 2026-05-12
There are more abortions now than when the Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But a ruling on whether to keep abortion pills accessible could change…
Controlling hantavirus 2026-05-11
Quarantine, cruise ships, and passenger tracking are reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the hantavirus is different, and public health…
Chems in your cosmetics 2026-05-10
From lotions to hair extensions, the products that make us look good may also make us feel bad. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt and…
"Affordability" is the new progressive 2026-05-09
What do buzzwords like “progressive” and “affordability” mean to voters? We went to one of the most Democratic congressional districts to find out.…
Is smoking back? 2026-05-08
Gen Z is making smoking — or at least posing with cigarettes — cool again. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi,…
One billion humanoid robots 2026-05-07
Tech companies are betting big on robots that look like humans and do human jobs. Why, robot? This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by…
Is Venezuela better now? 2026-05-06
It’s been over four months since the United States overthrew Nicolás Maduro. One Venezuelan says she is grateful for the intervention and is…
RIP Spirit Airlines 2026-05-05
Lessons from the life and death of America’s most beloved, most hated, most bootleg airline. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by…
The Supreme Court's gerrymaxxing 2026-05-04
States are already making changes to their election maps after the Supreme Court decided to unleash a new era of partisan gerrymandering. And just…
The cost of “I do” 2026-05-03
Love is in the air, but only if you’ve got thousands to throw at it. How couples are navigating the pressures and expenses of planning their perfect…
Grading America's first 250 years 2026-05-02
America at 250 years old may need a new founding document. Historian Heather Cox Richardson drafts a new social contract. This show was edited by…
The burnout economy 2026-05-01
From special coaches to luxury sleep vacations, you can beat burnout — for a price. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt and Peter…
The Michael Jackson "biopic" 2026-04-30
The movie is breaking records at the box office despite — or maybe because of — moonwalking past the abuse allegations. This episode was produced by…
China is winning the Iran war 2026-04-29
The US and Iran still have not reached a deal to end the war, but one winner is already clear: China. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan,…
“Staged” 2026-04-28
Conspiracy theories flooded the internet after a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. What used to be fringe is now a default…
Who's afraid of teen takeovers? 2026-04-27
Teenagers are taking over pockets of American cities and local governments are struggling to deal with them. We set out in search of solutions. This…
Burnout sandwich 2026-04-26
How to manage the squeeze of taking care of your kids and your parents at the same time. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt and Peter…
This Senator has an Eric Swalwell problem 2026-04-25
We were set to talk to Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego about solving our immigration crisis. Then Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress. This show was…
“Having kids was a mistake” 2026-04-24
They thought they would learn to love parenthood. They were wrong. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by…
When your college closes 2026-04-23
Hampshire College's closure is the latest sign of a death spiral in American higher education. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by…
100 days of Mayor Mamdani 2026-04-22
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's success may speak to a major shift among liberals on Israel and populism. If the Democratic Party will listen.…
TMZ Goes to Washington 2026-04-21
The celebrity tabloid outlet is turning its attention to DC and supercharging a new era of political reporting. This episode was produced by Kelli…
The case for holy war 2026-04-20
The Secretary of Defense suggests the Iran war is blessed by God. The head of his church, Pastor Doug Wilson, agrees. Some call Wilson an extremist.…
How to fight burnout 2026-04-19
We've been stuck in cycles of burnout for decades. Have Gen Z workers found a way out? This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Danielle…
Why both sides fail on immigration 2026-04-18
Immigration might be President Donald Trump’s signature issue, but what do Americans actually think about border security and enforcement? This show…
The secret soundtrack to your life 2026-04-17
It's in your TV shows. It's in the ads you watch. It's in your TikToks. Sync music is everywhere, and it's changing the music industry. This episode…
AI just got scarier 2026-04-16
Anthropic and OpenAI are proving the inherent difficulties in trusting AI companies with our future. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto,…