How Is This Better?

Episod

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  Inside Hollywood's Not-So-Secret Hideout 07.08.2026 23min

  Hollywood used to feel like a place where anything could happen. Akilah Hughes talks to Stinson Carter about the strange magic of 2000s Hollywood, the Chateau Marmont, Entourage, and whether the Hollywood dream still exists. Check out Stinson's piece for Esquire, "Bartending at the Edge of Fame." And subscribe to How Is This Better? wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How Love Island Exposed the American Literacy Crisis 24.07.2026 17min

  Face it: Americans have a literacy problem. Host Akilah Hughes is joined by Oliver Speaks, author of the memoir Unread and literacy advocate, and Lauren Coffey, a journalist with EdSurge, to get to the bottom of why no one wants to read anymore. If you're inspired to pick up a book, start with Oliver's! You can find it here. Remember to subscribe to How Is This Better? wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Does Shaming AI Users Actually Work? 10.07.2026 26min

  It seems like everyone is talking about AI. Because they are.Across both sides of the aisle, whether you support it or you loathe it, AI is one of the most talked-about hot-button issues of 2026. It's everywhere — in our phones, on our computers, at our jobs, and even in our backyards thanks to data centers and flock surveillance cameras. Hell, even the Taco Bell drive-thru isn't safe anymore. Understandably, a lot of folks want AI gone, but are they actually convincing anyone to put down Chat GPT? Our guest Dr. Fatima is an Astrophysicist-turned-creator who made a video about "how to anti-AI better". According to her, shame isn't the most effective method to get people to turn on our new robot overlords. The question is: what is? SponsorsThis episode is brought to you by Mint Mobile. To get your new wireless plan for only $15 a month, go to https://www.mintmobile.com/courier/ — that's it, there's no catch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  We Stopped Talking About Gun Control – The Shootings Never Stopped 26.06.2026 27min

  When students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School launched March For Our Lives after the Parkland shooting, they helped spark one of the largest youth-led movements in American history. But nearly a decade later, gun violence remains the leading cause of death for American children and teens—and the issue no longer commands the same national attention it once did. This week, Akilah Hughes talks with March For Our Lives Executive Director and Parkland survivor Jaclyn Corin about what comes after the marches, how activism has changed since 2018, and why the organization is shifting its focus toward culture, media, and the battle for attention itself. Support March for Our Lives: https://marchforourlives.org/ Follow How Is This Better? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Erasing Jackie Robinson (REPLAY) 19.06.2026 27min

  Today, we are sharing an episode we first-aired a year ago (nearly to the day). Back then, Trump and his administration would not stop saying "DEI" as if it were a slur. Their efforts to white-wash history have not gone away, so we wanted to share this episode again, today, on Juneteenth. Guests: Roy Wood, Jr., actor and comedian Kali Holloway, columnist, The Nation Jeremy Taché, Miami-based sports reporter and host Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Real Reason UFC at the White House Matters 12.06.2026 48min

  A UFC fight on the White House lawn sounds like satire. But it's real. Before Ryan Broderick and Grant Irving of Panic World travel to Washington to attend the event, Akilah Hughes talks with them about what they expect to find there, who they're hoping to talk to, and what this bizarre spectacle might reveal about American politics. Ryan and Grant will be reporting from the event itself, but first, they're helping us understand what this moment says about the country before the first punch is thrown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How Wrestling Ruined Politics Forever (BONUS) 05.06.2026 40min

  Long before Donald Trump entered politics, he understood professional wrestling. In this bonus conversation from How Is This Better?, Akilah Hughes sits down with writer and former WWE writer Dave Schilling to unpack how wrestling became a blueprint for modern political culture. From Trump’s relationship with Vince McMahon to the rise of political "heels," they explore why voters connect more with characters than policies, why Democrats struggle to create compelling narratives, and what professional wrestling can teach us about charisma, authenticity, and power. Drawing on his experience inside WWE's writers room, Dave explains how stars are built, how audiences become emotionally invested in underdogs, and why today's politicians often resemble wrestlers more than public servants. If politics feels more like entertainment than ever before, this conversation might explain why. Moments from this conversation, and others, appeared in our episode Politics is Wrestling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Voting Rights Were Gutted. I Went to Alabama to See What We Can Do About It. 22.05.2026 20min

  Akilah Hughes travels to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama for “All Roads Lead to the South,” a national day of action responding to the Supreme Court’s latest attack on the Voting Rights Act. Along the way, she speaks with Bernice King, Justin Pearson, and Janai Nelson about the fight over racial gerrymandering, the future of democracy in the South, and why organizers say this moment demands action from the entire country. 61 years after Bloody Sunday, the battle over voting rights is far from over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  School’s Out. Campus Political Wars Are Just Beginning 15.05.2026 30min

  Young voters — especially young men — are drifting to the right. At least, that’s the narrative dominating politics right now. But according to Elise Joshi, the head of More Perfect University, the bigger story might actually be something deeper: a generation that feels increasingly disillusioned with the economy, institutions, and the promise that hard work still leads to stability. This week on How Is This Better? –  Akilah Hughes talks with Elise about why organizations like Turning Point USA have been so successful on college campuses, why AI has become such a political flashpoint for Gen Z, and how the left is trying to build a competing media and organizing ecosystem through More Perfect Union and More Perfect University. Follow More Perfect University @moreperfectuniversity Mint Mobile: Shop plans at https://mintmobile.com/courier for three months of coverage at $45. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Erika Kirk's Rise to Power 08.05.2026 39min

  After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Erika Kirk tried to turn grief into political momentum. Instead, the internet turned the entire thing into a meme. Akilah Hughes talks with journalist Kat Tenbarge about Erika Kirk’s chaotic rise inside Turning Point USA, the backlash to her grief tour, and her feud with Candace Owens. This episode explores internet culture, conservative media, gender politics, and the efforts to capture the post-Trump MAGA universe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How the Met Gala Lost the Plot 01.05.2026 35min

  What happens when fashion’s biggest night starts to look like a billionaire branding exercise? This week, we examine the growing influence of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos on the Met Gala—and what it says about power, philanthropy, and who gets to shape culture in America. With Rebecca Sananes and Meredith Lynch, Akilah unpacks the contradictions at the center of the event: a fundraiser dependent on extreme wealth, a cultural institution tied to political influence, and a public that’s increasingly skeptical of both. Then designer Jonathan Hayden breaks down what’s happening behind the scenes—from labor realities to the economic pressures reshaping fashion from the ground up. Mint Mobile: Shop plans at https://mintmobile.com/courier for three months of coverage at $45. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  RFK, Beef Tallow, and the Collapse of American Healthcare 17.04.2026 28min

  The American healthcare system is sick. This week, Akilah talks with Abdul El-Sayed—physician, public health expert, and U.S. Senate candidate—about the structural problems at the heart of American healthcare, from medical debt to for-profit insurance. They also unpack the growing gap between real public health expertise and the rise of political figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mehmet Oz, and what it says about trust, media, and power. It’s a conversation about systems, incentives—and what it would actually take to build something better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Class Solidarity Could Change Everything 10.04.2026 37min

  Why have Democrats recently struggled to connect with working-class and rural voters – and what would it take to change that? Akilah Hughes talks with journalist John Russell about class politics in America, the rise of Trump, and the missed opportunities that reshaped the political landscape. Drawing on his reporting in Appalachia and across the country, Russell explains how economic frustration gets redirected into culture war battles, and why a focus on material issues could still unite voters across deep divides. They discuss: The Democratic Party's shift away from working class messaging. How Trump capitalized on that gap The real story behind “redneck” and labor history in Appalachia Why economic issues still resonate across political lines And whether change will come from within the system—or outside it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How Mormons Captured Pop Culture 03.04.2026 33min

  Mormonism is having a pop culture glow-up. But did it happen by accident? In this episode, Akilah Hughes digs into the rise of Mormon influencers, the explosion of “MomTok,” and the broader cultural moment putting LDS aesthetics front and center. With reporting from New York Magazine’s Bridget Read, we explore how Mormon women helped shape modern influencer culture, and why that’s now paying off in a massive way. Ex-Mormon podcaster Shelise Ann Sola joins to unpack what life inside a high-control religion can actually look like, and what gets lost when that experience is repackaged as aspirational content. From the church’s controversial history to its quiet influence on tech and media, this episode asks a bigger question: What happens when a belief system becomes a brand and we all start buying in? If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans at https://www.mintmobile.com/courier Follow How Is This Better? wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Bridget's work including her story about this second "Mormon moment" Check Shelise's Cults to Consciousness show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Oscars, Brain Rot, and The Death Of Prestige 20.03.2026 35min

  As younger generations continue to turn towards the internet for their content, what fate awaits for Hollywood? Last Sunday, celebrities and renowned members of the Academy gathered together to celebrate the Oscars. The awards show is considered one of the touchstones of modern-day media culture, but how much impact does it really have? And what messages are the films we’re praising really sending? In this episode of How Is This Better?, Akilah Hughes is joined by journalist and podcaster Ryan Broderick, who has dug deep into the myriad of ways in which the internet has been shaping the awards landscape, rather than the other way around. Together, they discuss: How viral marketing, “brain rot” trends, and inexperienced influencers disguised as journalists are leaking out of online spaces and into Oscar campaigns.  The increased struggle for actors and filmmakers trying to take traditional paths, and how the web is turning into a more viable career launchpad.  How many of the favored nominees, even at their most political, reflected warped versions of cultural fears, while those left snubbed were too close to our current moment to be properly celebrated. Hollywood’s notable shift away from outspoken, political statements during red carpets and acceptance speeches, and whether they were driven by bowing to fascism, career instability, or apathy?  The media landscape is shifting before our very eyes, into a version of itself that’s more chronically online, more desperate, and more disconnected from the people who are supposed to be watching it. And if Hollywood continues this transformation…is it time to roll the credits? You can get more from Ryan at his podcast @panicworldpod here on YouTube, or anywhere you listen to pods. You can also find him at @ryanhatesthis on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The First AI War 13.03.2026 25min

  AI-generated war footage is spreading across the internet faster than the truth. As conflict escalates in Iran, social media platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok are being flooded with AI-generated missile strikes, fake battlefield footage, and fabricated videos of captured soldiers. Some posts rack up millions of views before anyone can confirm whether they’re real. In this episode of How Is This Better?, Akilah Hughes speaks with WIRED reporter David Gilbert, who has been tracking how generative AI is reshaping the disinformation landscape during breaking conflicts. Check out his recent piece, "Fake AI Content About the Iran War Is All Over X." Subscribe or follow How Is This Better? wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  What 4 Generations of Veterans Think of Trump’s War in Iran 06.03.2026 33min

  Are we at war or not? According to Trump, he's scoring a 15 out of 10 "on the war front," and Department of War Secretary, Pete Hegseth, says the fighting in Iran has "just begun." Yet House Speaker Mike Johnson insists "we're not at war."  Instead of debating the political spin, Akilah wanted to sit down with the people who've been asked to fight American battles. On this episode of How Is This Better?, Akilah sits down with five veterans across four generations – from baby boomers who fought in Vietnam to an Iraq War veteran and a Gen Z and Millennial veteran who filed for conscientious objector discharges based on their objections to the war in Gaza. Some enlisted out of patriotism. Some out of faith. Some just wanted the uniform, or way to pay for student loans. But all of them describe a moment when America’s wars stopped making sense to them. Across fifty years of military experience, they all come back to the same question: Are young Americans about to be asked to die for something no one can clearly explain? Get unlimited premium wireless from Mint Mobile for just $15 a month at https://www.mintmobile.com/courier Show Notes:  Check out Veterans for Peace, Common Defense, and Friends of Fisher House, Phoenix. Thanks to Joy Metzler, Juan Betancourt, Ben Feibleman, David Lucier, and Ed Anderson for sharing their stories.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Is ICE More Like the Gestapo or Slave Patrols? Yes. 20.02.2026 34min

  People keep comparing ICE to the Gestapo. But is that the right historical analogy? We we talk with public historian Ashley Baron aka @ashleytheebarroness who went viral making the argument that the comparison overlooks a home-grown analogy. We also speak with Claire Aubin who is a Nazi-era historian and host of the podcast, This Guy Sucked, to break down what the Gestapo actually was — and why the ideology behind it matters more than any one-to-one comparison people point to.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Rotisserie Chicken Killed the Housing Market (Apparently) 13.02.2026 20min

  Homeownership used to be a starter pack for adulthood. Now it feels like a luxury good. This week, Akilah asks a question most of us have yelled at Zillow at least once: when did buying a house become a fantasy? Business Insider's James Rodriguez joins to help explain how we got here and why the future might be… single-family homes you can never actually own. Get unlimited premium wireless from Mint Mobile for just $15 a month at https://www.mintmobile.com/courier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Bad Bunny, The Super Bowl, and the American Denial of Puerto Rico 06.02.2026 16min

  Your conservative uncle is wrong about Bad Bunny. So are Trump, all of MAGA, and the angry drunk guys who watch the NFL. They're mad because Bad Bunny will be performing the half time show at the Superbowl this Sunday, and he'll be singing in Spanish - you know, the language the songs are written in - and believe that that makes him fundamentally un-american.  Unfortunately, this is not a unique experience. Puerto Rico, where Bad Bunny is from, has faced this same rejection and discrimination for years. But why? What did Puerto Rico ever do to them? Becca Ramos and I are going to find out. SUBSCRIBE to How Is This Better wherever you get your podcasts including YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices