On this episode of Start Making Sense, Bhaskar Sunkara analyzes the constraints New York’s new mayor will face, and Dave Zirin comments on brain injuries among football players.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani looks on as New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during the grand opening of the Urban League Empowerment Center in Harlem, New York City, on November 12, 2025. (Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images)
Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.
Zorhan Mamdani takes office in four weeks as the first socialist mayor of New York City. How should we understand the constraints he faces, without accepting those constraints? Bhaskar Sunkara has our analysis; he’s president of The Nation and author of ‘The Socialist Manifesto.’
Plus: Sports Talk on The Nation podcast! Of course Thanksgiving was a big weekend for football on TV – a weekend where millions of viewers got to see a festival of brain injuries — concussions after receiving blows to the head. Dave Zirin will comment – he's the long-time sports editor of The Nation and host of the Edge of Sports podcast.
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Zohran Mamdani takes office in four weeks as the first socialist mayor of New York City. How should we understand the constraints he faces, without accepting those constraints? Bhaskar Sunkara has our analysis; he’s president of The Nation and author of The Socialist Manifesto.
Plus: Sports Talk on The Nation podcast: Of course Thanksgiving was a big weekend for football on TV: a weekend where millions of viewers got to see a festival of brain injuries—concussions after receiving blows to the head. Dave Zirin will comment; he’s the long-time sports editor of The Nation and host of the Edge of Sports podcast.
Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.
Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.
Trump’s State of the Union speech was predictable, but nevertheless revealing of his state of mind. John Nichols has our analysis.
Also: In 1949 when Jackie Robinson appeared before HUAC, the House Un-American Activities Committee, to discredit Paul Robeson. Howard Bryant talks about why that happened, and what happened afterwards – to each of them. His new book is “Kings and Pawns.”
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Jon WienerTwitterJon Wiener is a contributing editor of The Nation and co-author (with Mike Davis) of Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties.