Podcast appearances and mentions of Derek Thompson

The Australian economy looks steady on paper- low unemployment, inflation is off its peak and markets have held up. But talk to most Australians and it's a very different story.So we sat down with Deputy Chief Economist at AMP, Diana Mousina, to unpack why the data says we're “okay” while households feel stretched. We hear Diana's take on what's driving this disconnect across; housing and interest rates, productivity and wages. Plus, her outlook for where the Australian economy (and markets) are heading next.In this episode:00:00:00 Making Economics Accessible00:06:27 How Aussie Households Are Coping00:12:17 Can Housing Become Affordable?00:19:01 What First Home Buyers Face00:22:57 Where Rates And Inflation Are Heading00:27:01 What Productivity Means For You00:38:44 Australia's Economic Plan To 2040Stocks & ETFs mentioned: AMP ltd (ASX: AMP)Links mentioned: The book Ren references is: ‘Abundace: What Progress Looks Like' by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson'———Want to get involved in the podcast? Record a voice note or send us a message.And come and join the conversation in the Equity Mates Facebook Discussion Group.———Want more Equity Mates? Across books, podcasts, video and email, however you want to learn about investing – [we've got you covered.Keep up with the news moving markets with our daily newsletter and podcast (Apple | Spotify)We're particularly excited to share our latest show: Basis PointsListen to the podcast (Apple | [Spotify)Watch on YouTubeRead the monthly email———Looking for some of our favourite research tools?Download our free Basics of ETF handbookOr our free 4-step stock checklistFind company information on TIKRResearch reports from Good ResearchTrack your portfolio with Sharesight———In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Equity Mates Investing acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today. ———Equity Mates Investing is a product of Equity Mates Media.This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes. Any advice is general advice only, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances, needs or objectives. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. And if you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You are pouring yourself out every single day. But into whose cup? In this powerful conversation inspired by Derek Thompson, Justin and Kylie explore a simple metaphor that will stop you mid-scroll: every morning you wake with a full jug of water. By night, it’s empty. The only question that matters is where it went. Work. News. Regret. Netflix. Anxiety. Group chats. Your kids. Your marriage. Attention never lies. It reveals what we truly value. If you’ve been feeling depleted, resentful, stretched thin — this episode will gently realign you with what actually matters. Because tomorrow morning?The jug refills. KEY POINTS The “Cup Game” metaphor and why you’re playing it whether you realise it or not Why attention is your most honest measure of values The hidden cost of pouring into cups that don’t matter Why good things can still drain you A simple end-of-day question that changes everything How to reset — even if you’ve been “losing” the game for years QUOTE OF THE EPISODE “Attention never lies. It reveals what we truly value.” RESOURCES MENTIONED Derek Thompson Substack article: Whose Cup Are You Filling? Stephen Covey – “The things that matter most should never be at the mercy of the things that matter least.” ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS At the end of today, ask: Whose cup did I fill? Notice one cup that received too much water. Choose one relationship that gets first pour tomorrow. When you feel depleted at 4pm, take one small intentional step toward connection. Remember: the jug refills in the morning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comSally is a journalist, columnist, TV commentator, author, wife to Ben Bradlee, and legendary DC hostess. Who better to talk to about the implosion of The Washington Post? She also founded the Post's religion website, “On Faith.” She's the author of six books, including the spiritual memoir Finding Magic, and We're Going to Make You a Star — about her time at “CBS Morning News.” Her latest novel is Silent Retreat, and she's now working on a memoir called Never Invite Sally Quinn. Her energy at 84 is, well, humbling. We had a blast.For two clips of our convo — on Sally's initial impression of Bezos, and the time Bill Clinton called her the b-word — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: born in Savannah, GA, and learning voodoo as a kid; moving as an Army brat; her general dad who captured Göring and helped create the CIA; at Smith College wanting to be an actress; rebelling against Vietnam and the wishes of her dad by marrying Bradlee; the Georgetown party circuit and how it's grown more partisan; throwing a pajama party for Goldwater; dating Hunter S. Thompson; Watergate and Woodstein; the Grahams; Tom Stoppard; Hitchens; Howell Raines; Newt's revolution; Bill's womanizing; Hillary defending her cheater; the Monica frenzy; Obama rising on merit; Barack the introvert; Jerry Brown; the catastrophe of Biden running in 2024; Dr. Jill's complicity and cruelty; Jon Meacham; Maureen Dowd; David Ignatius; Bradlee's dementia; declining trust in journalism; Bezos nixing the Harris endorsement; his life with Lauren Sanchez; sucking up to Trump; the Will Lewis debacle; Sally's spiritual life; silent retreats; Zen meditation; the humor in Buddhism; the denial of death; debating the the Golden Rule; children in Gaza; and the need more than ever for in-person gatherings.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Jeffrey Toobin on the pardon power, Michael Pollan on consciousness, Derek Thompson on abundance, Matt Goodwin on the UK political earthquake, Jonah Goldberg on the state of conservatism, Tom Holland on the Christian roots of liberalism, Tiffany Jenkins on privacy, Adrian Wooldridge on “the lost genius of liberalism,” and Kathryn Paige Harden on the genetics of vice. As always, please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com. A listener writes:Thanks for all these good episodes. Is Vivek still planning to be a guest soon? I have been looking forward to that episode.He got cold feet. Too bad. On the other hand, I tend to avoid active politicians. Because they're rarely as candid as I'd like a guest to be. Oh well.A fan of last week's pod who lives near Atlanta writes, “The longtime Dishheads on the Mableton cul-de-sac definitely approve of your interview with homegrown talent Zaid Jilani”:I agree with his description of Mableton as a bit like the United Nations; I see that diversity in our grocery stores and local restaurants. He mentioned how he was often the only Pakistani and thus perceived as a nonthreatening minority. It makes me wonder how much the diversity mix affects how people perceive immigration? If a large group from one country arrives, does that seem more like an invasion? If a similar number arrives but from a wide range of locations, does that seem more like the normal American melting pot?After 30 years of living in Mableton, this may partly explain why I am not bothered by immigration in the way that you are, Andrew. I expect to see and hear all sorts of people wherever I go in my neighborhood. Today the teller at the bank spoke accented English. There are regular clerks at my grocery store who are immigrants. Our new HVAC was installed by immigrants. As an Atlanta suburb, there are many people descended from African slaves. European ancestry is merely one possibility off the long colorful menu around here.I think pace and numbers matter. A slower pace and fewer — with no massive homogenous populations arriving at once. And a new emphasis on Americanization over “multiculturalism”.From a listener who wants to “Make Democrats Great Again”:Great conversation with Zaid Jilani last week. I am very concerned that hardly any Democrats are being at all introspective, trying to figure out where they went wrong and how to become a party that can actually win elections — maybe even hearts and minds. They are only defined as anti-Trump, and their only hope is for Trump to go down in flames — which he very well might, but all they aspire to is winning as the least-worst party.The policy directions for reclaiming sanity and moderate voters are obvious (to me, at least). Here are my top three issues:1. AffordabilityThe longest lever to affect affordability is housing. Democrats have been complete failures in this regard, with strongholds like California and NYC being the least affordable places. When they talk about “affordable housing,” they only mean housing that is forced below market rate for the few poor people lucky enough to get it. They offer no solutions for the middle class or young people.The solution is obvious: build more. Plough through the various restrictions that are preventing housing from being built. There is no reason housing can't be cheap, except for NIMBY politics. Scott Weiner in California has been doing great work on this.Health care is the second-longest affordability lever. Obamacare made some progress, but not nearly enough, especially in terms of keeping costs down. But I'm not sure we're ready for another push on this; I say focus on housing.2. ImmigrationObviously there should be some immigration, and obviously we have structured our economy such that many jobs are only done by immigrants. But the Democrats' policy of simply not enforcing immigration law is untenable, especially for a group asking to be put in charge of law enforcement. We need those migrant workers, so find a way for them be here legally. Not through amnesty, but through some sort of bureaucratic process: have the employers fill out a form; have the prospective worker fill out a form in some office in Mexico; have someone process the form; and give them a green card.This is simple stuff! And yes, it would be helpful to admit that open borders, sanctuary cities, and subverting the law were not good ideas.3. CultureEnd wokeness. America is not a country consumed by white supremacy, and the people who voted for Trump are not racists. There are hardly any racists! And drop the other insanities, like the trans stuff.The message needs to be, “We are the Democrats and we want to help anybody from any state who needs help.” Hard to convince struggling white people in the South that you're going to help them when you seem to despise them. Love your brother, for crying out loud. And naturally, today's woke Democrats would be much more accepting of this message if it came from a racial minority candidate.Another wanted to hear more:I wish you had asked Zaid about Josh Shapiro. Also, when Zaid talked about affordability, he never mentioned housing — which is why there are so many ex-Californians in his home state of Georgia and elsewhere. “Build Baby Build” should be the slogan of the Democratic Party, rather than gaslighting Americans into believing housing prices will come down because we are getting rid of immigrants (Vance).Here's a dissent:About 20:30 into your interview with Zaid Jilani, he said that the root of all the Abrahamic faiths is that the meek have rights. You replied that this applied more to Christianity and Islam than to Judaism. I say this neither rhetorically nor to admonish you, but how much do you know about Judaism? Your comment is completely mistaken. Just what do you think Judaism says about the meek?Another has examples:In Genesis, you find that all humans were created b'tzelem Elohim (in the image of God). Moreover, Jewish texts consistently frame care for the poor as a legal obligation and moral imperative, not mere charity. Every Jewish child learns that promoting economic justice is mandated. It is called tzedakah.This religious mandate has manifested itself in the real world. Jews have been disproportionately represented in social justice movements aimed at promoting human equality. It wasn't an accident that two of three civil rights movement activists murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi by the Ku Klux Klan were Jewish.Points taken. Big generalizations in a chat can be dumb. My quarrel may be semantic: the meek is not merely the weak. It's about the quiet people, those easily trampled upon. Like many of Jesus' innovations, it takes a Jewish idea further.Another listener on the Zaid pod:I wonder if you ever play the game of “which time would you like to go back to”? I do! And only half-jokingly, I often say 1994 in DC. Something about, for example, Christopher Hitchens on CSPAN in a dreary suit jacket discussing such *trivial* aspects of politics in a serious way. How perfect! When I listened to your episode with Zaid Jilani about how the left can win, it seemed dated to about this period in the early ‘90s.Ah yes, the Nineties. They were heady times and I think we all kinda realized it at the time. The economy was booming, crime was plummeting, Annie Leibovitz took my picture, and we had the luxury of an impeachment over a b*****b. Good times.On another episode, a listener says I have a “rose-colored view of President Obama”:In your conversation with Jason Willick, you said that Obama was a stickler for proper procedure and doing things the right way. I might instance, on the other side:* Evading the constitutional requirements on treaties in pursuit of the Iran deal (an evasion that the Republicans were stupid enough to go along with)* Encouraging the regulatory gambit of “sue and settle”* The “Dear Colleague” letter* “I've got a pen and a phone”Points taken. Especially the DACA move. But compared to Biden and Trump? Much better. One more listener email:I've been following you for years, but more recently I became a subscriber, and it's a decision I don't regret! I usually listen to the Dishcast over the weekend, and I always find it extremely stimulating, but there is also something relaxing about the length and scope of your conversations.I want to respond to something you said in your Claire Berlinski episode on the subject of Ukraine. Although I appreciate your position in defence of international law, you implied that Russia's claim to Ukrainian land is somehow “historically legitimate.” This is not only problematic from a logical standpoint (does Sweden have a historically legitimate claim to Finland and Norway, or does the UK have a claim to the Republic of Ireland, the US, and all its former colonies?), but also not based on historical reality.Unfortunately, this is not the first time your comments on Ukraine seem come through the prism of a Russian lens. I am sure it's not intentional; perhaps that's not a subject you have invested much time in, which is legitimate. However, I find it a bit surprising that, as we approach the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion, you still don't seem to have had the curiosity to explore this and invite any specialist on Ukraine. If Timothy Snyder is too political these days, I would recommend Serhii Plokhy — possibly the most eminent historian of Ukraine — or Yaroslav Hrytsak. They would each be a very interesting conversation.The Dishcast has featured many guests with expertise on the Ukraine war, including Anne Applebaum (twice), John Mearsheimer, Samuel Ramani (twice), Edward Luttwak, Fiona Hill (twice), Robert Wright, Robert Kaplan, Fareed Zakaria, Douglas Murray, Edward Luce, and Niall Ferguson.A reader responds to last week's column, “The President Of The 0.00001 Percent”:Like you, I'm not against people getting rich. A lot of good is done by a few people who have enough money to seed research and the arts, and pursue things that ordinary worker bees would never have the margin of time or resources to pursue. Good so far.But all strong forces need regulation and/or protective barriers, whether it's the weather, sex, patriotism, or capitalism. What's going on now is obscene. Progressive taxation is a social good: it doesn't stop anyone from getting richer and richer; it doesn't remove the positive motivators for success; it just means that the farther they get, the higher their proportionate contribution to the system that lets them get there. There are various ways to tweak the dials, but there is nothing philosophically wrong with tweaking them in a way the sets some outer limit. Let it be very high, but let it not be infinite.Here's a familiar dissent:You were right to torch the nihilism of the .00001 class. You were right to call out moral evasions. But when you referred to “the IDF's massacre of children in Gaza,” you collapsed a morally and legally distinct reality into a slogan. Words matter. “Massacre” implies intent. It suggests that the deliberate killing of children is policy rather than tragic consequence. That is a serious charge, and it deserves serious evidence.The governing reality in Gaza is not that Israel woke up one morning and decided to target children.

AI slop is flooding every channel. Here's what changes, what doesn't, and how to cut through the noise.In this episode, Eric and Jonathan dig into the great content reset — the collision of AI, shifting media formats, and a growing hunger for real human connection. They unpack where AI actually helps (and where it creates "AI slop"), why Derek Thompson argues everything is becoming television, and the timeless communication truths that hold no matter the technology.Episode Highlights[00:00] The Great Content Reset[01:03] The Google Ads Nightmare[03:05] AI as Content Accelerant[05:20] Quantity vs. Personality[08:18] How We Use AI on This Show[10:33] When AI Helps vs. Hurts[14:16] Everything Is Television[18:22] Should Every Org Create Content?[20:06] The Return to In-Person[23:13] Timeless Communication Truths[26:41] The Value of ImperfectionNotable Quotes "As the channels get noisier and noisier, you basically have to show up more and more. But is that really going to be your strategy?" — Eric"Are people even planning what to do on a weekend by searching Google anymore? Are they just asking ChatGPT?" — Jonathan"The more AI slop comes in and pollutes these channels, the more anything that feels different than that becomes important." — Eric"I think the idea of 'we do good work behind the scenes' — there is less and less viability in that model." — EricResources & Links:

Kriege, Krisen, Klimakatastrophen, soziale Spaltung – ein Blick aufs Handy reicht, und viele fühlen sich von den Nachrichten überfordert. Das Leid der Welt scheint plötzlich auf den eigenen Schultern zu liegen. Dieses Gefühl hat einen Namen: Weltschmerz. In dieser Folge von Betreutes Fühlen sprechen Leon und Atze darüber, warum uns das aktuelle Weltgeschehen emotional so stark belastet, was Dauerkrisen mit unserer psychischen Gesundheit machen und warum Abstumpfen keine Lösung ist. Es geht um Empathie, emotionale Überforderung und den Unterschied zwischen Mitfühlen und Wegschauen – aber auch darum, warum Empathie allein nicht reicht. Wozu ist dieser Schmerz da? Und wie können wir mit Weltschmerz umgehen, ohne uns ohnmächtig oder leer zu fühlen? Fühlt euch gut betreut Leon & Atze Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonwindscheid/ https://www.instagram.com/atzeschroeder_offiziell/ Mehr zu unseren Werbepartnern findet ihr hier: https://linktr.ee/betreutesfuehlen Tickets: Atze: https://www.atzeschroeder.de/#termine Leon: https://leonwindscheid.de/tour/ Vorverkauf 2026: https://betreutes-fuehlen.ticket.io/ Quellen: U.S. Department of Justice (SDNY) United States v. Jeffrey Epstein – Indictment & Press Release. → Grundlage für die Einordnung sexualisierter Gewalt, Machtmissbrauch und struktureller Wegschau-Dynamiken zu Beginn der Folge. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1180481/dl The Examined Life – Stephen Grosz → Warum Schmerz eine wichtige psychische Funktion hat und was passiert, wenn wir ihn nicht mehr fühlen Pei, R., Grayson, S. J., Appel, R. E. et al. (2025). Bridging the empathy perception gap fosters social connection. Nature Human Behaviour. → Zentrale Studie zur „Empathy Perception Gap“ https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02307-1 Moralische Ambition – Rutger Bregman (2024) → Die Idee, Weltschmerz nicht nur zu fühlen, sondern ihn in sinnvolles, wirksames Handeln zu übersetzen. Altruistic Personality – Samuel P. Oliner (1992) → Frühe psychologische Forschung zu Menschen, die im Nationalsozialismus Juden retteten – und warum „der gute Charakter“ allein keine Erklärung ist. Conscience and Courage – Eva Fogelman (1995) → Ergänzende Interviews mit Helfer:innen, die zeigen, wie gewöhnlich Widerstand leistende Menschen oft waren. Varese, F., & Yaish, M. (2000). The importance of being asked. Rationality and Society. → Schlüsselbefund der Folge: Der wichtigste Faktor für Helfen ist, gefragt zu werden. https://doi.org/10.1177/104346300012003003 Arts and Minds – Anton Howes (2020) → Wie Fortschritt, Innovation und Hoffnung sozial „ansteckend“ werden können – Parallele zur moralischen Ambition. Building a Life Worth Living – Marsha Linehan → Das Karten-Beispiel und das Konzept radikaler Akzeptanz: Die Realität annehmen, um sie verändern zu können. Abundance – Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson (2025) → Gegen den Fatalismus: Warum Zukunftsvisionen von Überfluss Hoffnung zurückbringen können. CNBC (2023). Nobel Prize winner Katalin Karikó on being demoted and perseverance. → Grundlage für das „Karikó-Problem“: Wie Institutionen mutige, riskante Ideen systematisch ausbremsen. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/06/nobel-prize-winner-katalin-karik-on-being-demoted-perseverance-.html Empfehlungen YouTube-Interview mit Katalin Karikó & Drew Weissman über wissenschaftliche Beharrlichkeit, Zweifel und den langen Weg zum Durchbruch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3x4IMdeFdI Rki: Walther L, Vogelgesang F. Schaffrath Rosario A, Kersjes C, Thom J. Peitz D, et al. Depressive und Angstsymptomatik bei Erwachsenen in Deutschland: Ergebnisse aus dem Panel Gesundheit in Deutschland" 2024. J Health Monit. 2025. Angst und Depressionssymptome: Mauz, E., Walther, L., Junker, S., Kersjes, C., Damerow, S., Eicher, S.,... & Thom, J. (2023). Time trends in mental health indicators in Germany's adult population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in public health Redaktion: Julia Ditzer, Dr. Leon Windscheid

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comZaid is a young center-left journalist (after the young center-right journo we had on last week, Jason Willick). Zaid worked as a reporter for The Intercept and as a reporter-blogger for ThinkProgress, United Republic, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and Alternet. He's now on Substack at “The American Saga” — subscribe!For two clips of our convo — on what the Dems should do on immigration, and whether Ossoff and Buttigieg could be strong contenders for the presidency — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: his parents immigrating from Pakistan; born and raised outside Atlanta in Newt Gingrich country; growing up Muslim in the South; tithing and agape; starting a student magazine at UGA; Mamdani and affordability; higher taxes on the rich; universal childcare; Ossoff and “the Epstein class”; the Dems' denialism over Kamala; identity politics killing the party; how Dems should respond to AI; data centers hiking energy bills; Waymo; Trump's success at closing the border; asylum reform; the left crying wolf over racism; Stephen Miller the wolf; Eric Kaufmann's Whiteshift; pushing left-racism on a racially tolerant public; Jasmine Crockett; Dem leaders cowed by activists; transqueer ideology; Bad Bunny; Israel and the Dems; foreign aid; Tom Massie; Ro Khanna; gerontocracy; Obama's success in red states; rumors of Stacey Abrams being closeted; AOC; Warnock; Newsom's left-wing baggage; the silo of Bluesky; Renee Good; and the indoctrination of kids on gender.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Sally Quinn on the WaPo and silent retreats, Michael Pollan on consciousness, Jeffrey Toobin on the pardon power, Derek Thompson on abundance, Matt Goodwin on the UK political earthquake, Jonah Goldberg on the state of conservatism, Tom Holland on the Christian roots of liberalism, Adrian Wooldridge on “the lost genius of liberalism,” Tiffany Jenkins on privacy, and Kathryn Paige Harden on the genetics of vice. An abundance of riches! And a lot of reading for yours truly! As always, please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

This week we're taking stock of conversation trends to let it rip on AI market jitters and what happens when the math stops math-ing.We start with the numbers that have investors nervy: Amazon's $200 billion capex projection for 2026, and the uncomfortable reality of building an entire economy on depreciating GPU infrastructure with a three-year shelf life. Why the dot-com bubble comparison are incomplete, and questioning what happens when billions flow into overwhelming into transformer model architecture while research into others starves.Then we shift from market corrections to attention economics, unpacking how AI tools promise productivity while actually training us to outsource thinking itself. The cost is both financial and experiential. When was the last time you sat alone without reaching for your phone? Can you still read sentences that run four lines long?The episode lands on an uncomfortable question about who gets to have unmediated experiences anymore, and whether we're living our own lives or just consuming other people's.Mentioned: Ed Zitron 's “Better Offline” podcast Derek Thompson's Plain English podcast interview with Paul Kedrosky on market conditions and signs of a bubble Stephen Colbert on “truthiness” Enshittification, coined by Cory Doctorow MIT on the philosophical puzzle of AI Netflix's main competition is sleep Point of view: Gen Z will remember more of other people's memories than their own Blaise Pascal writing about attention in 1670

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comJason is a columnist at the Washington Post who writes about law, politics, and foreign policy. He used to be an editorial writer and assistant editorial features editor for the Wall Street Journal, and before that he was a staff writer and associate editor at The American Interest.For two clips of our convo — on whether SCOTUS has surrendered to Trump, and the failures of his own lawfare — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: growing up in liberal Palo Alto; raised by a doctor and a physics prof at Stanford; Fukuyama a formative prof and Walter Russell Mead a formative boss; conservatives mags that fell apart under Trump; the GOP primaries in 2016; Hillary's denialism after her terrible run; Russiagate; Watergate; the politicization of DOJ; Trump suing the IRS; Comey and obstruction of justice; how Alvin Bragg and Jack Smith helped Trump; the January 6 pardons; the ICE paramilitary; the latest Epstein document dump; the power network around him, including “populist” Bannon; the SCOTUS immunity ruling; the delayed tariff ruling; Trump's b******t “national emergencies” and the 1977 law; CECOT; Abrego Garcia and Ozturk; Biden and student loans; Jerome Powell and Lisa Cook; Gabbard in Fulton County; Thom Tillis vs Trump; the US vs NATO; Ukraine and Putin; Trump soft on China; bombing Iran and Nigeria; invading Venezuela; crypto corruption and the UAE chips deal; Jimmy Kimmel and the FCC; Ed Martin out; and Trump's success at bullying institutions.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Zaid Jilani on the Dems, Derek Thompson on abundance, Matt Goodwin on the UK political earthquake, Kathryn Paige Harden on the genetics of vice, Tiffany Jenkins on privacy, and Michael Pollan on consciousness. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

Journalist Derek Thompson joins Scott Galloway to examine why Americans feel increasingly unhappy — even as many measures of health, safety, and quality of life improve. They discuss how media incentives and negativity bias distort our perception of reality, why outrage dominates online discourse, and how social comparison and screen-based life erode well-being. Derek also explores the impact of AI on inequality, the promise and limits of GLP-1 drugs, and why progress in technology and health hasn't translated into greater happiness or connection. Join us in the ‘Resist and Unsubscribe' movement: https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comJon and I go way back to the early days of the marriage movement and before. He's currently a senior fellow at Brookings and a contributor editor at The Atlantic. He's written many landmark books, including Kindly Inquisitors, The Constitution of Knowledge (which we discussed on the pod in 2021), and Cross Purposes (which we covered last year). His new essay in The Atlantic, “Yes, It's Fascism,” is a must-read.And this episode is, if you don't mind me saying so, a must-listen. One of the best conversations I've yet had on the Dishcast. Jon is always lucid and fair and thereby chilling.For two clips of our convo — on the glorification of violence by Trump and his officials, and the cowardice of mainstream conservatives — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: Trump smashing norms; his vile indecency; his early rallies; reveling in war crimes; suing everyone; the “mean tweets” defense; cultural degeneracy in America; the need for party gatekeeping; blood-and-soil nationalism; Plato on tyrants; Stephen Miller's “iron laws”; the Zelensky meeting and “having no cards”; the assassination attempt on Trump; the reprehensible Randy Fine; ICE using white nationalist anthems to recruit; anonymous masked agents; the Pretti and Good killings; the racial element of ICE roundups; the Somali fraud scandal; the over-politicization of DoJ; the two legal systems under the Nazis; Carl Schmitt; the blanket pardon for all Jan 6-ers; Vance meeting with AfD; Heritage Americans; birthright citizenship; Greenland; Venezuela; Christian nationalism; evangelical loyalty to Trump; his Board of Peace; the vandalism of DOGE; Vought's evil genius; the East Wing demolition; violent threats against moderate Republicans; the woke playing right into Trump's hands; and fears that he will manipulate the midterms.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Jason Willick on trade and conservatism, Zaid Jilani on the Dems, Derek Thompson on abundance, Tiffany Jenkins on privacy, and Michael Pollan on consciousness. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

We are living in a time period where humans are spending less time together than ever, and more and more mechanisms in the market are facilitating this. Cultural trends and a host of demographic realities are reinforcing a human isolation that is problematic at best, and catastrophic at worst.In today's Capital Record, David addresses the human element of social interaction, and the very nature of things that undergirds this. He laments this social trajectory and recognizes where market forces can serve to accommodate unhealthy trends if human beings stay determined to do unhealthy things. But he suggests that the solution is not in criticizing the natural accommodation of markets but rather in reversing those feedback loops through intentional and deliberate action. Naturally, he finds the state's role in this to be dubious. Rather, and with some biographical confessions, he suggests that the solution to people being increasingly alone, lonely, and devoid of healthy, human interaction, starts with us.Show notes:Derek Thompson on the anti-social century Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comKevin spent 15 years as a writer and reporter for National Review, worked as a theater critic at The New Criterion, and had a long career in local newspapers. He's currently the national correspondent at The Dispatch and a writer in residence at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. He's the author of many books, including Big White Ghetto: Dead Broke, Stone-Cold Stupid, and High on Rage in the Dank Woolly Wilds of the “Real America.”An auto-transcript is available above (just click “Transcript” while logged into Substack). For two clips of our convo — on the arc from the Tea Party to Trump, and now his Greenland travesty — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: growing up in Lubbock with working-class, adoptive parents; playing football for the worst 5A team in Texas and joking with Dubya about it; starting journalism as a teenager; Bill Buckley a big influence; working for newspapers in India; how neoliberalism lifted untold millions out of poverty; the prosperity of the ‘90s; Karl Rove and “deficits don't matter”; quitting the GOP over Arlen Specter; joining NR in 2008; TARP and bailouts; covering the Tea Party rallies; the Constitution checking human nature; Pat Buchanan; Ross Perot; Rick Santorum; the demonization of Obama; the pathologies of working-class whites; Christian apologists of Trump; mass migration and multiculturalism; masked ICE agents; Trump and celebrity culture; the Nobel hissy fit over Greenland; the tariff insanity; the bond market; Bessent's propaganda; right-wingers in Europe turning on Trump; Vance and Cruz bending the knee; Jan 6 and Mike Pence; MTG's conversion; Musk's accomplishments; Trump defunding science in higher ed; Rahm Emanuel; when Kevin was cancelled by The Atlantic; when both of us were vilified by Jeff Goldberg in a townhall; and taking Matt Stone to Bear Week in Ptown.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Jeffery Toobin on the pardon power, Jason Willick on trade and conservatism, Vivek Ramaswamy on the right's future, Derek Thompson on the Dems and abundance, Tiffany Jenkins on privacy, and Michael Pollan on consciousness. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

The Americas Aviation Lead for PA Consulting discusses key priorities for the U.S. aviation industry, including investing in airport infrastructure and addressing the industry’s labor shortage. In the news, a bill to pay controllers during a shutdown, why ATC modernization has failed, the FAA’s unleaded avgas transition plan, similarities between the UPS crash and a previous problem with bearings, and the FAA’s decision to deregister hundreds of aircraft. Also, a new studio album from an airline pilot, visiting the USS Midway Museum in Southern California, and listener feedback on attractive airplanes. Guest Carlos Ozores is the Americas Aviation Lead for PA Consulting, a global firm that focuses on technology and innovation. Carlos addresses the key priorities for the U.S. aviation industry in 2026, including investing in airport infrastructure and addressing the industry labor shortage. He explains that U.S. airports have an estimated $170B capital requirement over the next five years to address airport infrastructure needs. Carlos tells us about the traditional sources to fund such projects, and what other sources could make up the shortfall. We look at public-private partnerships, the Passenger Facility Charge, and monetization of airport assets such as terminal concessions, car parking, and real estate development. Also, utilizing data collected about passengers and the importance of airport stakeholder engagement. Carlos tells us how the aging workforce is contributing to an industry labor shortage and leading to the loss of institutional knowledge. We talk about promoting the industry to the young generations, and issues such as pay, training, documented and repeatable work, quality of life, and labor relations. Before joining PA Consulting, Carlos served as Vice President and Managing Director, Head of Aviation, Americas, for ICF, a global solutions and technology provider. Before that, he spent time at American Airlines and Air France. He just returned from the American Association of Airport Executives Aviation Issues Conference in Hawaii, and we hear his observations from that event. PA aviation clients include SkyTeam and its member airlines on sustainability issues, Heathrow Airport on on-time performance and passenger experience projects, Etihad Airways on decision-support for engine fleet management, and DFW on airport operations. Other clients have included Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Aer Lingus, and multiple SkyTeam member airlines through SkyTeam's sustainability program. See: Airport Improvement Program Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program Airports Council International American Association of Airport Executives Jacobs to Acquire Remaining Stake in PA Consulting Aviation News Update: Air Traffic Controller Pay During Shutdowns Meets Resistance The House Transportation Committee advanced a bipartisan bill (H.R.6086 – Aviation Funding Solvency Act) which “provides continuing appropriations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) if (1) an appropriations bill for the FAA has not been enacted before a fiscal year begins, or (2) a law making continuing appropriations for the FAA is not in effect.”  The “bill provides appropriations from the Aviation Insurance Revolving Fund at the rate of operations that was provided for the prior fiscal year to continue programs, projects, and activities that were funded in the preceding fiscal year. The FAA may use the balance of the fund, minus $1 billion. If the FAA determines that the amounts from the fund are insufficient to continue all programs, projects, or activities, then the FAA must prioritize compensation payments for employees of the Air Traffic Organization (e.g., air traffic controllers).” However, Steve Womack (R-Ark.), chair of the House Appropriations Committee's transportation panel, is critical of the legislation. The Aviation Insurance Revolving Fund exists to cover war‑risk insurance claims for airlines participating in government programs such as the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), when commercial insurance is unavailable or withdrawn. The balance was originally built up from premiums paid by airlines, but that premium program authority expired in 2014. Because the fund has been largely unused for claims, investment earnings have grown it to roughly more than 2.6 billion dollars, significantly above what has historically been needed for CRAF-related claims. The Abundance Problem: Why the FAA Has Spent 40 Years Modernizing Air Traffic Control—and Still Isn't Done Vincent E. Bianco III, an FAA Veteran and Senior Aviation Safety Consultant, describes why presidential administrations and Congresses have failed to adequately fund the FAA and modernize the ATC system. He draws on a concept from the March 2025 book Abundance: What America Gets Wrong About Capitalism and What We Can Do to Fix It, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. Those authors describe how an institution, like the FAA, can become paralyzed by process, where well-intentioned rules accumulate. Each rule is logical by itself, but taken together, they end up stifling progress. FAA Publishes Unleaded Avgas Transition Plan Daft Section 827 of the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act directs the FAA to facilitate a safe, timely, and orderly transition to unleaded alternatives while maintaining operational efficiency. The FAA released a Draft Transition Plan to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline – For Public Comment (January 2026, Version 1.0, 77 pages), which phases out 100LL fuel by 2030 in the contiguous United States, and by 2032 in Alaska. The FAA is seeking feedback from aviation professionals, specifically aircraft owners, pilots, and aviation stakeholders. Boeing warned 15 years ago about a part problem at the center of UPS crash The Air Current reports that in an investigation update, the NTSB noted “that cracking discovered in a spherical bearing assembly from the accident aircraft ‘appears consistent' with an issue identified by Boeing almost 15 years ago.” The bearing assembly is part of the pylon aft mount bulkhead. That mount, and the forward mount bulkhead and thrust link assembly, attach the engine pylon to the wing. “The NTSB's preliminary report on the accident, released Nov. 20, revealed that on the left pylon aft mount bulkhead, the forward and aft lugs that house the spherical bearing assembly had fractured and separated. The spherical bearing's outer race, which contains the ball bearing and allows it to move independently of the surrounding parts, had also fractured around its circumference.” The 2011 Boeing service letter informed operators of bearing race failures on three different airplanes. A visual inspection of the part was added to the regular 60-month maintenance cycle. Also, Boeing recommended (but did not require) installing a new part design. Boeing determined that failure of the bearing race would “not result in a safety of flight condition.” The NTSB is not saying this is the conclusive cause of the accident. Hundreds of Aircraft Deregistered in FAA Move Against Trust Company About 800 aircraft registered through U.K.-based Southern Aircraft Consultancy have been grounded after the FAA informed the company it did not meet U.S. citizenship requirements.  Those requirements allow a trustee firm to register aircraft in the US. Southern Aircraft Consultancy's registration service allows non-American owners to maintain N-registrations on their planes. Southern Aircraft Consultancy says it intends to transfer its business to a U.S.-based company. See: Aircraft Trusts/Voting Trusts NBAA: FAA Aircraft Groundings Over Trustee Violations Show Need for Operator Diligence 737 Diversion Music artist, airline pilot, author, and piano technician Peter Buffington has released his second new studio album, 737 – Diversion by Speed Brake Armed. “Recorded between late-night flights, hotel rooms, and restless studio time, 737 – Diversion captures the raw energy of sleepless nights, long-haul journeys, and the electric haze of life lived at 37,000 feet experienced by pilots. The 15-track project blends classic pop, worldly electronic, country, classic rock, and piano solo with introspective lyricism that pushes aviation-themed music into new territory. The music is family-friendly, yet captures the intensity of airline flying.” 737 Diversion on Apple Music Mentioned California dreamin’! New nonstop service coming to Maine airport Photographs by Listener Steve: Pratt & Whitney 747SP test aircraft at EAA Airventure Oshkosh. A340 on takeoff. A340 in flight. Hosts this Episode Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, and Rob Mark.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the reasons that some people who are raised in the Christian faith choose to walk away from it, while others remain committed Christ followers. As you can imagine, the faith of the parents and how that's fleshed out in their lives is a huge factor. Episode Links At the top of the episode, Alexis noted that today's topic was prompted by Pew Research Center's “Religious Landscape Study” - a landmark study and truly the gold standard of its kind. Religion News Service picked up on part of the study in a recent article titled, “Why do some people stay in their faith and others leave? A Pew report offers clues.” You can read that article HERE. Both Alexis and Dr. White mentioned that other findings from the “Religious Landscape Study” have been the topic of other podcast discussions and the Church & Culture blog. Here is where you can find those on the Church & Culture website: CCP141: On the Largest, Most Recent Survey of American Religion “The Stall of the Nones” “Gen Z Church Attendance” “A Revival... or a Moment?” Dr. White noted that research from Dr. Christian Smith has been insightful in netting out the huge role that parents play in the faith of their children. You can explore his “National Study of Youth & Religion” HERE. As a father of four and grandfather of 16, Dr. White is passionate about the role of parents in the lives of their children. You can find sermon series that he's given at Mecklenburg Community Church on parenting HERE. Dr. White referenced articles and interviews with Derek Thompson and Richard Dawkins regarding the idea that Christianity is not about a religion, but rather a relationship with Jesus. And that relational component is what's missing from some churches. Here are those stories for you: Derek Thompson, “The True Cost of the Churchgoing Bust,” The Atlantic, read online. LBC video post of Richard Dawkins on X, watch here. Walter Sánchez Silva, “Famous Atheist Richard Dawkins Says He Considers Himself a ‘Cultural Christian,'” Catholic News Agency, read online. Finally, Dr. White discussed the importance of apologetics when it comes to the Christian faith - knowing why you believe what you believe. He has given a number of series at Meck that are incredibly helpful in this arena. You can find them all gathered under the category of “Exploring Christianity” HERE. For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

Over the past year, Democrats have learned to embrace economic abundance thanks to Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's bestselling book. But is this the same kind of abundance the Left has traditionally argued for? In this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber is joined by Matt Huber, co-author alongside Fred Stafford and Leigh Phillips of a new Catalyst essay titled “The Left Has Always Fought for Abundance.” Together, they discuss the need for an energy infrastructure build out, the historic origins of stagnant state capacity, and what socialist abundance entails. Read the essay here: https://catalyst-journal.com/2025/12/the-left-has-always-fought-for-abundance The latest issue of Catalyst is out and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM Have a question for us? Write to us by email: confronting.capitalism@jacobin.com Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.

The best moments from the Andrew Yang Podcast in 2025 are here! Highlights include editor and audience picks featuring Derek Thompson, Jimmy Chen, Arthur Brooks, Gunjan Banerji, and more, with deep dives into mental health, spirituality, the meaning of life, and innovative ideas to make our future better and brighter. Don't miss it! Watch the full episode here ---- Follow Andrew Yang: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Zach: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ---- Get 50% off Factor at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Factor Meals⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get an extra 3 months free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Express VPN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get 20% off + 2 free pillows at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Helix Sleep⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Use code: helixpartner20 Get $30 off your first two (2) orders at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wonder ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| Use code: ANDREW104 ---- Subscribe to the Andrew Yang Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Enligt tradition avslutar vi poddåret med en sammanfattning av 2025. Med oss för att ta tempen på tidsandan har vi poddbekantingen Björn Sandén, professor i innovation och hållbarhet på Chalmers.  Vi tar avstamp i de omvärldsfaktorer som präglat både energiomställningen och samhället i stort under året. Med utgångspunkt i långvågsteori -- där ekonomisk och samhällelig utveckling delas upp i flera decennier långa cykler präglade av specifika teknologier -- målar Björn upp en bild där de motsättningar och oroligheter som präglat året skulle kunna härledas till att vi är på väg in i en ny era.  Vi går igenom krisåret i den svenska energisektorn, om Northvolts konkurs, Kinas dominans och den fortsatt kraftiga utbyggnaden av förnybar energi globalt. Vi går även igenom hinder mot den fortsatta utvecklingen såsom kannibalisering, långa tillståndsprocesser och kapacitetsbrist i elnäten. Som röd tråd igenom avsnittet har vi boken Abundance av de amerikanska journalisterna Ezra Klein och Derek Thompson, som både Erik och Björn har läst. Boken används som lins för en bredare diskussion om hur vi kan accelerera energiomställningen och öka samhällets välstånd. Sist men inte minst, tack för i år och god jul!

Possibly the longest shownotes in history thanks to Gemini 3 Pro. Bless the swamp from which this AI slop emerged and enjoy the episode. Or just read this, I suppose. The title sucks terribly. Do better, Gemmo! Show Notes with Time‑Shifted Timestamps(All timestamps below have been shifted forward by 25 seconds to allow for theme music, as requested.)00:00 – Welcome, Cricket and the Pink Ball at the Gabba00:00:25 – Jack the Insider (Joel Hill) opens episode 137 of The Two Jacks and notes they're recording just after midday on 4 December.00:00:36 – Quick chat about the looming day–night Test at the Gabba and the prospect it could finish very quickly.00:00:44 – Hong Kong Jack explains why dusk session timings in Hong Kong line up perfectly with “Asahi o'clock”.00:01:07 – The Jacks wonder which pink ball is in use – Duke or Kookaburra – and what that means for Mitchell Starc and the batters.00:01:30 – They flag that full cricket chat will come later in the episode.Tai Po Fire, Mourning and Accountability in Hong Kong00:01:53 – Jack the Insider pivots from sport to tragedy: an update on the Tai Po (Typo) fire in Hong Kong, now with 159 dead, from ages 1 to 97.00:02:07 – Hong Kong Jack describes the government‑ordered three‑day citywide mourning period, mass flower layings, official ceremonies and a three‑minute silence.00:02:35 – Discussion of schools cancelling Christmas parties and staff functions in solidarity; a sense the tragedy is being taken seriously across society.00:02:55 – Hong Kong Jack outlines the judge‑led inquiry: not only into the Tai Po fire's causes, but also systemic issues in building management and renovation contracts on large estates, with hints of corruption.00:03:30 – Evidence emerging that the green construction cloth lacked proper fire retardant and that flammable materials were used to seal lift wells, helping the fire move inside.00:04:23 – Bodies, including one man, found in stairwells and lobbies; Hong Kong Jack cautions against jumping to conclusions before investigators reconstruct the fire.00:04:53 – Arrest tally climbs to around 12, mostly consultants/contractors involved in management and renovations rather than labourers.00:05:35 – Hong Kong Jack notes large numbers of displaced residents in hotels and temporary accommodation and outlines generous government payments to families of foreign domestic workers killed (about HKD 800,000 per family).00:06:05 – A harrowing vignette: a Javanese truck driver receives a final phone call from his wife, trapped with her employers' baby, seeking forgiveness because there is no escape.00:06:35 – The Jacks reflect on the horror of the story and promise to revisit the inquiry as more facts emerge.Australia's Under‑16 Social Media Restrictions & VPNs00:06:50 – Jack the Insider turns to domestic Australian politics: the under‑16 social media restrictions about to kick in.00:07:05 – He notes overwhelming parental support (around 80%) but says the government is now “hosing down expectations” and reframing the policy as a long‑term “cultural change” effort.00:07:30 – Platforms not yet on the restricted list – Roblox and Discord – are flagged as problematic globally for child sexual exploitation, illustrating rollout gaps.00:08:05 – They discuss technical enforcement: existing account age data, length of time on a platform and the likelihood that some adults will be wrongly flagged but quickly reinstated.00:08:35 – Jack the Insider explains the government's theory of cultural change: a generation that grows up never having had TikTok or Instagram under 16 “won't know what they're missing”.00:09:00 – Hong Kong Jack compares Australia to mainland China's efforts to control the internet and points out China still can't stamp out VPN usage, predicting similar Australian difficulties.00:09:25 – Jack the Insider clarifies that VPNs are not illegal in Australia; about 27% of connected Australians already use one, probably now closer to a third.00:09:55 – He strongly recommends everyone use a VPN for privacy and location masking, and warns that good VPNs now explicitly advise not to choose Australia as an exit node because of the new regime.00:11:00 – They note that Malaysia and several European countries (Denmark, Spain, France and EU initiatives) are eyeing similar under‑age social media restrictions, with large fines (Australia's up to about AUD 50 million or 1% of turnover).00:12:20 – Meta is already scanning and booting under‑age users, but teenagers are sharing tips on evading age checks. Jack the Insider describes various age‑verification methods: selfie‑based AI checks, account age, and Roblox's move to ban under‑15s.00:13:45 – Anecdote about Macau security doing ID checks: Hong Kong Jack's son is checked for being over 21, while Jack's own age makes ID unnecessary—an amusing generational moment.00:14:55 – The Jacks agree the policy is unlikely to stop kids having TikTok accounts but might “nudge” behaviour toward less screen time.00:16:00 – Jack the Insider stresses the real dangers of the internet—particularly organised child sexual exploitation rings like the notorious “764” network—and questions whether blunt prohibition can solve these issues.Bruce Lehrmann, Appeals and Costs00:18:22 – They move to the Bruce Lehrmann defamation saga: his appeal has failed and he's likely millions of dollars in debt.00:18:45 – Discussion of the prospect of a High Court appeal, the low likelihood of leave being granted, and the sense that further appeals are “good money after bad”.00:19:22 – Jack the Insider notes outstanding criminal charges against Lehrmann in Toowoomba relating to an alleged statutory rape, and outlines the allegation about removing a condom after earlier consensual sex.00:20:07 – They discuss the probable difficulty of prosecuting that case, and then pivot to the practical question: who is funding Lehrmann's ongoing legal adventures?00:20:35 – Hong Kong Jack explains why some lawyers or firms may take on such cases for profile, despite poor prospects of payment, and they canvass talk of crowdfunding efforts.00:21:07 – The Jacks agree Lehrmann should have left the public stage after the criminal trial was discontinued; now, bankruptcy in 2026 looks likely.00:21:58 – Limited sympathy for Channel 10 or Lisa Wilkinson; more sympathy reserved for Brittany Higgins and Fiona Brown, who are seen as exceptions in an otherwise “pretty ordinary” cast.NACC, Commissioner Brereton and Conflicts of Interest00:23:24 – The Jacks turn to the National Anti‑Corruption Commission (NACC) and Commissioner Paul Brereton's side work for Defence.00:24:03 – Hong Kong Jack recounts Senate Estimates footage where officials first claimed Brereton's Defence consulting work occurred outside NACC hours, then later admitted more than ten instances (possibly close to 20) during NACC office time.00:25:25 – Discussion of conflict‑of‑interest: the Commissioner maintaining a paid Defence relationship while heading the body that may need to investigate Defence.00:25:57 – The Jacks question the tenability of his position, especially given the NACC's opaque nature, its minimal public reporting obligations and a salary around AUD 800k–900k plus expenses.The Struggling Australian and Global Economy, Productivity and ANZ00:26:20 – Jack the Insider outlines Australia's sluggish economy: inflation remains sticky, GDP growth is flat, and government spending is driving much of the growth.00:27:00 – They discuss a small, tentative rise in productivity (around 0.2% for the quarter) and the Treasurer's caution that productivity figures are volatile.00:27:57 – Hong Kong Jack stresses that historically, economies escape malaise through productivity‑driven growth; there is no easy alternative, in Australia or globally.00:28:23 – Broader global picture: the US isn't in outright recession but is crawling; Europe is sluggish; Poland is a rare bright spot but rapid growth brings its own risks.ANZ and Post‑Royal Commission Failures00:28:54 – Focus shifts to ANZ's continuing governance and compliance failures after the Banking Royal Commission.00:29:30 – Jack the Insider shares a personal story about dealing with ANZ's deceased estates department following his mother and stepfather's deaths and the difficulty in releasing funds to pay for funerals.00:30:20 – Justice Jonathan Beach's scathing remarks: ANZ is still mishandling deceased estates, charging fees and interest to dead customers, despite years of warnings.00:31:34 – They recall Royal Commission revelations about “fees for no service” and charging the dead, plus ANZ's recent exclusion from certain Commonwealth bond business due to rorting.00:32:12 – The Jacks see this as a clear culture problem: five years on, the basics still aren't fixed, suggesting inadequate investment in compliance and little genuine reform.UK Justice Backlog and Curtailing Jury Trials00:33:05 – The conversation moves to the UK's proposal to restrict jury trials for offences likely to attract less than a two‑year sentence.00:33:35 – Hong Kong Jack notes the English historical attachment to jury trials dating back to Magna Carta, and that defendants have long had the right to opt for a jury if imprisonment is possible.00:34:38 – Justice Minister David Lammy, once a fierce critic of similar Tory proposals, is now advancing the idea himself, creating a political shambles.00:35:02 – They weigh up pros and cons of judge‑only trials for complex financial crimes, where juries may struggle to follow long, technical evidence.00:36:10 – Jack the Insider points out that even judges can find such cases difficult, but there is at least some expertise advantage.00:36:22 – They revisit the Southport riots and harsh sentences for people inciting attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers, arguing that common‑sense community judgment via juries may be better in such politically charged cases.00:37:26 – Ultimately, they doubt the reforms will meaningfully reduce the UK's huge court backlog and see it as another noisy but ineffective response.Ethics in Politics, Misleading Voters and the “Ethics Czar” Problem00:39:21 – Discussion moves to the UK budget, alleged “black holes” and whether the Chancellor misled voters about a AUD 22 billion‑equivalent gap.00:40:14 – They examine calls for the Prime Minister's ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, to rule on ministerial truthfulness, and Hong Kong Jack's discomfort with handing moral judgment to “anointed officials”.00:40:51 – The Jacks argue accountability should rest with Parliament and ultimately voters, not appointed ethics czars, whether in the Johnson era or now.00:41:36 – In Australia, Tony Burke's handling of “ISIS brides” returning to Australia is cited: he asked officials to leave a meeting so he could talk politically with constituents. The Jacks see this as legitimate hard‑headed politics in a very complex area rather than an ethical scandal.00:43:03 – Jack the Insider defends the principle that Australian citizenship must mean something, especially for children of ISIS‑linked families; stripping citizenship or abandoning citizens overseas can be a dangerous precedent.00:44:08 – Anecdotes segue into a broader reflection: politicians have always misled voters to some extent. They quote stories about Huey Long and Graham Richardson's defence of political lying.00:45:24 – They swap observations about “tells” when leaders like Malcolm Turnbull or Julia Gillard were lying; Scott Morrison, they say, had no visible tell at all.00:46:22 – Cabinet solidarity is framed as institutionally sanctioned lying: ministers must publicly back decisions they privately opposed, and yet the system requires that to function.Ukraine War, Peace Efforts and Putin's Rhetoric00:46:42 – The Jacks discuss reports of draft peace deals between Ukraine, the US and Russia that Moscow rejected over wording and guarantees.00:47:17 – Jack the Insider describes a gaunt Foreign Ministry spokesman, not Sergey Lavrov, delivering Russia's objections, sparking rumours about Lavrov's status.00:47:56 – Putin goes on TV to reassure Russians they're winning, threatens destruction of Europe if conflict escalates and claims territorial gains Russia doesn't actually hold.00:48:17 – Hong Kong Jack argues European fantasies of imposing a “strategic defeat” on Russia are unrealistic; retaking all occupied regions and Crimea would exact unbearable costs in lives and money.00:49:33 – The Jacks infer that Putin will eventually need to “sell” a negotiated deal as a victory to his own public; his current bluster is partly domestic theatre.00:49:50 – They note some odd, Trump‑like US talk of structuring peace as a “business deal” with economic incentives for Russia, which they find an odd fit for a brutal territorial war.Trump's Polling Collapse, Economic Credibility and 202600:50:13 – Attention turns to Donald Trump's polling in his second term: his net approval is negative across all major polls, in some cases approaching minus 20.00:51:04 – Jack the Insider highlights Trump's recent promises of USD 2,000 cheques to every American plus no income tax—claims they see as fantastical and electorally risky when voters inevitably ask “where's my money?”.00:51:39 – They compare Trump's denial of inflation and cost‑of‑living pressures to Biden's earlier mistakes in minimising pain; telling people “everything's cheaper now” when their lived experience contradicts that is politically fatal.00:52:34 – Hong Kong Jack notes history shows that insisting things are fine when voters know they aren't only accelerates your polling collapse.00:53:02 – They briefly touch on a special election in Tennessee: a safe Trump district where the Republican margin has shrunk. They caution against over‑reading the result but note softening support.00:54:14 – CNN's Harry Enten is quoted: this has been Trump's worst ten‑day polling run of the second term, with net approval among independents plunging to about minus 43 and a negative 34 on inflation.00:55:15 – They speculate about what this means for the 2026 midterms: Trump won't be on the ballot but will loom large. A future Republican president, they note, might still face governing without a Congressional majority.Disability, Elite Colleges and the Accommodation Arms Race00:56:07 – The Jacks discuss Derek Thompson's forthcoming Atlantic piece on surging disability registrations at elite US colleges: more than 20% at Brown and Harvard, 34% at Amherst and 38% at Stanford.00:57:10 – Hong Kong Jack explains how disability status yields exam and assessment advantages: extra time, flexible deadlines, better housing, etc., and why wealthy students are more likely to secure diagnoses.00:57:48 – They cite intake breakdowns at one college: small numbers for visual/hearing disabilities, larger numbers for autism, neurological conditions and especially psychological or emotional disabilities—suggesting a big shift in what counts as disabling.00:58:45 – Jack the Insider counters that many of these conditions were under‑diagnosed or ignored in the 1970s and 80s; growing recognition doesn't automatically mean fraud.00:59:40 – He brings in chronic conditions like ME/CFS: historically treated as malingering or “all in the head”, now increasingly accepted as serious and often disabling.01:00:02 – Hong Kong Jack quotes a Stanford professor asking, “At what point can we say no? 50%? 60%?”—underlining institutional concern that the system can't cope if a majority claim accommodations.01:01:05 – They wrestle with the employer's problem: how to interpret grades achieved with significant accommodations, and whether workplaces must also provide similar allowances.01:02:21 – Jack the Insider's answer is essentially yes: good employers should accommodate genuine disability, and it's on applicants to be upfront. He stresses diversity of ability and that many high‑achieving disabled people are valuable hires.01:03:40 – Hong Kong Jack remains more sceptical, shaped by long legal experience of people gaming systems, but agrees lawyers shouldn't be the priestly class defining morality.Cricket: India–South Africa, NZ–West Indies, BBL and the Gabba01:04:25 – They pivot back to sport: a successful South African tour of India, including a series win in Tests and a 1–1 one‑day series with big hundreds from Virat Kohli, Gaikwad and Aiden Markram.01:05:31 – Quick update on New Zealand's Test against the West Indies in Christchurch, with New Zealand rebuilding in their second innings through Ravindra and Latham.Women's Cricket and Phoebe Litchfield01:06:19 – Jack the Insider raves about the Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat game and singles out Phoebe Litchfield as the best women's batter in the world: technically sound, not a slogger, scoring “runs for fun” and hailing from Orange.Gabba Day–Night Test: Australia v England01:06:50 – With Usman Khawaja out, they discuss the unchanged 12 and whether Bo Webster plays, potentially pushing Travis Head up to open.01:07:39 – For England, Mark Wood hasn't recovered; they bring in Will Jacks, a batting all‑rounder and part‑time spinner, to bolster the order but lose their fastest bowler.01:08:11 – If you win the toss? Bat first, they say—if the conditions allow—and look to control the game with the bat for four hours or more.01:08:44 – They caution that with recent heavy Queensland rain, the pitch could be juicy whether you bat first or second; the key is getting cricket on Saturday.01:08:48 – Hong Kong Jack rates this as the best England attack to tour Australia in a long time, especially with Wood and Archer firing in Perth, although Archer's pace dropped markedly in the second innings.01:09:36 – They dissect England's first‑Test collapse: at one stage it was an “unlosable” match according to Ponting and the stats, but reckless strokes from set batters (Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook) handed it back to Australia.01:09:55 – Mitchell Starc's extraordinary home day–night record—averaging around 17 with the pink ball—looms as a big factor.Franchise Cricket, Empty Stadiums and Saving the Red‑Ball Game01:12:11 – Jack the Insider describes watching the ILT20 in the UAE: near‑empty stands, disengaged fielders and an overall “soulless” spectacle aimed solely at TV viewers in South Asia and the Gulf.01:13:49 – Despite his love of cricket, he worries this is a glimpse of the future if the longer formats aren't protected and nurtured. He pleads, in effect, for saving Test and other red‑ball cricket from being cannibalised by anonymous franchise leagues.Class and Cricket: Private Schools, Clubs and Stuart Broad01:14:11 – The Jacks explore the class divide in English cricket: all but one of England's Perth XI finished school at private schools; the sole exception is captain Ben Stokes, who grew up partly in New Zealand.01:15:05 – In contrast, Australia's pathway still runs largely through club cricket, though private schools with professional coaching (like Cranbrook) give some players a head start.01:15:47 – Jack the Insider notes Sam Conscientious (Sam Constance / Cummins reference is implied) spending two years at Cranbrook, reflecting how elite schools build academies with ex‑first‑class coaches that state systems can't match.01:16:20 – They agree state‑school kids like the Waugh twins still come through club cricket, but in England, some top private schools effectively operate as de facto county academies.01:17:31 – Anecdotes about Stuart Broad: a likeable “nepo baby” of former England player Chris Broad, who was toughened up by a formative season at Hoppers Crossing in Melbourne sub‑district cricket. Local players loved him.01:18:20 – Hong Kong Jack recommends Broad's appearance on The Front Bar as essential viewing for understanding his character and the cultural contrasts between English and Australian cricket.01:18:40 – More class culture: Chris Cowdrey, briefly England captain, shows up in full whites and blazer to toss with Viv Richards in surf shorts and thongs. When Cowdrey starts reading out England's XI, Viv cuts him off: “Mate, I don't care who you play, it's not going to make any difference.”F1, Oscar Piastri's Bad Luck and AFLW Glory01:21:11 – Brief detour to Formula 1: Oscar Piastri's season with McLaren seems dogged by terrible luck and questionable team decisions that have cost him a near‑certain championship.01:21:57 – Jack the Insider reflects on how F1 drivers like Piastri have effectively been in vehicles since toddlerhood, climbing the ladder from go‑karts to supercars.01:22:50 – They express hope he can clinch the title in the final race, but wryly note that F1 rarely grants fairytale endings.AFLW01:22:23 – AFLW: North Melbourne complete an undefeated season to win the premiership, comfortably beating Brisbane in the grand final.01:23:07 – Hong Kong Jack praises it as the best AFLW season yet, with marked improvement in depth and skill across the competition. North remain the benchmark everyone else must chase.Wrap‑Up, Tom Stoppard Anecdote and Season Timing01:23:49 – The Jacks look ahead to watching the Gabba Test, beers on ice for Jack the Insider and the late Hong Kong dusk session for Hong Kong Jack.01:24:01 – They note the death of playwright Tom Stoppard at 88 and share a favourite story: Spielberg offers him the Jaws screenplay; Stoppard declines because he's writing a play—“actually for BBC Radio”.01:25:11 – Final reflections on how Stoppard would have improved Jaws, then a note that the podcast will soon reach its final episodes for the year, with plans to feature listener feedback before a short summer break.01:25:56 – Jack the Insider signs off, thanking listeners and Hong Kong Jack, and promises they'll be back next week.

