The Nation Podcasts

Paris Marx is joined by AS Hamrah to discuss the proposed Netflix-Warner Bros Discovery merger and what it might mean for the state of decline already facing modern cinema.AS Hamrah is a film critic at n+1 and the author of Algorithm of the Night and Last Week in End Times Cinema.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The next two weeks Democrats in Congress will be working to use the budget to set limits on ICE-to require judicial warrants, masks off and body cameras on, and to set use of force standards. John Nichols, The Nation’s executive editor, will comment.Also: The Super Bowl is by far the biggest entertainment event of the year in the US, and this Sunday the halftime show will feature Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, who has been demanding “ICE Out!” How did the Super Bowl halftime show become the center of resistance to ICE? Dave Zirin, The Nation’s sports editor, will explain.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Danny and Derek are joined by sociologist Paul Starr to talk about the transformation of American politics from the postwar period to the present. They discuss the idea of a foundational American contradiction, how the civil rights movement helped break the midcentury political consensus, why economic inequality and labor decline reshaped party coalitions, immigration, the expansion of presidential power, the erosion of institutional legitimacy, and how these changes contributed to the rise of both Obama and Trump.Read Paul’s book American Contradiction: Revolution and Revenge from the 1950s to Now.Recorded in December 2025Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Derek speaks with Jack Mirkinson, senior editor at⁠ ⁠The Nation⁠⁠, about “A Day for Gaza,” a one-day project where the magazine is devoting its entire website to coverage of Gaza. They discuss the decision to turn over all coverage to this single issue, the decline in mainstream media attention since the October “ceasefire” announcement, and why events in Gaza remain central to media responsibility.You can find all the stories in "A Day For Gaza" here.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Donald Trump is sending over what he calls “a massive Armada” to Iran with thepromises to do a reprise of his quick attack on Venezuela that ended with thekidnapping of president Nicolás Maduro. Trump claims that “like withVenezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission.” But will awar with Iran really be so simple? To look at the prospects for war and thelarger politics driving the conflict, I spoke with Amir Handjani of The QuincyInstitute.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The hosts discuss Stephanie Wambugu’s justly-hyped novel Lonely Crowds before they’re joined by Noah Kulwin, an avowed Macdonaldhead who details the pleasures of private eye fiction through 1966’s Black Money. Noah Kulwin is a writer based in New York City. He is also the co-host of the podcast Blowback, a history program about American empire. He has written for a wide variety of publications, but more recently can be found in The Baffler, The Intercept, Screen Slate and Protean. Please consider supporting our work on Patreon, where you can access additional materials and send us your guest (and book!) coverage requests. Questions and kind comments can be directed to readingwriterspod at gmail dot com. Charlotte Shane’s most recent book is An Honest Woman. Her essay newsletter, Meant For You, can be subscribed to or read online for free. Her social media handle is @charoshane.  Jo Livingstone is a writer who teaches at Pratt Institute.To support the show, navigate to https://www.patreon.com/ReadingWritersAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

While Danny looks after his gold assets, Always at War’s Alex Jordan once again helps Derek bring you headlines from around the globe. This week: the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moves the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight (0:54); the Trump administration renews threats against Iran while demanding a new deal that would eliminate uranium enrichment, missile programs, and regional proxies (3:47); Syria’s government and the SDF agree to a ceasefire extension following more violence in the northeast (12:58); in Gaza, Israel recovers the remains of the final Israeli captive tied to Phase One of the ceasefire, partially reopens the Rafah crossing, and advances plans for large camps in Rafah (16:28); Myanmar’s military completes a staged election delivering the expected victory for the junta-backed party (27:24); China faces fresh turbulence in its military leadership as a senior PLA figure is investigated (30:07); Sudan sees reported new fighting in Blue Nile and claimed gains in Kordofan (34:28); the government of South Sudan launches a campaign against rebels (38:04); there are reports of clashes between government and Tigrayan forces in Ethiopia (40:53); talks involving the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine fail to produce progress (44:02); the EU and India announce a major free trade agreement (47:00); Trump threatens sweeping tariffs against Canada over trade and China policy, amid diplomatic friction and reports of contacts with Alberta separatists (49:32); the U.S. moves toward reopening its embassy in Venezuela as reporting points to CIA interest in establishing a permanent presence (54:07); and a new U.S. National Defense Strategy emphasizes dominance in the Western Hemisphere while maintaining preparations for potential conflict with China (58:20).Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Paris Marx is joined by Kat Tenbarge to discuss the explosion of abusive deepfakes on X, including how Elon Musk is profiting from the sexual exploitation of women and children while his followers use Grok to engage in gender-based violence.Kat Tenbarge is an independent journalist who writes Spitfire News.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We have the power to rein in ICE and protect our neighbors, Leah Greenberg argues – she’s co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, the group that organized No Kings 2 last October, the largest demonstration in American history. The key right now, she says, is for Senate Democrats to refuse to fund Homeland Security in this week’s budget vote, unless Republicans agree to put meaningful restrictions on that lawless agency.Also: The group Standing Together says it is still possible for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side with full equality and justice for everyone. The are the largest Jewish-Arab grassroots movement in Israel, working to create an alternative to the existing reality by building political power. Sally Abed explains -- she’s a Palestinian citizen of Israel, a leader of Standing Together, and she was elected to the Haifa city council in February 2024,Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Danny and Derek speak with historian Sean Delehanty about the invention of shareholder value and the transformation of the American corporation in the late twentieth century. They discuss postwar conglomerates and corporate social responsibility, the crisis of Fordism, the rise of financial economics, and the theory of the firm. They also look at hostile takeovers, leveraged buyouts, private equity, the collapse of the public corporation, and the bipartisan consolidation of shareholder primacy in the 1990s.Buy Sean’s book Company Men: The Invention of Shareholder Value and the Splintering of the American Economy.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy