Book sales — in general — are down, but one genre is bucking that trend: romance. Romance novel sales surged a whopping 52% in 2022. So what’s behind the popularity? How did romance become the reigning champion among fiction genres in America? To find out we talk with Leah Koch and Bea Hodges-Koch, owners of The Ripped Bodice, a single-genre bookstore focused on romance novels. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...
Oct 26, 2023•27 min•Ep. 53
More than a decade ago, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor pitched themselves as the future of the Republican Party. They even gave themselves a nickname: The Young Guns. Now those dreams are dashed, The Young Guns are scattered to the wind, and House Republicans are rudderless, unable to elect a Speaker ten months into their majority. How did we get here? S.E. Cupp , a conservative political commentator for CNN, breaks down what happened to the Young Guns – and why being called “the futu...
Oct 24, 2023•29 min•Ep. 52
Thousands of people have already been killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict. And Israel has told residents of northern Gaza to evacuate roughly 20 miles to the south for their own safety. This week Audie talks with CNN’s Yahya Abou-Ghazala as he shares the stories of the people who have been told to flee, and what it’s been like trying to get stories out of Gaza right now. Read Yahya’s recent stories: They followed evacuation orders. An Israeli airstrike killed them the next day. In Gaza, Palestin...
Oct 19, 2023•24 min•Ep. 51
How do Americans feel about Israel? Broadly, there is deep sympathy for Israel and its response to Hamas in Gaza. But polling shows that among America’s more diverse, younger generation, attitudes toward both Israel and Palestinians are more complicated. Harry Enten , Senior Data Reporter at CNN, is here to parse the numbers and tease out some conclusions. Oct. 15 CNN Poll: Americans are deeply sympathetic toward Israelis and see their military response to Hamas attacks as justified Call and lea...
Oct 17, 2023•23 min•Ep. 50
Writer Roxane Gay comes from a generation of what you might call “very online.” She gained international fame because she had a distinctive voice that stood far from the madding crowd on social media. This week Audie talks with Roxane about her new collection of essays, “Opinions,” how her opinions have changed, what it's like to become famous for sharing them, and how social media changed the way we all think about criticism and professional opinion. To learn more about how CNN protects listene...
Oct 12, 2023•28 min•Ep. 49
The political landscape has never been more confusing, and to some, even overwhelming. How do we determine fact from fiction? What keeps fact-checkers up at night? And what’s a democracy to do when even the professionals aren't believed? Today, we have Daniel Dale , a CNN senior reporter who rose to prominence for fact-checking former President Donald Trump, and Matthew Facciani , a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Notre Dame. He studies people who fall victim to misinformation and h...
Oct 10, 2023•25 min•Ep. 48
Big news: The Assignment is expanding to twice a week! Starting October 10th, The Assignment takes on politics. Every Tuesday we will go beyond the horserace — talking with journalists with a sharp understanding of this political moment. This is in addition to our regular Thursday podcast, where we talk with people whose lives intersect with the headlines. To kick off our weekly political pod, we’ve invited CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about how he covers this tumultuous politica...
Oct 05, 2023•26 min•Ep. 47
How do you take a story everyone thinks they know, and look at it through a new lens? What role – if any – does the identity of the translator play in the retelling of a story? And what is it like telling your own story after spending much of your career interpreting – and being interpreted by – others? This week, Audie chats with Emily Wilson. Wilson is the translator of Homeric epics like “The Odyssey.” She is a professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and a frequent s...
Sep 28, 2023•30 min•Ep. 46
Between student protests, controversial speakers, and debates over “safe spaces,” complaints about free speech on campus are louder than ever. How do school leaders respond to these gripes? And how do they balance freedom of expression – and the idea that speech can be violence? We have two college presidents from the front lines of this debate: Roslyn Clark Artis of Benedict College and Michael Roth of Wesleyan University. Both schools are part of the so-called “Campus Call for Free Expression....
Sep 21, 2023•36 min•Ep. 45
In recent years, Greek life faced a crisis as the pandemic cast a shadow on recruitment, and the “abolish Greek life” movement grew across campuses. But then came #RushTok — a flurry of TikToks documenting the sorority recruitment process among university campuses, especially in the South. One tag, in particular, soared to remarkable heights: #BamaRush. It chronicled the rush process at the University of Alabama and has garnered an astonishing 3 billion TikTok views (and counting). This week we ...
