'People are wild.' Sarah Longwell on our weird political contradictions

The national discussion about sexual assault on campus has been revived in the wake of a scandal at Cornell.On Today's Show:Alexandra Brodsky, civil rights lawyer and author of Sexual Justice: Supporting Victims, Ensuring Due Process, and Resisting the Conservative Backlash (Henry Holt 2021), unpacks a recent lawsuit against Cornell University accusing the administration of negligence in their investigation and handling of a reported gang rape Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With a host of geopolitical issues including military conflicts, trade wars and more, a look at the legacy of outgoing UN Sec. Gen. António Guterres.On Today's Show:David Gelles, reporter on The New York Times climate team who leads The Times’ 'Climate Forward' newsletter and events series, talks about Guterres' efforts to achieve results in combating climate change. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Longstanding discussions about gun control in the US and the 2nd Amendment may be missing some of the important pieces of the conversation.On Today's Show:Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast Revisionist History and author of several books, including his latest, The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic (Little, Brown and Company, 2026), asks why the U.S. suffers from higher rates of gun violence than any other wealthy country. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After a big week for international politics, we look at one of the key geopolitical relationships of our era.On Today's Show:Ishaan Tharoor, global affairs columnist at The New Yorker and Edward Murrow Press Fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations, talks about this week's UN General Assembly, the meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jingping and President Trump's take on globalism. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For today's policy deep-dive ahead of the midterms, we look at the redrawing of electoral district lines, gerrymandering and fair representation.On Today's Show:Dan Vicuña, senior director of voting rights and redistricting at Center for Inclusive Democracy, discusses how this year's redistricting efforts may make the midterms elections less representative, and what each party is arguing with respect to redistricting. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Focus groups are often a good way to pair political opinions with voters' identity and demographics in ways that polling can't. On Today's Show:Sarah Longwell, political strategist, CEO and publisher of The Bulwark, host of The Focus Group podcast and the author of How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time (St. Martin’s Press, 2026), talks about what she's learned from focus groups on building an opposition to MAGA Republicans. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This midterm year, several candidates have included a version of "Medicare for All" in their campaigns.On Today's Show:Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, talks about how health care policy is playing out in the midterm elections, including which Senate candidates are running on "Medicare for all," and which candidates have different approaches. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, the United Nations General Assembly gavels into session as numerous conflicts around the world draw international attention.On Today's Show:Mark Leon Goldberg, editor-in-chief and publisher of UN Dispatch and host of the podcast "Global Dispatches," previews the UNGA as world leaders gather at the United Nations. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today’s show: Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter at The 19th, breaks down a lawsuit against Texas AG Ken Paxton, which claims a state abortion ban led to a woman's death. Then, we look at the rising numbers of pregnancy-related deaths in states with similar bans.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A new article argues that the Trump administration's foreign policy approaches are more about enriching officials than national security or prosperity.On Today's Show:Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic, historian and author of Autocracy Inc. (Penguin, 2024), shares her reporting on how influential figures in MAGA world, including private citizens looking for personal gain, and others peddling anti-Democratic values, have become the primary way the U.S. does foreign policy, and are realigning the world order. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.