How Is This Better?

Latest Episodes:

Trad Wives, MAHA, and the Women’s Wellness Pipeline Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

A new flavor of conservative content is targeting women online—and it’s going viral. This week, Akilah Hughes explores the rise of the "tradwife" aesthetic, the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement, and how a wellness pipeline is pulling women to the political right.

We talk to experts and journalists who’ve tracked this trend firsthand, from TikTok to Turning Point USA’s wellness-themed women’s conference.

Guests:

- Madeline Peltz, independent journalist

- EJ Dickson, senior writer at The Cut

Chapters: 0:00 - Open 1:38 - How did we get here? 3:07- EJ Dickson 3:51 - How the Right has framed health and wellness 7:09 - Madeline Peltz 8:30 - Turning Point USA women's conference 10:53 - The shift from COVID 12:39 - Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA 17:56 - The grift 19:57 - Are trad wives real? 20:25 - Nara Smith 21:45 - Ballerina Farm, poverty cosplay 23:02 - Conclusion

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Politics is Wrestling Jun 27, 2025

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In this episode, Akilah Hughes steps into the ring with "The Progressive Liberal"—yes, that’s his real wrestling persona—alongside author Josie Riesman and journalist and former WWE writer, Dave Schilling, to explore why politics today feels more like WWE than C-SPAN,

We dive into the personas, the crowd work, the heels and the faces (iykyk)—and how both wrestling and politics rely on performance, polarization, and pandering to win over the crowd.

If you’ve ever wondered why politics feels more like a reality show than real life… this is the episode for you.

GUESTS:

Dave Schilling, LA Times Columnist and former writer for WWE

Josie Riesman, author of RingMaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America

Daniel Harnsberger aka “The Progressive Liberal”

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Erasing Jackie Robinson Jun 20, 2025

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Baseball legend Jackie Robinson broke barriers on the field, but his legacy off the field is under attack.

In this episode, Akilah Hughes explores how the Trump administration is trying to rewrite history in its crusade against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Guests Roy Wood Jr., Jeremy Taché, and The Nation’s Kali Holloway unpack why it’s important to defend history and what DEI efforts are designed to achieve.

Guests:

Roy Wood, Jr., actor and comedian
Kali Holloway, columnist, The Nation
Jeremy Taché, Miami-based sports reporter and host

CHAPTERS: 00:00 - OPEN 00:22 - INTRO 03:00 - THE PUSH TO REWRITE HISTORY 04:02 - KALI HOLLOWAY 07:35 - DEI HIRE, JACKIE ROBINSON 09:14 - JEREMY TACHÉ 14:52 - ROY WOOD JR. 19:28 - WHY ARE THEY SCRUBBING HISTORY? 23:47 - HOW IS IT BETTER?

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Don’t Blame Canada: Trump Blew It With Our Besties Jun 13, 2025

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America’s relationship with Canada has always been close — like cousins who share a border, celebrities and culture, and a love for maple syrup. But lately, that closeness has taken a weird turn.

In this episode, we explore how Donald Trump has soured the relationship with our once closest ally – referring to Canada as the “51st state.”

Host Akilah Hughes talks with Noor Azrieh, host and producer of the podcast Canadaland, and Silke Labson – Akilah’s friend who fled north after Trump took office the first time.

Guests:

Noor Azrieh, host and producer of the podcast Canadaland.
Silke Labson, owner of Hen Dog Marketing (and Akilah’s friend)

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The Evolution of Mark Zuckerberg Jun 06, 2025

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Once a hoodie-wearing coder preaching openness and connection, Mark Zuckerberg is now a gold chain wearing, jiu jitsu obsessed metaverse warlord who is vibing with Trump-adjacent influencers. What happened?

Host Akilah Hughes digs into Zuckerberg’s transformation — from the early Facebook years through his big metaverse bet and into his (chicken nugget eating?) macho phase. Ryan Broderick, host of Panic World and author of Garbage Day; and tech reporter Steven Levy, journalist and author of Facebook: The Inside Story, join to break down this evolution.

And as always, Akilah is asking the question “how is this better?” and wondering if Zuckerberg still cares about making the world “more connected,” or if he ever really did.

Guests:

Ryan Broderick, host of the podcast Panic World and author of the Garbage Day newsletter
Steven Levy, journalist and author of “Facebook: The Inside Story"

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro 02:02 - Does Mark Zuckerberg only eat chicken nuggets? 02:18- Ryan Broderick, Panic Word + Garbage Day 04:48 - Steven Levy, Wired + Facebook: The Inside Story 06:21 - Digital Gentrification – Myspace vs. Facebook 08:03 - Zuckerberg's Public Perception by Era 09:53 - Metaverse 15:04 - Zuckerberg's Midlife Crisis? 15:38 - The New Mark Zuckerberg 18:02 - AI Slop 23:51 - Does He Still Have a "Greater Good" Mission?

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Will I Ever Get to Yosemite? May 30, 2025

Show notes

On February 14th, 2025 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

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 - INTRO

01:47 - PROJECT 2025/TRUMP ADMIN PLAN

02:12 - BACKGROUND ON THE US NATIONAL PARKS

03:32 - PROJECT 2025/TRUMP ADMIN PLAN

04:22 - PARK RANGERS

09:03 - PRIVATIZATION AGENDA

10:33 - WILL I GET TO SEE YOSEMITE?

11:00 - CLIMATE CHANGE

15:43 - UNDERSTANDING THE NETWORK OF AGENCIES (NOT JUST PARKS)

18:39 - FINAL THOUGHTS

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Introducing: How Is This Better? with Akilah Hughes May 22, 2025

Show notes

Donald Trump has been campaigning to “make America great again” for a decade. Tech bro oligarchs swear they’re “making the world a better place.” But here we are – in 2025 – with planes falling from the damn sky, senseless trade wars driving higher prices and economic instability, and so-called “social” media and AI making everyone more isolated and lonelier than ever. It’s time to ask: How is this better?

Akilah Hughes is here to provide that much needed reality check. Covering everything from politics to entertainment to tech and late-stage capitalism, How Is This Better? challenges the grifters who are controlling our government, our attention, and so much of our daily lives.

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