Podcast Episodes

TBD | America’s $5 Trillion Grid Problem

To keep places like Phoenix habitable, we need to have air-conditioning. But to have air-conditioning, we need a functional, modern electrical grid. With America’s grid already aging—and more demand …

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

Judging the Supreme Court

The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering a code of ethics for the Supreme Court—but Chief Justice John Roberts doesn’t believe they have the right to impose one.

But with the Court’s legitimacy i…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

The Indefensible Defense Bill

Even with Congress famously gridlocked, it reliably passes the National Defense Authorization Act. But this year, hardline conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives added amendment aft…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

How Hollywood Shot Itself in the Foot

Actor Lea DeLaria knew Orange is the New Black was a hit. But Netflix made sure their paychecks didn’t reflect it. Fast forward ten years and this business model is the norm for nearly all working Am…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

Thousand-Year Floods, Annually

You can be forgiven for not thinking of Vermont as a place prone to catastrophic flooding. But as the climate changes, we have update our expectations—and our floodplain maps. 

Guest: Anna Weber, seni…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

TBD | America’s Killer Car Problem

Pedestrian deaths in America have been rising for the last decade, while dropping in Europe and Japan. What makes the U.S. so dangerous for pedestrians?

Guest: Jessie Singer, author of There Are No Ac…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

TBD | Will UPS Workers Join "Hot Strike Summer?"

Contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS broke down last week and now a strike looms. With time running out, can both sides reach a deal? 

Guest: Noam Scheiber, labor reporter for the New Y…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

QAnon Goes to the Movies

Beat it, Barbie; outta the way, Oppenheimer—this summer’s biggest box office surprise is “The Sound of Freedom,” a low-budget search-and-rescue thriller that Hollywood doesn’t want you to see—or so t…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

What Homelessness Is Really Like

Despite holding only twelve percent of Americans, the state of California is home to nearly one-third of the nation’s people experiencing homelessness. A landmark study from UCSF—the California State…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

Can’t Stand the Heat

The 4th of July was the hottest day yet—not just of the summer but of recorded human history. Between waves of Canadian wildfire smoke, malaria reappearing in the United States, and deaths from heat,…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago