Podcast appearances and mentions of George Packer

Sam Harris speaks with George Packer about American democracy and authoritarianism. They discuss Packer's article "America's Zombie Democracy," the erosion of democratic institutions, the Justice Department's independence, Congressional dysfunction, the weaponization of the military, Trump's unprecedented corruption, the public's failure to recognize democratic collapse, shamelessness as political superpower, the role of hypocrisy, potential threats to the 2026 midterm elections, hyperpartisanship and the loss of shared reality, the mainstreaming of white nationalism on the right, the damage done by wokeness and identity politics on the left, the Epstein files as a potential breaking point for MAGA, the post-Trump Republican landscape, wealth inequality and economic pain as catalysts for change, the role of status in American politics, social media's toxic effects on discourse, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comFiona was an intel analyst under Bush and Obama, and then served under Trump as senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council. Currently a senior fellow at Brookings and the chancellor of Durham University, her books include Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin and There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century — which we discussed on the Dishcast in 2022.For two clips of our convo — on Russia's imperial war, and a comparison of Putin and Trump — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: Fiona's recent long trip to northeast England; walking the length of Hadrian's Wall; industrial decline; mass migration; how London is increasingly non-English; the brain drain from smaller places; the revival of nationalism; the fading left-right distinction; populism as a style; the Tory collapse and Reform's rise; NATO; the Munich Security Conference and Vance; the Zelensky meeting at the White House; Soviet ideology; the Russian Empire; Putin's psyops with social media; sending North Koreans into battle; the pipeline attacks; Ukraine's innovative use of drones; the massive casualties of the attrition war; Russia's resilient economy; the new corruption scandal in Ukraine; war profiteering; Putin's attacks on civilians; his manipulation of Trump; ressentiment in the West; male resentment in the economy; white-collar job insecurity due to AI; the origins of the BBC and its current scandal; the NHS; the slowing US economy; MTG positioning herself as the real MAGA; revolutions eating their own; Epstein; the demolished East Wing; and what my latest DNA test revealed.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Mark Halperin on US politics, Michel Paradis on Eisenhower, Shadi Hamid on US power abroad, Jason Willick on trade and conservatism, Vivek Ramaswamy on the right, George Packer on his Orwell-inspired novel, and Arthur Brooks on the science of happiness. As always, please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

George Packer is best known for his journalism. He's been a staff writer at The Atlantic magazine since 2018, and before that spent 15 years at The New Yorker. He's also written books on American politics and foreign affairs. His previous books include The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq (2005) and The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America (2013). Now, for the first time in decades, he's written a novel, The Emergency. It's about what happens when a government collapses, and new ways of life take root in a society. This is an allegorical story — Packer never specifies the time and place, and some aspects of their lives will be familiar to us (cars, advanced medicine) while others are kept deliberately strange (the absolute lack of digital technology). Among the big questions posed by The Emergency are what happens to the social contract when society is upended? What should we do with our personal codes when the new order deems them outmoded? And how does one respond when the revolution is happening not just out in the streets, but at our own dinner tables?

The Atlantic | A Post-Literate Age: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/10/journalism-literature-media-trump/684752/Realignment Newsletter: https://therealignment.substack.com/Realignment Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail the Show: realignmentpod@gmail.comGeorge Packer, Staff Writer at The Atlantic and author of The Emergency, returns to The Realignment. Marshall and George discuss his new work of Fiction: The Emergency, his transition back to fiction after works of journalism in an increasingly post-literate society, the resonance of the book's theme of living through imperial collapse, boredom, and a lack of faith, why the American liberal project feels lost today in an era of populist backlash, and why the themes of his previous books, The Unwinding and Blood of the Liberals, are critical to anyone looking to chart America's path forward.

