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

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.

In a midterm year, many in the political sphere have ideas about the direction of their party. On Today's Show:Adam Jentleson, former chief of staff to Senator John Fetterman and a former deputy chief of staff to Senator Harry Reid and the author of Supermajority: How Democrats Can Build Lasting Power (WW Norton, 2026), argues Democrats need a supermajority in Congress and offers advice for achieving it, and suggestions for what legislation to enact if it's achieved. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A recent essay from a leader in the AI industry raised concerns about the threats that this technology poses to humanity. On Today's Show:Will Oremus, staff writer at The Atlantic, discusses the uproar over the warnings of potential threats to humanity from unregulated AI, then Andrew Prokop, senior politics correspondent at Vox, talks about possible government actions to prevent disaster from the purposeful or inadvertent consequences of AI harm. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.