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Radio Atlantic

The Atlanticwww.theatlantic.com
The Atlantic has long been known as an ideas-driven magazine. Now we’re bringing that same ethos to audio. Like the magazine, the show will “road test” the big ideas that both drive the news and shape our culture. Through conversations—and sometimes sharp debates—with the most insightful thinkers and writers on topics of the day, Radio Atlantic will complicate overly simplistic views. It will cut through the noise with clarifying, personal narratives. It will, hopefully, help listeners make up their own mind about certain ideas. The national conversation right now can be chaotic, reckless, and stuck. Radio Atlantic aims to bring some order to our thinking—and encourage listeners to be purposeful about how they unstick their mind.

Episodes

The Modern Political Assassin

One prevailing stereotype of a political assassin is someone with strong convictions. Another stereotype conjures up James Bond, a professional with a silencer acting on higher orders. But Thomas Matthew Crooks and Ryan Routh, the two men who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump earlier this year, represent an evolution in the idea of this kind of attacker. Nothing in their backgrounds turned up consistent themes about their political beliefs. Neither left behind a manifesto or...

Sep 26, 202432 minEp. 91

A Campaign-Song Nightmare

Rachel had a hit song. Then it became inextricably linked with a failed presidential campaign. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 19, 202422 minEp. 90

Trump, Triggered

Kamala Harris expertly manipulated Trump. It won her the debate. Can it win her the White House? Staff writers Elaine Godfrey and Mark Leibovich to explore the potential long term effects of Tuesday's drama. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub. Learn more about your ad ch...

Sep 12, 202433 minEp. 89

The Neck Fans Are Coming

After successive heat waves across the country this summer, people finally found an unexpected source of relief: the neck fan. Consumer-product geniuses made the latest model look like Beats headphones, and suddenly they were on many hot, hot necks. Why did the neck fan take off? Does it actually cool you down or just make you feel cooler? We talk with Saahil Desai, who notices new and interesting things at the intersection of technology and consumer culture. Desai brings his own beloved neck fa...

Sep 05, 202424 minEp. 88

Laughing at Trump

Democrats are lately employing a strategy against Donald Trump that he has been using effectively against his opponents for years: mockery. Where did this strategy come from? Will it remain effective? And can it backfire? We talk with the Atlantic staff writer David Graham, who was at the Democratic convention and also covers Trump. And we talk with a surprising muse for the politics of mockery: Conservative lawyer and activist George Conway has been using targeted mockery against Trump for year...

Aug 29, 202429 minEp. 87

Scripts | 3. A Special Drug

The patients had tried everything. Except ketamine. This is the third and final part of Scripts, a new three-part miniseries from Radio Atlantic about the pills we take for our brains and the stories we tell ourselves about them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 22, 202429 minEp. 86

Scripts | 2. The Mandala Effect

Cooper thought he understood how his psych meds were affecting him. There was a lot he didn’t know. This is part two of a new three-part miniseries from Radio Atlantic—Scripts—about the pills we take for our brains and the stories we tell ourselves about them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 15, 202435 minEp. 85

Scripts | 1. A Hard Pill to Swallow

One medication could help end the opioid crisis. Why are so few people taking it? This episode is the first in a new three-part miniseries from Radio Atlantic—Scripts—about the pills we take for our brains and the stories we tell ourselves about them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 08, 202434 minEp. 84

One Israeli Hostage’s Unusual Experience in Gaza

Liat Beinin Atzili was kidnapped on October 7 and spent more than 50 days in a Gazan home, We spoke with her in Washington, where she traveled to talk with President Joe Biden, about grief and about the war. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub. Learn more about your ad ch...

Aug 01, 202448 minEp. 83

The Devil’s Bargain of Sports Betting

After a 2018 Supreme Court decision kicked off a wave of legalization across America, sports gambling has become an integral part of how fans consume sports and how leagues make money. But with high-profile athletes caught up in betting scandals, a windfall welcomed by the sports industry also poses serious risks to it. Sports journalist and Atlantic contributor Jemele Hill joins guest host Adam Harris to discuss whether leagues can manage the mess of banning athletes who gamble, all while adver...

Jul 25, 202433 minEp. 82

Biden Steps Aside. How Might Harris Step Up?

Joe Biden has announced he’ll no longer seek reelection. With a little over 100 days left until the vote, he’s endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement. Staff writer Franklin Foer wrote a book on the Biden administration. And staff writer Elaina Plott Calabro profiled Harris for the magazine. They come together at this extraordinary moment to share their knowledge of the two politicians and talk about what happens next and what to expect from Harris as the presidential candidate....

Jul 22, 202436 min

Trump’s Wholesale Renovation of the Republican Party

The Republican Party is gathered in Wisconsin to renominate Donald Trump for president. The convention follows a near-miss assassination attempt on Trump and the announcement of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his pick for running mate. All the while, President Biden faces calls from within the Democratic Party for him to step aside. Staff writer Tim Alberta has chronicled his fair share of GOP campaigns, but this one is unlike any he’s seen. He joins guest host Adam Harris from the RNC convention ha...

Jul 18, 202431 minEp. 81

The Long Simmer of Political Violence in America

America is not new to political violence, but the near-assassination of Donald Trump is an attack without comparison in 21st-century politics. How do process it? What happens next? And how true are the claims, as President Joe Biden put it in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, that “this is not who we are?” For this bonus episode of Radio Atlantic, guest host Adam Harris speaks with staff writer Anne Applebaum and executive editor Adrienne LaFrance. Both have written and reported extensive...

Jul 15, 202424 min

A Crisis for Democrats

After his disastrous debate performance in June, President Biden faced calls from Democratic lawmakers and power brokers to step aside. But with the president firmly committed to staying in, what recourse does the party have? How would the Democratic Party replace the presumptive nominee? Would such an extreme step be possible? And would it ultimately help against Trump? Guest host Adam Harris is joined by staff writers Mark Leibovich and Elaine Godfrey to discuss. Get more from your favorite At...

Jul 11, 202432 minEp. 80

Who Really Benefits From Remote Work?

The prevailing narrative of remote work has often been boiled down to: Workers love it, and bosses hate it. But according to Natalia Emanuel, a labor economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, it may not be that simple. Emanuel co-authored a study, looking at software engineers at an unnamed Fortune 500 company where half of the workers were functionally remote. What she found was that there were varying tradeoffs for each scenario—working remotely or working in the office—depending on a...

Jul 04, 202445 minEp. 79

Britain’s Conservatives Are About to Lose Big

Parliamentary elections on July 4th look bleak for Britain’s ruling Conservative Party. The Tories will almost certainly lose power for the first time in 14 years. And lose big. Polls show they could see the largest swing between the main parties in modern history. Rishi Sunak could possibly become the first sitting prime minister to lose their own seat in a general election. So what have Conservatives done wrong? What has Labour done right? And as 2024 repeats 2016 with another pair of pivotal ...

Jun 27, 202428 minEp. 78

The Airport Lounge Arms Race

For years now, the fanciest places in air travel keep getting fancier. Airport lounges have become bigger, nicer, and far more ubiquitous than only a few years ago. They’ve gone from a nice place to wait between flights to full-blown luxury hideaways complete with free spa treatments. What happened? Amanda Mull, former Atlantic staff writer and explainer of all things consumer culture, tells the curious history behind the airport lounge and why—even if you never set foot in one—you’re still payi...

Jun 20, 202427 minEp. 77

What Cities Can Teach Us About Life Online

Humanity’s transition to life online is disorienting, but perhaps not without comparison. According to the researcher danah boyd, people faced similar challenges in the transition to city life, meaning that the history of urbanization can offer lessons for humankind’s more recent mass digital migration. And if the rules and ways of cities have become clearer over the years, maybe there’s hope that the same can be said for life online. Boyd’s work is the focus of a recent episode of The Atlantic’...

Jun 13, 202433 minEp. 76

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Homelessness?

Later this summer, the Supreme Court will rule on City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, one of the most important cases on homelessness to come up in a long time. The court will rule on whether someone can be fined, jailed, or ticketed for sleeping or camping in a public space when they’re homeless and have nowhere else to go. We talk to Atlantic writer and Good on Paper host Jerusalem Demsas about the case and what it may or may not solve. Homelessness has exploded since the 1980s, mostly in cities w...

Jun 06, 202427 minEp. 75

Is Sasha Velour in Danger?

Sasha Velour won RuPaul's Drag Race with her spectacular rose-petal lip sync. She wrote and illustrated The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag, drew a New Yorker cover, and sells out almost every show of her New York revue, NightGowns. So why is she taking her act down to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Bartlesville, Oklahoma? We talk to Velour about this season of her HBO reality show, We're Here. At a moment when drag is both beloved and reviled, a powerful cultural force and a target, ...

May 30, 202428 minEp. 74

Russia’s Psychological Warfare Against Ukraine

After months of struggle with little movement, the war in Ukraine may be nearing a crucial point. With American aid stalled for months, the fight has not been going well for Ukraine. Weapons and ammunition are once again on the way after the long-delayed package passed last month. But will it be enough in time? Russia has broken through the lines around Ukraine’s second-largest city and appears ready to threaten a wider offensive. Atlantic staff writer Anne Applebaum joins to discuss the state o...

May 23, 202432 minEp. 73

Finally, Male Contraceptives

Researchers have been hard at work on a number of male contraceptives that could hit the market in the next couple of decades. Options include a hormone-free birth control pill, an injection that accomplishes the same thing as a vasectomy but is easily reversible, and a topical gel men can rub on their shoulders that doesn’t affect mood or libido. There is a recurring theme in the research on male contraceptives: easy, convenient, minimal side effects. Which is very much not the focus of women’s...

May 16, 202427 minEp. 72

The Chaos of AI Voice Cloning

What happens when voices can be copied so well they can fool friends, family… and voters? Staff writer Charlie Warzel has followed the explosion of AI technology with a mix of fascination and fear. DALL-E, Midjourney, Chat-GPT. New leaps in AI tech seem to happen every month now. Recently, he narrowed in on AI voice cloning for a feature for The Atlantic. He and host Hanna Rosin cloned their voices and tested it out before a live audience at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival. What are the promises ...

May 09, 202433 minEp. 71

If Plants Could Talk

Staff writer Zoë Schlanger is the proud owner of a petunia that glows in the dark. But she doesn’t just appreciate the novelty houseplant as work of science. Zoë sees its glow as a way to help us appreciate plants as more alive, more vital, and more complex than we humans typically do. Because in recent years, some scientists have reopened a provocative debate: Are plants intelligent? They’ve devised experiments that break down elements of this big broad question: Can plants be said to hear? Sen...

May 02, 202429 minEp. 70

In Search of America on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever

Writer Gary Shteyngart set sail on the inaugural voyage of the biggest cruise ship ever built—the Icon of the Seas—in search of the "real" America. (And maybe to throw a great suite party along the way.) What he found instead, like many a great novelist before him, was a far more isolating experience. Shteyngart recounts his "seven agonizing nights" aboard a giant floating mall full of memorable characters, bad entertainment, even worse food—and the ever-present desire to keep up. Get more from ...

Apr 25, 202424 minEp. 69

Trump’s Courtroom Campaign

The Stormy Daniels case may have a less serious fact pattern. But it might turn out to be the one chance to hold Donald Trump accountable for election interference. Atlantic staff writer David Graham explains the importance of the case and how Trump might actually be enjoying this new form of courtroom campaigning. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to ...

Apr 18, 202428 minEp. 68

Money Can Buy You Everything, Except Maybe a Birkin Bag

Is having a Birkin bag ... a right? Earlier this year, two California residents filed a class-action lawsuit against the French luxury design company Hermès. Their grievance was that although they could afford a coveted Birkin bag made by the company, they could not buy one. We talk to Atlantic staff writer Amanda Mull about the lawsuit and the current state of the luxury market. What do we actually want from luxury these days? Is there even such a thing anymore as a rare luxury good? And what h...

Apr 11, 202425 minEp. 67

During the Eclipse, Don't Just Look Up

Where were you for the 2017 total eclipse? Where will you be this year? And where will you be for the next one in 2045? Hanna talks to Atlantic staff writer Marina Koren about the eclipse as a peculiar event: a beautiful if not slightly unsettling moment that is also a strange marker of time. And we hear from retired astrophysicist Fred Espenak who's seen more than 20 total eclipses in his life and wonders which eclipse might end up being his last. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices whe...

Apr 04, 202420 minEp. 66

Do Trump Supporters Mind When He Mocks Biden’s Stutter?

Atlantic political reporter John Hendrickson has had a stutter since he was a kid. Recently he heard Donald Trump make fun of Joe Biden’s stutter, and he noticed that the audience laughed. Hendrickson’s working theory has been that disability is apolitical, and he wondered what Trump supporters actually feel about him making fun of people with disabilities. We go to a Trump rally in Dayton, Ohio and poll the crowd. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unli...

Mar 28, 202427 minEp. 65

The Smartphone Kids Are Not All Right

Hanna talks to her child Jacob about the thing they've argued the most about: being on their phone. Then, Hanna sits down with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. In his new book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, Haidt argues there is a direct tie between the wide distribution of smartphones and a rise in depression, anxiety, and loneliness among young people. After which, Hanna asks Jacob: Did I ruin your life? Get more from y...

Mar 21, 202430 minEp. 64