Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

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 recen...

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 or...

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 p...

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. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to...

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...

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...

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?...

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing virtually every facet of our lives. While there’s a lot of doom and gloom predictions, what does a future look like if we’re more intentional about using AI to actually better lives? 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. They discuss what a new appr...

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.   Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple...

Should we think of AI as a co-intelligence and digital coworker rather than just a chatbot? Ethan Mollick, a professor at Wharton and author of numerous books including the New York Times bestseller “Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI,” says so. He joins WITHpod to discuss the practical application, adoption, and transformative impact of AI on work. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Pod...

The unified class project of billionaires is doing to white collar workers what globalization and neoliberalism did to blue collar workers. And artificial intelligence is only exacerbating this trend. Derek Thompson is a contributing writer for The Atlantic, co-author of “Abundance,” and has written extensively about the political power of the wealthy. He joins Chris Hayes to kick off our new spec...

We’re excited to announce a new special WITHpod series, "The AI End Game: Power, Profit, and Progress." AI – and coverage of it – is everywhere. But what is artificial intelligence, really, beyond the buzzword? Each week, we’ll be joined by preeminent experts on AI and its effects to help make sense of this revolutionary time in history. The series will feature in-depth conversations with experts,...

The Jewish Bund was one of the most revolutionary political parties of the twentieth century. It aimed to build a socialist alternative to Zionism. Molly Crabapple is an artist and the author of the New York Times Bestseller “Here Where We Live is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund,” which tells the story of the movement. She joins WITHpod to discuss how she found her way to this story, the...

We’re sharing a bonus episode of Chris’ sit-down with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for a special edition of “All In.” In this town hall special, held at the Bronx Children's Museum, they discuss how Mamdani has been able to speak to people on both sides politically, his vision for the city and what it could mean for bigger national ideas. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to liste...

We’re in an era where it seems like get rich quick schemes, quick money, and scams of all kinds are all around. It’s become a dominant feature and cultural force in American politics and American life more broadly. And cryptocurrency is the vector by which the Trump family is making vast sums of money. The rise of crypto and the harsh truth about this is the subject of a new documentary called “Ev...

Things are pretty dire in Cuba right now as issues have ratcheted up to an almost unprecedented degree in the last few months. This is happening as President Trump says the U.S. may “stop by” Cuba after it finishes the war in Iran. Meanwhile, Cuba's president says they ‘would die' to defend against a U.S. invasion. Jon Lee Anderson is a staff writer at The New Yorker. He joins WITHpod to discuss t...

There’s a lot to unpack about the risk of a historic global oil supply shock amid the U.S. war with Iran. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and other regions continues to drive fuel hoarding, panic buying and a marked rise in costs. Meanwhile, significant hurdles continue to impede efforts to transition to more green energy. Antonia Juhasz is an investigative journalist specializing in energy, a...

The WNBA and its players union recently reached a historic collective bargaining agreement. And the league will have its first million-dollar players as a result. There’s a lot to discuss about what this moment means. Tamika Tremaglio is the former executive director of the National Basketball Players Association. She’s currently the managing director at Secretariat, a consulting firm where she le...

There’s a lot of questions about the war in Iran. And it’s a bit unclear what exactly Trump’s strategy is. Will ground troops be deployed? Could all operations focus solely on air war? Robert Pape is a professor of political science at the University of Chicago where he specializes in international security affairs. He also writes The Escalation Trap newsletter on Substack. He joins WITHpod to dis...

For decades, the Republican party and the conservative movement coalition have been cross pressured on immigration, which has been the source of immense tension. With so many changes happening, we thought it would be a good time to unpack the wave of immigration reform in Trump 2.0 and what the implications are. David Bier is the director of immigration studies and the Selz Foundation chair in imm...

We’re now in the second year of Donald Trump’s second term. And there’s a lot to be concerned about as it relates to the future of American democracy. How can everyday people push back against authoritarianism and antidemocratic forces? Zack Beauchamp is a senior correspondent at Vox. He’s also the author of “The Reactionary Spirit,” a book about this topic. Beauchamp joins WITHpod to discuss Demo...

There’s no question that we’re in the midst of one of the most intense periods of AI focus and hype. A lot of key players exist in the space and one of the biggest is Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company known for Claude, its collection of large language models. And the company’s recent feud with the Pentagon has created even more buzz. But what exactly is Claude and why is it often seen...

The United States is pretty intertwined with Latin America. So why has it historically been seen as more of a European outpost than a nation in the Western hemisphere that is part of the broader Americas? Our guest this week points out that there are other ways to understand the history and identity of the U.S. aside from the narrative that is so often a part of contemporary discourse. Greg Grandi...

We are years into uncovering new details about Jeffrey Epstein. And now we’re making sense of all of the files that have been disclosed and grappling with the fact that there are tons of redactions. Does this moment represent a MeToo 2.0? Rebecca Traister is writer at large for New York magazine.  She is the author of numerous books including “Good and Mad” and “All the Single Ladies,” both New Yo...

“MS NOW Presents: Clock It” is an invitation to the liveliest and most informed groupchat in your feed. Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels are long-time political powerhouses. And they understand more than most how culture influences politics, and the role politics plays in culture. On “Clock It,” they’re helping you put your finger on the pulse of the hottest political gossip and their of...