Episode notes
Less than two weeks before the October 7 attack, Egypt’s top spy flew to Israel with a warning about Gaza. In this special episode of Radio Atlantic, host Adam Harris talks to the Atlantic staff writer Vivian Salama about her reporting. - - - Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener.…
Radio Atlantic
by The Atlantic · English · News
The Atlantic has long been known as an ideas-driven magazine. Now we’re bringing that same ethos to audio. Like the magazine, the show will “road test” the big ideas that both drive the news and shape our culture. Through conversations—and sometimes sharp debates—with the most insightful thinkers an
More from Radio Atlantic
-
E220 · 5 Oct 2026 · 31 min
The 2026 Midterms Must-Watch List
During this nail-biting midterm season, tight Congressional races are popping up all over the map. Most immediate, what happens in November could shift the balance of power in Washington. But if Democrats can pull off upsets in some of these tough-to-win races, the repercussions could reverberate into 2028 and beyond. “Radio Atlantic” host Adam Harris sits down with the Atlantic staff writers Russell Berman and David Graham to talk about how the gerrymandering gambit might backfire on Republicans, what it would mean if a Democrat won in Texas, and the confusion of multiple Dan Sullivans on…
-
E219 · 1 Oct 2026 · 39 min
Min Jin Lee’s Underdog Morality
The world has waited almost a decade for a new novel by Min Jin Lee. In 2017, she published the best-selling historical epic “Pachinko,” which became a National Book Award finalist and was named one of The New York Times’ 100 best books of the 21st century. Her new book, “American Hagwon,” is out this week, and at its center is a close examination of the pressure and promise of education. Lee joins “Radio Atlantic” to discuss the novel, her own upbringing, and what it means when education is more important than money or religion. - - - Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you…
-
E218 · 28 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Republicans Are Running From Trump. Will It Work?
As some Republicans back away from President Trump over Iran, diesel prices, and affordability, something unusual is happening: Trump is not getting mad at them. Is this what his lame-duck status will look like, or is Trump just a savvier political actor now? And will all the electoral-map-shifting help one side over the other, or just make voters mad? The Atlantic staff writers Toluse Olorunnipa and Madeleine Carlisle join “Radio Atlantic” host Adam Harris to discuss what they’ve been reporting on the midterm mess. --- Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll…
-
E216 · 24 Sep 2026 · 31 min
What the 'Godfather of AI' Thinks Humanity Should Do
Since he left Google in 2023, Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel laureate commonly known as the “Godfather of AI,” pops up in the press now and again to issue dire warnings, for example, that there is a 10 to 20 percent chance that artificial intelligence could lead to the extinction of humanity. Hinton explains what exactly alarmed him about the Hugging Face incident and discusses what we can do, right now, to ensure that AI achieves its promise without, you know, extinguishing humanity. - - - Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to…
-
E215 · 21 Sep 2026 · 31 min
Trump Battles Against an Economy of His Making
Chinese President Xi Jinping is coming to Washington this week amid a rapidly shifting global order. Entrenched wars, raging oil markets, and AI regulation will hang over the proceedings, as both the United States and China face economic headwinds. President Trump will also be huddling this week with world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly. “Radio Atlantic” host Adam Harris talks with the Atlantic writers Vivian Salama and Rogé Karma about the U.S.-China relationship, what is really going on in the AI race, and changing international alliances. - - - Get more from your favorite…
-
E214 · 17 Sep 2026 · 35 min
The Dark Side of Meditation
A psychologist wanted to conduct a study showing the benefits of meditation. But the results—and some of her own unsettling experiences—turned everything she thought she knew about the practice upside down. Read Olga Khazan’s story “The Dark Side of Mindfulness.” - - - Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at…
-
E221 · 8 Oct 2026 · 30 minNew
How Far Is Kash Patel Willing to Go for Trump?
The Atlantic staff writer Sarah Fitzpatrick discusses her recent story, “Is There Anything Kash Patel Won’t Do for Trump Before the Midterms?” She explains what agents and other sources are telling her about how the mission of the FBI has changed, how resources have been diverted to exploration of long-debunked election-conspiracy theories, and what most worries them about this moment. The FBI has responded to Fitzpatrick’s reporting by calling it “false” and stating that the FBI is “united.” - - - Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access…
-
E213 · 14 Sep 2026 · 26 min
‘The Canadians Have Had Enough of This Nonsense’
President Trump insisted last week that Canada is “dying to make a deal” on tariffs with the United States. But dealmaking hasn’t been working out well for him lately. And even though many of AI’s chief architects are warning that something needs to be done about the technology, Trump doesn’t seem concerned about making any sort of deal on that front, either. Radio Atlantic host Adam Harris speaks with the Atlantic staff writers Ashley Parker and Tom Nichols about a secret Cabinet-official competition, whether we learned anything about Republicans’ strategy during their convention, and how…
-
E212 · 10 Sep 2026 · 32 min
Sarah Longwell's Playbook for Defeating MAGA
Despite his message at the first-ever Republican midterm convention this week, President Trump’s brand is weak. His approval rating is hanging at about 35 percent, and even die-hard MAGA Republicans are frustrated by his war with Iran, gas prices, and tariffs. There’s an opportunity here for Democrats. The question is whether they’ll be able to seize it. Sarah Longwell is the publisher of “The Bulwark,” and she has some candid advice for Democrats in her new book, “How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time.” Longwell joins the show to explain what she’s learned from conducting hundreds of…
-
E211 · 7 Sep 2026 · 30 min
How the Government Wastes Our Time
Long DMV lines, endless tax forms, and paperwork-heavy safety-net programs aren’t just annoyances—they’re “time taxes,” the administrative burdens that waste people’s time and can keep eligible families from getting help. On this episode of “Radio Atlantic,” Atlantic staff writer Annie Lowrey tells host Adam Harris that these burdens are often harsher for people with less social status and have long been used as tools of social control, such as Jim Crow voting rules and restrictive SNAP and TANF requirements designed to police behavior and deter use. In her new book, “The Time Tax: How the…
