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“Meme Wars:” The Digital Underworld That Led to Jan. 6

17m 55s
The internet has redefined American politics in many ways. Among the most significant is the increasing use of memes by politicians and extremist groups. Once dismissed as an online joke, memes have proved to be effective tools for energizing a base -- and effective weapons in attacks on opponents. Joan Donovan and Emily Dreyfuss investigate the digital underworld in their new book "Meme Wars."
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Barbara F. Walter: "How Civil Wars Start"

17m 42s
Democracy in America is balanced on a knife edge, says political scientist Barbara F. Walter, but it may not be too late to rescue it. Walter is the author of "How Civil Wars Start" and she speaks with Hari Sreenivasan about how America can prevent another one from starting.
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The Trump World’s Assault on U.S. Election Workers

17m 23s
Early voters in crucial swing states are already experiencing intimidation, and the Justice Department is warning of heightened threats against election workers. Award-winning investigative journalist Linda So talks to Hari Sreenivasan about the seriousness of this danger to American democracy.
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“It’s Been Devastating:" Legal Expert on Roe Overturn

17m 28s
Abortion is a key issue for voters in the upcoming midterms, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. In June, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision eradicated the constitutional right to abortion. Our next guest sees the fallout from Dobbs continuing for years. Kimberly Mutcherson is an award-winning reproductive rights legal scholar and co-dean of Rutgers Law School.
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How Samuel Adams Fomented Revolution

17m 48s
Stacy Schiff has written biographies of some of history’s most fascinating figures, from Cleopatra to the witches of Salem. Now, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian is turning to an American revolutionary. In her new book about Samuel Adams, Schiff argues he’s one of the country’s most essential founding fathers. She explains to Walter Isaacson how someone so important could be forgotten.
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Journalist Who Fled Russia Discusses Putin's War

18m 11s
Russian journalist and editor-in-chief of The New Times Yevgenia Albats fled Moscow in August after a court found her guilty of “spreading false information.” She is just one more casualty of the Kremlin’s crackdown on freedom of expression and independent media. Albats speaks with Michel Martin about why she will never stop fighting for truth.
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Jon Meacham on the Complexities and Conscience of Lincoln

18m 4s
Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and bestselling author Jon Meacham charts the life of Abraham Lincoln in his new book, "And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle." Meacham speaks with Walter Isaacson about the reasoning behind some of Lincoln’s most difficult decisions and the lessons his political era can offer modern-day America.
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MacArthur Winner: What Mass Incarceration Says About Us

17m 28s
Sociologist and criminologist Reuben J. Miller is one of this year’s recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “genius grant.” Miller was awarded the grant for his work examining the consequences of incarceration on individuals and families. He joins Michel Martin to discuss his work.
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Steve Case on a New Era of Entrepreneurship

16m 1s
Entrepreneur Steve Case has travelled across the country to promote startups away from traditional investor cities. It's all detailed in his new book, "The Rise of the Rest," Case's account of the nationwide tour of the same name. Case speaks with Walter Isaacson about why he is optimistic for America’s future.
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Robert Draper on New Book "Weapons of Mass Delusion"

18m 13s
A majority of Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections have either expressed doubt about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, or rejected the result outright. What is the future of the GOP? Author and journalist Robert Draper examines Republican election denial as a challenge to American democracy itself, as laid out in his new book, "Weapons of Mass Delusion."
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America’s Black Soldiers in WWII

17m 52s
In his new book, author Matthew Delmont explores the contributions and sacrifices of Black American soldiers in World War II. Delmont speaks with Walter Isaacson about Black Americans' fight against fascism abroad -- and racism at home.
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Son of Atlanta Spa Shooting Victim Speaks Out

18m 14s
The horrific spa shootings that rocked Atlanta in 2021 left eight people dead -- including six Asian women -- and an Asian American community shrouded in grief and fear. A new documentary on PBS.org, "Rising Against Asian Hate," explores the story in searing detail. Executive producer Gina Kim and Robert Peterson – whose mother was killed in the shootings – join Hari Sreenivasan to discuss.
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The Failed Age of Globalization & a New Era of "Homecoming"

16m 51s
As the global economy faces increasing pressure, our next guest is making the case that the era of globalization is over. Rana Foroohar is a global economic analyst for CNN and columnist at the Financial Times. In her new book, "Homecoming," Foroohar examines ways in which events like COVID-19, and Russia's war on Ukraine, have disrupted fragile global supply chains.
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ACLU Attorney Chase Strangio on Transgender Rights

17m 31s
As the midterm elections approach, transgender rights are in the spotlight. Multiple states, including Texas and Alabama, have passed restrictions that affect trans people. Chase Strangio is deputy director for transgender justice at the American Civil Liberties Union, and he speaks with Hari Sreenivasan about misconceptions surrounding transgender health and rights.
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Noah Feldman on Pivotal Upcoming Supreme Court Cases

17m 4s
The new U.S. Supreme Court term has begun, with cases involving religious rights, affirmative action, and election law on the docket. Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman joins Walter Isaacson to discuss the power in the hands of the Court's 6-3 conservative supermajority.
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“Of Boys and Men:” Why the Modern Male Is Struggling

17m 29s
From the classroom to the workplace, many American boys and men are struggling. According to author Richard Reeves, decades of government efforts to empower women and girls have produced results -- but males are being sidelined by the modern economy. Reeves joins Hari Sreenivasan to explain how this issue might be addressed.
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At Least 173 Election Deniers Likely to Win Key Races

16m 46s
Voting is already in progress for the midterm elections. Inflation, abortion rights and the integrity of the electoral process are among the issues to be decided. Nearly 300 candidates who deny the results of the 2020 elections will be running for office and affecting the future of American democracy. Reporter Astead Herndon joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss the crucial run-up to these midterms.
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Jann Wenner’s Rolling Stone: Jagger, Dylan, Leibovitz & More

18m 8s
Jann Wenner, founder of "Rolling Stone" magazine, defined a generation of artists. Wenner was instrumental in the careers of figures like photographer Annie Leibovitz and writer Tom Wolfe. Wenner details his own life in a new autobiography that’s already a New York Times bestseller. He speaks with Walter Isaacson about rock and roll -- and his iconic magazine.
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Wendell Pierce is Broadway’s First Black Willy Loman

17m 55s
Actor Wendell Pierce is taking on a timeless American classic, starring as Willy Loman in a Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s "Death of a Salesman," with the first-ever Black Loman family at center stage. Pierce speaks with Walter Isaacson about the play's political implications -- and what it means to him on a personal level.
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