Impromptu

The Washington Post

Impromptu

  • 21 minutes 26 seconds
    Don’t whitewash this national treasure

    Is nothing safe from the culture wars? President Trump has found a new battleground: the nation’s museums. He’s demanded that art and stories that he says divide people based on race be removed from the Smithsonian's dozens of institutions. The Post’s Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Monica Hesse discuss what’s at stake when our history is papered over, and how art can make us uncomfortable or overwhelmed, but sometimes that’s the point. 


    Additional reading by our columnists:

    Monica Hesse: What exactly does Trump think is in the Smithsonian?

    Monica Hesse: Don’t say (Enola) Gay


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    4 April 2025, 7:56 pm
  • 19 minutes 31 seconds
    Is gravity catching up to Trump?
    President Trump keeps losing in court. A few Republican senators have started to criticize his administration’s actions, albeit mildly. And consumer confidence and the stock market are plunging with news of more and more tariffs. Are we starting to see some cracks in the MAGA unity that’s held strong since Trump’s victory in November? Columnists Dana Milbank, Karen Tumulty and Jason Willick discuss whether there’s a line Trump can’t cross, and what the special elections this week could reveal about the political atmosphere outside of Washington.
    1 April 2025, 5:50 pm
  • 24 minutes 58 seconds
    Why we want to believe in every wellness fix

    A fitness influencer posted a video of his over-the-top morning routine that’s racked up nearly a billion views. What does the video’s popularity tell us about our culture’s obsession with so-called wellness? Are people just searching for meaning in a world that can feel out of control? Columnists Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Ted Johnson talk about our culture’s endless appetite for wellness fixes.


    Here’s the video referenced in the show.



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    28 March 2025, 8:31 pm
  • 26 minutes 13 seconds
    Make Democrats excited again

    Since Republicans took over government in January, Democrats haven’t been able to find a unified message or opposition strategy. While Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tour the country speaking to massive crowds about fighting billionaires, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is taking heat for supporting a Republican-led budget plan. How can the Democrats get out of the wilderness? Columnists Dana Milbank, Shadi Hamid and Matt Bai discuss the need for a fresh philosophy and a messenger from outside of Washington.


    Additional reading by our columnists:

    Dana Milbank: My month of living Republicanly

    Shadi Hamid:  Why half of America is cheering for chaos

    Matt Bai: Where is the anti-Trump resistance?



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    25 March 2025, 9:03 pm
  • 21 minutes 11 seconds
    Well, at least we aren’t severed or stuck at a White Lotus

    Why are so many people talking about two escapist, engrossing TV dramas that let us slip away from our reality for an hour each week? Is it just that this kind of complex, big-budget television show is so rare these days? Columnists Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Monica Hesse talk about the valley on the other side of “peak tv” — and how sometimes you just need shows you can watch while folding laundry. 


    Additional reading:

    Monica Hesse: ‘The Apprentice’ is now on Amazon. Don’t do what I did.



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    21 March 2025, 8:12 pm
  • 22 minutes 49 seconds
    Just come in legally, they said

    The Trump administration is taking its immigration attacks beyond the border. Federal officials have detained green card holder and Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, and have picked up other legal immigrants returning from travel abroad. What does all of this mean for the legal immigration system? Columnists Dana Milbank, Eduardo Porter and Shadi Hamid discuss the chilling effects of this “hinge moment” in Trump’s presidency.



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    18 March 2025, 8:09 pm
  • 19 minutes 40 seconds
    Some beautiful, slightly deranged ideas for more sunshine

    You think you’ve heard all you need to about daylight saving time, but we promise you haven’t heard it quite like this. Most people hate changing the clocks back and forth each fall and spring, but they can’t seem to agree on how we could do it better. In this episode, Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and David Von Drehle take us on a journey of DST through history and around the world. They also pitch some wild ideas for how we can better optimize the sunlight, which is what we're guessing everybody really wants.




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    14 March 2025, 6:10 pm
  • 22 minutes 25 seconds
    Trump’s shock-and-awe strategy hits the economy

    As President Trump stays bullish on tariffs, sending markets spiraling and personal anxieties soaring, the Republican-led Congress is trying to pass a budget. Do Democrats have any levers to pull, or should they just let Republicans own whatever happens next? Dana Milbank, Heather Long and James Hohmann talk through the negotiations in Washington this week and how Trump’s unclear messaging could hurt business.


    Additional reading:

    Heather Long: A Trump recession has become a real possibility



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    11 March 2025, 8:37 pm
  • 19 minutes 59 seconds
    Out with the girl boss, but in with…what?

    When a few dozen women in pink suits strode into the House for the joint address to Congress last week, something felt a little, well, off. Partly, it seemed taken from a tired old playbook. Partly, it sent a garbled message. But mostly it pointed to the fact that many liberal women don’t know what to do in this post-resistance era. Columnists Molly Roberts and Monica Hesse speak with contributor Carolina A. Miranda about the backlash to “girl boss” culture, how women on the MAGA right are finding their look and why the aesthetics of it all matter.


    Additional reading by our columnists:

    Monica Hesse: Democrats sent a scary message with those pink outfits

    Carolina Miranda: Welcome to the era of Trump Trad 




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    7 March 2025, 7:08 pm
  • 22 minutes 21 seconds
    Did Trump’s address to Congress trap Democrats?

    President Trump’s address to Congress was historically long and unusual in its style. Some Democrats booed and heckled him, and Trump did his own trolling of Democrats too. What does this address tell us about our politics and the future of Trump 2.0? Columnists Ruth Marcus, Dana Milbank and Ramesh Ponnuru get into it.


    Dana Milbank: In just five days, Trump has set the country back nearly 100 years


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    5 March 2025, 8:45 pm
  • 21 minutes 28 seconds
    The Oscar films ask more questions than they answer

    This year’s top Oscar-nominated films are an eclectic mix, but share some common themes. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Alyssa Rosenberg discuss the not-so-straightforward heroes and villains in this year’s top movies, the limits of trying to transform oneself and what all of this says about the current moment.


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    28 February 2025, 9:14 pm
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