In this episode, Sarah and Jes discuss the best books of the year, great books to give as gifts, the most checked out items at DMPL, and the librarians personal favorite books they read in 2025. Learn more below:   Show Notes What we are reading Jes: On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Sarah: Just Our Luck by Denise Williams, The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow Best Bets (good gifts) Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz, The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad, The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy―and Why it Failed by Brad Meltzer and Joel Mensch, How to Be a Saint: An Extremely Weird and Mildly Sacrilegious History of the Catholic Church's Biggest Names by Kate Sidley Best of the Year Lists Books 1. Heart the Lover by Lily King 2. Audition by Katie Kitamura 3. Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong 4. Katabasis by R.F Kuang 5. Mother Mary Comes to me by Arundhati Roy 6. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones 7. A Flower Traveled in My Blood by Haley Cohen Gilliland 8. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid 9. Baldwin by Nicolas Boggs 10. Flesh by David Szalay Top Checked Out 1. The Wedding People by Alison Espach 2. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore 3. Strangers in Time by Baldacci by David Baldacci 4. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins 5. Great, Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry 6. James by Percival Everett 7. Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez 8. Dog Man: Big Jim Begins and Dog Man: The Scarlet Shredder by Dav Pilkey 9. My Friends by Fredrik Backman Top DVDs Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Wicked Conclave  Jes' Top Ten 1. Woodworking by Emily St. James 2. Poet's Square by Courtney Gustafson 3. Heart the Lover by Lily King 4. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy 5. Sky Daddy by Kate Folk 6. Audition by Katie Kitamura 7. The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden 8. Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan 9. Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang 10. Stag Dance by Torrey Peters Sarah's Top Ten 1. A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera 2. Who is Government edited by Michael Lewis and Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson 3. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young 4. The Shots you Take by Rachel Reid 5. A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes 6. Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry 7. Muted by Miranda Mundt 8. The River has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar 9. Everyone Who is Gone is Here by Jonathan Blitzer 10. Heir by Sabaa Tahir Random Books Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid The Correspondent by Virginia Evans     Links No Lovers on These Covers https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/books/review/831-stories-romance.html?unlocked_article_code=1.1E8.jA9U.hHjLV3tspEo8&smid=url-share&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email  It's Time To Put The "Where Are All The Male Novelists?" Debate To Bed https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/vanishing-young-male-novelists-debate  The Guardian view on the Booker prize winner: putting masculinity back at the centre of literary fiction https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/14/the-guardian-view-on-the-booker-prize-winner-putting-masculinity-back-at-the-centre-of-literary-fiction 

Last month, Derek Thompson published an intriguing essay that made waves in technology criticism circles. It was titled: “Everything is Television.” In today's episode, Cal takes a closer look at this essay, unpacking and expanding Thompson's arguments, and ultimately concluding with a series of predictions about what to expect next from the internet. He then answers listener questions and discusses the five books he read in November 2025.Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here's the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today's episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep Dive: Is the Internet Becoming Television [00:03]Can AI reduce distractions for developers? [38:32]How do I time block in a job with heavy interruptions? [44:03]How should I manage what I read, watch and listen to for books, magazines, shows, and podcasts? [47:31]How should I cope with family and friends always scrolling TikTok during the holiday season? [52:50]Does endless scrolling make people less motivated to be physically active? [54:48]CASE STUDY: Developing a Deep Life after selling a company [56:15]CALL: Eliminating Instagram in graduate school [1:04:19]NOVEMBER BOOKS: The 5 Books Cal Read in November 2025 [1:09:08]Realityland (David Koening)Becoming Mary Poppins (Todd James Pierce)Tradition in an Untraditional Age (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks)What is the Bible? (Rob Bell)Notes on Being a Man (Scott Galloway)Links:Buy Cal's latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slowGet a signed copy of Cal's “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/Cal's monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?flowingdata.com/2025/10/03/passed-peak-social-media-maybe/derekthompson.org/p/why-everything-became-televisionyoutube.com/watch?v=QaiecWzeHFMcsmonitor.com/1985/0610/z2vid1.htmlThanks to our Sponsors: cozyearth.com/DEEP (for up to 40% off)auraframes.com (Use code “DEEPQUESTIONS” to get $35 off)indeed.com/deepgrammarly.com/podcastThanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This month on the Acton Rundown Dan & Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and new video content.   Essays: Fall 2025 Religion & Liberty American Religion by the Numbers by Miles Smith A Pope for the 21st Century Video content: Anne Bradley Interrogates Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's Abundance Yasir Qadhi on LEAVING Salafism and Rejecting […]

As the current federal administration makes sweeping cuts to social safety net programs, political divisions deepen, and the guardrails of American democracy are tested, what is philanthropy's role in this precarious time?  In the final episode of this season, Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette interview New York Times columnist and podcast host Ezra Klein live at CEP's 2025 conference. Klein contends that America needs to renew a politics of plenty, face up to the failures of liberal governance, and abandon what he calls the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. But what does this analysis mean for philanthropy, particularly at a moment of so many competing and urgent crises? Additional Resources: “Mounting Pressure: U.S. Foundations and Nonprofits on the 2025 Political Climate” Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Ph.D. on the Giving Done Right podcast “Abundance,” by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson

Today in the business of podcasting: the Podglomerate x Sounds Profitable webinar about budgeting for podcast awards submissions is next Wednesday, Triton Digital announces their 2025 LATAM Audio Insights report, Spotify is reportedly going to raise Premium prices next year, Patreon users can now host free open RSS podcasts, iHeartMedia makes a "guaranteed human" promise, and Derek Thompson reflects on how everything is "television" now.Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

Today in the business of podcasting: the Podglomerate x Sounds Profitable webinar about budgeting for podcast awards submissions is next Wednesday, Triton Digital announces their 2025 LATAM Audio Insights report, Spotify is reportedly going to raise Premium prices next year, Patreon users can now host free open RSS podcasts, iHeartMedia makes a "guaranteed human" promise, and Derek Thompson reflects on how everything is "television" now.Find links to every article covered by heading to the Download section of SoundsProfitable.com, or by clicking here to go directly to today's installment.

In this episode, Oden talks to rank-and-file union member and college professor Jason Koslowski about Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's book Abundance, and the roadmap it puts forward for the crisis-ridden Democratic Party. They discuss the problems with the authors' policy prescriptions, and the broader capitalist and imperialist crises motivating the book. Abundance is already everywhere — it's just abundance for the bourgeoisie, at the expense of workers and the oppressed. Capitalist abundance, as advocated by Klein and Thompson, hinges on even more exploitation and immiseration for the working class, as well as greater ecological devastation. However, the crises the book is trying to address holds an opening for the working class. We make society and the economy run, and we can fight to create a truly abundant world under socialism — one without private property, exploitation, oppression, borders, and ecological devastation. But this requires independent organization, without the Democratic Party and its capitalist abundance agenda. Learn More:- The Reactionary Patchwork of Abundance- Left Voice Magazine: "The Mamdani Moment and the Fight Against the Far Right"Support Left Voice on Patreon  Follow us on social media! We're on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok as @left_voice, on Facebook as @leftvoice, and Bluesky at leftvoice.bsky.social. 

