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CNN Podcasts

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.

The Assignment with Audie Cornish

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, November 16 at 9pm ET/PT on CNN. “Prime Minister” will be available to stream the next day for subscribers of CNN’s All Access streaming offering. 

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This episode was produced by Madeleine Thompson and Osman Noor 

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig 
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Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Next Act

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.
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“Love is Blind” Is About More Than Dating

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

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 Magazine. He is now a host and Editorial Director at Vox. 
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What Zohran Mamdani’s Rise Says About the Future of the Left

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 opportunity for female athletes. 
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Why Everyone Started Paying Attention to the WNBA

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. 

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This episode was Produced by Madeleine Thompson and Lori Galarreta 

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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 torture. 

Subscribe to the podcast to hear all the episodes. And read more about how Omar reported the story. 

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Producers: Graelyn Brashear, Madeleine Thompson, Emily Williams, Kyra Dahring, Sofia Sanchez, and Lauren Kim 

Editor: Lacy Roberts 

Technical director: Dan Dzula 

Executive producer of CNN Podcasts: Steve Lickteig 

Production help from: Jake Sorgen, Joe DeCeault, David Guggenheim, Jessica Pupovac 

Special thanks to: Ferlon Webster, Jr. and Ed Kelly 
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Uncovering the Story of Police Torture in Chicago

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 by Lori Galarreta and Madeleine Thompson

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig 
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How MAGA and Billionaires Are Reshaping What Media You Consume

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.

This episode was Produced by Lori Galarreta and Jesse Remedios

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to Break the Cycle of Political Violence

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.” 

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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

How Algorithms Are Rewiring the Way We Talk

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 with puppets. So, we called him up for chat. 
 
We’re taking a short break with this episode. We’ll be back in your feeds in a few weeks. If YOU have an assignment for us, just like Shaun, you can give us a call and leave us a voicemail at 202-854-8802. You can record a voice memo on your phone and email that to us at: theassignmentcnn@gmail.com. 
To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
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Politics, But Make It Puppets

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