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.

MSNBC’s Ali Velshi brings you “Velshi Banned Book Club,” an act of resistance against the book banning and censorship epidemic sweeping the nation. In each episode, a different author joins Ali to discuss why their work is being targeted and what is so crucial about the literature itself. “Velshi Banned Book Club” is a series rooted in literary and cultural analysis, in the notion that reading is resistance. Read along with Ali. Velshi Banned Book Club Season Two Reading List: "Small Acts of Courage" by Ali Velshi “The Giver” by Lois Lowry “1984” by George Orwell “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” by Julia Alvarez “American Street” by Ibi Zoboi “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien “Hunger” by Roxane Gay “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare “All the Rivers” by Dorit Rabinyan “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi “Maus” by Art Spiegelman Velshi Banned Book Club Season One Reading List: “Two Boys Kissing” by David Levithan “Boy Erased” by Garrard Conley “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely “Dear Martin” by Nic Stone “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult “Give a Boy a Gun” by Todd Strasser “The 1619 Project” by Nikole Hannah-Jones “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Saenz “Out of Darkness” by Ashley Hope Perez “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson “Ready or Not” by Meg Cabot “Beloved” by Toni Morrison “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston

The biggest news and political stories of the day with a commitment to in-depth reporting that consistently seeks to hold our leaders accountable.

Joy Reid conducts one-on-one conversations with politicians and newsmakers while addressing provocative political issues both inside and outside of the beltway. Reid, who is also a best-selling author and public speaker, joined MSNBC in 2011 as a contributor. Drawing from her decades-long experience in politics, passion for addressing the intersection of race, justice and culture, as well as her signature tenacious interviewing style, Reid kicks off MSNBC’s primetime lineup by delving into American politics as it unfolds.

An early look at the stories that will drive tomorrow's conversation.

Listen in on revealing and thoughtful conversations with fascinating men and women who took an oath to support and defend our Constitution and our nation – leaders in law enforcement, the military, the intelligence community, and many more. What inspired these people? What drew them to this work? How did they overcome adversity and failure? And what are the lessons for our country and our democracy as we move forward? These captivating stories exemplify what is best about our nation: integrity, civility, service, humility, and collective responsibility.