New Rules for 2026

With the year coming to a close, Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey reflect on time, aging, and what it means to move forward — sparked by Steve realizing it’s been almost 50 years since he graduated high school. The duo takes on a 2025 news and pop-culture quiz (courtesy of Yahoo News, Producer Jaslyn and ChatGPT), then zooms out to discuss the biggest stories and themes of the year — from political violence and natural disasters to viral moments and cultural overload. Listeners weigh in on what defined 2025 for them. They swap favorites from TV and movies, compare them to what actually topped the charts, and then turn their attention to the future. Inspired by “New Rules” lists, Steve and Kristin (and the audience) lay out personal rules and predictions for 2026 — covering politics, AI, sports, and a few truly wild guesses.