Politics

The Stupidest Things

The Stupidest Things The Stupidest Things

And haw we love it.

Oct 21, 2026 / OppArt / Steve Brodner

Democratic political consultant James Carville at last year's New York Times DealBook summit.

Can James Carville Please Just Be Quietly Wrong Somewhere Else? Can James Carville Please Just Be Quietly Wrong Somewhere Else?

The omnipresent consultant-cum-tantrum-thrower has long outlived whatever relevance he once had, but cable producers, podcast hosts, and Democratic campaigns haven’t got the memo....

Oct 21, 2026 / Elizabeth Spiers

Péter Magyar defeated Hungary’s longtime authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán in April.

Hungary’s Rebirth Hungary’s Rebirth

The fall of Trump’s favorite dictator—and what comes next.

Oct 21, 2026 / Feature / Sasha Abramsky

Mia Chang wants to run her gender-themed bookstore, Langhuan, until women and LGBTQ groups are “equal to the point where it’s no longer needed.”

The Bookstore Revolution in Taiwan’s Conservative Heartlands The Bookstore Revolution in Taiwan’s Conservative Heartlands

After Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage, gender-themed bookstores are working to build the social acceptance that the law alone couldn’t deliver.

Oct 21, 2026 / StudentNation / Kelly Kong

Hundreds of Cornell students participate in a rally against the university’s actions after a student was sexually assaulted at a campus fraternity in 2024, on October 5, 2026, in Ithaca, New York.

Massive GOP Spending Hasn’t Slowed the Coming Blue Wave—Plus, the Cornell Rape Case Massive GOP Spending Hasn’t Slowed the Coming Blue Wave—Plus, the Cornell Rape Case

Economist Isabella Weber joins the show to discuss how economic inequality fuels authoritarianism and how public policy can protect democracy.

Oct 21, 2026 / Podcast / Jon Wiener

Brazil's president and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva speaks to supporters during a rally in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on October 2019, 2026.

Brazil’s Decision Brazil’s Decision

The moral compass and basic humanity of political leaders really does matter.

Oct 21, 2026 / Mark Weisbrot

Anti-abortion rights demonstrators march to the Supreme Court for the 52nd annual March For Life in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2025.

The Terrifying Future of States’ Criminalizing Pregnant People Is Already Here The Terrifying Future of States’ Criminalizing Pregnant People Is Already Here

The idea of charging people who have abortions with murder is gaining traction on the right. But a report finds that people are already being prosecuted for their pregnancy outcom...

Oct 20, 2026 / Amy Littlefield

Abolish ICE

Abolish ICE Abolish ICE

Demonstrators take to the streets in protest against an ICE shooting in New York City. Foley Square, October 2026.

Oct 20, 2026 / OppArt / Francesca Messina

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during an unveiling ceremony for a new 9/11 Memorial Wall at One Police Plaza on September 9, 2026, in New York City.

Mamdani Is Facing Heat Over the NYPD. Here’s What He Should Do. Mamdani Is Facing Heat Over the NYPD. Here’s What He Should Do.

The mayor is being given a series of false choices over his public-safety agenda. But there is another way forward.

Oct 20, 2026 / Alex S. Vitale

A demonstrator holds a “Trans Lives Matter” sign outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.

Why Calling Anti-Trans Hate a “Distraction” Is So Troubling Why Calling Anti-Trans Hate a “Distraction” Is So Troubling

It’s a familiar line in the midterms: Anti-trans attacks are a “distraction” from “kitchen-table” issues. That sends a chilling message about whose rights are worth fighting for.

Oct 20, 2026 / Jessica Kant

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