The Assignment with Audie Cornish

4.6 (884)
NEWS COMMENTARY
UPDATED WEEKLY

Every Thursday on The Assignment, host Audie Cornish explores the animating forces of this extraordinary American political moment. It’s not about the horse race, it’s about the larger cultural ideas driving the conversation: the role of online influencers on the electorate, the intersection of pop culture and politics, and discussions with primary voices and thinkers who are shaping the political conversation.

1 DAY AGO

And the Oscar Goes to… the Best Campaign?

The Oscars aren’t just about the movies—they’re about politics, too. Audie talks with New Yorker staff writer Michael Schulman, author of Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears. They break down the high-stakes world of Oscar campaigning including who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes, and what this year’s race reveals about the shifting dynamics of the industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

33 min
FEB 13

Why Crunchy Conservatives Love RFK Jr.

Raw milk, seed oil skepticism, and...coffee enemas? The rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the conservative “Make America Healthy Again” movement is reclaiming what it means to be ‘crunchy’ -- a term previously associated with health-conscious liberals. Audie talks with Kiera Butler, a Mother Jones senior editor and reporter deeply embedded in the world of the conservative right's wellness trends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

34 min
FEB 6

The United States of Elon

President Trump put Elon Musk in charge of government efficiency and the result has been nonstop chaos and trauma for civil servants. Audie talks with WIRED reporter Vittoria Elliot about how he is doing it and who is helping him. Audie also talks with someone who’s gone through an Elon purge -- former Twitter executive Dr. Rumman Chowdhury. She offers advice on how to get through it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

43 min
JAN 30

A Pastor's Stand on Trump's ICE Raids

In the wake of Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration, Audie talks with Rev. Gabriel Salguero about how faith leaders are navigating the call to provide support and guidance to undocumented immigrants in their congregations. Rev. Salguero is the pastor of The Gathering Place in Orlando, Florida, and president and founder of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

32 min
JAN 23

The ‘Sober Curious’ Revolution

"Dry January" is evolving into something more than a 4-week virtue signal. American attitudes about drinking are changing, especially among younger generations who are drinking much less. So, what’s behind this cultural shift, and why now? Audie talks with Derek Brown, the founder of Positive Damage a newsletter about “drinking mindfully.” And Chris Marshall, the founder of Sans Bar, the first non-alcoholic bar in North America. For more on what alcohol does to the body, listen to Dr. Sanjay Gupta's podcast, Chasing Life. "Your Shame-Free Guide to Cutting Back on Booze.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

32 min
JAN 16

Meet the Man Who Saw the LA Fires Coming

Peter Kalmus left California two years ago in part because of his concerns about hotter days and increasing wildfires. Today, his former neighborhood of Altadena is one of the many communities left scorched by the wildfires. And he says more are coming. Audie talks with Kalmus, who studies future extreme heat impacts on human health and ecosystems at NASA, about how the Los Angeles wildfires are part of a greater climate crisis, and how our grief can be channeled into preventing the next disaster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

36 min
JAN 9

How Political Divides Are Destroying Families

Donald Trump’s reelection has some people putting politics over family. Audie talks with psychologist Joshua Coleman about the forces driving family estrangements over political differences, how generational differences can play a part in broken family ties, and what to do if you find yourself on either side of an estrangement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 min
JAN 2

Samantha Bee Is Done with Democrats (For Now)

It’s a very special New Year episode for The Assignment: a conversation with Emmy-winning comedian and writer Samantha Bee about the state of politics and how she’s engaging with the political moment. Bee is known for her time as a correspondent on The Daily Show and her own late-night show, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. She is now the host of the podcast Choice Words. Audie invites back her podcast friends for this conversation: Kara Swisher, host of On with Kara Swisher and co-host of Pivot, and Van Lathan, co-host of The Ringer’s Higher Learning podcast. They also share their “Word of the Year” for 2024, and give a predictive word for 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

54 min

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TRAILER

Introducing: The Assignment

Fiery Twitter threads and endless news notifications never capture the full story. Each week on The Assignment, host Audie Cornish pulls listeners out of their digital echo chambers to hear from the people who live the headlines. From the sex work economy to the battle over what’s taught in classrooms, no topic is off the table. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

11/04/2022

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3 min

Audie Cornish

Host

4.6

out of 5

884 Ratings

Love!

Feb 12

joharri3

Loved your last show!!
Thank heavens for Audie!

Feb 7

BrklynDavid

Audie Cornish is a smart and essential voice in today’s news. This is a terrific podcast. I only wish she could do it even more often!
Essential listening

Feb 6

Vadvm

I look forward to every new episode drop. Thank you Audie and team!
So good

12/02/2024

Manneatee

Love the experimental format with Cornish, Swisher and Lantham. Do more! Would love to hear more of these honest group talks. Nice break from onslaught of crummy news of impending administration. I’m a regular listener and appreciate all of the context and perspectives you bring in. Learn something every show. Even if/especially when it’s a topic that I don’t think I’m that interested in. Essential listening.

Every Thursday on The Assignment, host Audie Cornish explores the animating forces of this extraordinary American political moment. It’s not about the horse race, it’s about the larger cultural ideas driving the conversation: the role of online influencers on the electorate, the intersection of pop culture and politics, and discussions with primary voices and thinkers who are shaping the political conversation.