On this episode of SPS, we talk about all things Mamdani -- the new DSA mayor of New York City. Your host Pamela N. sits down with former co-host Laurie R., Platypus president Erin H., and our New York member Benjamin K. -- one of the organizers of the recent Platypus Mamdani panel in NYC. We give our impressions of the Oval Office press conference, after the first Trump and Mamdani meeting, and we digest the discussion by the Left on Mamdani captured in our NYC Mamdani panel. We discuss the history of Sewer Socialism, the Second International, and the Millennial Left's journey towards a "new New Deal." The episode features clips from the panel recording to anchor the conversation for our listeners. The edited transcript of that panel has been published on the Platypus Review's most recent issue, linked below. We encourage our listeners to take a read! Links - Platypus Panel (NYU): "Whither socialism? Mamdani and the Left," with Mitchel Cohen, Melvyn Dubofsky, Daniel Lazare, and Sebastian LM (September 26, 2025, published Nov. 2025) Edited Transcript: https://platypus1917.org/2025/11/01/whither-socialism-mamdani-and-the-left/ Video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRmIkNQB4ME - Mamdani Victory Speech (Nov. 2025) https://youtu.be/_650kn3RpmI?si=IfgevMLTzgJEpDSh - Michael Kinnucan, "How Zohran Mamdani Triumphed Over a Decrepit Establishment" (Nov. 2025) https://jacobin.com/2025/11/mamdani-dsa-democrats-cuomo-socialists - Derek Thompson, "'What Speaks to Me About Abundance': My Full Interview With Zohran Mamdani" (Jun. 2025) https://www.derekthompson.org/p/what-speaks-to-me-about-abundance - "Socialism in one City?" Independent Labor Club of New York event (Sept. 2025) https://x.com/ILCofNYC/status/1964339829446946907?s=20 - "Socialism in Our Time: A Jacobin Conference" (Sept. 2025) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/socialism-in-our-time-a-jacobin-conference-tickets-1485130077039 - Jacobin obituary for David Dinkins, “What David Dinkins Taught Us" (Nov. 2020) https://jacobin.com/2020/11/david-dinkins-mayor-new-york-city-obituary - Daniel Lazare, "Cheering on Trump" (Jan. 2025) http://forum.permanent-revolution.org/2025/01/cheering-on-trump.html - Mamdani Meet the Press Interview (Nov. 23, 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YNwdXW64WA

Ron Steslow and Peter Suderman dive into the battle between the Abundance Agenda (Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson's answer to America's scarcity mindset) and the newly ascendant socialist wing embodied by New York City's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Related Reading:  The Atlantic - Mamdani Has a Point About Rent Control - The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is television the final form of all media? Derek Thompson, the co-author of Abundance, podcaster, and Atlantic writer joins Mixed Signals to explain what he sees as the forces behind what Ben and Max keep observing: The way in which podcasts and other forms of journalism appear to be getting their largest audience in an endless, passive feed of videos first observed by analysts of 20th century television. Derek discusses all that as well as his own turn toward independent media, and his personal pivot to video. Sign up for Semafor Media's Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media  For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltaniIf you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com

One big story captures all six books selected by the Financial Times for their short list of best business books of 2025. As the FT's Senior Business Writer, Andrew Hill, notes, it's the story of the shift in global economic power from the United States to China. It's game over. From Dan Wang's Breakneck, which contrasts China's “engineering state” with America's “lawyering nation,” to Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's Abundance, chronicling America's inability to build infrastructure, the shortlist reads like an autopsy of American decline. Edward Fishman's Choke Points examines the new age of economic warfare, while Eva Dou's House of Huawei reveals how Chinese companies vaulted past Western competitors. Even Stephen Witt's The Thinking Machine, ostensibly about NVIDIA's triumph, ultimately focuses on the US-China technology race. The judges, Hill admits, “very clearly narrowed in on this highly consequential US-China theme.” Whether chronicling rare earth minerals, clean energy dominance, or regulatory sclerosis, these books ask the same uncomfortable question: Is the American century over?* China's “Engineering State” vs. America's “Lawyering Nation” - Dan Wang's framework in Breakneck captures the fundamental difference: China builds (pouring concrete, clearing regulatory obstacles), while America litigates, creating layers of bureaucracy that prevent infrastructure development.* The Abundance Paradox - Klein and Thompson's bestseller reveals America's core dysfunction: a nation that once defined progress now can't build a high-speed rail link between its two most important California cities, spending billions for thirty yards of track.* Economic Warfare Replaces Free Trade - Edward Fishman's Choke Points documents how sanctions, tariffs, and supply chain control have become the primary weapons of statecraft, with “choke points” entering the policy lexicon as the new language of power.* China Already Controls the Future's Raw Materials - From rare earth minerals to clean energy technology, China has made strategic bets on tomorrow's economy while America remained wedded to oil and coal, creating dependencies that may be impossible to reverse.* Even American Success Stories Are Really About China - NVIDIA's $5 trillion valuation, chronicled in Stephen Witt's The Thinking Machine, isn't purely an American triumph—it's fundamentally about Taiwan, China, and the geopolitical competition for semiconductor dominance.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Anne Bradley, vice president of academic affairs at The Fund for American Studies and professor of economics at The Institute of World Politics, about Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's book Abundance, which she reviewed for Religion & Liberty Online. What is the concept of “abundance,” and who comprises the book's audience? […]

In this letter to the editor, Vancouver resident Jeanie Warner shares why she's supporting Justin Forsman for mayor and Derek Thompson for city council. Warner calls for leadership that listens to residents and addresses local issues like road diets, taxes, and homelessness. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-justin-forsman-is-willing-to-listen-to-us/ #Opinion #LetterToTheEditor #Vancouver #JustinForsman #DerekThompson #LocalPolitics #CityCouncil #MayoralElection #CommunityVoices #ClarkCounty

Links, in order of their mention on the podcast:Kierkegaard parable Andrew cites: From the Journal: Empty Nutshells...God would be loved. Therefore He wants Christians. To love God is to be a Christian...Now "man's" knavish interest consists in creating millions and millions of Christians, the more the better, all men if possible; for thus the whole difficulty of being a Christian vanishes, being a Christian and being a man amounts to the same thing, and we find ourselves where paganism ended. Christendom has mocked God and continues to mock Him—just as if to a man who is a lover of nuts, instead of bringing him one nut with a kernel, we were to bring him tons and millions...of empty nuts, and then make this show of our zeal to comply with his wish.Soren Kierkegaard, Attack Upon “Christendom” 1854-1855, translated with an introduction by Walter Lowrie, The Beacon Press, Boston, 1956. p. 156.John Frame, "Machen's Warrior Children" in Sung Wook Chung, ed., Alister E. McGrath and Evangelical Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003).Norman Cohn, The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical Anarchists of the Middle Ages.Rodney Stark, God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades.Jonathan Riley-Smith, The Crusades: A History. (Other histories of the Crusades by Riley-Smith.)Augustine, Confessions. (Warhorn published an excellent short biography of Augustine by Dr. Josh Congrove titled Behold My Heart: The Life and Legacy of Augustine. Congrove has his doctorate in classics and he recommends the following translations of the Confessions: to those who want simple English, either Henry Chadwick or John Ryan; but the best translation remains F. J. Sheed.Derek Thompson, "Everything Is Television: A theory of culture and attention."Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show.Richard Baxter, Autobiography.Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor.Lewis Bayly, The Practice of Piety.John Owen, D. D., A Discourse Concerning Evangelical Love, Church Peace, and Unity; With the Occasions and Reasons of Present Differences and Divisions about Things Sacred and Religious, (London: Doxman Newman, at the Kings-Armes in the Poultry, 1673).Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914.Paul Johnson, Modern Times Revised Edition: The World from the Twenties to the Nineties.Westminster Confession: Chapter XVII Of the Perseverance of the Saints | Chapter XVIII Of Assurance of Grace and SalvationWestminster Larger Catechism: Of the Perseverance of the Saints and Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation***Out of Our Minds Podcast: Pastors Who Say What They Think. For the love of Christ and His Church. Out of Our Minds is a production of New Geneva Academy. Are you interested in preparing for ordained ministry with pastors? Have a desire to grow in your knowledge and fear of God? Apply at www.newgenevaacademy.com. Master of Divinity / Bachelor of DivinityCertificate in Bible & TheologyIntro and outro music is Psalm of the King, Psalm 21 by My Soul Among Lions. Out of Our Minds audio, artwork, episode descriptions, and notes are property of New Geneva Academy and Warhorn Media, published with permission by Transistor, Inc. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

While many progressives ⁠have⁠ ⁠been⁠ ⁠upset⁠ with Governor Jared Polis lately, a new national political movement is looking to him for leadership. Inspired by “Abundance” by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, this new strain of liberal politics is focused on cutting red tape, building housing density and transit, and reducing barriers to new technology. So is Polis the perfect posterchild for the Abundance Agenda? And is that what Coloradans want out of their governor? A new group called ⁠Abundance Network⁠ recently invited producer Paul Karolyi to moderate a fireside chat with the governor about housing, transit, energy, and his plans for his final legislative session in January.  What do you think about Governor Jared Polis right now? What has he done well? Where has he gone astray? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at ⁠denver.citycast.fm⁠. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@citycastdenver⁠ Chat with other listeners on reddit: ⁠r/CityCastDenver⁠ Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠ Learn more about the sponsors of this October 22nd episode: ⁠Arvada Center⁠ ⁠Denver Art Museum⁠ ⁠Denver Health⁠ ⁠Denver Film⁠ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at ⁠citycast.fm/advertise⁠

It's the cursed book club once again, as we drag Sinan on just to read a horrible tome that the world would be better off without. This time it's "Abundance" by "journalists" Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, who are here to tell us how we should pave the entire earth for "progress" or something. Part 2 will be out next week as a free episode. Get more of Sinan: https://linktr.ee/SKTheCrusader Subscribe for two whole bonus episodes a month: https://www.patreon.com/praxiscast Watch streams: https://www.twitch.tv/praxiscast Buy shirts: https://praxiscast.teemill.com/ Follow us: https://bsky.app/profile/praxiscast.bsky.social Cast: Special Guest Sinan - https://bsky.app/profile/thesinankose.bsky.social Jamie - https://bsky.app/profile/wizardcubes.bsky.social David - https://bsky.app/profile/sanitarynaptime.bsky.social Rob - https://bsky.app/profile/trufflehog.bsky.social Alasdair - https://bsky.app/profile/ballistari.bsky.social 

TDC 069: The Circular AI Money Shell Game?? | What To Do About The AI Bubble That May Soon Be Coming To an EndThe AI bubble may be closer to popping than you think—and the evidence is hiding in plain sight.Episode SummaryIn this episode of The Digital Contrarian, host Ryan Levesque goes into the current state of the AI bubble and where we might be on the hype cycle curve.You'll learn why enterprise AI adoption is actually declining, discover the circular money shell game happening between major AI players, and uncover a potential opportunity hiding in OpenAI's recent job postings that could rival the early days of Facebook Ads.Question of the Day

On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Law's Executive Director Sonja Trauss sits down with author Marc J. Dunkelman to tackle one of the biggest questions facing Americans today: why are we unable to build the infrastructure, housing, and public works that our communities so desperately need? Drawing from his new book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back, Dunkelman explores how even well-intentioned procedural reforms, community protections, and environmental reviews can create veto points that stall change, particularly in housing policy. They also delve into the shift in Americans' connectedness that has impacted our political landscape, what tactics and reforms could cut through the red tape, and how housing advocates can push for structural shifts that unlock homebuilding, transit, and equity. Finally, Marc and Sonja explore the similarities and differences between Dunkelman's thesis in Why Nothing Works and the thesis of Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson in their book, Abundance. In addition to highlighting the challenges of the bureaucratic processes we have now, Dunkelman also encourages readers and listeners of this episode to consider who should have the power to make decisions on behalf of communities. Tune in to hear more about the changes that Dunkelman has written about in American politics, and the historical context of the tension we are still feeling today as we navigate decisions about the architecture of power. Get Marc Dunkelman's newest book, Why Nothing Works, here: https://rjjulia.com/book/9781541700215Learn more about YIMBY Action: yimbyaction.org/joinFollow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/Follow YIMBY Action on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/yimbyaction.bsky.socialFollow YIMBY Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yimbyaction/

Autumn and Hunter discuss an article by Ian Harber called “The Christian in a Therapeutic Age.” Harber contends that while therapy terms describe real struggles, their overuse has turned treatable conditions into fixed identities. Amplified by social media, this therapeutic culture isolates people and worsens anxiety. In contrast, Christianity grounds identity in God, tells a story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Committing to Christian practices - prayer, worship, Scripture, sacraments, community—nurtures resilience and belonging.Resources mentioned in this episode:The Christian in a Therapeutic Age by Ian HarberIs Today's Self-Help Teaching Everyone to be a Jerk? by Emma GoldbergHow Anxiety Became Content by Derek ThompsonHabits of the Heart by Bellah, Madsen, Sullivan, Swidler, and Tipton

