Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

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  ‘End Times Fascism’ with Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor 15.09.2026 53min

  Is the apocalyptic mood in our culture today just in our imagination, or are we witnessing the rise of a dangerous new political reality?
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  Will The Sports Bubble Pop? With Pablo Torre 08.09.2026 49min

  It’s almost an understatement to say that sports is big business -- the valuations for professional teams are now in the stratosphere. What does this mean for the integrity of sports?
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  ’The Nerd Reich’ with Gil Durán 01.09.2026 53min

  Silicon Valley was once viewed as a center-left stronghold where tech founders partnered with Democrats to push clean energy and digital innovation. But today, the world’s most powerful tech titans in many cases are bankrolling right-wing authoritarianism, promoting anti-democratic ideologies. Gil Durán is the author of “The Nerd Reich Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy.” He joins WITHpod to discuss the radicalization of tech oligarchs, why he says they’re attempting to dismantle American democratic values and more. 
 As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together.
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  The AI End Game: Boom to Bust? with Ed Zitron 25.08.2026 55min

  There’s a lot to unpack about the economic effects of artificial intelligence. It’s clear that artificial intelligence is having a moment (to say the least) and that it has a profound impact on global GDP. But is it just a boom that will bust? Ed Zitron, author and host of the “Better Offline” podcast, is deeply worried about the long-term viability of the industry. He points out that AI lacks the basic traits that have been associated with previous software booms. This raises the question: is AI running more on unsustainable costs and vibes rather than long-term profit potential? According to Ed, the answer is clear.
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  How to Stop Dictators with Zack Beauchamp 18.08.2026 1t 6min

  Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent at Vox, joins WITHpod to discuss Democratic backsliding, the role of protests in stopping dictators and lessons that can be learned from Brazil, South Korea and Poland.
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  Fossil Fuels: A ‘Weapon of War’ with Antonia Juhasz 11.08.2026 54min

  Investigative journalist Antonia Juhasz joins to discuss the impact the war in Iran is having on oil, why she says fossil fuels are being used as weapons of war and more.
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  Where Do EVs Go From Here? with Patrick George 04.08.2026 53min

  This was the first summer that Chris and his family took their annual road trip in an electric vehicle through the Midwest. It was doable, but not without some challenges. Where are we with regards to EVs in the U.S. and where do we go from here? Patrick George is the Detroit Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal. He joins WITHpod to discuss the logistics, policy and infrastructure hurdles that still stand in the way of broader EV adoption. As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together.
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  The 'Broken' U.S. Border with Ken Salazar 28.07.2026 46min

  There’s no question that Trump’s 2024 win was in large part driven by chaos at the border. He still polls best in this area even as approval rates fall in other areas like inflation. There’s a lot to discuss about why this is the case. 
Ken Salazar is a former senator from Colorado, served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013 and as United States ambassador to Mexico from 2021 to 2025. He’s the author of the newly released book, “Borderlands: My Fight for an Inclusive America.” He joins WITHpod to discuss why he says the border is indeed “broken,” what’s needed to fix it and more. 

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  The Betting Craze with Bobby Allyn 21.07.2026 53min

  It seems like you can bet on anything nowadays and like you can make a wager on practically everything. Examples of the proliferation of this can be seen everywhere from service members betting on insider knowledge, to people making bets on sports games. One of the most mind-blowing aspects of all of this is that companies that dominate the betting space, like Polymarket and Kalshi, are essentially unregulated. Bobby Allyn is a technology correspondent at NPR. He joins WITHpod to discuss the rapid ride of prediction markets, concerns, the outlook and more. As the 2026 midterm elections heat up, MS NOW is headed to the Lone Star State. Join more than a dozen of your favorite hosts - including Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Jen Psaki, Michael Steele, Ali Velshi and more - in Arlington, Texas on September 26 for a day of community and conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Get your tickets at ms.now/together.
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  Soccer as a ‘Universal Language’ with Ayman Mohyeldin 14.07.2026 58min

  The World Cup is captivating to watch not just for the sports element, but also for the profound global tensions that it highlights. From intense matches between former colonial powers and the nations they once colonized, to heavy concerns about corruption and the treatment of international teams by foreign governments, the games tell a layered geopolitical story. At the same time, fandom also unites. Ayman Mohyeldin is a MS NOW host and avid soccer fan.  He joins WITHpod to discuss game highs and lows, pay to play systems, his personal and familial soccer experience and more.
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  Strict Scrutiny x WITHpod SCOTUS Review Crossover 07.07.2026 57min

  Well, it’s that time of the year again when the ladies of Strict Scrutiny join Chris to break down the latest ways in which SCOTUS has taken a sledgehammer to constitutional principles. There's a lot to discuss as the 2025-2026 term was another consequential one. Kate Shaw, Melissa Murray and Leah Litman, co-hosts of Strict Scrutiny, join to break down some of the biggest decisions this most recent term, what re-envisioning the Court could look like and more.
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  Andrew Tate’s “Empire of Abuse” with Heidi Blake 30.06.2026 43min

  There’s so many scandals in this era. And one of the biggest ones has to do with highly controversial brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate who have built massive followings online as right wing anti-feminist, misogynistic and pro-patriarchal influencers. The two, who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and U.K., face multiple legal investigations related to allegations of human trafficking, rape, and organized crime, all of which they strongly deny. There’s a lot to unpack, a lot of which is reported in a piece titled, “Andrew Tate’s Empire of Abuse,” written by Heidi Blake, an investigative reporter at The New Yorker. She joins WITHpod to discuss her reporting. We should note that Andrew and Tristan Tate have denied any wrongdoing. This conversation includes discussion of alleged sexual assault and abuse.
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  The ‘Hellish Cauldron’ of American Politics with Alex Wagner 23.06.2026 47min

  Well, we just wrapped our special 8-part miniseries “The AI End Game,” and we’re back to regular new episodes of WITHpod. There’s a lot to discuss since the start of the miniseries a few weeks ago. Alex Wagner is an MS NOW senior political analyst and the host of “Runaway Country” on Crooked. She’s also the author “How the Hell with Alex Wagner” on Substack. She joins WITHpod to discuss the real pain everyday Americans are feeling, why she believes the script for an impending Trump political defeat is already written and more. 

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  The AI End Game: Is AI Alive? with Michael Pollan 16.06.2026 49min

  Scientists, philosophers, and artists all agree: consciousness is a unique feeling. And at the same time, one of the world’s most confounding and complex questions remains: what exactly is this feeling? Is it awareness? Is it thoughts? Feelings? Michael Pollan joins WITHpod to share what he’s learned about the force that animates all of us.
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  The AI End Game: Boom to Bust? with Ed Zitron 09.06.2026 55min

  There’s a lot to unpack about the economic effects of artificial intelligence. It’s clear that artificial intelligence is having a moment (to say the least) and that it has a profound impact on global GDP. But is it just a boom that will bust? Ed Zitron, author and host of the “Better Offline” podcast, is deeply worried about the long-term viability of the industry. He points out that AI lacks the basic traits that have been associated with previous software booms. This raises the question: is AI running more on unsustainable costs and vibes rather than long-term profit potential? According to Ed, the answer is clear.
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  The AI End Game: Is Your Chatbot Conscious? with David Chalmers 02.06.2026 51min

  David Chalmers, one of the most preeminent philosophers and researchers in cognitive science, argues that nothing prevents machines from becoming truly conscious. Chalmers, who has studied the mind for decades, points out that there is a real possibility of AI creating a next stage of intelligence that is even capable of redesigning itself. He joins WITHpod to discuss what consciousness is and the possibility of AI systems becoming fully conscious.
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  The AI End Game: The Ethics of AI with Timnit Gebru 26.05.2026 53min

  Timnit Gebru founded the Distributed AI Research Institute after her high-profile exit from Google’s Ethical AI team. She’s been a vocal critic of the systemic lack of diversity in learning models and the need for more inclusion in the space. Her view is that because AI so heavily relies on human input, it largely mirrors pervasive biases inherent in society. What needs to be done to change that? She joins WITHpod to discuss what, in her view, large language models are missing.
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  AI and the Public Good with Ezra Klein 20.05.2026 30min

  We’re sharing a recording of Chris and the New York Times’ Ezra Klein’s discussion at the Center for American Progress 2026 CAP IDEAS conference.
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  The AI End Game: Two-Year-Olds vs. AI with Alison Gopnik 19.05.2026 56min

  Tech billionaires love to claim that artificial intelligence is getting smarter by the day. But according to cognitive scientist and UC Berkeley professor Alison Gopnik, a typical two-year-old routinely outsmarts the most advanced AI models. She joins WITHpod to discuss how children vs. AI learn and why AI, in many cases, still falls behind human capabilities. 

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  The AI End Game: How Work is Changing with Ethan Mollick 12.05.2026 47min

  Ethan Mollick, New York Times bestselling author and professor at Wharton, joins WITHpod to discuss the practical application, adoption, and transformative impact of AI on work.