Yascha Mounk and George Packer discuss autocracy in literature and real life. George Packer is an award-winning author and staff writer at The Atlantic. His latest book is The Emergency.  In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and George Packer discuss authoritarianism in fiction, living humanist virtues in morally complex times, and how the Democrats can defeat Donald Trump. Note: This conversation was recorded on October 21, 2025. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following ⁠this link on your phone⁠. Email: leonora.barclay@persuasion.community Podcast production by Jack Shields and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Google⁠ X: ⁠@Yascha_Mounk⁠ & ⁠@JoinPersuasion⁠ YouTube: ⁠Yascha Mounk⁠, ⁠Persuasion⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comCory is a behavioral scientist, the executive director of the Adversarial Collaboration Project at Penn, a visiting scholar at Penn, and an associate professor of psychology at New College of Florida. She's also been Director of Academic Engagement for Heterodox Academy and an assistant professor of behavioral science at Durham University. We talk sex differences and the recent essay, “The Great Feminization,” by Helen Andrews.For two clips of our convo — on the female dominance in education, and the growing power of HR — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: growing up in a big Catholic family in Ohio; her mom a gym teacher and dad a school psychologist; the culture shock of higher ed; the different evolutionary challenges of men and women; “warriors vs worriers”; the Big Five personality traits; neuroticism and risk-aversion; the male sex drive and propensity for violence; the gendered reaction to controversial ideas; safe spaces; The Coddling of the American Mind; extended adolescence; grade inflation; anonymous reporting systems; the boom of the mental health industry; the rise of the parenting industry; women in the military; mediocre men replaced by competent women in the workforce; MeToo; the decline of yelling in newsrooms; Puritanism; aggressive nuns; Prohibition; the Larry Summers row over women in science; the hostility toward men in higher ed; young men becoming reactionary; fairness in sports and locker rooms; the DEI industry; Harris and Walz; and Trump as a crude parody of an idiot male.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Fiona Hill on Putin's war, Mark Halperin on US politics, Michel Paradis on Eisenhower, Vivek Ramaswamy on the right, Jason Willick on trade and conservatism, Shadi Hamid on US power abroad, George Packer on his Orwell-inspired novel, and Arthur Brooks on the science of happiness. As always, please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

Kate, Leah, and Melissa dive into the legal pushback over ICE and the National Guard in Chicago and Portland, anti-marriage equality goblin Kim Davis's unwelcome return to the courts, the administration's lawless strikes on boats in the waters around South America, and the specter of Trump 3.0. Then, they preview November's SCOTUS cases, including Learning Resources v. Trump, which challenges Trump's authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Favorite things:Leah: Task (HBO Max); West End Girl, Lily Allen; The Kavanaugh Stop - 50 days later, Chris Geidner (Law Dork); The Supreme Court's Self-Defeating Supremacy, Steve Vladeck (The Supreme Court Review); God's Chief Justice, Doug Bock Clark (ProPublica); Lawyers March for Democracy on November 15 at 1-3pm.Kate: The Emergency, George Packer; Expert Backgrounder on War Powers Resolution 60-Day Clock for Boat Strikes Expiring Monday, Rebecca Ingber and Jessica Thibodeau (Just Security)Melissa: Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy, Judith ResnikHurricane relief for Jamaica:The WalkGood Jamaica Relief FundThe American Friends of JamaicaGlobal Empowerment MissionMercy CorpsFood for the Poor Jamaica Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco3/7/26 – Los AngelesLearn more: http://crooked.com/events Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad VibesFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Smallest Man With The Biggest Job in America Calls Out China in a Hegemonic Showdown | Trump and Musk's Refugees From an Imaginary White Genocide | Part 2 of George Packer's Atlantic Article on Our Next President, "The Talented Mr. Vance" backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

JD Vance has had an unorthodox rise to power. After a troubled childhood, he joined the Marines, graduated from Yale Law School, became a best-selling author, and then won a seat in the U.S. Senate. And now, at only 40, he is Vice President to Donald Trump, a man who Vance once described as "America's Hitler" and "cultural heroin." We're joined by The Atlantic's George Packer. His most recent piece, “The Talented Mr. Vance,” explores Vance's political transformation and whether or not he genuinely evolved his political views or cynically abandoned his principles for ambition. We also take a look at the Democrats' path forward. Packer shares how they can respond to Trump's appeal to disengaged voters. Read Packer's writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/george-packer/ 

President TACO Zig-Zags on Tariffs as the Senate Takes Up His "Big, Beautiful Bill" Which Some Republicans Want to Cut More and Others Cut Less | Trump Calls Leonard Leo a "Sleazebag" and Regrets Following the Advice of the Federalist Society | The Growing Possibility Our Next President Will Be J.D. Vance Before Trump's Term is Up backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

The Atlantic writer George Packer calls JD Vance the most interesting figure in the Trump administration: "He's capable of complex thought, and I also think he may be the future of the MAGA movement."Also, David Bianculli reviews the HBO movie Mountainhead, written by Succession writer/creator Jesse Armstrong.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Our VP used to think his path to power was through the ruling class at Yale Law School. But after 2016, he saw that his route was through Trump, so he swapped one set of elites for another. And now as a lord among the MAGA ruling class, he's embracing his true cruel, lying self—and railing against the globalists who nitpick about this silly due process thing. Meanwhile, even Elon doesn't like the bankruptcy-threatening reconciliation bill, even if it's larded with kickbacks just for him. Plus, America: stay and fight. And the biggest theft in the history of the presidency is happening every day right before our eyes. New Mexico congresswoman Melanie Stansbury and The Atlantic's George Packer join Tim Miller. show notes George's profile of the VP, "The Talented Mr. Vance" Rep. Stansbury being featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live! George's piece, "Be A Patriot" George on Ross Douthat Plus, tickets for our live show “Free Andry” on June 6 in DC

The Atlantic writer George Packer calls JD Vance the most interesting figure in the Trump administration: "He's capable of complex thought, and I also think he may be the future of the MAGA movement."Also, David Bianculli reviews the HBO movie Mountainhead, written by Succession writer/creator Jesse Armstrong.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

George Packer, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021), offers analysis of what he calls President Trump's "might makes right" strategy, and the decimation of the United States' soft power through the destruction of USAID. 

John Kennedy, a director at the Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation, is tackling an overlooked crisis in American education: air quality.  With the ingenious use of a simple $60 box fan, he's on a mission to revolutionize the health and learning environments of students nationwide. It's mind-boggling how much low-hanging fruit there is here. The difference that clean air makes to health and brain capacity is enormous, and it's a surprisingly cheap problem to fix. In fact, as you'll hear about halfway through our conversation, I was so convinced by John and the Corsi-Rosenthal team's solution that I committed to offering him a $100k Fellowship on the spot. But our discussion went far beyond air quality. John shared fascinating insights into the future of education—how we can reorganize it from the ground up to produce happy, healthy, and high-agency adults ready for the challenges of the 21st century. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that's interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: The Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation John's LinkedIn John's Twitter Show Notes: Nobody gets to choose the air they breathe… Why has air quality been overlooked? When Jim got stranded up a mountain How do you scale a K-12 solution? What would it cost to put a Cori-Rosenthal box in every New York classroom? Surprise! Welcome to the O'Shaughnessy Fellowships What would a model 21st-century K-12 system look like? How to overcome systemic inertia Do Charter schools work? Why public schools can't mimic private school innovations What exciting developments are happening in edtech? What does public school look like in 2044? John as World Emperor MORE! Books Mentioned: The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America; by George Packer

George Packer is known far and wide for his penetrating analysis of American history and American politics. Across his distinguished career, Packer has reported from war zones and countries in turmoil around the world. This week, Jeffrey Goldberg and Packer focus on turmoil at home to make sense of this year and America's future.

The Atlantic's George Packer joins us to discuss his recent piece titled The End of Democratic Delusions. Packer discusses the new era that Donald Trump has ushered in and what that means to politics moving forward. Trump won a close election, but it's a moment for the Democratic establishment to take a look at their shortcomings and redevelop their messaging and platform in the years ahead. Read George Packer's piece in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/01/trump-reelection-voter-demographic-change/680752/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic. Packer joins Preet to discuss his latest article, The End of Democratic Delusions, and what the 2024 election reveals about the future of American democracy and the Democratic party. Plus, could Donald Trump have members of the Jan 6 Committee arrested? And, what will Kash Patel's appointment as FBI Director mean for the role's 10-year term?  For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/the-pendulum-always-swings-back-with-george-packer/ Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fascists are gathering their strength and forces- both regular and irregular- to quickly accomplish their goals. What are Democrats doing to get ready?Plus- Thom reads from "Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal" by George Packer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s show: Politico’s Elena Schneider has been talking with Democratic women who worry that this election proved the country is “not ready for a woman president.” The Atlantic’s George Packer, our guest this week on Apple News In Conversation, explains why Americans bet on Trump again. Plus, Biden addresses the nation after his party suffered major losses. ABC News has more. Vox examines a striking pattern hidden in the election results. And the Chicago Sun-Times has the story about Prohibition finally ending in a small pocket of Lincoln Square. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.

Along with Donald Trump’s win this week, Republicans took control of the Senate and are favored to secure the House. To break down the forces behind this rightward shift, Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Atlantic staff writer George Packer. They discuss what the election results reveal about the country and the change many Americans want to see.

For a long time, Arizona was not always in the political spotlight — or if it was, it was for controversies like former Gov. Evan Mecham, who was impeached and removed from office, or SB 1070, the legislation that made being in the country illegally a state crime, and made it illegal to fail to carry immigration papers, among other things. How things have changed. Now Arizona's a swing state; presidential candidates visit as often as kids visit the desert bar at an all-you-can-eat buffet. But some of those rough edges Stewart called out remain; the state is also ground zero for election denialism and conspiracy theories. Someone has to shine that spotlight, and it's the journalists from around the country who flock to the state, providing coverage like never before. TV, newspapers, magazines — everyone's getting in on it. So why is the national media obsessed with Arizona? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we find out. We spoke with George Packer, a reporter for The Atlantic magazine who wrote an epic story about Arizona; Vaughn Hillyard, a reporter for NBC News who grew up in Arizona; and Jack Healy, a New York Times reporter based in the state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, a close look at the history of a Pennsylvania town and how that history contains within it the story of the 2024 election. In September, Donald Trump claimed that the city of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, was being overrun by immigrants who brought violence, gangs, and economic destruction. Last month, The Atlantic's George Packer went to Charleroi to report on what's actually going on there, and how the issues most important to Charleroi—nativism, immigration, change, working-class decline, and corporate greed—are also the deciding issues of the 2024 election. If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. Host: Derek Thompson Guest: George Packer Producer: Devon Baroldi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When will all the craziness be over?  It's the question that seems to be on every American's mind, and one that many have asked both Russell Moore and George Packer, author and staff writer at The Atlantic. Moore and Packer discuss the exhaustion and rage that have become common in our politics. They discuss partisanship, profitability, and pessimism. They talk about the historical events that have led to our current realities, the effects of secularization on culture, and what it might take for Packer to believe there is a God—and why Packer still, despite all of the chaos, can't forgo his hope for humanity. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: George Packer "What Will Become of American Civilization? Conspiracism and Hyper-Partisanship in the Nation's Fastest-Growing City” by George Packer at The Atlantic The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq by George Packer Blood of the Liberals by George Packer Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays by George Orwell, compiled and with an introduction by George Packer Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century by George Packer David French Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt Montaigne's Tower Click here for a trial subscription at Christianity Today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3: 5:00pm- During a Trump campaign event on Tuesday, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard—who served in the House of Representatives as a Democrat—announced that she was joining the Republican Party. She appeared on Fox News and explained: “Independent thinkers like me have no home in the Democrat Party of censorship and total conformity and war. Under President Trump's leadership, the Republican Party welcomes people like us." 5:15pm- While appearing on MSNBC, Ian Sams—Spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris—said that due to scheduling issues, Harris will not appear on Joe Rogan's podcast. Donald Trump will appear on the podcast today, with the episode ultimately being made public this weekend. 5:20pm- George Packer, writer for The Atlantic, attempted to explain why Black and Hispanic voters are backing Donald Trump: “The sharpest divide in our politics today is education. Whether you have a college degree or not. That is the likeliest determinant of if you are going to vote Republican or Democrat. That's why we're seeing larger numbers of Latinos and Black voters who are moving toward Trump." Packer makes it seem like college graduates are “enlightened”—but is it really closer to indoctrinated? The Harvard Crimson recently released data on faculty donations for the 2024 election cycle. 94% of all faculty donations went to Democrats. 5:30pm- Matt's favorite member of Congress, Hank Johnson, announces his endorsement of Kamala Harris—which is the perfect excuse to play some of his greatest hits: apologizing for offending “little people,” worrying about Guam becoming overpopulated and capsizing, and accusing the Tooth Fairy of being too woke and anti-Christian. 5:45pm- 4:00pm- Bombshell WSJ Poll: A newly released Wall Street Journal poll reveals that Donald Trump now leads Kamala Harris nationally‚ 49% to 46% in a head-to-head matchup. You can find the complete polling results here: https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/trump-leads-harris-wsj-poll-779f8516?mod=hp_lead_pos7 5:50pm- In a New York Times editorial, polling expert Nate Silver said his “gut says Trump” will win the 2024 presidential election. He also noted that pollsters may be “herding toward a false consensus” and that, according to his model, “there's about a 60 percent chance that one candidate will sweep at least six of seven battleground states.” You can read the full editorial here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/23/opinion/election-polls-results-trump-harris.html

Originally released June 28th, 2023Resources mentioned in this episode:"The Moral Case Against Equity Language" by George Packer

In a hotter world, places like Phoenix, Arizona, will continue to present the rest of the nation with captivating examples of the potential—or limits—of human ingenuity, collaboration and political will. The Atlantic, with its July/August 2024 cover story, goes so far as to suggest that Phoenix provides a particularly important view of the future of American civilization.  In more than 20,000 words—the second-longest story the magazine has printed in the last 40 years—ten chapters and an epilogue describe the recent growth and political stratification of one of the nation's more environmentally threated cities today. Its author, staff writer George Packer, seems equally inspired and alarmed throughout by the readiness of the metro's residents and leaders to face the challenges ahead.  Mr. Packer's analysis complements the work of Ten Across stakeholders positioning Phoenix and its neighboring I-10 cities at the center of such nationally important conversations. Because these southernmost major metros find themselves on the frontlines of intense changes in the U.S., their experiences of anticipating, mitigating and adapting to the future offer valuable insight at a uniquely polarizing time for the country at large.  Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks with author George Packer about his provocative profile of Phoenix and about key themes from his latest book, Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal.  Read George's article:  “The Valley: Searching for the future in the most American city” (The Atlantic, July/August 2024)  Check out our other podcasts on Phoenix growth and sustainability this year:  Understanding Arizona's Past Present, and Future with Tom Zoellner  Local Experts Answer: Why Are People Still Moving to Phoenix?

I've talked with journalist and best-selling author, GEORGE PACKER, about 2013's National Book Award-winning The UNWINDING and 2021's LAST BEST HOPE, in which he offers four narratives of America that motivate and divide us. Today our jumping off point will be his current cover story in The Atlantic on Phoenix, Arizona, WHAT WILL BECOME OF AMERICAN CIVILIZATION? Conspiracism and Hyper-partisanship in the Nation's Fastest-growing City. More tour guide than pundit, George chooses the characters and makes the introductions, but the voices in this piece are those of the people of Phoenix. 

Populism, offered as a solution to economic and cultural woes, has gained ground in Europe following a slew of recent elections. Across the pond, the Ohio senator and potential Trump running mate J.D. Vance is championing an American version of populist politics that is also gaining traction. On this week's episode, the hosts discuss Vance's embrace of the ideology and consider why many voters find it so appealing.Plus, Ross shares a literary deep cut that not even Carlos has heard of.(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)Recommended in this episode:“What J.D. Vance Believes” by Ross Douthat in The Times“Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans,” “Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico” and “Comanches: The History of a People” by T.R. Fehrenbach“What Will Become of American Civilization?” by George Packer in The AtlanticThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Phoenix is a microcosm of the big issues in the election and the country generally, including political extremism, climate change, and the border. But when it comes to the state's water crisis, Arizonians are showing signs of sanity—by accepting facts and downplaying partisanship. Could the city be a guide for America's future? George Packer joins Tim Miller. show notes: George's piece on Phoenix George's 2019 piece on his son's education

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.George Packer sees Phoenix as a bellwether for America's future  (First) | The science, the medicine and the politics surrounding of identity in children and teens (Starts at 35:40) | Who should cover broker fees for NYC rentals? (Starts at 59:40)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and has been writing about politics and culture for over two decades. His recent reporting focuses on what he calls the “most American city.” Packer joins Preet to discuss climate change, political division, and the durability of the American project.  Plus, how did the jury in Hunter Biden's federal trial reach the guilty verdict so quickly? And, will Steve Bannon ever complete his jail sentence? For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/george-packer-phoenix-climate-immigration-trump/  Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last month was the hottest May ever, marking the 12th consecutive month that records were broken. In a major new cover article for The Atlantic, journalist George Packer spent months reporting from Phoenix, Arizona exploring the quixotic growth fueling urban expansion, even as the water runs dry and the heat kills hundreds. Packer joins the program along with climate expert Leah Stokes.  Also on today's show: Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia, co-directors of "Federer: Twelve Final Days"; Leah Rigueur, Associate Professor of History, Johns Hopkins University  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Packer, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021), reports on Phoenix, Arizona as a test of America's ability to respond to the climate crisis, as well as the challenges to democracy.

What makes a particular city in Arizona a good indicator of the future of both American democracy, as well as the climate crisis?On Today's Show:George Packer, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021), reports on Phoenix as a test of the U.S.'s ability to respond to climate change, and other issues facing the nation?

Nicolle Wallace is joined by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Claire McCaskill, Stuart Stevens, Vaughn Hillyard, Kristy Greenberg, Ian Millhiser, Dahlia Lithwick, and George Packer.

George Packer joins Jamie to discuss how a new round of progressive culture in universities stems from the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests. The Agenda: —The competitive atmosphere of getting into elite pre-schools —Rejection of nuance and debate —How to teach history and civics —New progressivism and its roots —Progressive ideologies leading to cancel culture —Culture wars and anti-Zionism Show Notes: —Packer: When the Culture War Comes for the Kids' —Packer: “The Campus-Left Occupation That Broke Higher Education” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah begins by ruminating on the Supreme Court oral arguments for Donald Trump's immunity case and explains why he doesn't understand how people could be sympathetic towards the former president. He then turns to the Heritage Foundation's spat with Erick Erickson before getting to the Columbia protests and Elon Musk's surprisingly apt observation on the oppressor-oppressed paradigm. Show Notes: —Word of South festival —Advisory Opinions on the oral arguments —The Collision on the oral argument —Dispatch Podcast roundtable —Ukraine: The Latest with Jonah —Erick Erickson's article on free markets —George Packer's piece in The Atlantic —Elon Musk's tweet —Columbia student who said Zionists don't deserve to live Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going up a day earlier than usual this week, partly because our constantly irregular travel schedules complicated things again, but more importantly to be timely, as John, Steve, and Lucretia have LOTS of thoughts on the Supreme Court argument Thursday about whether ex-presidents should enjoy broad immunity for any or all acts they took while in office. Steve and Lucretia think the president does, while John thinks textual support for the proposition is lacking. Steve and Lucretia respond with an appeal to first principles, and enlist as an expert witness Harvey Mansfield, because of his unique book on the inherent ambivalence of executive power even in a constitutional republic, Taming the Prince. As usual, we fought to a draw.Our second subject is the ongoing Kristalnacht on campus. There's not much new to say except to calibrate how cowardly university administrators continue to be, and note that even some liberals, like George Packer in The Atlantic (who provides our article of the week, "The Campus-Left Occupation That Broke Higher Education") are starting to figure out what conservatives have known about higher education for two generations now. It's as if no one ever bothered to notice Closing of the American Mind.

As regular readers of this Substack will know, this spring Tara has been writing the Massey Essay on the state of the media — a partnership between Massey College at the University of Toronto and the Literary Review of Canada. You can read it here.The annual essay honours the legacy of the long-time CBC producer Vincent Massey Tovell. This year's essay explores the collapse of public trust in the media. To mark the occasion, we are  presenting a series of encore interviews with some of the journalists that helped shape Tara's thinking for this essay. Including today's conversation, which originally aired in November of 2023.George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and the author of ten books. You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com

How do we build communities of collaboration and care? Are our communities in the West in crisis? What are the “common objects of love” that we share, and how do we—average Christians who care—seek those out and build on them?We were delighted to talk with Jake Meador on some of these questions, which he touches on in his first book, In Search of the Common Good. Join us as we consider different angles on the practices we engage with that can change the imagination of our time.Jake Meador (jakemeador.com) is a writer, speaker, and editor from Lincoln, Nebraska. He writes about place, politics, culture, and the ways that Christian faith speaks to all of the various questions that those topics raise. He also wrote a thesis on Kwame Nkrumah, a mid-20th century Ghanaian politician. He's the author of two books, In Search of the Common Good: Christian Fidelity in a Fractured World and What Are Christians For?: Life Together at the End of the World. He serves as the editor-in-chief at Mere Orthodoxy (mereorthodoxy.com), a contributing editor with Plough magazine, and a board member with the Davenant Institute.Timestamps(02:23) A crisis of common life(10:21) Example: Declining birth rates as a social problem(19:07) Practical recs: asking for help, offering home(29:04) The historical church on property rights(34:16) Practices for communities: caught, not taught(38:22) Roots we don't choose(44:23) Identity is particular; Christianity is still bigger(47:31) Who's on the land, who's good for the land?(01:03:48) OK but we gotta talk about Kwame Nkrumah. Wild.Links and References in This EpisodeYa'll. Jake is a well-read man. We got a long list of books for your perusing pleasure (and easier searching).* Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput (2017)* The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, Rod Dreher (2017)* Resurrecting the Idea of Christian Society, R. R. Reno (2016)* The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America, George Packer (2014)* Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, Anthony Esolen (2017)* Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Robert Putnam (2000)* Nancy Pearcey (author)* Kirkpatrick Sale (author)* Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West, Andrew Wilson (2023)* Wendell Berry (author)—I don't even know what to tell you, he's written a lot.* Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution, Carl Trueman (2020)* Why Marx Was Right, Terry Eagleton (2018)* An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (2015)* Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, Robin Wall Kimmerer (2015* Pope Francis on a “throwaway” society (article link)* John Paul II on a “culture of death” (Evangelium Vitae (1995))* The Cold War and the Color Line: American Race Relations in the Global Arena, Thomas Borstelmann (2003)—And here are some additional resources or terms mentioned in this episode, not a resource, exactly, but it might make this conversation searchable/accessible to global listeners:L'Abri is a “Christian residential study center ministry”Several theologians, church fathers, and theorists talked about property rights: John Calvin, St. Basil of Caesarea in Cappadocia, John Locke, and Emil Brunner on “the inner infinity of God's law”.If you like this podcast, please consider…→ Sharing feedback or questions! www.podpage.com/communion-shalom/contact→ Supporting us on Patreon! patreon.com/communionandshalom→ Following us on Instagram! @communionandshalom—CreditsCreators and Hosts: David Frank, TJ EspinozaAudio Engineer: Carl Swenson (www.carlswensonmusic.com)Podcast Manager: Elena This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communionshalom.substack.com

In this episode of Just the Right Book with Roxanne Coady, George Packer joins Roxanne to discuss his new book, The Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal, out now from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Buy the book from RJ Julia: The Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal - George Packer Sign up for our podcast newsletter Just The Right Book Subscription Promo Code (15% off): Podcast Email us at: podcast@rjjulia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Democrats used to be the party of the working class, but they're increasingly losing that audience. George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the ways cultural issues have divided the Republican and Democratic parties, and why it will be hard for Democrats to win back a class of workers that might just determine the outcome of this year's elections. His essay is “What does the working class really want?”

This is a preview of our full episode that you can access over at http://Patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Become a member today and help us maintain our editorial independence as well as unlock a lot of special features like live shows and our private discord.  Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss the House vote to begin the Impeachment Inquiry and why the Republicans are doing it despite no evidence. They then delve into an article by George Packer about the shift of working class people to the Republican party. They finish on a report that reveals organized retail theft was really just a myth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is about the controversial life and legacy of Henry Kissinger, who died last week at the age of 100. First as Nixon's National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, and then as an author and diplomacy whisperer in almost every subsequent administration, Kissinger's life is overstuffed with achievements and disasters and breakthroughs and catastrophes—many of which continue to shape the world we live in. Today's guest is George Packer, an Atlantic staff writer and the author of several books, including ‘Our Man,' a biography of Richard Holbrooke: another towering American diplomat who was Kissinger's rival and partner in diplomacy. If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.  Host: Derek Thompson Guest: George Packer Producer: Devon Manze Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In times of crisis, artists often feel the need to take a stand, to engage in activism. But our guest on today's program says we should recognize that art and politics have very different agendas. “These are different realms,” he writes, “and the values of one can be inhospitable — even deadly — to the values of the other.”George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and the author of ten books. His latest essay is “Why Activism Leads To So Much Bad Writing.”You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com

Subscribe to The Realignment to access the full version of this episode and support the show: https://realignment.supercast.com/In the premiere episode The Realignment's new week recap and audience Q&A/AMA show, Marshall and Saagar's discuss Israel, Gaza, Hamas, and the broader state of the war.George Packer |https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/israeli-government-response-hamas-attack-gaza-9-11-lessons/675622/

Will Republicans succeed in their attacks on Jack Smith and Joe Biden? Also- Thom sets the record straight on the Presidential Records Act.Plus - Thom reads from the book "Our Man" by George Packer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

George Packer is an Atlantic staff writer who has been one of the incisive observers of American culture and politics for over two decades. He joins Preet to discuss the potential impact of a Trump indictment on the 2024 presidential election, whether we should be optimistic about America's future, and his recent Atlantic article criticizing “equity language.” Plus, why is it taking so long for the Manhattan DA to indict Donald Trump?  Don't miss the Insider bonus, where Preet and Packer talk about the rise of artificial intelligence, and what it could mean for the country's political and economic stability. To listen, try the membership for just $1 for one month: cafe.com/insider. For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/are-we-a-dying-empire-with-george-packer/ Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with the hashtag #AskPreet, email us your questions and comments at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"History will cast a shadow over Biden's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan," the Washington Post's David Ignatius warned in April of 2021. "Biden's Betrayal of Afghans Will Live in Infamy," George Packer cautioned in The Atlantic magazine in August of that year. "The Cost of Betrayal in Afghanistan," wrote The Atlantic Council's Ariel Cohen in Newsweek shortly thereafter. When news broke in April of 2021 that the Biden administration planned to withdraw all documented US troops from Afghanistan after a 20-year occupation, media outlets almost uniformly rushed to issue condemnations. How could the US, and the West more broadly, simply "abandon the Afghan people," especially women, we'd so bravely liberated? How could the US just up and leave, when it had invested and sacrificed so very much to counter the Taliban over the course of two decades?   This outrage stood, and still stands, in stark contrast to the media's default state of indifference to the suffering people of Afghanistan, and the US' extensive role in engineering that suffering. For many decades now, American, British, and other Western media have only really seemed to be concerned with the plight of Afghan people, namely women, when it serves to bolster the case for war, occupation, and the continuation of US regional hegemony. Meanwhile, during Afghanistan's now second winter of famine after having more than $7 billion dollars stolen from its economy by the United States and its allies, these very same pundits and outlets are uniformly silent on this unfolding human rights disaster, caused, again, in large part, by the United States itself.   On this episode, we examine the media's pattern of selective, chauvinistic outrage when addressing the welfare of Afghan people. We also study how media diminishes the enormous role the US has played in destabilizing the country of Afghanistan and endangering its people, how media portray US military solutions as the only means of support for Afghan people, and how media treat Afghans as little more than pawns in a game of US soft- and hard-power expansion and domestic media-focused moral preening.   Our guests are Hadiya Afzal and Julie Hollar.