Home Podcasts Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast
Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

MS NOW, Chris Hayes 456 Episodes Oct 13, 2026

Every week Chris Hayes asks the big questions that keep him up at night. How do we make sense of this unprecedented moment in world history? Why is this (all) happening? This podcast starts to answer these questions. Writers, experts, and thinkers who are also trying to get to the bottom of them join Chris to break it all down and help him get a better night’s rest.

Episodes

Dissecting Our Culture of Dehumanization, with Anand Giridharadas
Dissecting Our Culture of Dehumanization, with Anand Giridharadas Oct 13, 2026 00:54:45 In 2023, a former Marine strangled a homeless Michael Jackson impersonator to death on a New York City subway. The story became national news, as Americans chose sides, either demanding justice for another Black man’s death at the hands of a white man or defending the actions of a former soldier who said he believed he was protecting the car’s passengers. Anand Giridharadas chronicled this deadly
We Have the Climate Solutions with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
We Have the Climate Solutions with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Oct 6, 2026 00:52:49 Americans are stressed about a lot. As a result, climate change is often left out of the national conversation. Marine biologist and co-author of the Blue New Deal Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson joins Chris to discuss how transitioning to clean, green energy is not only cheaper than gas but also hugely important if America wants to keep up with China. They also talk about oil companies profiting off
The Truth about Black Single Motherhood with Jamilah Lemieux
The Truth about Black Single Motherhood with Jamilah Lemieux Sep 29, 2026 00:48:40 Writer and cultural critic Jamilah Lemieux published a collection of personal essays and testimonies called “Black. Single. Mother.” in March. When she joined Chris to talk about her experience of writing the book and then touring the country to promote it a few months later, she said she’d been changed. “I went into this book wanting to defend us, you know, wanting to stand up for us, wanting to
'They Are Scheming' with Alex Bores
'They Are Scheming' with Alex Bores Sep 22, 2026 00:59:24 Alex Bores, elected assembly member for the 73rd District of New York, a computer scientist, and co-founder of Who Decides, an effort to align the Democratic message on AI, joins Chris this week. Together, they sort through the Hugging Face incident, in which AI agents went rogue, and what it tells us about where we are with AI right now. And the answer is ... in a strange place. Because what's co
‘End Times Fascism’ with Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor
‘End Times Fascism’ with Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor Sep 15, 2026 00:53:10 Is the apocalyptic mood in our culture today just in our imagination, or are we witnessing the rise of a dangerous new political reality? Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor co-authored ‘End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World' to help answer that question. They join WITHpod to discuss how the far-right has shifted from climate denialism to weaponizing ecological and economic crises, creati
Will The Sports Bubble Pop? With Pablo Torre
Will The Sports Bubble Pop? With Pablo Torre Sep 8, 2026 00:49:51 The valuations for sports teams have increased exponentially in recent years. It’s almost an understatement to say that sports is big business. What does this mean for the mechanics of sports operations? Pablo Torre is a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and the host, executive editor, and co-owner of Pablo Torre Finds Out. Torre also recently reported on a bombshell alleged shell game of investme
’The Nerd Reich’ with Gil Durán
’The Nerd Reich’ with Gil Durán Sep 1, 2026 00:53:22 Silicon Valley was once viewed as a center-left stronghold where tech founders partnered with Democrats to push clean energy and digital innovation. But today, the world’s most powerful tech titans in many cases are bankrolling right-wing authoritarianism, promoting anti-democratic ideologies. Gil Durán is the author of “The Nerd Reich Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy.” He joins WIT
The AI End Game: Boom to Bust? with Ed Zitron
The AI End Game: Boom to Bust? with Ed Zitron Aug 25, 2026 00:55:23 There’s a lot to unpack about the economic effects of artificial intelligence. It’s clear that artificial intelligence is having a moment (to say the least) and that it has a profound impact on global GDP. But is it just a boom that will bust? Ed Zitron, author and host of the “Better Offline” podcast, is deeply worried about the long-term viability of the industry. He points out that AI lacks the
How to Stop Dictators with Zack Beauchamp
How to Stop Dictators with Zack Beauchamp Aug 18, 2026 01:06:10 We’re now in the second year of Donald Trump’s second term. And there’s a lot to be concerned about as it relates to the future of American democracy. How can everyday people push back against authoritarianism and antidemocratic forces? Zack Beauchamp is a senior correspondent at Vox. He’s also the author of “The Reactionary Spirit,” a book about this topic. Beauchamp joins WITHpod to discuss Demo
Fossil Fuels: A ‘Weapon of War’ with Antonia Juhasz
Fossil Fuels: A ‘Weapon of War’ with Antonia Juhasz Aug 11, 2026 00:54:27 There’s a lot to unpack about the risk of a historic global oil supply shock amid the U.S. war with Iran. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and other regions continues to drive fuel hoarding, panic buying and a marked rise in costs. Meanwhile, significant hurdles continue to impede efforts to transition to more green energy. Antonia Juhasz is an investigative journalist specializing in energy, a
Where Do EVs Go From Here? with Patrick George
Where Do EVs Go From Here? with Patrick George Aug 4, 2026 00:53:44 This was the first summer that Chris and his family took their annual road trip in an electric vehicle through the Midwest. It was doable, but not without some challenges. Where are we with regards to EVs in the U.S. and where do we go from here? Patrick George is the Detroit Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal. He joins WITHpod to discuss the logistics, policy and infrastructure hurdles that
The 'Broken' U.S. Border with Ken Salazar
The 'Broken' U.S. Border with Ken Salazar Jul 28, 2026 00:46:45 There’s no question that Trump’s 2024 win was in large part driven by chaos at the border. He still polls best in this area even as approval rates fall in other areas like inflation. There’s a lot to discuss about why this is the case. Ken Salazar is a former senator from Colorado, served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013 and as United States ambassado

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