Today on the show, Fareed sits down with Atlantic staff writer Anne Applebaum to discuss this week's meeting between China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un and the growing alliances between autocracies.Then, former US negotiator Robert Malley, co-author of the new book “Tomorrow Is Yesterday: Life, Death, and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel/Palestine,” and Dan Senor, author and analyst, join the show to talk about whether any hope remains for a two-state solution, and what might come from Israel's planned invasion of Gaza City.Later, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins Fareed to discuss his new book on chronic pain, “It Doesn't Have to Hurt,” and his thoughts on the Trump's administration's upheaval of the American medical establishment.Finally, Fareed speaks with Derek Thompson, co-author of the bestseller “Abundance”, about what he calls the “existential threat” that AI poses to education.GUESTS: Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum), Robert Malley (@Rob_Malley), Dan Senor (@dansenor), Sanjay Gupta (@drsanjaygupta), Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The political left has been engaged in a heated debate about who's to blame for the high cost of living in blue states and cities. In the new book Abundance, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson take their fellow progressives to task for making it too difficult to build... well, almost anything. New housing. High speed rail. Clean energy projects. If thousands of Californians are moving to Texas, what does it mean for the effectiveness of Democratic governance? Our guests have strong views on how Democrats can accomplish more on the state and local levels.In studio: Senator Jeremy Cooney, District 56 Nate Salzman, Brighton Town Councilmember

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock our full premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Founder and editor-in-chief of Current Affairs Nathan J. Robinson returns to Bad Faith along with CA associate editor Alex Skopic to discuss the buzz around the new Substack "magazine" The Argument, which makes the case that "liberalism deserves better." This collection of former Atlantic and Vox journalists (including Derek Thompson and Matt Yglasias) has $4 million in backing, has launched with a piece against cash payments to the poor, and is led by a woman who earlier this year famously wrote the case for Democrats to support DOGE. Nathan and Alex weigh in on the battle independent journalism like Current Affairs is waging against well-funded, billionaire-backed media, and whether outlets like The Argument will successfully launder a Newsom 2028 candidacy to the left -- even though Gaza has emerged as a litmus test that has already tripped up Mayor Pete. Why are liberals so damn gullible, why is the left always right before the libs, and why are conservatives so much better at ideological consistency when compared to the empty, superficial takes coming out of liberals? We discuss Zach Beauchamp's latest piece on that very question ("How conservatives help their young thinkers — and why liberals don't"), along with Alex's "The Left is Always Right Too Early," and CA's takedown of Gavin Newsom. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod).

This week on Sinica, I'm delighted to be joined by Dan Wang, formerly of Gavekal Dragonomics and the Paul Tsai Law Center at Yale University, now with the Hoover Institute's History Lab. Dan's new book is Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, and it's already one of the year's most talked-about books. In this conversation, we go beyond what's actually in the book to discuss the origins and implications of the Chinese "engineering state" — the world's biggest technocratic polity — and what the United States should and should not learn from China. We discuss how Dan's ideas sit with Abundance by Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein, and much more. Don't miss this episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the show, Fareed is joined by President Biden's former National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, for a wide-ranging conversation on the major takeaways from Friday's Trump-Putin Summit, and why Netanyahu is prolonging Israel's war in Gaza.Then, Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia center, talks with Fareed about Putin's wins following his meeting with Trump, and how it changes the war's trajectory.Later, with the Trump administration's cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars for mRNA research—which was vital in developing COVID-19 vaccines, Dr. Leana Wen, the former Baltimore health commissioner, joins the show to discuss the importance of this technology, and what cuts mean for American scientists.Finally, as spending for artificial intelligence skyrockets in the US, Derek Thompson speaks with Fareed about AI's promise—and if it's a bubble waiting to burst.Guests: Jake Sullivan (@jakejsullivan); Alexander Gabuev (@AlexGabuev); Leana Wen (@DrLeanaWen); Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Malcolm Harris, author of Kids These Days and Palo Alto returns to talk about his new book What's Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis--a trip through the three leftist conceptions of how to survive the climate crisis with recommendations for the present. For the full episode subscribe at http://patreon.com/theantifadaArticle about Shell consulting gig: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/shell-climate-change.htmlEmmanuel Carrere on the G7: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jul/15/my-trip-g7-summit-emmanuel-macron-emmanuel-carrereTooze's NYT review that calls Harris “ the left-wing alter ego to the liberal journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson": https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/15/books/review/whats-left-malcolm-harris.htmlSong: The Walters - What's Left

For this "Summer Friday" we've put together some of our favorite conversations this year:Derek Thompson, staff writer at The Atlantic, author of the "Work in Progress" newsletter and host of the podcast "Plain English," and Ezra Klein, New York Times opinion columnist and host of their podcast, the "Ezra Klein Show," co-authors of Abundance (Simon & Schuster, 2025), discuss their new book that argues limits placed by past generations to protect jobs and the environment are preventing solving shortages today.Bob Costas, sportscaster and talk show host, recent recipient of the Baseball Digest lifetime achievement award, reflects on the state of baseball and other sports today.Katie Barnes, ESPN senior writer and author of Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates (St. Martin's Press, 2023),Katie Barnes, ESPN senior writer and author of Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates (St. Martin's Press, 2023), discusses the controversy surrounding trans women in competitive sports, fact-checks ideas the broader public holds about fairness and gender in athletics, and talks about current rules various leagues already set in place to ensure equity and inclusion. These interviews were lightly edited for time and clarity and the original web versions are available here:Building Solutions (Mar 18, 2025)Bob Costas Reflects (May 7, 2025)Parsing the Facts of Trans Women in Competitive Sports (Jun 3, 2025)

Sign up for the Derek Thompson newsletter. In Game 7 of this year's NBA Finals, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in the first quarter while attempting to drive to the basket on an injured calf. It was the third major Achilles injury of the 2025 NBA playoffs. Curiously, Achilles tears are typically an older-dude injury, as they're most common in middle-aged men, according to a 2018 study published in the Journal of Biomechanics. So the sudden clustering of this injury among star athletes in their prime has inspired a lot of head-scratching among NBA fans and even the league itself. “We had already convened a panel of experts before Tyrese's most recent Achilles rupture,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. When you zoom out from basketball and consider the broader landscape of sports, the injury surge seems quite real. In baseball, we've seen a huge increase in the so-called "Tommy John surgery," which repairs a torn UCL in a pitcher's elbow. In soccer, ACL injuries have been rising, particularly in women's soccer. And that's before we get to the huge amount of media attention that's been paid to concussions in football. What's going on here? Vern Gambetta, a conditioning coach, trainer, and adviser to professional soccer, baseball, basketball, and Olympics teams, explains why major injuries might be surging across sports—and what it tells us about the risks of pushing the human body to its physical limit. If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. Host: Derek Thompson Guest: Vern Gambetta Producer: Devon Baroldi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On maintaining sanity in insane times. Ezra Klein is an opinion columnist and host of the award-winning Ezra Klein Show podcast at The New York Times. His latest book is Abundance, co-authored with Derek Thompson. He is also the author of Why We're Polarized, an instant New York Times bestseller, named one of Barack Obama's top books of 2022. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. In this episode we talk about: How Ezra maintains some degree of equanimity Digital hygiene Ezra's meditation practice Ezra's tattoo, which is a reminder to maintain intellectual humility Ezra's new end of the day ritual The future of the species at what appears to be a pivotal moment. Related Episodes: How to Be a Good and Sane Citizen in Ugly Times | Ezra Klein Ezra Klein, How We Interact with Politics Matters Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel   To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris  

A DSA candidate winning a Democratic primary in New York City is not an ideal laboratory for other Dems to draw lessons from, but Mamdani sounded authentic, he successfully juggled our fragmented media environment, and he had the right message for this cost-of-living moment—as well as the proper amount of party heresy for this anti-establishment age. Meanwhile, the Republican tax and budget bill is shockingly out of step with the affordability crisis we are living through. Plus, the dangers of the coming AI wave, Ozempic may be one of the most astonishing medical breakthroughs in the last 100 years, and would shortening the NBA season reduce player injuries? Derek Thompson joins Tim Miller. show notes Derek's Substack Derek's and Ezra's book, "Abundance" "Plain English," Derek's podcast Tim and Bill on the NYC mayor's race

“Can Democrats Learn to Dream Big Again?,” wonders Samuel Moyn in the New York Times. “The Democrats Are Finally Landing on a New Buzzword. It's Actually Compelling,” argues Slate staff writer Henry Grabar. “Do Democrats Need to Learn How to Build?,” asks Benjamin Wallace-Wells in The New Yorker.  For the past few months, news and editorial rooms have been abuzz with talk about a new, grand vision for the Democratic Party: abundance. Abundance, according to its media promoters—chiefly NYT's Ezra Klein and The Atlantic's Derek Thompson—is a political agenda that espouses the creation of more of everything we need: housing, education, jobs, and energy, to name a few examples. To accomplish this, we are told, we must aim to eliminate bureaucratic red tape that has for so long bogged down production, innovation, and capital's innate capacity and desire to provide a better, more abundant life. It's an alluring promise—if suspiciously vague and devoid of class politics: obviously, doing more good things is better than doing fewer good things, right? Who can argue with this generic premise? Who wouldn't want to support an agenda that's effectively the Do Good Things Agenda? Scratch the surface, however, and what one finds it isn't just a folky, common sense treatise against red tape, but something more sinister and dishonest, something more slick and shallow. What one gets is a standard entryist strategy that begins with a so-vague-it's-incontestable hook—illogical or corrupt regulations are bad—the quickly pivots into a Silicon Valley flattering, and often Silicon Valley funded, political agenda, a narrative designed to blame inequality and our objectively broken political system on too much regulation and “bureaucracy” rather than there being too much power in the hands of an elite few. What one gets, in other words, is a counter to left populism. What one gets is the latest attempt to reheat neoliberalism as something fresh, innovative and able to excite the voting base. Last week, in Part I of a two-part series we're calling “The Empire Strikes First,” we discussed the Democrats' post-2024 apologia, propped up by scapegoats ranging from trans people to “economic headwinds” to Harris actually being too far left. On this episode, Part II of the series, we explore what comes next: the 2028 Democratic strategy and the so-called abundance agenda that is increasingly shaping it. We'll examine how Democratic media influencers and policymakers use lofty, seemingly progressive rhetoric to rehabilitate and re-sell the same old neoliberal deregulation, privatization, and austerity narrative that got us here in the first place, and ensure that no left-wing movement—that could, god forbid, require a meaningful change in the party—get in their way. Our guests are the Revolving Door Project's Kenny Stancil and Henry Burke.

Why is building affordable housing so hard these days? We talk to author Derek Thompson about his new book with Ezra Klein, Abundance, about what they believe is keeping affordable housing out of reach in high-income cities. Related: How big is the US housing shortage? (Apple / Spotify) How California's speed rail was always going to blow out (Apple / Spotify) Why building public transit costs so much For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In their new book, Abundance, journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson argue that Trump's scarcity mindset is suffocating the country: America doesn't do enough manufacturing? Better cut back on trade. Not enough jobs or housing? Get rid of immigrants.Klein and Thompson sit down with Jon to explain how faster (and better) infrastructure projects can re-engage Democrats' base, why tolerating government failure has made liberals look bad, and whether the accusations of neoliberalism that have been levied at the book are a fair criticism of the "abundance agenda." For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.