Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast

There’s no question that we’re in the midst of one of the most intense periods of AI focus and hype. A lot of key players exist in the space and one of the biggest is Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company known for Claude, its collection of large language models. And the company’s recent feud with the Pentagon has created even more buzz. But what exactly is Claude and why is it often seen as so difficult to understand that question? Gideon Lewis-Kraus is a staff writer at The New Yorker. He joins WITHpod to discuss how Claude works, automation’s threat to knowledge work and more. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The United States is pretty intertwined with Latin America. So why has it historically been seen as more of a European outpost than a nation in the Western hemisphere that is part of the broader Americas? Our guest this week points out that there are other ways to understand the history and identity of the U.S. aside from the narrative that is so often a part of contemporary discourse. Greg Grandin is the C. Vann Woodard Professor of History at Yale and the author of “America, América: A New History of the New World.” He joins WITHpod to discuss a revolutionary concept of the “New World,” democratic backsliding in the U.S., why he says we should rethink hemispheric history, and more.  Note: this episode was recorded on 4/17/25.  Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We are years into uncovering new details about Jeffrey Epstein. And now we’re making sense of all of the files that have been disclosed and grappling with the fact that there are tons of redactions. Does this moment represent a MeToo 2.0? Rebecca Traister is writer at large for New York magazine.  She is the author of numerous books including “Good and Mad” and “All the Single Ladies,” both New York Times best-sellers. She joins WITHpod to discuss the trajectory of MeToo, how this moment represents a recapitulation of the first MeToo movement and more. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“MS NOW Presents: Clock It” is an invitation to the liveliest and most informed groupchat in your feed. Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels are long-time political powerhouses. And they understand more than most how culture influences politics, and the role politics plays in culture. On “Clock It,” they’re helping you put your finger on the pulse of the hottest political gossip and their off-air conversations too colorful for TV.In the first episode of their new show, “Clock It,” they’re joined by actors Tony Goldwyn and Myles Frost for a conversation about making thought-provoking art when political tensions are at their highest. And they dig in on the Super Bowl halftime show, why cuts to The Washington Post matter for democracy, and the race to the Senate in Texas.Stay here to get a sneak peek. Then search and follow the show to get new episodes every Thursday. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chris’ book, “The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource” is out in paperback now. As part of the release of the paperback, Chris sat down with author and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt to discuss the attention economy in this moment. We're thrilled to share the event, which was held at The Strand bookstore in NYC, with you.   Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels were once at odds as White House staffer and White House reporter. Now they’re friends and colleagues—each co-hosting their own shows at MS NOW. But their off-air conversations are where the real action is. Their new show, “MS NOW Presents: Clock It” is an invitation to their groupchat, the liveliest—and most informative—in news. Whether it’s ICE getting dispatched to the Super Bowl because Bad Bunny’s doing the halftime show, or Nicolás Maduro’s Nike Tech fit, or Michael B. Jordan’s sole Oscar nomination despite playing three roles in Sinners, there is no collision between culture and politics that this show won’t document and decipher. Symone and Eugene see exactly what’s going on—and they want you to clock it, too. New episodes drop every Thursday, starting February 12th. Search for “MS NOW Presents: Clock It” and hit “follow” so you don’t miss an episode. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So much has unfolded in Minneapolis over the past few weeks following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. There’s a lot to unpack in the aftermath. Jacob Soboroff, MS NOW senior political and national reporter and Alex Wagner, MS NOW senior political analyst, discuss on the ground reporting in Minneapolis, the implications of what has happened and more. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Almost every aspect of our life from the likes we get on social media to the professional metrics we receive have been in some ways gamified. Games are basically everywhere. What impact does this gamification have on our lives? C. Thi Nguyen is a philosophy professor at the University of Utah and the author of “The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game.” He joins WITHpod to discuss why we’ve gamified so many things, why we are so drawn to keeping score, recapturing value that can’t be obtained from data and more. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It was only a year ago that Los Angeles was devastated by some of the worst wildfires in recent recorded history. Jacob Soboroff is the Senior Political and National Reporter for MS NOW and the New York Times best-selling author of "Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster.” He joins WITHpod to discuss his own personal connection and story with his childhood home burning down, the politics of rebuilding and more. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's been a little more than a week since the United States invaded Venezuela and abducted its president Nicolás Maduro. Trump has contended that Venezuela, which reportedly has the world’s largest known oil reserves, has "unilaterally seized and sold American oil." There's a lot to discuss about the geopolitical context and how it intersects with new energy developments. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is the creator of a new energy plan and joins Chris Hayes to talk about that plan, his reaction to Venezuela and more.   Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listen to this special invitation from Rachel Maddow and sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to take advantage of a 3-month free trial!With MS NOW Premium, you can get our entire suite of podcasts – everything from “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” to “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace” – all ad-free. As a subscriber, you also get early access to select shows, plus exclusive bonus content – like a new episode of “Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order,” out Friday. Sign up right here, then search “Burn Order” to listen to that Premium episode.There’s a lot in store for 2026. So to celebrate the new year, we’re giving away 3 months free if you sign up by the end of January! It’s just $2.99/month or $29.99/year after that. Thanks for listening! Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Autonomous vehicle technology and safety has changed drastically recently. Once thought of as a far off goal, we’re now at a point where self-driving cars have begun operating at quite a sophisticated and high level. But there's still a lot of work to be done before these vehicles become more mainstream. Tim Lee is a journalist and the founder of Understanding AI. He joins WITHpod to discuss advancements in autonomous tech, the impact on jobs, safety concerns and more. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Happy New Year! Given the holidays, we're re-sharing one of our most memorable conversations. You’ve probably come across content online that seems real but is actually fake. And that experience is becoming more common with the proliferation of AI generated content. Our guest this week points out that the mental gymnastics of this starts to take a toll. Jia Tolentino, a staff writer at The New Yorker, wrote a piece all about this aptly titled, “My Brain Finally Broke.”  She joins WITHpod to discuss how AI is changing our perception of the world, how online content can make us more likely to detach from reality and more. Note: this episode was recorded on 6/11/25.  Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re approaching the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2026. There’s been a few inflection points recently, including talks of a peace deal amidst the gruesome conflict. Tim Mak is a journalist and the founder of The Counteroffensive, which covers the war in Ukraine from a human interest perspective. He joins WITHpod to discuss what life has been like for him living in Kyiv, what he sees as a possible way forward politically and more.   Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Saudi Arabia has executed more than 335 people this year, according to a tally by international news agency AFP. It’s something that hasn’t gotten much coverage in the U.S. What’s behind this killing spree? Ebtihal Mubarak is a journalist from Saudi Arabia, who now lives in the U.S. She joins WITHpod to discuss what’s been driving this trend, relations with the U.S., the role that Saudi Arabia’s entertainment industry plays in perceptions of the country and more. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Political violence has become an increasingly urgent issue in Trump 2.0. Elected officials continue to grapple with what’s driving this. Why does it flummox officials from both parties so much? That’s the subject of a recent piece, “In The Line of Fire,” written by Benjamin Wallace-Wells, a staff writer at The New Yorker. He joins WITHpod to discuss the marked rise of political violence in the U.S., what it means for the way politicians engage with constituents and more.   Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Senator Chuck Schumer posted this week in part, “Trump’s only principles are hypocrisy and corruption. Bombing unmarked boats in the Caribbean one day, pardoning notorious drug traffickers the next.” How can such high levels of corruption happen and what has led us to this point? Journalist and author David Sirota points out that the staggering levels of corruption that we’re seeing within U.S. politics right now is the result of a decades long agenda to essentially make anti-bribery laws unenforceable. Sirota is a co-author of “Master Plan: The Hidden Plot To Legalize Corruption In America” and the founder and editor-in-chief of The Lever. He joins WITHpod to discuss historical parallels to the present moment, corruption being normalized and more. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rachel Maddow’s new series lays bare one of the most shocking decisions in American history. It’s story that reveals how an executive order authorizing the mass roundup of innocent Japanese Americans came to be, the powerful players who engineered it, and the burn order that tried to erase it from history.Stay right here to listen to a special preview of “Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order.” And for the full episode, search for “Burn Order” and follow the show. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Well, the government shutdown is over, but if you ask most Democrats about the unresolved challenge that the shutdown was about, the answer would be healthcare. This week the White House postponed its planned rollout of a new proposal to address health care costs. And with open enrollment season upon us, millions of Americans are already seeing higher health insurance costs as subsidies are set to expire. Jonathan Cohn is a senior national correspondent at The Bulwark and the author of “Sick: The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis— and the People Who Pay the Price” and “The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage.” He joins WITHpod to discuss what’s driving higher prices, biggest inflection points since the Affordable Care Act was passed and what he sees as the most viable next steps. Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order" is the story of one of the most shocking decisions in American history: the executive order to target and round up innocent citizens, Japanese Americans, at the outbreak of World War II. This six-episode narrative podcast will examine and shed new light on how that policy came to be, who was behind it, who attempted to stop it, and the heroism needed to end the policy for good. Listen to the trailer here and search for “Burn Order” to follow the show. The first two episodes drop December 1st.  Sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads. You'll also get exclusive bonus content from this and other shows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.