Sep 14, 2023•30 min•Ep. 44
Is there a coin shortage in the U.S.? Is there an increase in kids smoking weed at school? And: what’s the deal with Montana politics? All of these questions were asked by you, our listeners. Throughout the life of this podcast, we’ve asked you to pick up the phone and leave us Assignments – and you have delivered. We love getting these messages. We took these three Assignments and called up three reporters who could give us some answers. Joining us this week, CNN Business reporter Clare Duffy @...
Sep 07, 2023•30 min•Ep. 43
For Labor Day — the unofficial end of summer and the official holiday celebrating the American worker — we are checking in on the state of the striking actors and writers demanding more from the studios they work for. When the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike earlier this year, no one was sure how long the first dual strike in over 60 years would last. Six weeks later both unions are sti...
Aug 31, 2023•25 min•Ep. 42
Imran Ahmed is a man in the middle of the disinformation wars. He is the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), an organization dedicated to researching online hate speech and disinformation. Audie talks with him about how he came to the work, the lawsuit filed against him by Elon Musk’s X Corp. (formerly Twitter), and what it all means for the debate over “free speech” versus “hate speech” online. For more context on today’s conversation, read CNN’s reporting here . And read X Co...
Aug 24, 2023•38 min•Ep. 41
Devastating wildfires like the ones in Maui could become more common in our future due to a host of several factors, including climate change. But what about the folks who are already grappling with the fact that climate change is here? This week, we break down the connection between climate change and wildfires with climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain. Then, Audie talks with former wildland firefighters Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan and Riva Duncan about how climate change is shifting the way fires a...
Aug 17, 2023•33 min•Ep. 40
Have you heard about the “puriteens”? That’s the nickname for Gen Z’ers who are uncomfortable with sex and sexuality, and discuss that discomfort, largely online. Well, the media is obsessed with them and what their #thoughts mean for the state of their sex lives. But how accurate is that label? Is this a real thing? Our Assignment this week: unpacking the “puriteen” label. We called up Constance Grady , who is both a millennial and the Vox senior correspondent behind The Purity Chronicles, and ...
Aug 10, 2023•28 min•Ep. 39
When Audie Cornish first crossed paths with David Axelrod, she was a young radio reporter with no clout and he was the big-shot campaign manager of then-candidate Barack Obama. No wonder she couldn't get an interview. Today as colleagues at CNN, they can finally sit down and compare a few notes on that historic time in American politics. This conversation leads us into a special episode of The Axe Files featuring an interview with former president Barack Obama, presented in full. We'll be back w...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 38
Why is there such stigma attached to getting older? How can we prepare to transition through the different stages of life? Those are some of the questions CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is exploring on the latest season of his podcast Chasing Life. Audie sits down with Sanjay to talk about his approach to this season, and we’ll hear the first episode which features a lovely interview with Sanjay and his parents. The team at The Assignment is taking a short break to do more re...
Jul 27, 2023•49 min•Ep. 37
TikTok has turned the traditional music industry on its head. Users on the platform are dictating hits before they reach the charts and revolutionizing the way artists are discovered. But what happens to the creative process when "going viral” takes center stage? This week, Audie talks with songwriter Kaydence and Hip-hop artist Armani White about the TikTok-ification of music, hooking listeners, and what works — and doesn’t — in the never-ending quest to make a good song. Plus, how is TikTok ch...
Jul 20, 2023•34 min•Ep. 36
The Supreme Court just completed a historic term that sent the country spinning and CNN’s own Joan Biskupic is here to help make sense of it all. Joan’s 30-year career reporting on the court has afforded her a front row seat to its profound changes. Her newest book is titled Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court's Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences. Transcripts and previous episodes To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about y...
Jul 13, 2023•39 min•Ep. 35
Larry Wilmore’s influence as a writer and producer spans shows from “In Living Color” to “The Bernie Mac Show” to “The Daily Show.” He’s acutely aware of the role that television plays in our lives and in shaping our understanding of American identity. Today’s Assignment: Larry Wilmore on his prolific career in television, mentoring younger writers, dapping up President Obama, and what he’s working on next. Larry is also the host of his own podcast “ Black on The Air .” We highly recommend it. M...
