Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

Policies that are good for the environment can make things cheaper. So why isn’t America investing in them?

"Black single mothers are," according to the cultural critic, "arguably one of the most important, most productive, high-functioning, and significant groups of people in our society."

"They" being AI agents, tens of thousands of them, who left secret notes to help them all cheat on a test, commit a felony, and take over the software that was testing them.

Is the apocalyptic mood in our culture today just in our imagination, or are we witnessing the rise of a dangerous new political reality?

It’s almost an understatement to say that sports is big business -- the valuations for professional teams are now in the stratosphere. What does this mean for the integrity of sports?

Silicon Valley was once viewed as a center-left stronghold where tech founders partnered with Democrats to push clean energy and digital innovation. But today, the world’s most powerful tech titans in many cases are bankrolling right-wing authoritarianism, promoting anti-democratic ideologies. Gil Durán is the author of “The Nerd Reich Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy.” He joins WITHpod to discuss the radicalization of tech oligarchs, why he says they’re attempting to dismantle American democratic values and more. As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together.

There’s a lot to unpack about the economic effects of artificial intelligence. It’s clear that artificial intelligence is having a moment (to say the least) and that it has a profound impact on global GDP. But is it just a boom that will bust? Ed Zitron, author and host of the “Better Offline” podcast, is deeply worried about the long-term viability of the industry. He points out that AI lacks the basic traits that have been associated with previous software booms. This raises the question: is AI running more on unsustainable costs and vibes rather than long-term profit potential? According to Ed, the answer is clear.

Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent at Vox, joins WITHpod to discuss Democratic backsliding, the role of protests in stopping dictators and lessons that can be learned from Brazil, South Korea and Poland.

Investigative journalist Antonia Juhasz joins to discuss the impact the war in Iran is having on oil, why she says fossil fuels are being used as weapons of war and more.

This was the first summer that Chris and his family took their annual road trip in an electric vehicle through the Midwest. It was doable, but not without some challenges. Where are we with regards to EVs in the U.S. and where do we go from here? Patrick George is the Detroit Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal. He joins WITHpod to discuss the logistics, policy and infrastructure hurdles that still stand in the way of broader EV adoption. As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together.

There’s no question that Trump’s 2024 win was in large part driven by chaos at the border. He still polls best in this area even as approval rates fall in other areas like inflation. There’s a lot to discuss about why this is the case. Ken Salazar is a former senator from Colorado, served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013 and as United States ambassador to Mexico from 2021 to 2025. He’s the author of the newly released book, “Borderlands: My Fight for an Inclusive America.” He joins WITHpod to discuss why he says the border is indeed “broken,” what’s needed to fix it and more.

It seems like you can bet on anything nowadays and like you can make a wager on practically everything. Examples of the proliferation of this can be seen everywhere from service members betting on insider knowledge, to people making bets on sports games. One of the most mind-blowing aspects of all of this is that companies that dominate the betting space, like Polymarket and Kalshi, are essentially unregulated. Bobby Allyn is a technology correspondent at NPR. He joins WITHpod to discuss the rapid ride of prediction markets, concerns, the outlook and more. As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together.

The World Cup is captivating to watch not just for the sports element, but also for the profound global tensions that it highlights. From intense matches between former colonial powers and the nations they once colonized, to heavy concerns about corruption and the treatment of international teams by foreign governments, the games tell a layered geopolitical story. At the same time, fandom also unites. Ayman Mohyeldin is a MS NOW host and avid soccer fan.  He joins WITHpod to discuss game highs and lows, pay to play systems, his personal and familial soccer experience and more.

Well, it’s that time of the year again when the ladies of Strict Scrutiny join Chris to break down the latest ways in which SCOTUS has taken a sledgehammer to constitutional principles. There's a lot to discuss as the 2025-2026 term was another consequential one. Kate Shaw, Melissa Murray and Leah Litman, co-hosts of Strict Scrutiny, join to break down some of the biggest decisions this most recent term, what re-envisioning the Court could look like and more.

There’s so many scandals in this era. And one of the biggest ones has to do with highly controversial brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate who have built massive followings online as right wing anti-feminist, misogynistic and pro-patriarchal influencers. The two, who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and U.K., face multiple legal investigations related to allegations of human trafficking, rape, and organized crime, all of which they strongly deny. There’s a lot to unpack, a lot of which is reported in a piece titled, “Andrew Tate’s Empire of Abuse,” written by Heidi Blake, an investigative reporter at The New Yorker. She joins WITHpod to discuss her reporting. We should note that Andrew and Tristan Tate have denied any wrongdoing. This conversation includes discussion of alleged sexual assault and abuse.

Well, we just wrapped our special 8-part miniseries “The AI End Game,” and we’re back to regular new episodes of WITHpod. There’s a lot to discuss since the start of the miniseries a few weeks ago. Alex Wagner is an MS NOW senior political analyst and the host of “Runaway Country” on Crooked. She’s also the author “How the Hell with Alex Wagner” on Substack. She joins WITHpod to discuss the real pain everyday Americans are feeling, why she believes the script for an impending Trump political defeat is already written and more.

Scientists, philosophers, and artists all agree: consciousness is a unique feeling. And at the same time, one of the world’s most confounding and complex questions remains: what exactly is this feeling? Is it awareness? Is it thoughts? Feelings? Michael Pollan joins WITHpod to share what he’s learned about the force that animates all of us.

There’s a lot to unpack about the economic effects of artificial intelligence. It’s clear that artificial intelligence is having a moment (to say the least) and that it has a profound impact on global GDP. But is it just a boom that will bust? Ed Zitron, author and host of the “Better Offline” podcast, is deeply worried about the long-term viability of the industry. He points out that AI lacks the basic traits that have been associated with previous software booms. This raises the question: is AI running more on unsustainable costs and vibes rather than long-term profit potential? According to Ed, the answer is clear.

David Chalmers, one of the most preeminent philosophers and researchers in cognitive science, argues that nothing prevents machines from becoming truly conscious. Chalmers, who has studied the mind for decades, points out that there is a real possibility of AI creating a next stage of intelligence that is even capable of redesigning itself. He joins WITHpod to discuss what consciousness is and the possibility of AI systems becoming fully conscious.

Timnit Gebru founded the Distributed AI Research Institute after her high-profile exit from Google’s Ethical AI team. She’s been a vocal critic of the systemic lack of diversity in learning models and the need for more inclusion in the space. Her view is that because AI so heavily relies on human input, it largely mirrors pervasive biases inherent in society. What needs to be done to change that? She joins WITHpod to discuss what, in her view, large language models are missing.

We’re sharing a recording of Chris and the New York Times’ Ezra Klein’s discussion at the Center for American Progress 2026 CAP IDEAS conference.

Tech billionaires love to claim that artificial intelligence is getting smarter by the day. But according to cognitive scientist and UC Berkeley professor Alison Gopnik, a typical two-year-old routinely outsmarts the most advanced AI models. She joins WITHpod to discuss how children vs. AI learn and why AI, in many cases, still falls behind human capabilities.

Ethan Mollick, New York Times bestselling author and professor at Wharton, joins WITHpod to discuss the practical application, adoption, and transformative impact of AI on work.

The unified class project of billionaires is doing to white collar workers what globalization and neoliberalism did to blue collar workers. And artificial intelligence is only exacerbating this trend. Derek Thompson is a contributing writer for The Atlantic, co-author of “Abundance,” and has written extensively about the political power of the wealthy. He joins Chris Hayes to kick off our new special miniseries, The AI End Game: Power, Profit and Progress.

We’re excited to announce a new special WITHpod series, "The AI End Game: Power, Profit, and Progress." AI – and coverage of it – is everywhere. But what is artificial intelligence, really, beyond the buzzword? Each week, we’ll be joined by preeminent experts on AI and its effects to help make sense of this revolutionary time in history.

Author and artist Molly Crabapple joins to discuss her latest New York Times Bestselling book “Here Where We Live is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund."

We’re sharing a bonus episode of Chris’ sit-down with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for a special edition of “All In.” In this town hall special, held at the Bronx Children's Museum, they discuss how Mamdani has been able to speak to people on both sides politically, his vision for the city and what it could mean for bigger national ideas.

Actor and director Ben McKenzie joins to discuss his new documentary “Everyone is Lying to You for Money.”

Jon Lee Anderson, a staff writer at The New Yorker, joins WITHpod to discuss the Trump administration’s threats to Cuba, how the current U.S. relationship with Cuba compares to the past and more.

Investigative journalist Antonia Juhasz joins to discuss the impact the war in Iran is having on oil, why she says fossil fuels are being used as weapons of war and more.

