Best Alex Townsend and David Townsend Podcasts (2025)

1
The Narrative vs. Real Effects of This Economy with Joe Weisenthal 56:17

6d ago56:17

56:17

It can be hard to follow and make sense of all of the volatility we’ve been seeing in the markets and economy recently. Lucky for us, Joe Weisenthal, co-host of Bloomberg’s “Odd Lots” podcast is joining this week to help break down what’s been going on. He joins WITHpod to discuss recent economic volatility and what it means for financial markets v…

1
“Empire of AI” with Karen Hao 50:27

13d ago50:27

50:27

There’s a good chance that before November of 2022, you hadn’t heard of tech nonprofit OpenAI or cofounder Sam Altman. But over the last few years, they’ve become household names with the explosive growth of the generative AI tool called ChatGPT. What’s been going on behind the scenes at one of the most influential companies in history and what eff…

1
Where Do We Go From Here? with Anna Galland (2024) 59:14

20d ago59:14

59:14

Note: this episode originally published on 11/12/24. From original description: Whew, the past few days have been a lot. Like you probably, Chris hasn’t slept much this past week. There’s a lot to process given that Donald Trump is now president-elect… again. Our guest this week, who has worked as an organizer throughout numerous political ups and …

1
What’s Behind the Tax Revolt? with Arjun Singh 57:27

27d ago57:27

57:27

Tax policy has been a core part of the Republican party. A central feature within the GOP, particularly since Reagan, has been cutting taxes for corporations and some of the wealthiest Americans. President Trump, breaking away from traditional party orthodoxy, recently raised the idea of increasing taxes on some of the country’s richest. Our guest …

1
How Project 2025 is Reshaping America with David Graham 53:55

1M ago53:55

53:55

We got a pretty clear heads up about what Trump 2.0 could portend for so many facets of American life. The Mandate for Leadership, also known as Project 2025, is perhaps the clearest compilation of goals for Trump’s second term. Now that 100 days have passed of the second Trump administration, we thought it would be a good time to see where things …

1
Protests, Political Violence and Its Alternatives with Erica Chenoweth 57:59

1M ago57:59

57:59

You’ve probably seen footage or photos of people protesting the Trump regime. Some data suggests that the volume of protestors is higher than in Trump’s first term. But at the same time, you might be wondering if we’re seeing enough civil resistance to preserve American democracy. Our guest this week is one of the authors of a study that found that…

1
“Trump Is Not a King” with NY Attorney General Letitia James 54:39

2M ago54:39

54:39

A good amount of institutions have capitulated and complied in recent months with many of the Trump administration’s actions that far overstep executive authority. At the same time, we’ve seen a few places where there has been opposition and resistance to tactics employed by the Trump 2.0 regime. Some of the most pushback has come from democratical…

1
‘America, América' with Greg Grandin 57:57

2M ago57:57

57:57

The United States is pretty intertwined with Latin America. So why has it historically been seen as more of a European outpost as opposed to a nation in the Western hemisphere that is part of the broader Americas? Our guest this week points out that there are other ways to understand the history and identity of the U.S., aside from the narrative th…

1
‘Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza’ with Peter Beinart 55:05

2M ago55:05

55:05

We’re now a year and a half into the war in Gaza. Our guest this week has spent a lot of time thinking and writing about all that has unfolded. Peter Beinart is the author of numerous books including his latest, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning” and writes “The Beinart Notebook” on Substack. He’s also an MSNBC analyst and th…

1
How Process is Killing Progress with Ezra Klein 1:11:08

2M ago1:11:08

1:11:08

Why has America's 20th century vision of innovation and opportunity transformed into a stagnant and stunted dystopian reality? Our guest this week claims that “the crisis that’s clicking into focus now has been building for decades” and it’s all because we haven’t been following building enough. Ezra Klein is host of The Ezra Klein Show podcast, a …

1
Why ‘Everything is Tuberculosis’ with John Green 55:06

3M ago55:06

55:06

Tuberculosis is the deadliest infectious disease in the world. Why does something that’s curable still kill millions every year? And what does this illustrate about global health disparities? John Green is the author of “Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection.” Green is also the co-creator of Vlog brother…

1
Weaponization of the FBI from Hoover to Trump 2.0 with Beverly Gage 50:50

3M ago50:50

50:50

J. Edgar Hoover is one of the most polarizing figures in U.S. history. And the seeds he planted as the decades long founding director of the FBI continue to shape much of today’s conservative political landscape. Kash Patel, who now leads the FBI, has openly vowed to find ways to punish Trump’s political enemies. While that’s appalling, it’s not th…

1
What’s the Deal with Congestion Pricing? with Janno Lieber 55:33

3M ago55:33

55:33

Public streets play a big role in our day-to-day lives. And if you’ve visited any large metropolitan city, you’ve seen just how much traffic can fill up roadways. New York City became the first city in America to implement congestion pricing, a program aimed at generating revenue and making streets less crowded. But the initiative hasn’t been immu…

1
Resisting Threats to Democracy with Rep. Robert Garcia 57:52

3M ago57:52

57:52

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 feelin…

1
The Darkest Corners of the Internet with Elle Reeve 54:21

3M ago54:21

54:21

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 r…

1
The Stalled Engine of American Opportunity with Yoni Appelbaum 58:50

4M ago58:50

58:50

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 de…

1
The Uncertain Future of USAID with Jeremy Konyndyk 50:53

4M ago50:53

50:53

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…

1
Crypto in Trump 2.0 with Zeke Faux 49:15

4M ago49:15

49:15

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 …

1
Listen to “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki” 36:18

4M ago36:18

36:18

On a new podcast series, “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki,” host Jen Psaki dives into two crucial questions: where do Democrats stand in this moment? And how can they win again? Listen to the full first episode here, as Jen sits down with Governor Wes Moore of Maryland. They reflect on the meaning of patriotism, where the party can be bolder, and auth…

1
The Reality at the Border with Jonathan Blitzer 58:40

4M ago58:40

58:40

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 t…

1
WITHpod Special: Hear a Chapter of Chris’ New Book: ‘The Siren’s Call’ 56:33

5M ago56:33

56:33

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…

1
Listen to “Trumpland with Alex Wagner” 33:25

5M ago33:25

33:25

Introducing “Trumpland with Alex Wagner.” On “Trumpland,” MSNBC’s Alex Wagner takes a break from the anchor chair to get out into the field and speak with the people on the frontlines of Trump’s policies—and promises. Listen to the full first episode here, as Alex travels to DC—but not for the inauguration. Hours after President Trump was in sworn …

1
Musk in the Trump 2.0 Era with Kate Conger 52:14

5M ago52:14

52:14

We’ve never had a situation where the world’s richest man has essentially joined the White House as a co-president of sorts. What might this mean, especially when we consider Elon Musk’s history of unchecked power? Kate Conger is a New York Times reporter based in San Francisco, covering X and other technology companies. She’s also a co-author, alo…

1
Weight Loss Drugs for Curing Addiction? with Nicholas Reville 56:23

5M ago56:23

56:23

The amount of overdose deaths in the U.S. is staggering. And while addiction is a disease, there’s no specific medical treatment or cure for it. Our guest this week points out that weight loss drugs and GLP-1s, or glucagon-like peptide-1s, which are used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, can be effective for helping people reduce cravings and c…

1
Strategies for the Resistance 2.0 with Leah Greenberg 52:34

5M ago52:34

52:34

Well, here we are. The second inauguration of Donald Trump is quickly approaching. And there’s no doubt that progressives have a lot of work to do in the months and years ahead. Our guest this week co-founded one of the biggest groups that initially came about in response to Trump 1.0. Leah Greenberg is co-founder and co-executive director of Indiv…

1
The Case for Unconditional Cash Transfers with Jiaying Zhao 47:07

6M ago47:07

47:07

Happy New Year! Given the holiday, we are sharing one of our most memorable conversations. Stay tuned through the end as we also share updates on this topic. From the original description: You’d probably guess that a major factor contributing to homelessness is a lack of money. Yet, very few programs provide unconditional and lump sum cash to unhou…

1
What Happens When Americans Get $1,000 a Month Unconditional Cash Transfers? with Elizabeth Rhodes and David Broockman 44:35

6M ago44:35

44:35

What are the effects when you give $1,000 a month in unconditional cash transfers to low-income Americans for three years? Our guests this week studied the behavioral and political outcomes of this in a 3,000-person study. Elizabeth Rhodes is the research director for the Unconditional Cash Study at OpenResearch, a nonprofit research lab founded by…

1
“The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi” with Wright Thompson 52:41

6M ago52:41

52:41

The 1955 murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy who was abducted and lynched in Mississippi, is one of the most infamous crimes in American history. Yet, decades later, so much of what happened to Till is still widely unknown. Our guest this week points out that this is no accident. Wright Thompson is a senior writer for ESPN and is the aut…

1
How Democratic Backsliding Happens with Steve Levitsky 52:23

6M ago52:23

52:23

We’re in strange times. In the U.S., we’re finding ourselves in a situation in which the possibility of genuine democratic retrenchment and some version of presidential authoritarian dictatorship is a real possibility. There’s a lot to consider as the liberal democracy we’ve become accustomed to could erode right before our eyes in the near future.…

1
Chris is the guest this week! 57:06

7M ago57:06

57:06

There’s a lot to consider about what Trump 2.0 portends for the future of our country, lives and democracy. A lot of questions remain. And perhaps maybe now more than ever, it’s all been keeping Chris up really late at night, like so many of you. Chris and WITHpod producer Doni Holloway unpack post-election thoughts and discuss moving forward. More…

1
Conservatism in the Trump 2.0 Years with McKay Coppins 54:41

7M ago54:41

54:41

It’s a given that any political party is going to have ideological factions around different issues. But what happens when the ostensible leader of a party has no real ideology? It’s a big question to consider in the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election. Our guest this week has followed the inherent tensions, fissures and changes within the Republica…

1
The Role of the Press in This Moment with Matt Pearce 55:38

7M ago55:38

55:38

The information environment is rapidly changing. And with more media sources at our disposal than ever before, we’re constantly navigating between online and IRL, or in real life spaces. How does that affect our understanding of the world around us, particularly in this unprecedented moment? Our guest this week has spent a lot of time thinking and …

1
Where Do We Go From Here? with Anna Galland 59:14

7M ago59:14

59:14

Whew, the past few days have been a lot. Like you probably, Chris hasn’t slept much this past week. There’s a lot to process given that Donald Trump is now president-elect… again. Our guest this week, who has worked as an organizer throughout numerous political ups and downs, points out that we “must not neglect the work of standing up right now to…

1
“Polarized by Degrees” with Matt Grossmann and Dave Hopkins 56:18

7M ago56:18

56:18

A lot of things will really change over the course of this week, no matter the election outcome. And with that, we were thinking it would be good to share a conversation that would be illuminating regardless of what happens. Over the past few decades, American society has experienced seismic changes. One of the trends we have seen is a rightward sh…

1
Talking Harris, Hawaii and More with Senator Brian Schatz 48:49

8M ago48:49

48:49

Well, we’re in the final stretch of the election. And as we consider so much that is at stake, it’s a great treat to have one of Chris’ favorite people to talk politics. There’s a lot to discuss, including the Senate battlefield for Democrats and why it can be so hard to get things done in the political world. Our guest this week represents one of …

1
The Rise of The Latino Far Right with Paola Ramos 54:42

8M ago54:42

54:42

Donald Trump and the Republican Party have made significant inroads among Latino voters. At the same time, vitriolic ads are continually being released that feature racist and demagogic depictions of immigrants, especially Latino ones. And, if you remember, despite Trump’s relentless anti-immigrant rhetoric, he won a higher percentage of the Latino…

1
Harris’ Media Blitz and Strategy with Symone Sanders-Townsend 54:11

8M ago54:11

54:11

With just a few weeks until the election, you’ve probably noticed that Vice President Harris has been doing a lot of media. How does she decide which outlets to give interviews to? What does the process look like behind the scenes? Lucky for us, we have the perfect guest to unpack the ins and outs of campaign press strategy, particularly in an elec…

1
Listen to “Kamala: Next in Line” 10:25

8M ago10:25

10:25

Election Day is around the corner and Vice President Kamala Harris could become the first woman, first Black woman, and first South-Asian to sit in the Oval Office. In light of this moment, we’re resharing our 2020 series “Kamala: Next in Line,” from MSNBC and Wondery. Hosted by Joy Reid, "Next In Line" is an intimate and immersive look into what d…

