Episodios

  • The First AI War

    The First AI War
    Mar 13 2026
    AI-generated war footage is spreading across the internet faster than the truth. As conflict escalates in Iran, social media platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok are being flooded with AI-generated missile strikes, fake battlefield footage, and fabricated videos of captured soldiers. Some posts rack up millions of views before anyone can confirm whether they’re real. In this episode of How Is This Better?, Akilah Hughes speaks with WIRED reporter David Gilbert, who has been tracking how generative AI is reshaping the disinformation landscape during breaking conflicts. Check out his recent piece, "Fake AI Content About the Iran War Is All Over X." Subscribe or follow How Is This Better? wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    25 m
  • What 4 Generations of Veterans Think of Trump’s War in Iran

    What 4 Generations of Veterans Think of Trump’s War in Iran
    Mar 6 2026
    Are we at war or not? According to Trump, he's scoring a 15 out of 10 "on the war front," and Department of War Secretary, Pete Hegseth, says the fighting in Iran has "just begun." Yet House Speaker Mike Johnson insists "we're not at war." Instead of debating the political spin, Akilah wanted to sit down with the people who've been asked to fight American battles. On this episode of How Is This Better?, Akilah sits down with five veterans across four generations – from baby boomers who fought in Vietnam to an Iraq War veteran and a Gen Z and Millennial veteran who filed for conscientious objector discharges based on their objections to the war in Gaza. Some enlisted out of patriotism. Some out of faith. Some just wanted the uniform, or way to pay for student loans. But all of them describe a moment when America’s wars stopped making sense to them. Across fifty years of military experience, they all come back to the same question: Are young Americans about to be asked to die for something no one can clearly explain? Get unlimited premium wireless from Mint Mobile for just $15 a month at https://www.mintmobile.com/courier Show Notes: Check out Veterans for Peace, Common Defense, and Friends of Fisher House, Phoenix. Thanks to Joy Metzler, Juan Betancourt, Ben Feibleman, David Lucier, and Ed Anderson for sharing their stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 m
  • Is ICE More Like the Gestapo or Slave Patrols? Yes.

    Is ICE More Like the Gestapo or Slave Patrols? Yes.
    Feb 20 2026
    People keep comparing ICE to the Gestapo. But is that the right historical analogy? We we talk with public historian Ashley Baron aka @ashleytheebarroness who went viral making the argument that the comparison overlooks a home-grown analogy. We also speak with Claire Aubin who is a Nazi-era historian and host of the podcast, This Guy Sucked, to break down what the Gestapo actually was — and why the ideology behind it matters more than any one-to-one comparison people point to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 m
  • Rotisserie Chicken Killed the Housing Market (Apparently)

    Rotisserie Chicken Killed the Housing Market (Apparently)
    Feb 13 2026
    Homeownership used to be a starter pack for adulthood. Now it feels like a luxury good. This week, Akilah asks a question most of us have yelled at Zillow at least once: when did buying a house become a fantasy? Business Insider's James Rodriguez joins to help explain how we got here and why the future might be… single-family homes you can never actually own. Get unlimited premium wireless from Mint Mobile for just $15 a month at https://www.mintmobile.com/courier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 m
  • Bad Bunny, The Super Bowl, and the American Denial of Puerto Rico

    Bad Bunny, The Super Bowl, and the American Denial of Puerto Rico
    Feb 6 2026
    Your conservative uncle is wrong about Bad Bunny. So are Trump, all of MAGA, and the angry drunk guys who watch the NFL. They're mad because Bad Bunny will be performing the half time show at the Superbowl this Sunday, and he'll be singing in Spanish - you know, the language the songs are written in - and believe that that makes him fundamentally un-american. Unfortunately, this is not a unique experience. Puerto Rico, where Bad Bunny is from, has faced this same rejection and discrimination for years. But why? What did Puerto Rico ever do to them? Becca Ramos and I are going to find out. SUBSCRIBE to How Is This Better wherever you get your podcasts including YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 m
  • The Wrestling-ification of Politics (Unedited Bonus with Josie Riesman)

    The Wrestling-ification of Politics (Unedited Bonus with Josie Riesman)
    Jan 30 2026
    This is our last unedited bonus before we're back with a brand new episode next week! This week, we bring you the entirety of my conversation with Josephine Riesman who authored Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America. We talked about the parallels between wrestling and modern politics and had a blast doing it. Please enjoy and stay tuned for a new episode next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    55 m
  • There's No DEI in Baseball (Roy Wood Jr. Extended Conversation)

    There's No DEI in Baseball (Roy Wood Jr. Extended Conversation)
    Jan 23 2026
    Is it DEI to honor one of the greatest baseball players of all time? Our president seems to think so. Comedian Roy Wood Jr. weighs in on Trump's crusade to end diversity initiatives and tarnish Jackie Robinson's legacy. Before we get back to new content, we thought we'd release some of our favorite conversations from 2025 in all their unedited glory. For the full, edited episode featuring more conversations (and more of my commentary), click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 m
  • Adam Mockler on Masculinity and the Right-Wing Pipeline (BONUS)

    Adam Mockler on Masculinity and the Right-Wing Pipeline (BONUS)
    Jan 16 2026
    Remember that conversation we had last year? The one with Adam Mockler, about the nightmare that is modern masculinity? Well, we have more where that came from. Before we get back to new content, we thought we'd release some of our favorite conversations from 2025 in all their unedited glory. To watch the original cut down version of this video, you can click here: https://tinyurl.com/32e7xvnj More bonuses in the coming weeks and brand new, fully edited and produced episodes coming soon. Subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 m