Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow discuss the future of friendship in a world shaped by technology and the pandemic. They reflect on the significance of friendship, the role of phone calls and FaceTime, and the importance of investing time and effort in maintaining friendships. They also emphasize the value of building rituals and spending quality time together in fostering true intimacy. The podcast highlights their book and podcast, showcasing their impressive backgrounds in journalism, writing, and cultural commentary.

Late Night show host Seth Meyers discusses the future of entertainment and comedy, engagement with the audience during the pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on comedy writing, the changing landscape of comedy, the tension of edgy comedy, challenges of parenthood, and a preview of future episodes.

This podcast explores the surge in homeschooling in America, examining its origins, motivations, and evolving demographics. It discusses concerns about school safety, curriculum ideologies, and the impact of the pandemic on homeschooling. The racial diversity of homeschooling is also explored, along with tensions between individual and collective schooling. The podcast concludes with discussions on the future trajectory of homeschooling and an interview with Laura Meckler, a national education writer.

Chris Hayes and producer Doni Holloway answer audience questions and reflect on their national tour. They discuss the excitement and challenges of producing live events, observe people's behavior during the pandemic, and explore potential inflection points in the current political climate. They also discuss the media's coverage of the Trump trial and how reducing their shows has improved their work-life balance.

Marcelo Gleiser, professor of natural philosophy, discusses the unraveling story of the universe, measuring its age, merging relativity and quantum mechanics, the blurry line between physics and theology, limitations of language, and the concept of a mindful universe.

Special guest Rachel Maddow joins Chris Hayes for a fascinating conversation all about what we can do to save American democracy, the historical context of American democracy including slavery, the evolution of disinformation and the role of media, the dark influence of Henry Ford and his impact on anti-Semitism, exploring fascism and the paradox of popular support, the erosion of democracy and the confusing nature of authoritarianism, the visual grammar and rhetoric of authoritarian movements, and how the speakers find engaging topics for their show.

We just wrapped up our fall 2023 WITHpod national tour. We couldn’t think of a better way to conclude than with the one and only Rachel Maddow. If you’re a regular listener, you know that we release full episodes every Tuesday, but we’re doing something different this week. We are excited to share a preview of the conversation today. It was a fascinating convo all about what we can do to preserve American democracy, the rise of authoritarianism and the historical events that have led to this moment, as told in her incredible New York Times bestselling book, “Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism.” You can hear the full conversation in our feed this Friday, 11/24.

It’s been over a month since Hamas' rampage in Southern Israel killed over a thousand Israeli men, women and children, and over a month of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza that has claimed 10,000 lives, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. In this episode, we’re focusing on the precipitating factors that led to the conflict and issues that continue to impede a resolution. Sari Bashi, who lives in the West Bank and is married to a Palestinian, has a unique perspective as a Jewish woman with U.S.-Israeli citizenship, living in a household that transcends the conflict. Bashi is the program director at Human Rights Watch, an author and is the co-founder of Gisha Access, an Israeli NGO whose goal is to protect the freedom of movement of Palestinians, especially Gaza residents. She joins WITHpod to discuss what the year before the war looked like, violations of international laws, the devastating impact on civilians, calls for countries to suspend military aid and more. Note: An earlier version of this episode's audio misstated the scale of the civilian death toll in Gaza. This version has been edited to omit this.

“You basically have one vote in 2024. Do you support democracy or do you not support democracy? And no other issue in my mind matters,” says our guest this week. Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman, found himself a pariah of sorts after he voted to impeach Donald Trump, following the former president’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Kinzinger was one of two Republicans tapped to be on the January 6th committee after the 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He stepped away from politics this year and recently authored “Renegade: Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country,” a memoir all about his life and political career. Kinzinger joins WITHpod to discuss the transformation of the Republican Party, crossing political lines during the House Impeachment vote, why he feels Trump avoids in-person confrontation, preserving American democracy and more.

Journalist and political commentator Joy Reid joins Chris Hayes to discuss her fascinating trajectory, including her years in Florida and unique insight into the state's current culture wars. They also talk about her time working on political campaigns, the anti-CRT movement, and the peril of this political moment.