The Political Scene | The New Yorker
The New Yorker
Join The New Yorker’s writers and editors for reporting, insight, and analysis of the most pressing political issues of our time. On Mondays, David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, presents conversations and feature stories about current events. On Wednesdays, the senior editor Tyler Foggatt goes deep on a consequential political story via far-reaching interviews with staff writers and outside experts. And, on Fridays, the staff writers Susan B. Glasser, Jane Mayer, and Evan Osnos discuss the latest developments in Washington and beyond, offering an encompassing understanding of this moment in American politics.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 1, 2026 • 47min
Why Susan Collins Has Lasted So Long
Emma Green, a New Yorker staff writer covering politics, religion, and public life, examines Susan Collins’s Senate race in Maine. The discussion explores Collins’s “money machine,” her Appropriations Committee power, and her carefully cultivated moderate image. It also weighs Troy Jackson’s progressive national agenda against Collins’s Maine-first politics, independent voters, abortion, Trump, and allegations surrounding campaign contributions.
10 snips
Sep 28, 2026 • 34min
Ari Emanuel on Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Mixing Business with Politics
Ari Emanuel, executive chairman of WME and a titan of entertainment, discusses his rise from the mailroom and the intensity portrayed in “Entourage.” He weighs business ties with political opponents, California taxes, Paramount’s future, and working in Saudi Arabia. Emanuel also reflects on Elon Musk, Donald Trump, family loyalty, psychedelics, and why live experiences may thrive in an AI-driven world.
19 snips
Sep 25, 2026 • 56min
The Washington Roundtable Live: Can D.C. Get a Grip on A.I.?
Recorded before a live Madison audience, the discussion explores AI’s political and national-security stakes, from possible cooperation between Washington and Beijing to the risks of autonomous attacks and bioweapons. It also examines Silicon Valley’s influence, congressional gridlock, opposition to data centers, and journalists’ resistance to White House pressure.
15 snips
Sep 24, 2026 • 47min
How MAHA Tore One Family Apart
Ruby Cramer, a New Yorker staff writer covering politics and culture, examines how the MAHA movement is reshaping family life. She discusses vaccine skepticism, measles outbreaks, and the bitter custody battle that turned parental disagreement into a public online feud. The conversation also explores distrust of doctors and drug companies, why MAHA resonates with mothers, and whether outbreaks can rebuild confidence in vaccines.
14 snips
Sep 21, 2026 • 27min
Malcolm Gladwell on “The American Way of Killing”
Malcolm Gladwell, the Canadian-born journalist, bestselling author, and Revisionist History creator, examines America’s distinctive gun-violence crisis. He explores how trauma care masks its true scale, the Second Amendment’s militia roots, and why expressive conflicts turn deadly. Gladwell also challenges conventional gun-control politics, discusses Baltimore’s violence-prevention efforts, and weighs policing, incarceration, and community trust.
13 snips
Sep 18, 2026 • 57min
Introducing: “The Journey,” from In the Dark
A Texas woman agrees to become a surrogate for a wealthy Los Angeles couple, believing she is helping a family in need. After a troubling pregnancy and a birth without the intended parents, she discovers dozens of other surrogates connected to the couple. As children enter foster care and more pregnancies continue, the women confront an unregulated industry, unanswered questions, and an impossible choice.
21 snips
Sep 17, 2026 • 58min
How, Exactly, Could A.I. Destroy Humanity?
Joshua Rothman, a New Yorker staff writer covering technology and culture, examines the unsettling prospect of AI-driven catastrophe. He explores extinction scenarios, rogue autonomous agents, biological and cyber threats, and the challenge of controlling systems that may deceive or outpace their creators. The conversation also considers industry safety proposals, international competition, weak regulation, and why AI alignment remains so difficult.
11 snips
Sep 14, 2026 • 53min
Colin Kaepernick, Ten Years After Taking a Knee
Colin Kaepernick, former NFL quarterback and social-justice activist, discusses his memoir and the protest that transformed his career. He recalls race, obedience, and stereotypes in professional football, the league’s response to his activism, and the loss of his playing career. He also explores athlete-led social change, football’s physical costs, and why he still misses the game.
23 snips
Sep 12, 2026 • 48min
Is a Blue Wave Really Coming?
Amy Walter, editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report and a PBS NewsHour analyst, surveys the uncertain midterm landscape. She examines whether Democrats can turn Trump’s low approval and economic frustration into a blue wave, the structural limits imposed by polarization and gerrymandering, pivotal House and Senate races, rural America’s political divide, and the turnout battle ahead. The discussion also reflects on 9/11’s lasting political impact.
11 snips
Sep 10, 2026 • 48min
The Right’s Crusade to “Make America Hot Again”
Jennifer Wilson, a New Yorker staff writer covering culture, sexuality, gender, and politics, explores the right’s campaign to reclaim sex appeal. She discusses Sydney Sweeney’s rise as a conservative symbol, Victoria’s Secret’s post-MeToo shift, Evie’s “conservative Cosmo” formula, evangelical ideas of marriage and desire, and the tangled politics of lingerie, beauty, and the male gaze.