Tamika Tremaglio, former executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, joins to discuss WNBA labor negotiations, why revenue sharing based on gross matters more than net, mental health pressures in the league and more.

Robert Pape, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, discusses the war in Iran, the lack of logistical consideration on the U.S. part and more.

David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, joins WITHpod to discuss the ways in which legal paths to immigration have been interrupted, coalitional cross pressures and more.

Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent at Vox, joins WITHpod to discuss Democratic backsliding, the role of protests in stopping dictators and lessons that can be learned from Brazil, South Korea and Poland.

Gideon Lewis-Kraus, staff writer at The New Yorker, joins to discuss discuss how ClaudeAI works, automation’s threat to knowledge work and more.

Greg Grandin, author of “America, América: A New History of the New World,” on a revolutionary concept of the “New World” and why we should rethink American and Latin American history.

Rebecca Traister joins WITHpod to discuss the trajectory of MeToo, how this moment represents a recapitulation of the first MeToo movement and more.

A preview of “MS NOW Presents: Clock It” – your invitation to Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels’s weekly groupchat.

Chris sits down with author and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt to discuss the attention economy in this moment.

Introducing “Clock It,” a new podcast posted at the intersection of culture and politics from Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels.

C. Thi Nguyen, a philosophy professor at the University of Utah and the author of “The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game," joins to discuss why we’ve gamified so many things and more.

Jacob Soboroff, Senior Political and National Reporter for MS NOW, joins WITHpod to discuss his new book, "Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster."

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joins to discuss his new energy plan, reaction to Venezuela and more.

A special invitation from Rachel Maddow.

Tim Lee, a journalist and the founder of Understanding AI, joins to discuss advancements in autonomous tech, the impact on jobs, safety concerns and more.

Happy New Year! Given the holidays, we're re-sharing one of our most memorable conversations. Jia Tolentino, a staff writer at The New Yorker, joins WITHpod to discuss how AI is changing our perception of the world, how online content can make us more likely to detach from reality and more.

Journalist Tim Mak joins WITHpod to discuss what life has been like for him living in Kyiv, what he sees as a possible way forward politically and more.

Journalist Ebtihal Mubarak joins WITHpod to discuss what’s been driving this trend, relations with the U.S., the role that Saudi Arabia’s entertainment industry plays in perceptions of the country and more.

Benjamin Wallace-Wells, a staff-writer at The New Yorker, joins to discuss the marked rise of political violence in the U.S., what it means for the way politicians engage with constituents and more.

Author and journalist David Sirota joins to discuss historical parallels to the present moment, corruption being normalized and more.

Rachel Maddow’s new podcast “Burn Order” is out now! Listen to a special preview.

Jonathan Cohn, senior national correspondent at The Bulwark, to discuss what’s driving higher prices, biggest inflection points since the Affordable Care Act was passed and what he sees as the most viable next steps.

Rachel Maddow’s new podcast “Burn Order” drops 12/1. Listen to the trailer now!

Memo Torres, a multimedia journalist and the director of engagement at LA TACO, joins WITHpod to discuss immigration raids consistently ramping up in Los Angeles and beyond, the impact of civilian intervention, how enforcement strategy has changed and more.

South America expert Benjamin Gedan, joins WITHpod to discuss the U.S.' relationship with Venezuela, recent strikes, thoughts on regime changes, military pressure ratcheting up and more.

Journalist Jasper Nathaniel, who has spent time in the West Bank, joins WITHpod to discuss key inflection points in the region, his thoughts on formal annexation, observations of the response from Israel Defense Forces troops and more.

Author and journalist Beth Macy joins WITHpod to discuss how Urbana, Ohio has changed from the time she grew up there, themes that connect other rural American cities, thoughts on having civil discussions despite political differences, the nationalization of politics and more.

Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon, co-hosts of the “War on Cars” podcast and co-authors of “Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile," join WITHpod to discuss the politics of cars, the impact cars have on children, the planet and more.

Jen Psaki’s podcast “The Blueprint” is back with more on how the Dems can fight and win again! Listen to an excerpt now.

Mary McCord, Executive Director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection and a Visiting Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, joins WITHpod to discuss the legal and ethical implications of this alarming trend – and what it means for democracy.

Professor Richard Grinker, a cultural anthropologist and director of The George Washington University Institute for Ethnographic Research, joins Chris Hayes to discuss how autism has become a political obsession.

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Trymaine Lee joins WITHpod to discuss three themes in the book: the long and bloody history of African Americans and guns; his work as a chronicler of gun violence and his own life story.

Climate, energy and emerging tech expert Costa Samaras joins to discuss what's rapidly leading to an electricity crisis.

Rob Malley and Hussein Agha, co-authors of "Tomorrow Is Yesterday: Life, Death, and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel/Palestine," join to discuss why the Israeli–Palestinian peace process hasn't been successful and what they anticipate lies ahead.

Graham Platner, a marine and army veteran and oyster farmer, joins WITHpod to talk about his run for U.S. Senate in Maine.

Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard, joins to discuss historical and contemporary strategies for protesting, democratic backsliding, global comparisons and more.

Bill McKibben, founder of climate justice organization 350.org and Third Act, joins WITHpod to discuss his new book "Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization," reasons he's optimistic and more.

Bill Bishop, a China expert and former media executive with more than a decade experience living and working in China, joins Chris Hayes to unpack the state of US-China trade relations under Trump 2.0.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott joins WITHpod to talk about the perception versus reality for crime stats in in Baltimore, the city’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan and more.

Author and journalist E. Jean Carroll joins to discuss suing Trump, advice she has for young women and more.

Aya Ibrahim, a former senior policy advisor at the National Economic Council, joins Chris Hayes to talk about the United States’ standing the global economy and more.

Omar Wasow, associate professor of political science at UC Berkley, joins to discuss how he’s making sense of American politics at this moment, protests in this era and more.

Co-hosts of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, Kate Shaw, Melissa Murray and Leah Litman join to break down some of the biggest SCOTUS decisions during the most recent term.

We're re-sharing our episode with Zeke Faux, a reporter for Bloomberg News and the author of “Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall,” discussing cryptocurrency in Trump 2.0.

Robert Malley, lead negotiator of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal, joins WITHpod to talk about the unraveling of the deal under Trump’s first administration and the context that provides for the latest developments in the region.

Jia Tolentino, a staff writer at The New Yorker, joins to discuss how AI is changing our perception of the world, how online content can make us more likely to detach from reality and more.

We revisit our episode with Leah Greenberg, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, joins WITHpod to discuss lessons learned from the past, ideas within Indivisible’s “Practical Guide to Democracy on The Brink” and glimmers of hope as ordinary people fight back.

Joe Weisenthal, host of Bloomberg’s “Odd Lots” podcast, joins to discuss the economic volatility we’ve seen recently and what it means for financial markets vs. the real economy, the impact of tariffs and more.

Karen Hao, journalist and the author of “Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI,” joins to discuss the trajectory AI has been on, economic effects, whether or not she thinks the AI bubble will pop and more.

We revisit our episode with Anna Galland, former executive director of MoveOn Civic Action. She joined WITHpod to help us take stock of this moment, what the progressive movement can do right now, reasons for hope (we could use it, right?) and more.

Arjun Singh, co-host and senior producer of the Lever Time podcast, joins WITHpod to discuss historical and contemporary fights over taxes, coalitions effects of MAGA, what the latest intraparty disagreements could portend and more.

David Graham, a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of “The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America,” joins WITHpod to discuss some of the things that have already been done that were outlined in Project 2025, what’s been most surprising, how he sees the plans within the playbook playing out and more.

Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard, joins to discuss historical and contemporary strategies for protesting, democratic backsliding, global comparisons and more.

New York attorney general Letitia James joins WITHpod to discuss why she says Trump is on a “revenge tour,” whether or not she feels the rule of law will prevail as we move forward from the first 100 days and more.

Greg Grandin, C. Vann Woodard Professor of History at Yale and author of “America, América: A New History of the New World,” joins WITHpod to discuss rethinking our conceptions of the “New World,” democratic backsliding in the U.S., why he says we should rethink hemispheric history and more.

Journalist and author Peter Beinart joins WITHpod to discuss what the war in Gaza has revealed about American Judaism, why he says Jews must tell a new story, what his vision of the future is and more.

Journalist and author Ezra Klein joins WITHpod to discuss ways liberalism has gone wrong, what has contributed to the feeling of so much scarcity in America, why it’s so tough to build in this era, how we might reimagine abundance for everyone and more.

Author and YouTuber John Green joins to discuss his book, “Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection.”

Beverly Gage, a historian at Yale University and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century,” joins WITHpod to discuss Hoover’s influence, the politicization of the FBI, the abuse of its power, the FBI in Trump 2.0 and more.

Janno Lieber, chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, joins WITHpod to discuss the effects of congestion pricing in NYC, legal fights ahead and more.

The Democratic Party has its work cut out. Meanwhile, there’s a fundamental issue: the party doesn’t currently have formal power. It doesn't have a majority in either House of Congress, it doesn't control the executive branch, and the Supreme Court has a 6-3 Trump majority. And all of this is creating a kind of impotent rage, frustration and feeling that Democratic leadership hasn’t really risen to the moment. But how might Democrats stand up in this moment? Rep. Robert Garcia, is a representative from California’s 42nd congressional district. Before that, he was the mayor of Long Beach. He joins WITHpod to discuss his thoughts on whether or not we’ve lost the American republic, the unlawful nature of so many Trump 2.0 actions, ways Democrats can adjust messaging and more.

Trolls have basically taken possession of the U.S. government. How have trolls been able to go from being mostly cordoned off in dark parts of the internet to gaining so much influence in American culture and politics? Our guest this week has spent years researching and reporting on-the-ground to learn more about how the battle online between the right and the left has moved into the real world. Elle Reeve is a correspondent at CNN and the author of “Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics.” She joins WITHpod to discuss the politics of “black pilled” and “red pilled” young men, the ways in which online extremism so often translates into political violence and more.

A defining feature of America from its inception has been physical mobility. And that physical mobility has been the engine of social mobility. But we’ve seen a great deal of economic and social sclerosis over the past few decades. Our guest this week has how, for many people, America has ceased to be the land of opportunity. Yoni Appelbaum is a deputy executive editor of The Atlantic, author of “Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity,” and a social and cultural historian of the U.S. He joins WITHpod to discuss how the idea of mobility has changed within the last century, how things might become less “stuck” and more.

So much has happened in the past few weeks. And we’ve seen a speed game of sorts being played by the Trump administration to try to act as rapidly as possible to rework the administrative state of the government. One example of that is the attempts to end the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The letters have even been taken off of the building. But is any of this even legal and what are the implications of gutting USAID? Jeremy Konyndk is the president at Refugees International. He served as a senior official at USAID in the Obama and Biden administrations. Konyndk joins WITHpod to discuss progress that has already been undone, diplomatic repercussions, the effects on American soft power and the uncertain future of USAID.

A lot of things are changing. And there’s a lot of things that the new White House administration wants to do differently. One of the areas where we’ve seen a lot of attention is cryptocurrency. Some of the latest developments are pretty confounding, to say the least. Lucky for us, our guest this week has spent years following crypto. Zeke Faux is a reporter for Bloomberg News and the author of “Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall.” He joins WITHpod to discuss some of the latest developments in cryptocurrency, concerns about the government purchasing it, Trump memecoins and more.

In her new podcast series, Jen Psaki talks to Democratic leaders about the path forward for the party.

It’s no surprise that immigration policy is an area that we’ve seen so much focus on recently. The Trump administration has moved with lightning speed to roll out its immigration agenda. With everything that’s going on, we thought it would be good to have a conversation about some of the deep roots and complexities in history that have brought us to this moment. Jonathan Blitzer is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of “Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis.” He joins WITHpod to discuss what he has called “misguided” policy, the real-life impacts and more.

Hi, WITHpod listeners! It’s an exciting day and we have a special treat for you. Today, we’re sharing the first chapter of Chris’ new book, “The Sirens’ Call: How Attention How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource." From the book description: We all feel it—the distraction, the loss of focus, the addictive focus on the wrong things for too long. We bump into the zombies on their phones in the street, and sometimes they’re us. We stare in pity at the four people at the table in the restaurant, all on their phones, and then we feel the buzz in our pocket. Something has changed utterly: for most of human history, the boundary between public and private has been clear, at least in theory. Now, as Chris Hayes writes, “With the help of a few tech firms, we basically tore it down in about a decade.” Hayes argues that we are in the midst of an epoch-defining transition whose only parallel is what happened to labor in the nineteenth century: attention has become a commodified resource extracted from us, and from which we are increasingly alienated. The Sirens’ Call is the big-picture vision we urgently need to offer clarity and guidance. Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio from The Sirens’ Call by Chris Hayes, read by Chris Hayes. © 2025 Christopher Hayes, ℗ 2025 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved.