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Reasonably Optimistic

The Washington Post

Enough with the doom and gloom — we’re ready to talk about how America can thrive. Hosted by Washington Post Opinion columnist Megan McArdle, “Reasonably Optimistic” is your weekly conversation about how America can get unstuck and build a better future. Stop feeding your rage and start embracing our possibilities. Episodes drop Wednesdays.

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Épisodes

193 épisodes

  1. Did the 2026 midterms put religion back in politics? 1:03:24
  2. How AI went from fringe idea to unstoppable force 56:06
  3. What a reality show taught this author about modern masculinity 49:45
  4. Netflix’s next act may look a lot like old TV 27:14
  5. How the DSA is reshaping the Democratic Party 48:05
  6. What prediction markets can tell us that polls can’t 28:15
  7. The fight for fed-up voters in the 2026 midterms 38:54
  8. The overlooked businesses making Americans rich 46:32
  9. How America can recover from Trump-era politics 40:57
  10. The job interview advice Gen Z needs to hear 27:00
  11. Is AI taking Gen Z’s jobs? It’s not that simple. 50:31
  12. The $1 million prize for academics who tell unwelcome truths 1:05:26
  13. How conservatism went from Reagan to Trump 36:22
  14. Why everyone seems to hate Flock cameras 45:17
  15. What AI experts fear most 48:55
  16. This medieval revolt has a warning for today 31:03
  17. The strange truth behind our obsession with UFOs and aliens 50:18
  18. My mother’s secret changed how I think about abortion 32:51
  19. The myths fueling America’s AI data center backlash 55:06
  20. Football is back. A new CTE study asks what it costs. 16:05
  21. The hidden forces behind America’s baby bust 56:35
  22. A sociologist’s perspective on the Jason Arday story 49:54
  23. What empty pews reveal about America 52:27
  24. Why this professor lost faith in higher education 59:37
  25. Why your cost of living keeps rising 35:45
  26. Is TikTok rewiring childhood? 54:25
  27. Stop cooking the ‘right’ way 34:53
  28. How to fix higher education without destroying it 21:29
  29. A therapist on relationships, ghosting and realistic standards 46:12
  30. Why homeownership feels impossible for Gen Z 21:48
  31. What America got wrong about drug addiction 25:32
  32. Lonely Gen Z needed this wake-up call 32:37
  33. This actor drove 10,000 miles to ask men about loneliness 33:46
  34. The problem with ‘Tax the rich!’ 21:09
  35. How populists turn distrust into power 31:11
  36. Why Europeans are falling in love with America 18:05
  37. What happened when fashion moved online 32:01
  38. What's behind the South's sudden boom 17:39
  39. Modern dating is miserable. Can it be fixed? 37:20
  40. Voters can push back against unsavory politicians 13:16
  41. Is there such a thing as too much empathy? 35:42
  42. Gen Zers don’t cook. It’s costing them. 20:57
  43. Do aliens exist? I asked an astrophysicist. 37:04
  44. How weddings got so expensive 18:39
  45. Why $1 million doesn’t feel rich for Gen Z 38:48
  46. Why everyone is talking about peptides 28:46
  47. What’s going on with Ebola and hantavirus? 23:30
  48. Is life better in Europe? It's not so simple. 13:01
  49. Men are falling behind. Let's talk about it. 34:29
  50. The problem with celebrity politicians 17:39