The Assignment with Audie Cornish

CNN

  • 25 minutes 29 seconds
    Did Bad Bunny Win the Culture War?

    Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show is still resonating as fans celebrate his history-making rise from Puerto Rico to global dominance.  Audie is joined by journalist Suzy Exposito to talk about the power of Benito's unique brand of authenticity--and how he's wielding it in the culture war. Exposito has covered Bad Bunny from the beginning. She is an editor at De Los, the Latin culture wing of the LA Times

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    This episode was produced by Sofía Sanchez. 

    Senior Producer: Matt Martinez  

    Technical Director: Dan Dzula   

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    12 February 2026, 8:10 am
  • 26 minutes 17 seconds
    It’s Super Bowl Season... for Fashion

    The fashion season is officially underway. Celebrities are strolling the award show red carpets and models are strutting the runways in Paris and Milan. CNN Senior Style Reporter Rachel Tashjian joins Audie to talk about the complicated politics in the fashion world, fashion vs style, and which designers are getting the most notice for dressing celebrities.

    Producer: Lori Galarreta

    Senior Producer: Matt Martinez

    Techincal Director: Dan Dzula

    Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig

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    5 February 2026, 8:10 am
  • 26 minutes 34 seconds
    The Millennial Internet, from Buzzfeed Quizzes to Filming ICE

    This year marks a milestone for Millennials: the youngest of the cohort finally turns 30. So what comes next for the first generation of true digital natives now that they have achieved “unc” status? Audie talks with Sam Sanders, host of KCRW’s The Sam Sanders Show, about the generation that watched media transform from Buzzfeed quizzes into AI slop. They also discuss Millennial activism taking over the generation’s Instagram feed as ICE protests continue in Minneapolis.  

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    29 January 2026, 8:10 am
  • 22 minutes 5 seconds
    Is the U.S. the Villain of the Winter Olympics?

    The Winter Olympics kick off Feb. 6 in Northern Italy—and the politics may steal the show. The U.S. may face boos, especially as it squares off with Denmark in hockey amid Trump’s Greenland threats. But there’s joy, too: Lindsey Vonn is back, and the U.S. figure skating team is stacked. New York Magazine’s Will Leitch breaks down the geopolitics and must-watch storylines from Milan and Cortina.

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    22 January 2026, 8:10 am
  • 26 minutes 56 seconds
    Breaking Down the ‘Heated Rivalry’ Fame Machine, and More | Engagement Party

    Audie is joined by longtime friend and former NPR colleague Ari Shapiro for a special episode they’re calling Engagement Party – a chance to finally talk on-mic about the culture stories they’ve been obsessing over. They kick things off with the question of the moment: Can the Heated Rivalry boys, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, turn their meteoric rise into lasting careers like other breakout stars from the past? They also unpack why the internet has committed to “frictionmaxxing” in 2026, quiz each other on the year in pop culture so far, and share what they’ve been loving off-line lately. 

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    17 January 2026, 4:00 pm
  • 24 minutes 1 second
    The Real Pain Behind That “Toxic Moms” Essay 

    Arguably the first viral moment of 2026 is an essay about a “toxic” group of mom friends. Actor and singer Ashley Tisdale French wrote an essay for New York Magazine’s The Cut about being iced out of her circle of fellow moms and – celebrity intrigue aside – it struck a nerve. Dr. Noelle Santorelli is a mom and a clinical psychologist who tells Audie there’s deep suffering wrapped up in establishing community around your family. She and Audie discuss the vulnerability of needing support, making friends for yourself and your kid, and the dysfunction of group dynamics.

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    This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta. 

    Senior Producer: Matt Martinez  

    Technical Director: Dan Dzula   

    Executive Producer:  Steve Lickteig 

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    15 January 2026, 8:10 am
  • 24 minutes 51 seconds
    All the Things We’re Saying About Heated Rivalry

    It may be a new year, but one of 2025's most unexpected hits isn’t done with us yet. Heated Rivalry, the TV adaptation of a spicy romance novel about two hockey players, has turned two unknown actors into overnight stars and sparked outsized conversations about sex on screen, queer representation, and masculinity in sports. Writer and culture critic Ira Madison III joins Audie to talk about how a low-budget Canadian series became a cultural flashpoint—and what its popularity reveals about the moment we’re in. 

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    This episode was produced by Madeleine Thompson. 

    Senior Producer: Matt Martinez  

    Technical Director: Dan Dzula   

    Executive Producer:  Steve Lickteig 

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    8 January 2026, 8:10 am
  • 35 minutes 11 seconds
    The Year in News: Deepfakes, MAHA & AI

    After a head-spinning year in the worlds of health and technology, Audie invited Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the host of Chasing Life, and Clare Duffy from Terms of Service, to break down the stories that ended up on all their podcasts this year.

    Producer: Dan Bloom

    Technical Director: Dan Dzula

    Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig

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    1 January 2026, 9:00 am
  • 23 minutes 41 seconds
    How Politics are Driving Families Apart

    As families gather for the holidays and political differences resurface, we revisit Audie's conversation with psychologist Joshua Coleman, who breaks down why partisan divides are driving family estrangement, how generational dynamics intensify the conflict, and what it looks like to navigate, or repair, these fractures from either side.

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    This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta. 

    Senior Producer: Matt Martinez  

    Technical Director: Dan Dzula   

    Executive Producer:  Steve Lickteig 

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    18 December 2025, 8:10 am
  • 20 minutes 39 seconds
    The Year in Pop Culture: AI, Gay Hockey, and Rage Bait 

    What was this year in pop culture like? A scrappy Canadian gay hockey romance becomes the internet’s obsession while big-budget, star-packed shows are dwindling. AI rage-bait memes (some from government accounts) keep hijacking the national conversation. These are just some of the pop culture moments that defined 2025. Audie and New York Magazine staff writer Rebecca Alter break it down. 

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    This episode was produced by Madeleine Thompson. 

    Senior Producer: Matt Martinez  

    Technical Director: Dan Dzula   

    Executive Producer:  Steve Lickteig 

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    11 December 2025, 8:10 am
  • 27 minutes
    Spirituality in America, from AI Jesus to Wicca

    Audie talks with CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan about how people are reshaping their spiritual lives -- from Wicca to aliens -- and searching for new sources of meaning. Donie is exploring all of this in a new docuseries called “Devoted.” It’s available on CNN All Access.

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    This episode was produced by Lori Galarreta. 

    Senior Producer: Matt Martinez  
    Technical Director: Dan Dzula   
    Executive Producer:  Steve Lickteig 

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    4 December 2025, 8:10 am
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