How Is This Better?

Since Trump took office (again) in January 2025, pretty much EVERYTHING has gone downhill. And it seems like the administration even knows it. "Give us another chance, or give us another couple of years," Vice President JD Vance pleaded during an appearance on the "All In" podcast.Akilah Hughes breaks down 10 things (there are more) that are definitely worse now. Are you willing to give them "another chance"?Subscribe to How Is This Better? on YouTube or hit follow wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Akilah Hughes sits down with Cassie Willson to unpack the (media manufactured?) controversy over Zohran Mamdani’s influencer strategy,. Akilah and Cassie were both mentioned by different NY outlets, The New York Times and The New York Post respectively. They discuss why these traditional media are freaking out, and the double standard when it comes to *actually shady* coordination with right-wing creators and conservative administrations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denny Carter joins me to break down the wave of gambling in sports – from the scores, to the stats, to the moment-to-moment plays. We also talk about prediction markets and celebrities who are getting in on the action. We're looking at you Lebron James and Sydney Sweeney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when AI starts to feel like something you can talk to... confide in even? Akilah Hughes talks to tech and culture podcaster Bridget Todd about the surprisingly common phenomenon of AI intimacy, and why laughing at people with AI boyfriends might mean we're missing the bigger story.  Check out Bridget's new audiobook, Love at First Prompt: AI and the Future of Intimacy and her amazing podcast, There Are No Girls on the Internet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After you watch/listen to this, check out this video from Aidin Robbins. Original description: Last year, Donald Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sent a letter to 1000 probationary National Parks staff – firing them – only to reinstate them weeks later. Pretty INefficient…   But that wasn’t just a distraction. It wasn’t just a fumble. It was the opening salvo for a plan, laid out in Project 2025, to dismantle protections for National Parks.  It’s all got Akilah Hughes wondering – if she wants to cross going to Yosemite off her bucket list…is it now or never? Guests: Kristen Brengel, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, ⁠National Parks Conservation Association ⁠ Steven Beissinger, Professor of Conservation Biology and A. Starker Leopold Professor of Wildlife Ecology, UC Berkeley ⁠Adam Auerbach⁠, conservation non-profit leader, former RMNP Ranger Follow this show wherever you get your podcasts. ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠COURIER YouTube⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices