Engagement Party

Why is there such stigma attached to getting older? How can we prepare to transition through the different stages of life? Those are some of the questions CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is exploring on the latest season of his podcast Chasing Life. Audie sits down with Sanjay to talk about his approach to this season, and we’ll hear the first episode which features a lovely int...

TikTok has turned the traditional music industry on its head. Users on the platform are dictating hits before they reach the charts and revolutionizing the way artists are discovered. But what happens to the creative process when "going viral” takes center stage? This week, Audie talks with songwriter Kaydence and Hip-hop artist Armani White about the TikTok-ification of music, hooking listeners,...

The Supreme Court just completed a historic term that sent the country spinning and CNN’s own Joan Biskupic is here to help make sense of it all. Joan’s 30-year career reporting on the court has afforded her a front row seat to its profound changes. Her newest book is titled Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court's Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences. Transcripts and previous epis...

Larry Wilmore’s influence as a writer and producer spans shows from “In Living Color” to “The Bernie Mac Show” to “The Daily Show.” He’s acutely aware of the role that television plays in our lives and in shaping our understanding of American identity. Today’s Assignment: Larry Wilmore on his prolific career in television, mentoring younger writers, dapping up President Obama, and what he’s workin...

The pandemic kicked off a dramatic rise in homeschooling. And who had the largest increase? Black families. This week, Audie talks with two parents who chose to homeschool their children, Carlos Birdsong and Sherri Mehta. They talk about what it’s like to be a part of the Black homeschooling movement, how they’re altering the public image of homeschooling, and whether they see themselves as part o...

One year after Roe v Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, we were wondering: what is happening to people caught up in the web of changing law? It's been a tumultuous and uncertain era for reproductive rights, so this week The Assignment checks in on the activists at the frontline defending women who are being criminally prosecuted under state laws that restrict or ban abortio...

This week, Audie visits a restaurant that got rid of tipping, and looks into the movement to get rid of the practice all together. Our guests are Amanda Cohen, chef and owner of Dirt Candy, a no-tipping restaurant in Manhattan, and David Stockwell, co-owner of Faun in Brooklyn. We talk about the value – versus the cost – of good service, what the pandemic revealed about how customers really feel a...

Today, we explore the perils of social media on kids and the way families are fighting back against big tech. First, how the experience of Candace Wuest and her daughter CeCe show the consequences of social media on kids. Then, journalist Kara Swisher takes us through the long view on big tech companies, and finally, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talks us through his potential solution...

Staffing shortages caused major disruptions for air travelers last summer. Now air crew unions are pushing back against their bosses and losing patience with customers.  From "no toe nail clipping" to "leave the crying babies alone," we hear advice on how to make everyone’s flight experience better this summer. Our guests are Keturah Johnson, international vice president of the Association of Flig...

Why is astrology having such a moment? The business of astrology — estimated to be worth more than $2 billion — is booming: apps, classes, conferences, startups. All being fueled by the social media age. This week Audie looks to the heavens with two world-renowned astrologers, Jennifer Freed and Chani Nicholas. They explore astrology’s popularity as well as the meaning and history of this ancient...

How has technology reshaped the migrant journey? When the Trump-era immigration policy called Title 42 expired, misinformation proliferated on social media platforms that migrants use to communicate and to navigate their way to the U.S. Audie talks with CNN's Rosa Flores about the reality on the ground, and how migrants are navigating sometimes conflicting and confusing messaging.  To learn more a...

What’s it like to be at the forefront of a cultural backlash? Academic and author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi certainly knows. His books, “How to Be an Antiracist,” and its follow-up, a youth-friendly version called, “How to Be a (Young) Antiracist,” teach readers how to actively fight racism instead of passively acknowledging it. Audie talks with Dr. Kendi about the backlash around “wokeness,” antiracism,...

This week, the Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy addressed the epidemic of loneliness Americans are facing. As a way of combatting the feelings of isolation, Dr. Murthy laid out a six-pillar plan rooted in social connection. What's not mentioned in his plan... artificial intelligence or chatbots. But that hasn't stopped folks from turning to them in times of distress. In this episode, we explore th...

Remember the Chinese spy balloon? Since then, we’ve seen leaked Pentagon spy documents on Discord and the discovery of fake Chinese police stations used for surveillance in the U.S. The line between espionage and everyday surveillance/data collection is more blurred than ever, thanks to the integration of technology into our daily lives. All of us are walking pieces of data being gobbled up and an...

Are we cycling through fashion trends faster than ever? Cores, aesthetics, and those big red boots! Our Assignment this week is a deep dive into how the social media algorithm is turning each of us into mini-fashionistas, and whether fashion trends can help us understand the state of the economy. Audie’s guests are trend forecaster Agustina Panzoni and culture critic Terry Nguyen.  To learn more a...

Can Country music help lead the U.S. out of the gun debate? There is a long history of famous country musicians using their platforms to comment on social and political issues. But since the lead singer of The Chicks, Natalie Maines, was ostracized after criticizing then President George W. Bush, country music stars have felt safer keeping their political views out of the public eye. Musician Ketc...

Why is everyone talking about their “attachment style” or “boundaries” and “triggers”? Therapy speak, both online and IRL, has become a normal part of our daily discourse – especially since the pandemic brought mental health issues to the forefront. Audie talks to two psychologists, Dr. Arianna Brandolini and Dr. Luana Marques, about how widespread use of the language of their profession can both...

We have trained a generation of people how to think about, respond to, and survive a mass shooting, including children. Educators and law enforcement officials have developed curricula for schools to help teachers and students survive a shooting. The foundation for this teaching comes in large part from the work of Katherine Schweit. She is a former FBI Agent, author of the book, “Stop the Killing...

The past few weeks have been head spinning: U.S. job numbers? Solid... except for those layoffs in the tech sector. Inflation? Slowly dropping... but still high. Not to mention the bank failures...   It all has made us wonder: Why was it so hard for economists to predict this? What will happen next? And what does it mean for folks caught in the middle of high inflation? Audie gets an assignment fr...

The Assignment is returning with new episodes every Thursday, and we're taking some of our assignments from you, including: trying to figure out our baffling economy, the rise of therapy speak online and in our daily lives, and delving into the world of absurdist fashion trends.  New episodes start dropping March 23rd. Thanks for listening!    To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy,...

The Assignment is hard at work reporting more stories about the people living the headlines. We’ll have new episodes in the feed starting March 23rd. In the meantime, here’s a special episode of another podcast that we think will bring a smile to your face. It’s called Story of the Week. Each week, journalist Joel Stein chooses an article that fascinates him, convinces the writer to tell him about...

The Assignment is taking a short break, we’ll be back with new episodes on March 23rd. In the meantime, we want to highlight the good work of some our colleagues and partners. This week, Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. In this sixth season, he explores how technology has disrupted our lives, the ways we interact with each other, work, learn, and even grow up. This season looks at the impact al...

Can puppets help us bridge the political divide? Probably not. But there’s one guy in Arizona who’s trying. If you saw Audie on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, you might have heard her mention a listener who called in about his R-rated puppet theater. His name is Shaun McNamara, and he’s the director of the All Puppet Players in Phoenix. His pitch: doing political humor in a red state. But wit...

Do new unions need “Big Labor”? There is a new generation of labor organizers in the United States: baristas, warehouse workers, and grocers. They are organizing shop-by-shop and relying less on traditional big labor unions. Audie talks with longtime labor activist Erica Smiley, executive director of Jobs with Justice, and Nabretta Hardin, a Starbucks union organizer in Memphis, about legacy union...

When Buffalo Bills tight end Damar Hamlin collapsed of cardiac arrest after making a tackle, it set off a flurry of think pieces and debates about the safety and future of football. But with over 100 million viewers expected to watch the Super Bowl this year, it seems like football’s future is pretty clear. So, if a player almost dying on the field isn't enough to stir a longer, sustained debate a...