Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

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Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

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Every week Chris Hayes asks the big questions that keep him up at night. How do we make sense of this unprecedented moment in world history? Why is this (all) happening? This podcast starts to answer these questions. Writers, experts, and thinkers who are also trying to get to the bottom of them join Chris to break it all down and help him get a better night’s rest. “Why is this Happening?” is presented by MSNBC and NBCNews Think.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Conservatism in the Trump 2.0 Years with McKay Coppins

    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 Republican Party. McKay Coppins is a staff writer at The Atlantic, an MSNBC contributor, and New York Times bestselling author of “Romney: A Reckoning.” He joins WITHpod to discuss his view of what conservatism is now at an ideological level, the rife contradictions amongst conservatives in this moment and what the Trump 2.0 years could mean for growing party incoherence.

    55 min

  2. 20 NOV • MSNBC PREMIUM ONLY

    So, Now What? with Rachel Maddow

    SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: We have an extra special treat for MSNBC Premium Subscribers with the one and only Rachel Maddow. The past few weeks have of course been filled with a lot of processing and reckoning about what a Trump 2.0 presidency could mean. Interestingly, Rachel and Chris actually see the outlook a bit differently. She joins WITHpod to discuss how she’s been feeling post-election, concerns about authoritarian takeover, ways we can move forward and more. Note that this episode was recorded on Thursday, November 14th. To listen to this episode, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber, you'll get all MSNBC original podcasts ad-free, along with exciting bonus content from this and other shows.

    46 min

  3. 19 NOV

    The Role of the Press in This Moment with Matt Pearce

    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 writing about this. Matt Pearce is a journalist and serves as the president of Media Guild of the West, which represents unionized journalists in Southern California, Arizona and Texas. Pearce is also a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times and writes own Substack, which you can find at mattdpearce.substack.com. He joins WITHpod to discuss what’s happened to the press, its role post the 2024 election and more.

    56 min

  4. 12 NOV

    Where Do We Go From Here? with Anna Galland

    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 fight back.” Anna Galland is the former executive director of MoveOn Civic Action from 2012 to 2019. She now works with a range of national pro-democracy organizations, coalitions, and leaders. Galland also teaches about democracy renewal & social movements at Northwestern University. She joins 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.

    59 min

  5. 5 NOV

    “Polarized by Degrees” with Matt Grossmann and Dave Hopkins

    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 shift towards the Republican Party among voters without a four-year college degree and a pro democratic center-left shift of voters who have a four-year college degree. There’s a lot to unpack about what has animated these changes. Matt Grossmann is the director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and a professor of political science at Michigan State University. Dave Hopkins is a political scientist at Boston College. Grossmann and Hopkins are the co-authors of “Polarized by Degrees: How the Diploma Divide and the Culture War Transformed American Politics.” They join WITHpod to discuss the origin of these trends, the effects on both major parties and more.

    56 min

  6. 29 OCT

    Talking Harris, Hawaii and More with Senator Brian Schatz

    Senator Brian Schatz joins WITHpod to discuss Vice President Harris, affordable housing concerns in the Aloha state, effects of climate change in his home state, his favorite part of the job, why he says Trump could be vanquished and more.

    49 min

  7. 22 OCT

    The Rise of The Latino Far Right with Paola Ramos

    Journalist and author Paola Ramos joins WITHpod to discuss forces spearheading Latino support of far-right politics, the effects of radicalization and more.

    55 min

  8. 18 OCT • MSNBC PREMIUM ONLY

    The Making of Symone Sanders-Townsend

    We’re excited to share the first installment of WITHpod MSNBC Premium bonus content, only available to MSNBC Premium subscribers.  As a bonus to MSNBC Premium subscribers, we’re sharing an extra conversation with the one and only Symone Sanders-Townsend. Symone Sanders-Townsend is co-host of “The Weekend” on MSNBC, a democratic strategist, and the author of “No, You Shut Up.” She also served as a former senior advisor to Vice President Harris. Enjoy this special bonus where she talks all about her trajectory and more. And if you didn’t get to hear the full WITHpod episode with Symone, be sure to also check that out in our WITHpod feed.

    18 min
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Every week Chris Hayes asks the big questions that keep him up at night. How do we make sense of this unprecedented moment in world history? Why is this (all) happening? This podcast starts to answer these questions. Writers, experts, and thinkers who are also trying to get to the bottom of them join Chris to break it all down and help him get a better night’s rest. “Why is this Happening?” is presented by MSNBC and NBCNews Think.

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