1
Reflecting on October 7th with Amir Tibon 57:37

8M ago57:37

57:37

It’s been one year since the devastating October 7th attacks by Hamas into Israel. It’s a truly awful anniversary to observe for numerous reasons. In the past year, there’s been immeasurable horror, violence, destruction and death. It is estimated that at least 40,000 people have died in Gaza and there are still over a hundred hostages. Our guest t…

1
Crafting a Bipartisan Miracle with Chris Murphy 55:56

9M ago55:56

55:56

Comprehensive border and immigration reform has eluded policymakers in the U.S. for decades. As global turmoil and conflict grows, questions and concerns still remain about the economic, security, and humanitarian justification and rationale for immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees seeking entry into the U.S. Vitriolic rhetoric, which has largel…

1
The Coalition of the Weird with Dave Weigel 56:56

9M ago56:56

56:56

We’re getting closer and closer to the election. And a lot of weird stuff has been happening. Our guest this week points out that Trump has been going “all in” for the “weird vote,” by choosing JD Vance as his running mate and elevating figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dave Weigel covers politics and writes the “Americana” newsletter for Semafor.…

1
The Threat of Project 2025 on Climate 43:35

9M ago43:35

43:35

This week’s episode is a bit of a crossover. We’re sharing the fourth and final episode of MSNBC’s “The Threat of Project 2025” special series for the How to Win podcast. In this episode, Chris speaks with Grist climate reporter Zoya Teirstein for her take on Project 2025’s impact on climate and the environment, especially in communities already su…

1
MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024 1:47:00

9M ago1:47:00

1:47:00

We’re thrilled to share a mashup of our MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024 event that we recently held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The whole day was a celebration of you, our viewers and listeners. It was the first of its kind in-person, interactive experience. We so enjoyed meeting so many of you. But if you couldn’t join us in person, you’re in luc…

1
Building a New South with Anderson Clayton 44:08

9M ago44:08

44:08

North Carolina is one of the most interesting swing states in this election. Democrats have not won the Tar Heel state at the presidential level since 2008 when Barack Obama won it. It was a close race in 2020 and recent polling has shown Harris and Trump neck and neck in the state. There’s a lot to unpack about what’s going on. Anderson Clayton is…

1
The Biden Miracle with Jay Turner 57:00

10M ago57:00

57:00

During this year’s DNC, President Biden reflected on numerous accomplishments and discussed his track record. One of the signature pieces of legislation of the Biden presidency, and of Democrats in this era, is the Inflation Reduction Act, also known as the IRA. This August marked the 2-year anniversary of the landmark federal law. Our guest this w…

1
Recapping an Electric DNC with Alex Wagner 45:45

10M ago45:45

45:45

The Democratic national convention was a whole vibe this year. History was made during the electric four-day convention, which culminated with Vice President Harris accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination, the first black woman and person of South Asian decent to do so. Lucky for us, our own Alex Wagner, host of “Alex Wagner Tonight” on MSNBC, …

1
What Would a Fair Society Look Like? with Daniel Chandler 50:35

10M ago50:35

50:35

Could the answer to building a more just society lie in 50-year-old ideas? Our guest this week points to the ideas of John Rawls, one of the greatest political philosophers, as a blueprint of sorts for building a more equitable society. Daniel Chandler is the research director of the Programme on Cohesive Capitalism at the London School of Economic…

1
The Rise of Kamala Harris with Heather McGhee 48:29

10M ago48:29

48:29

Chris just got back from vacation. It just so happened that he was way during one of the most remarkable periods in American presidential political history. There’s a lot to unpack with our guest this week. Heather McGhee is a New York Times bestselling author of “The Sum of Us” and the board chair at Color of Change, the nation’s largest online ra…

1
Book Bans with Dave Eggers 48:56

10M ago48:56

48:56

We’ve seen a wave of campaigns in school districts and municipalities across the country to ban literary works over the past few years. One instance of this is the subject of MSNBC Films’ "To Be Destroyed," the latest installment of "The Turning Point" documentary series from Executive Producer Trevor Noah. The feature documentary explores a South …

1
“When the Clock Broke” with John Ganz 57:01

11M ago57:01

57:01

There’s a lot of unprecedented things going on nowadays. And with everything going on, it can be tempting to distort the moment we’re in and to view things as totally new and completely abrupt. Our guest this week has written about the source of historical continuity, particularly in the 1990s, that has brought us to our current moment. John Ganz i…

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