Impromptu

The Washington Post

Smart when you need it, fun when you want it — with hosts who feel like friends. Impromptu is your twice-a-week conversation with Washington Post columnists who bring fresh insight and perspective to the stories shaping the week. On Tuesdays, Dana Milbank and his colleagues dig into the political news that actually matters. Then, on Fridays, Drew Goins and Molly Roberts ease you into the weekend, breaking down the cultural moments you can’t stop thinking about.

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Episodes

Rethinking identity in a fractured America

As trust in institutions plummets and many people search for shared values, what is the state of American identity? This bonus "Impromptu" episode features a live discussion between Opinions columnists Shadi Hamid and Jason Willick and the hosts of "Post Reports" Martine Powers and Elahe Izadi about the importance of identity in a changing world. For more from our colleagues in the newsroom, listen to " Post Reports ," a daily afternoon podcast, where you can hear deep dives into the biggest and...

May 19, 2024•45 min

It's bigger than Caitlin Clark

The WNBA season began this week following a college tournament where the women were more popular than the men. Is this shift about more than Caitlin Clark and the fantastic players in basketball right now? Sports columnist Sally Jenkins joins Opinions columnists Theodore Johnson and Amanda Ripley to talk about what athletes have done for the women’s movement and whether the women’s game can avoid some of the pitfalls that have plagued men’s sports. Read more from our columnists about what they d...

May 15, 2024•22 min

Fewer Americans believe in God. Is that a problem?

When asked about their religious affiliation, nearly 30 percent of Americans identify as “nones,” or “nothing in particular.” And over the past 25 years there’s been a steep decline in people belonging to any type of church, synagogue or mosque. But what is lost as people drift from religion? Is it at all responsible for today’s loneliness crisis? Read more from our columnists about what they discussed in the episode. Perry Bacon: “ I used to be a Christian. Now I miss church. ” Kate Cohen: “ Ho...

May 08, 2024•23 min

Campuses are wrestling with the politics of war. So are we.

Campus protests across the country have renewed Americans' attention on the Israel-Gaza war and are scrambling U.S. politics, particularly on the left. Senior Opinions Editor Amanda Katz speaks with columnists Dana Milbank and Shadi Hamid about how their views have evolved since Oct. 7, whether there’s a double standard on free speech, and what the protests could foreshadow for the upcoming presidential election, particularly among young people. ( Note: This episode was recorded Monday, April 29...

May 01, 2024•26 min

Is Trump above the law? The Supreme Court weighs in.

The Supreme Court is set to decide to what extent former President Trump could be immune from prosecution for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021, as his lawyers have claimed. Post Opinions columnists Charles Lane, Ruth Marcus and Jason Willick discuss the strategy and timing of these arguments and what we might expect the justices to decide in this showdown about the future boundaries of presidential authority. Read Ruth Marcus on why she thinks this case is “simultaneousl...

Apr 24, 2024•23 min

What the 'tradwife' trend says about modern life

Some women are retreating to stereotypical, retro gender roles that embrace the patriarchy. Known as “tradwives,” they are all over TikTok. Style columnist Monica Hesse, letters and community editor Alyssa Rosenberg and senior editor for Opinions Amanda Katz discuss how this trend exposes a continued struggle over equality for men and women in modern society. Read Monica Hesse’s column: Tradwives, stay-at-home girlfriends and the dream of feminine leisure Read the Cut article that kicked off a l...

Apr 17, 2024•22 min

How to cope with the absurd, high-stakes 2024 election

America is entering a grueling presidential election season that’s also a rematch of the one from four years ago. Many Americans report feeling dread and exhaustion about politics and the news. So how do we stay engaged? What can journalists do to help? Three of our columnists talk through it. Read Amanda Ripley’s deep dive crowdsourcing a playbook for election-year sanity: How to survive another Trump-Biden election And we want to hear your strategies too! Let us know how you plan to make it th...

Apr 10, 2024•20 min

What we saw on the ground in Ukraine

Post columnists David Ignatius and Jim Geraghty just returned from Ukraine. They detail the mood on the ground, how much U.S. aid actually matters and whether the war seems winnable. Plus, Ignatius talks about his meeting with President Zelensky. Read David Ignatius’s interview with President Zelensky: Zelensky: ‘We are trying to find some way not to retreat’ Read Jim Geraghty’s latest columns from Kyiv: Ukrainians have a message for Mike Johnson How Russians are joining the fight against Putin...

Apr 03, 2024•21 min

Biden is pushing EVs. Who actually wants them?

The Biden administration wants America to transition to electric cars. Last week, the EPA announced a rule requiring more than two-thirds of new vehicles be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2032. This comes on top of pouring federal money into tax credits and developing charging infrastructure. But there are still bumps on the road to an electric-vehicle America. Charles Lane, Catherine Rampell and Megan McArdle talk about how to navigate them. Read Megan McArdle’s latest column on EVs: The best wa...

Mar 27, 2024•19 min

What to expect when you’re expecting an abortion pill argument

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade back in 2022, it indicated that abortion was an issue to be relegated to the states. Instead, it has blown up American politics, firing up voters and leading to conflicting lower court rulings. Post columnists Ruth Marcus, Alexandra Petri and Amanda Ripley discuss how it feels to be a woman in the post- Dobbs world and what’s at stake when abortion returns to the Supreme Court this term as the justices hear a case on access to mifepristone. Ruth Marc...

Mar 20, 2024•21 min•Ep. 1

A fresh new 'Impromptu'

Smart when you need it, fun when you want it — with hosts who feel like friends. "Impromptu" is your twice-a-week conversation with Washington Post columnists who bring fresh insight and perspective to the stories shaping the week. On Tuesdays, Dana Milbank and his colleagues dig into the political news that actually matters. Then, on Fridays, Drew Goins and Molly Roberts ease you into the weekend, breaking down the cultural moments you can’t stop thinking about.

Mar 06, 2024•1 min

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