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PODCAST

The Assignment with Audie Cornish

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.

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All Episodes

20:39

The Year in Pop Culture: AI, Gay Hockey, and Rage Bait

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/12/11

What was this year in pop culture like? A scrappy Canadian gay hockey romance becomes the internet’s obsession while big-budget, star-packed shows are dwindling. AI rage-bait memes (some from government accounts) keep hijacking the national conversation. These are just some of the pop culture moments that defined 2025. Audie and New York Magazine staff writer Rebecca Alter break it down. -- This episode was produced by Madeleine Thompson. Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director:

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27:00

Spirituality in America, from AI Jesus to Wicca

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/12/04

Audie talks with CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan about how people are reshaping their spiritual lives -- from Wicca to aliens -- and searching for new sources of meaning. Donie is exploring all of this in a new docuseries called “Devoted.” It’s available on CNN All Access.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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17:04

Putting the 'Giving' Back in Thanksgiving

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/11/27

Will an uncertain economy lead to less charitable giving this holiday season? And what if you want to give back but don’t have a lot of money? Audie talks with Sara Herschander, who covers philanthropy for Vox’s Future Perfect, about all the ways you can help.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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24:28

Is the Economy OK? Why It Might Not Feel Like It to You

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/11/20

Missed car payments, crowdfunding for groceries, prices rising on everything from rent to hummus — everyday signs that something in the economy feels...tense. But the official numbers, and even the White House, keep insisting things are steady. Audie unpacks the strange gap between how the economy looks and how it feels with CNN Business’s Senior Writer, Allison Morrow.This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer:

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40:12

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s...

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/11/13

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led her country through some of its greatest crises: the Christchurch mass shooting, a deadly volcano eruption, and a global pandemic. A new CNN documentary takes an intimate look at Ardern’s political career, filmed over seven years. Audie met Ardern at Oxford University to talk about the film, parenting in the spotlight, empathetic leadership, and what’s next. CNN Films will broadcast the television premiere of “Prime Minister” on Sunday,

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63:16

“Love is Blind” Is About More Than Dating

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/11/06

This week, Audie sits on the other side of the mic and talks about her favorite show, “Love is Blind.” Her conversation is with Anne Helen Petersen on her podcast “Culture Study.” Yes, “Love Is Blind” is reality television, but it has a lot to say about this moment in history and politics. They talk about what works and doesn't work about these shows, and what they say about us as viewers. Learn more about Anne Helen Petersen’s Culture Study newsletter and podcast. Learn more about your ad

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24:55

Horror Used to Be Escapism. Now It’s a Mirror

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/10/30

Over the past decade, horror has evolved from cheap thrills to cultural reflection—tackling everything from systemic oppression to collective trauma. Audie talks with writer and filmmaker Tananarive Due, who explains how we got here. And why, in an age defined by fear, horror might just be the healthiest thing to watch.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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27:39

What Zohran Mamdani’s Rise Says About the Future of...

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/10/23

With New York City’s mayoral election fast approaching, one candidate in particular has managed to break through the noise — even outside the five boroughs. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist-backed progressive whose campaign videos have gone viral, has become the face of a growing leftist wave. But is it a one-city phenomenon, or the beginning of something bigger? Audie talks to CNN Contributor Astead Herndon. His story about Mamdani’s campaign was just published in the New York Times

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25:17

Why Everyone Started Paying Attention to the WNBA

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/10/16

The WNBA just wrapped its most-watched season in history, with soaring team valuations and unprecedented public interest. But the league is preparing for possible labor tension as players push for greater revenue sharing and ask who really benefits from its success. Audie turns to CNN contributor and host of Naked Sports, Cari Champion, to talk about what the next era of the WNBA could look like: the economics of the game and how a new competitor could redefine ownership, competition, and

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31:07

Why Orwell's '1984' is having a moment in 2025

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/10/09

Film director Raoul Peck grew up in Haiti and the Congo, and is no stranger to authoritarianism. So it was an easy “yes” when he was offered access to author George Orwell’s entire body of work, from the original manuscript of “1984” to letters and journals. The result is “Orwell: 2+2=5,” a documentary about how a man named Eric Arthur Blair became the timeless face of truth. Peck talks to Audie about his take on Orwell’s legacy and what it still has to teach us. -- This episode was Produced by

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37:30

Uncovering the Story of Police Torture in Chicago

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/10/02

This week The Assignment presents the first episode of CNN’s powerful narrative series, Tortured Justice with Omar Jimenez. It’s the story of systemic torture carried out by the Chicago police department over many years starting in the 1980s. The series focuses on James Gibson, who was wrongly convicted and tortured, Andrew Wilson, whose guilt for killing two police officers has not been questioned even as people learned of his torture, and Jon Burge, a police commander who oversaw

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28:06

How MAGA and Billionaires Are Reshaping What Media...

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/09/25

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel returned to TV after being suspended for his comments on Charlie Kirk's assassination. It was the latest sign of political pressure shaping the media landscape into something that may have been unrecognizable a decade ago. So how did we get here, and where are we headed? Axios media correspondent and CNN contributor Sara Fischer talks about the forces at play and how they’re influencing everything from talk shows to social media algorithms. This episode was Produced

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26:10

How to Break the Cycle of Political Violence

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/09/18

Charlie Kirk’s assassination may be part of a larger “political realignment” in America, that’s according to Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a leading scholar on political violence. She explains what it is, why it's violent, how it could get worse, and possible paths out.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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27:17

How Algorithms Are Rewiring the Way We Talk

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/09/11

Social media doesn’t just decide what you see — it shapes how you speak. Audie talks to linguist, author and educational influencer, Adam Aleksic to explore how the way we communicate is mutating in the age of TikTok, Trump, and ChatGPT. Adam’s book is called, “Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language.” -- This episode was Produced by Lori Galarreta Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about

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24:51

Why Are Shows Like ‘Hunting Wives' and ‘Yellowstone’...

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/09/04

One of the biggest shows of the summer was Netflix’s “Hunting Wives,” a raunchy, soapy thriller about gun-toting Texas housewives. It’s the latest hit in a growing wave of so-called “red state entertainment” finding audiences everywhere. Audie calls up comedian and longtime television producer Larry Wilmore to find out what’s driving Hollywood’s pronounced shift away from the hard lean into wokeness we saw just a few years ago. Is this a lasting change, or just another spin of the wheel in studios’

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27:19

The Generation That Inherited Hurricane Katrina

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/08/28

It’s been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. But for many, the storm is not just a memory, it’s an inheritance. At Be Loud Studios, an after-school program that helps young people tell their stories through radio, educator Alex Owens created Born After the Storm a podcast where local teens reflect on Katrina’s legacy. Audie sits down with high school senior Amari Walton, one of the storytellers, and Alex, who leads the program, to hear how the storm’s impact lives on through

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22:57

Dating Apps and the Demise of American Romance

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/08/21

Dating apps are reporting record breaking numbers. Yet surveys show people across generations and sexualities are partnering less, having less sex, and are feeling increasingly pessimistic about the state of American romance. So what’s going on? Audie sits down with Faith Hill – staff writer at The Atlantic, who closely covers ‘The Slow, Quiet Demise of American Romance’ – for a breakdown of the uniquely modern challenges and consequences of searching for love on your phone. -- This episode was

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26:49

The Offline Rebellion of the Most Online Generation

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/08/14

Audie talks with artist and organizer Kennedy McDaniel about how she, and others in her generation -- Gen Z -- are finding connection and power offline through an old school medium: zines. This episode was Produced by Lori Galarreta. Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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35:58

Are Respectability Politics Over?

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/08/07

Kamala Harris is stepping back. And Jasmine Crockett – the fiery Texas congresswoman known for viral clapbacks – is turning heads. This week, Audie asks: are “respectability politics” still the price of power for Black politicians, or are the rules finally changing in the age of Trump? NOTUS White House Correspondent Jasmine Wright and GOP Strategist Melik Abdul to help her parse it out. The Assignment is a production of CNN Podcasts. This episode was Produced by Jesse Remedios and Sofia Sanchez

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28:55

What the Recent Obsession with Yachts Says About...

The Assignment with Audie Cornish ·

2025/07/31

We’re living in a golden age of yachts, bunkers, and ultra-wealth – and social media is eating it up. Audie talks with journalist and author Evan Osnos about what this era reveals about American culture and class. His book is called, “The Haves and Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich.” The Assignment is a production of CNN Podcasts. This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta and Grace Walker. Our Senior Producer is Matt Martinez. Dan Dzula is our Technical Director and Steve Lickteig is

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119 results

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