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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

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 
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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 
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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 
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How Algorithms Are Rewiring the Way We Talk

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’ chase for the next big thing?

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This episode was Produced by Jesse Remedios 

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig 
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Why Are Shows Like ‘Hunting Wives' and ‘Yellowstone’ So Popular Now?

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 those who never lived it. 

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This episode was Produced by Lori Galarreta 

Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig 
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The Generation That Inherited Hurricane Katrina

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. 

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This episode was Produced by Jesse Remedios and Lauren Kim. 

Senior Producers: Matt Martinez and Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig 
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Dating Apps and the Demise of American Romance

Some companies just build products. Others build empires — with innovative leaders who inspire fierce devotion. But when does innovation become something more like faith? Tech journalist Karen Hao joins Audie Cornish to talk about the rise of Sam Altman, the near-religious culture growing around AI, and what it all means for our future — whether you’re feeling hopeful, skeptical, or somewhere in between. 

Karen Hao’s book is called Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI 

Listen to our interview with the CEO of Microsoft AI, Mustafa Suleyman. 
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Is OpenAI Building an Empire or a Religion?

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