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How Is This Better?

COURIER
  • 4.6 (239)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

We're constantly bombarded by grifters who claim to have all the solutions. From Donald Trump promising to "make America great" to tech bros who say they're making the world a "better place." Akilah Hughes has had enough. She's finally asking...How Is This Better?

  1. A Surprising Grade for 2025

    6D AGO

    A Surprising Grade for 2025

    As we all know, 2025 was the best year that any of us have ever had. Nothing went wrong, no evil was done, and things were generally really, really chill.  In reality, Akilah is joined this week by Ryan Broderick, host of COURIER’s Panic World, in order to review all of the political and pop culture chaos that went down over the past twelve months. Together they’ll try to answer the fateful question: was anything about this year better? The answer might surprise you. You can find Ryan at @ryanhatesthis on IG, and you can listen to Panic World at @panicworldpod or on your favorite listening platforms. SUBSCRIBE to @howisthisbetter   How Is This Better? is a @COURIERHQ  production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 4m
  2. Black Women Are Doubled Taxed in America. There's Data.

    DEC 12

    Black Women Are Doubled Taxed in America. There's Data.

    In a second-term Trump economy obsessed with the word “meritocracy,” Black women are being pushed out of the workforce at alarming rates — while the least qualified men fail upward. Akilah Hughes sits down with economist and author Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman to unpack her book, The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid. You can find Anna and her book at www.annagifty.com CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 00:54 Black women & the workforce 07:07 What is the Double Tax? 11:41 How much does Anna’s life show up in the book? 13:58 The DEI crackdown’s impact 17:49 How do we fight for an equitable future? 24:55 This is not better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    28 min
  3. Can Boycotts Fight Fascism?

    DEC 5

    Can Boycotts Fight Fascism?

    You may have heard a lot about boycotting this year, especially when talking about Target or Amazon. Organized actions like these have been happening year-round, but are reaching peak intensity now that we’re well within the holiday season. One such boycott, called We Ain’t Buying It, aimed to draw attention to how giant retailers are using our money against our own interests: funding candidates like Trump and policies that endanger our communities, civil rights and economic interests. LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter who helped organize the campaign, joined the podcast this week to talk about what the campaign hoped to achieve, the history of boycotting as a political tool in the US, and why where you spend this holiday season actually matters. You can find Latosha at @mslatoshabrown on IG, and learn more about the boycott at weaintbuyingit.com. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 01:13 We Ain’t Buying It 09:27 How corporations are funding Trump 14:17 Why are boycotts effective? 17:54 Where should people redirect their money? 19:37 Your money talks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min
  4. Space is Over

    NOV 21

    Space is Over

    What happens when a president decides America is done with space? This week on How Is This Better?, Akilah Hughes digs into the Trump administration’s unprecedented plans to slash NASA’s budget. Akilah sits down with Casey Dreier of the Planetary Society to unpack how America went from bipartisan support for space exploration to a full-blown dismantling of the country’s most beloved science agency—and why turning over the future of space to billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos is both dangerous and undemocratic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    30 min
  5. These Cheap Vertical Videos May End Hollywood (As We Know It)

    NOV 14

    These Cheap Vertical Videos May End Hollywood (As We Know It)

    Hollywood (as we once knew it) may have collapsed, but a new form of “storytelling” is thriving in the rubble. This week on How Is This Better? Akilah Hughes investigates the rise of clipping—the 30–90 second chunks of movies and TV that Gen Z and Gen Alpha increasingly treat as the entire art form. With The Ankler's newsroom coordinator, Matthew Frank, we dig into how studios, independent clippers, and even teenagers are monetizing sliced-up IP, why these clips rarely convert to actual viewership, and what that means for the survival of traditional shows. Then we look at the next evolution: vertical dramas—60-to-90-second cliffhanger “episodes” produced for TikTok-native audiences, now attracting major investment from companies like Disney. Kill Switch podcast host, Dexter Thomas, walks us through the booming non-union economy around these soap-opera-meets-micro-content series, the surprising demographics powering their success, and why middle-aged women—not teens—are the earliest adopters. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 00:20 - Clipping 01:23 - Matthew Frank 9:49 - Dexter Thomas 11:28 - Vertical Dramas 17:20 - Who is Watching Micro Dramas? 26:24 - Is It Better? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 min
  6. The Plot to Force Evangelical Christianity on Everyone

    NOV 7

    The Plot to Force Evangelical Christianity on Everyone

    The First Amendment established the separation of church and state in America — but is that principle truly being upheld today? A powerful contingent on the right is working to erase that line entirely, pushing policies that fuse religion and government to advance a Christian nationalist agenda — from efforts to mandate the Ten Commandments in classrooms to reshaping laws around their ideology. This week, host Akilah Hughes is joined by Heather Weaver of the ACLU, professor Matthew Gabriele, and journalist Talia Lavin to unpack the rise of Christian nationalism in American politics and culture — and its deep ties to authoritarianism and the alt-right. This episode is sponsored by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. To learn more and get involved, visit ⁠⁠au.org/COURIER⁠⁠. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Americans United 01:15 How is Christian Nationalism better? 02:35 The history of American separation of church and state 04:32 The start of the American Christian narrative 07:00 What is Christian Nationalism? 09:44 AU 10:14 How has religious extremism crept into our culture? 14:30 Christian Nationalism & Authoritarianism 19:01 The far right, fascism, and more 22:26 Trump’s authoritarian slide 24:36 Priming Christians for fascism 27:49 Christian Nationalism is not better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    30 min
  7. How to Run for Office When You’re Not Rich (with Kat Abughazaleh and Zohran Mamdani)

    OCT 31

    How to Run for Office When You’re Not Rich (with Kat Abughazaleh and Zohran Mamdani)

    What does it really take to run for office when you don’t have a billionaire on speed dial? Akilah Hughes talks with Kat Abughazaleh, the journalist-turned-candidate trying to fund and operate her congressional campaign than what is typical in 2025. Akilah also catches up with New York City mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, days before the election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    22 min
  8. Money in Politics: It Wasn't Always Like This.

    OCT 24

    Money in Politics: It Wasn't Always Like This.

    In 2010, the Supreme Court of the United unleashed chaos with their decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In that ruling, they declared that corporations are people and money is speech. Fifteen years later, billionaires and dark money groups dominate campaign spending, leaving ordinary voters wondering if their $20 donations matter. Featuring Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, and Brian Derrick, co-founder and CEO of Oath, this episode explores how one court decision rewired American democracy—and what (if anything) can done to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min
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4.6
out of 5
239 Ratings

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We're constantly bombarded by grifters who claim to have all the solutions. From Donald Trump promising to "make America great" to tech bros who say they're making the world a "better place." Akilah Hughes has had enough. She's finally asking...How Is This Better?

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