Is Ron Johnson the worst Senator? That’s what The New Abnormal co-host Molly Jong-Fast wants to know. Naturally, she asks Mandela Barnes, the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin and Johnson’s opponent in next year’s Senate election, who shares his plan of attack if he wins the seat. Then co-founder of Run for Something Amanda Litman reveals the GOP’s plan to take over politics for good and Obama’s former Education Secretary John King talks about the two biggest ways Republicans fuck over our educat...
Dec 28, 2021•49 min
Andy Levy has officially joined The Daily Beast podcast family as the new co-host for The New Abnormal, alongside Twitter sweetheart Molly Jong-Fast. We know that he likes to chat politics (duh) and that he used to work for Fox and actually liked Tucker Carlson back then (true story, but he doesn’t anymore.) But we wanted our listeners to get to know the guy gracing their favorite podcast even more. So in this post-Christmas bonus episode of TNA, Molly and producer Jesse Cannon ask Andy 20 rando...
Dec 26, 2021•18 min
The Last Laugh podcast host Matt Wilstein joins The New Abnormal co-host Molly Jong-Fast and producer Jesse Cannon in a crossover episode to talk about some of the best political comedy performances this year—from tidbits about SNL’s Biden and Trump actors to the best scene in this season of ‘Succession.’ For more great political comedy, listen to The Daily Beast's The Last Laugh podcast. If you haven't heard, every single week The New Abnormal does a special bonus episode for Beast Inside, the ...
Dec 24, 2021•34 min
Dr. Eric Topol tells co-host Molly Jong-Fast how big of a game-changer Pfizer’s upcoming COVID pill pack could be, if Omicron will be the dominant strain, and how we’ll know this pandemic is over. Plus! Co-host Andy Levy explains why he thinks Nancy Pelosi needs to go and Daily Beast media reporter Zach Petrizzo shares reporting about Turning Point USA’s Arizona festival, aka the new CPAC. If you haven't heard, every single week The New Abnormal does a special bonus episode for Beast Inside, the...
Dec 21, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 176
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Messenger, and author of “Profit and Punishment: How America Criminalizes the Poor in the Name of Justice,” joins this bonus episode of TNA to tell Molly Jong-Fast what people get wrong about cash bail, the only two things the Koch Bros. and the left agree on and why Dems are scaredy cats when it comes to criminal justice reforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...
Dec 19, 2021•27 min
Molly and Andy talk about what Gavin Newsom is hoping to accomplish, past lulz, by using Texas’s crazy anti-abortion vigilante law as the basis for his own law targeting guns in California, former Spy editor Kurt Andersen looks at how “America has always had a weakness for exciting falsehoods and conspiracy theories,” and New Yorker writer looks back on “the last few years of this Democratic crisis in the United States as a rolling series of the impossible not only becoming possible but happenin...
Dec 17, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 175
Hosts Molly Jong-Fast and Andy Levy discuss a new conspiracy theory—Ben Shapiro and his little sister may be secret boomers— as well as the Republican pundit exodus from Fox News to CNN, and why Ted Cruz is content as a dumb podcaster. Then, Molly has heart-wrenching interviews with two Planned Parenthood abortion providers who describe what’s happening with patients in Texas and surrounding state If you haven't heard, every single week The New Abnormal does a special bonus episode for Beast Ins...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 174
Russia would love to see American democracy dissipate, and they desperately want Donald Trump back in office to do it, says Daily Beast columnist Julia Davis, founder of Russian Media Monitor. She explains on this bonus episode of The New Abnormal how Tucker Carlson could already be leading the charge in this effort, explains why Russian media would love to see a U.S. civil war and shares that the Kremlin has no plans to stop its disinformation warfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...
Dec 12, 2021•14 min
It sure looks like Pence, on the advice of Dan Quayle, tuned out to be the nutjob we needed somehow. Plus Rep. Ritchie Torres and WaPo writer Greg Sargent join Molly and Andy. If you haven't heard, every single week The New Abnormal does a special bonus episode for Beast Inside, the Daily Beast’s membership program. where Sometimes we interview Senators like Cory Booker or the folks who explain our world in media like Jim Acosta or Soledad O’Brien. Sometimes we just have fun and talk to our favo...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 173
The New Abnormal has a new co-host: political commentator Andy Levy! He joins Molly Jong-Fast in his first hosted episode of The New Abnormal to talk about a new Cuomo TV pitch for director Ryan Murphy and the only thing Kevin McCarthy is good at. Plus! New York DA candidate (and former Andrew Cuomo opponent) Zephyr Teachout recounts the ways that she experienced the “scary” part of Cuomo’s leadership style and WaPo’s Dana Milbank explains that very depressing media report about Biden vs Trump c...
Dec 07, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 172
Balls & Strikes Editor-in-Chief Jay Willis is a white man, however, he is also an expert in topics related to the Supreme Court. He joins The New Abnormal host Molly Jong-Fast on this bonus episode to talk about the conservative justices and some of the wild things they’ve said about abortion rights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Dec 04, 2021•27 min
Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance breaks down the Supreme Court’s bad intentions on abortion, filmmaker Alex Gibney talks about the jaw-dropping reckless of the CIA’s torture program and NPR’s Tim Mak explains WTF happened to the NRA. If you haven't heard, every single week The New Abnormal does a special bonus episode for Beast Inside, the Daily Beast’s membership program. where Sometimes we interview Senators like Cory Booker or the folks who explain our world in media like Jim Acosta or Soleda...
Dec 03, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 171
Dr. Peter Hotez explains what we have to worry about when it comes to the new Omicron variant, James Carville breaks down the comms strategy that would give Biden and the Dems an edge in the media (and maybe on Fox News) and Daily Beast media reporter Zach Petrizzo explains why My Pillow Guy Mike Lindell staged a protest against Fox and why right-wingers like Sebastian Gorka and Charlie Kirk have a bone to pick with him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more abo...
Nov 30, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 170
Filmmaker and Emmy Award-winning director Geeta Gambhir’s latest documentary, HBO’s “Black and Missing,” is unfortunately very timely, in large part because of the Gabby Petito case. She tells Molly Jong-Fast about why missing children cases involving Black kids are often ignored, the role cops play in the phenomenon, and details about the case of a missing Black 8-year-old that haunts her. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...
Nov 28, 2021•17 min
Attorney General of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro knows how to win elections, run elections, and keep them safe and fair. In this episode of The New Abnormal, he tells Molly Jong-Fast how he and the democrats in his state oversaw at least 40 cases of alleged voter fraud brought against the state after President Joe Biden rightfully won the 2020 election and former President Trump didn’t—and won them all. Plus, former California mayor Michael Tubbs, author of The Deeper the Roots: A Memoir of Hope an...
Nov 26, 2021•34 min
Reporter Jon Karl, ABC ’s News Chief and Washington correspondent, as well as the author of the book Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show , has quite a few tales from both Mar-a-Lago and the White House, but one stands out to New Abnormal host Molly Jong-Fast: the time Trump practically begged for an invite to the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner. He dishes on that story, and others, in this episode along with Danielle Moodie, host of the podcast WokeAF and Democracyish, who does n...
Nov 23, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 169
Economist Austan Goolsbee, who also served on the council of economic advisors for president Barack Obama, explains why Everyone Hates Biden over the economy, what it’ll take to fix this inflation issue (clue: Trump tariffs?) and why subsidizing green energy like oil all comes back to Joe Manchin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Nov 21, 2021•19 min
Nick Offerman talks with Molly about what playing Ron Swanson taught him about libertarianism, and about Pam and Tommy’s sex tape and what things were like before the internet. Plus, The Intercept’s Ken Klipperstein explains how the murder of Jamal Khashoggi helps account for rising gas prices now, and the Washington Post’s Dan Diamond breaks down what we’re just learning now about how the Trump administration tampered with the CDC. If you haven't heard, every single week The New Abnormal does a...
Nov 19, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 1
In this episode of The New Abnormal, host Molly Jong-Fast asks Mary Trump what she thinks about Biden’s low approval ratings and what her uncle is brewing. She tells Molly that “there’s still hope” of Biden being re-elected, in spite of what the polls, or Republicans, say. But she has changed her mind regarding her uncle Donald’s chances of running for president again. Plus, David Pell, author of the NextDraft newsletter and the book Please Scream Inside Your Heart , shares a chilling prediction...
Nov 16, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 167
Huma Abedin, former Vice-Chair of Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign for President as well as Deputy Chief of Staff during her time as Secretary of State and Anthony Weiner’s ex-wife, has had a front-row seat to some of the biggest, and most tragic, political stories in recent history. She joined Molly Jong-Fast on this bonus episode of The New Abnormal to talk about those experiences in detail as well as the stories in her new book Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Nov 14, 2021•19 min
If you haven't heard, every single week The New Abnormal does a special bonus episode for Beast Inside, the Daily Beast’s membership program. where Sometimes we interview Senators like Cory Booker or the folks who explain our world in media like Jim Acosta or Soledad O’Brien. Sometimes we just have fun and talk to our favorite comedians and actors like Busy Phillips or Billy Eichner and sometimes its just discussing the fuckery. You can get all of our episodes in your favorite podcast app of cho...
Nov 12, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 166
Brian Klaas, author of Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, tells Molly Jong-Fast how to prevent Lauren Boeberts of the world from turning the country into a full-fledged totalitarian regime , Recount’s Slade Sohmer joins the podcast and roasts Sen. Ted Cruz—and Sen. John Kennedy—real good and Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego leaves Molly speechless after he shares war stories from his book They Called Us Lucky . If you haven't heard, every single week The New Abnormal does a special bon...
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 165
In this bonus episode of The New Abnormal, lawyer Linda Hirschman, author of “Red State,” tells Molly Jong-Fast about the 1850 law that is “chillingly” similar to the Texas anti-abortion law—and why the Supreme Court’s ego might just stop it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 07, 2021•20 min
Eric Boehlert talking with Molly Jong-Fast about how the press, and the Dems, are needlessly freaking out as “everything has to be a churning drama” now. Plus, Lawrence Lessig says “I don’t like to gloat”—but things are “a thousand times worse” than he warned that they could get a decade ago, and HEATED writer explains why the Glasgow climate summit “should’ve been covered like insurrection”—and why “it’s super-not.” Maybe when we’re all in our boats they’ll start connecting the dots? If you hav...
Nov 05, 2021•56 min•Ep. 164
In this election day episode of The New Abnormal, Rand Paul challenger and former Kentucky Congressman Charles Booker explains why the senator’s exit is long overdue, and why he’s the one to take his seat. Plus, The Nation columnist Jeet Heer breaks down America’s anti-vaccine sentiment compared to other countries and Sam Wang, who is part of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project team, explains the Virginia governor race and how likely it is for former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to defeat Tr...
Nov 02, 2021•58 min•Ep. 16
Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, who published what’s now known as the Facebook Files, thanks to Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, tells Molly how he was able to get her to share those documents with him—and what he thinks Facebook’s next move is. If you haven't heard, every single week The New Abnormal does a special bonus episode for Beast Inside, the Daily Beast’s membership program. where Sometimes we interview Senators like Cory Booker or the folks who explain our world in me...
Nov 01, 2021•22 min
Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, who published what’s now known as the Facebook Files, thanks to Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, tells Molly how he was able to get her to share those documents with him—and what he thinks Facebook’s next move is. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Oct 31, 2021•21 min
Adam Schiff talks with Molly Jong-Fast about the Big Lie and the cult of Trump, and Molly has some thoughts about Tucker Carlson’s new “Patriot Purge” special: He basically runs the network now, and he’s promoting a civil war: “He’s obviously doing this for the fish sticks. I mean, that’s the only thing that makes sense. No! I mean the whole thing is a complete and utter total nightmare!” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcast...
Oct 29, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 163
Paul Gosar has been basically caught red-handed when it comes to Jan. 6 meddling. So what’s next? Reporter Hunter Walker, who authored the bombshell report about Gosar promising rioters “pardons,” came on the podcast to talk about how he got his big scoops and the worst thing that could happen to Gosar. Plus, David Pepper, author of “Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake Up Call from Behind the Lines” tells Molly how Republicans in state houses (like his home state of Ohio) are all slowly burning ou...
Oct 26, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 161
In this bonus episode of The New Abnormal, Joseph Weisberg explains how his time in the CIA made him see the KGB and Russia in an entirely new light (“They weren't like evil, cold-blooded killers.”) Plus, he tells Molly Jong-Fast all about his new show that’s about a serial killer and his therapist, who happens to be Steve Carell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Oct 24, 2021•18 min