Jul 06, 2023•32 min•Ep. 34
The pandemic kicked off a dramatic rise in homeschooling. And who had the largest increase? Black families. This week, Audie talks with two parents who chose to homeschool their children, Carlos Birdsong and Sherri Mehta. They talk about what it’s like to be a part of the Black homeschooling movement, how they’re altering the public image of homeschooling, and whether they see themselves as part of the “parents' rights” movement. Athena Jones's report: ‘A form of resistance' To learn more about ...
Jun 29, 2023•28 min•Ep. 33
One year after Roe v Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, we were wondering: what is happening to people caught up in the web of changing law? It's been a tumultuous and uncertain era for reproductive rights, so this week The Assignment checks in on the activists at the frontline defending women who are being criminally prosecuted under state laws that restrict or ban abortion. Amanda Allen, Senior Counsel and Director at the Lawyering Project, and Dana Sussman, Acting Exec...
Jun 22, 2023•35 min•Ep. 32
This week, Audie visits a restaurant that got rid of tipping, and looks into the movement to get rid of the practice all together. Our guests are Amanda Cohen, chef and owner of Dirt Candy , a no-tipping restaurant in Manhattan, and David Stockwell, co-owner of Faun in Brooklyn. We talk about the value – versus the cost – of good service, what the pandemic revealed about how customers really feel about tipping, and what happens when your ideals clash with your economic reality. To learn more abo...
Jun 15, 2023•29 min•Ep. 31
Today, we explore the perils of social media on kids and the way families are fighting back against big tech. First, how the experience of Candace Wuest and her daughter CeCe show the consequences of social media on kids. Then, journalist Kara Swisher takes us through the long view on big tech companies, and finally, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talks us through his potential solution: the Kids Online Safety Act. This is a companion podcast to the CNN Original “Wired for Trouble,” d...
Jun 08, 2023•33 min•Ep. 30
Staffing shortages caused major disruptions for air travelers last summer. Now air crew unions are pushing back against their bosses and losing patience with customers. From "no toe nail clipping" to "leave the crying babies alone," we hear advice on how to make everyone’s flight experience better this summer. Our guests are Keturah Johnson, international vice president of the Association of Flight Attendants, and former flight attendant Angie Andrechyn, whose passionate resignation letter from ...
Jun 01, 2023•29 min•Ep. 29
Why is astrology having such a moment? The business of astrology — estimated to be worth more than $2 billion — is booming: apps, classes, conferences, startups. All being fueled by the social media age. This week Audie looks to the heavens with two world-renowned astrologers, Jennifer Freed and Chani Nicholas. They explore astrology’s popularity as well as the meaning and history of this ancient personality system. (Oh, and they read Audie her chart.) Jennifer Freed Ph.D. is a psychological ast...
May 25, 2023•30 min•Ep. 28
How has technology reshaped the migrant journey? When the Trump-era immigration policy called Title 42 expired, misinformation proliferated on social media platforms that migrants use to communicate and to navigate their way to the U.S. Audie talks with CNN's Rosa Flores about the reality on the ground, and how migrants are navigating sometimes conflicting and confusing messaging. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
May 18, 2023•30 min•Ep. 27
What’s it like to be at the forefront of a cultural backlash? Academic and author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi certainly knows. His books, “How to Be an Antiracist,” and its follow-up, a youth-friendly version called, “How to Be a (Young) Antiracist,” teach readers how to actively fight racism instead of passively acknowledging it. Audie talks with Dr. Kendi about the backlash around “wokeness,” antiracism, and what it’s like to live in the middle of cultural maelstrom. They spoke in front of a live audie...
May 11, 2023•28 min•Ep. 26
This week, the Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy addressed the epidemic of loneliness Americans are facing. As a way of combatting the feelings of isolation, Dr. Murthy laid out a six-pillar plan rooted in social connection. What's not mentioned in his plan... artificial intelligence or chatbots. But that hasn't stopped folks from turning to them in times of distress. In this episode, we explore the communities that are leaning on AI and chatbots for comfort and the ripple effects this could have...
May 04, 2023•33 min•Ep. 25
Remember the Chinese spy balloon? Since then, we’ve seen leaked Pentagon spy documents on Discord and the discovery of fake Chinese police stations used for surveillance in the U.S. The line between espionage and everyday surveillance/data collection is more blurred than ever, thanks to the integration of technology into our daily lives. All of us are walking pieces of data being gobbled up and analyzed by spy agencies around the world. All of this spy news is a reminder of how high the stakes a...
Apr 27, 2023•27 min•Ep. 24
