Episodi

  • Is the U.S. 'empire' beginning to show cracks?

    Is the U.S. 'empire' beginning to show cracks?
    Apr 18 2026
    The Trump administration's recent military actions have had certain observers asking... are we going full empire? But Daniel Immerwahr, a historian and the author of How to Hide an Empire, argues that the U.S. has engaged in empire building for hundreds of years — we've just been sneakier about it than other countries. So on today's show, we're breaking down what that history of colonization has looked like, and how President Trump's international escapades are scrambling the global order.

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    29 min
  • Gaza commanded our attention. Why hasn't Sudan?

    Gaza commanded our attention. Why hasn't Sudan?
    Apr 15 2026
    What makes people pay a lot of attention to some wars and crises, but not others? And what does that attention actually do for the people in those situations? We're looking at Sudan, which has entered its third year of a civil war this week. But, unlike in Gaza, the violence and famine there has struggled to break through headlines in the U.S. We talk to Sudanese journalist Isma'il Kushkush, political scientist Scott Strauss, Sudan expert Alexander de Waal, and political scientist Mai Hassan.

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    36 min
  • How your vote became your identity

    How your vote became your identity
    Apr 11 2026
    Do you vote Republican or Democrat? And why does that answer reveal so much about the rest of who you are? We talk to political scientist Lilliana Mason about how party affiliation has become a “mega-identity” — a lens through which we see all other aspects of identity — and how that shapes views on race, political behavior, and so much more.

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    31 min
  • As the definition of “terrorist” expands, so does state violence

    As the definition of “terrorist” expands, so does state violence
    Apr 8 2026
    The Trump administration has called more and more groups “terrorists,” from “narco-terrorists” in Ecuador to people who protest ICE to the entire Democratic party. But it’s also nothing new. We talk to Saher Selod, expert on the racialized surveillance of Muslims about the effects of the war on terrorism after 9/11, and historian Alex Lubin about how even since colonial settlers were fighting Indigenous people to establish frontier towns, the word “terrorist” has been used by the state to enact violence and surveillance against whoever they want.

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    28 min
  • From the Confederacy to the White House: How Southern beauty traditions went MAGA

    From the Confederacy to the White House: How Southern beauty traditions went MAGA
    Apr 4 2026
    What do the women in Bama Rush, beauty pageants and President Trump's orbit have in common? Their look traces back to the beauty traditions of the white, antebellum South. We talk to Elizabeth Bronwyn Boyd, author Southern Beauty: Race, Ritual and Memory in the Modern South, about how nostalgia for a Southern past influences the aesthetics of today.

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    20 min
  • 'Mar-a-Lago face:' MAGA's aesthetic loyalty test

    'Mar-a-Lago face:' MAGA's aesthetic loyalty test
    Apr 1 2026
    The MAGA look — you know the one: dramatic eyeliner, long, wavy hair, sheath dresses — is a defining feature of President Trump's Republican Party. And it's about a lot more than appearances. Journalist Inae Oh joins us to talk about what the aesthetics of MAGA tell us about power, influence, race and femininity.

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    28 min
  • Being an “ally” is kind of cringe. Why?

    Being an “ally” is kind of cringe. Why?
    Mar 28 2026
    People have been talking about being "allies" for a long time now. But what has that actually meant, over the years? And how performative should allyship be? One of our guests says, keep it to yourself. The other says, be loud and proud. So that's what we're getting into today with comedians Hari Kondabolu and Milly Tamarez — the many ways (good and bad) to be a so-called ally.

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    29 min
  • Markwayne Mullin is conservative, Christian, Cherokee, and the new head of DHS

    Markwayne Mullin is conservative, Christian, Cherokee, and the new head of DHS
    Mar 25 2026
    On Monday, Sen. Markwayne Mullin was confirmed as the newest head of the Department of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem. It's an enormously consequential role that involves taking charge of ICE, border patrol, and TSA. And Mullin is an interesting choice for the role — he's a conservative, Christian citizen of Cherokee nation, known both for his ability to reach across the aisle, and for being a political firebrand. So today on the show, we're asking: What will Markwayne Mullin's leadership of DHS mean for Indian Country? And what will it mean for the nation as a whole?

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    35 min