The Assignment with Audie Cornish

Teen activists Da'Taeveyon Daniels and Eliza Lane discuss fighting book bans in schools. They address the impact of bans on students' access to literature and challenge the idea of protecting innocence. They express frustrations with politics and emphasize the need for unity and bipartisan work. They also highlight the importance of youth advocacy and engaging with youth organizations. The podcast acknowledges the work of CNN correspondent Ellie Reeve and introduces a sponsor related to home security.

Ahead of President Biden's meeting with Chinese President Xi, Americans share their experiences of being targeted and harassed by the Chinese government's online disinformation campaign. The podcast discusses Chinese-born journalists, pro-democracy campaigners, and activists who have faced intimidation and interference by the Chinese government, even on US soil. It sheds light on China's efforts to undermine US influence through a state-sponsored disinformation campaign on social media and the challenges of quantifying its effectiveness.

The podcast discusses the challenges the US Army faces in recruitment, including cultural shifts around marijuana use and mental health. It explores disqualifying factors such as past mental health care and criminal history. The army is using social media, first-hand accounts, and other strategies to address recruitment challenges. Changes in societal norms and policies, including drug use and single parents enlisting, are also discussed. The army is working to adapt and make adjustments to attract more recruits.

David Axelrod, CNN Senior Political Commentator and longtime Obama advisor discusses the concerns around President Biden's re-election prospects. They cover the idea of Biden reconsidering his candidacy, the potential consequences of a primary challenge, and compare Trump and Biden's mental capacity and age. They also discuss the weight of words and targeting Biden.

Dive into the world of online detectives tracking down January 6th insurrectionists. How did a dedicated community of digital sleuths help the FBI bring thousands to justice? Audie sits down with Ryan Reilly, the author of "Sedition Hunters: How January 6th Broke the Justice System," for a journey through the realm of modern digital investigations.Call us with your Assignments: ‪(202) 854-8802‬. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lawyers who represented former President Donald Trump face a tough choice: cooperate with prosecutors or face the wrath of the MAGA movement. CNN’s senior reporter of crime and justice Katelyn Polantz is here to break down the different factions of Trump associates and their perilous paths ahead. What’s to become of "The Kraken," "The Pound Sand Club," and... Mark Meadows?Call and leave us your political Assignments: (202) 854-8802.Polantz: Mark Meadows walks tightrope, complying with Trump prosecutors while maintaining GOP influence    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Book sales — in general — are down, but one genre is bucking that trend: romance. Romance novel sales surged a whopping 52% in 2022. So what’s behind the popularity? How did romance become the reigning champion among fiction genres in America? To find out we talk with Leah Koch and Bea Hodges-Koch, owners of The Ripped Bodice, a single-genre bookstore focused on romance novels. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than a decade ago, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor pitched themselves as the future of the Republican Party. They even gave themselves a nickname: The Young Guns. Now those dreams are dashed, The Young Guns are scattered to the wind, and House Republicans are rudderless, unable to elect a Speaker ten months into their majority. How did we get here?S.E. Cupp, a conservative political commentator for CNN, breaks down what happened to the Young Guns – and why being called “the future of the party” is really a curse.Video: They were the future of the GOP. Then MAGA came.Call and leave us your Assignments: ‪(202) 854-8802‬.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thousands of people have already been killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict. And Israel has told residents of northern Gaza to evacuate roughly 20 miles to the south for their own safety. This week Audie talks with CNN’s Yahya Abou-Ghazala as he shares the stories of the people who have been told to flee, and what it’s been like trying to get stories out of Gaza right now. Read Yahya’s recent stories: They followed evacuation orders. An Israeli airstrike killed them the next day. In Gaza, Palestinians have no safe place from Israel’s bombs Listen to CNN’s daily podcast about the conflict, Tug of War “Israel at War”. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do Americans feel about Israel? Broadly, there is deep sympathy for Israel and its response to Hamas in Gaza. But polling shows that among America’s more diverse, younger generation, attitudes toward both Israel and Palestinians are more complicated. Harry Enten, Senior Data Reporter at CNN, is here to parse the numbers and tease out some conclusions. Oct. 15 CNN Poll: Americans are deeply sympathetic toward Israelis and see their military response to Hamas attacks as justified  Call and leave us an Assignment: ‪(202) 854-8802‬ To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices