Reasonably Optimistic

Latest Episodes:

The meaning of ‘Jeopardy!’ in a post-truth America Sep 24, 2024

Show notes

“Jeopardy!” has been on the air and wildly popular for 60 years. What makes it endure, and what does that say about American culture? Contributing columnist Amanda Ripley talks to Alexandra Petri, Drew Goins and Ryan Vogt — Post Opinions staffers who’ve been contestants on the show — about its staying power, and if “Jeopardy!” can still bring Americans together.

Correction: In this episode, we mistakenly said Bob Eubanks hosted The Match Game in the 1970s. Gene Rayburn was the host of that show. We regret the error.

To find new planets, you have to dim the stars Sep 21, 2024

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The scope of the federal government is vast, and in one corner lies NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, where the search for new planets and new life continues. As part of the Post Opinions “Who is government?” series, author Dave Eggers takes a look at the lab’s latest innovations and gets to know the people who are reaching for the stars. In this special episode, Michael Lewis talks to Eggers about what he learned.

Read Eggers' entire article here: The Searchers.

And be sure to check out the rest of the "Who is government?" series.

The Canary, by Michael Lewis

The Sentinel, by Casey Cep

The real reasons Americans are having fewer kids Sep 17, 2024

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Many economists and politicians are alarmed that Americans, like others around the world, are having fewer kids. But, apart from wanting a growing labor force, is this really a problem? Opinions columnists Shadi Hamid and Heather Long talk with Style columnist Monica Hesse about what’s really behind the baby bust and whether we just need to prepare for a lower fertility future.

Read more from our columnists about this topic in the Washington Post:

Editorial board: A reader quiz on world birthrate -- and what it means for the future

Monica Hesse: The birth rate is still sluggish. Don’t blame the birth givers.

Harris wiped the floor with Trump. But what did we learn about her? Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

Did the debate cause a vibe shift? Columnists Charles Lane, Megan McArdle, Dana Milbank and Jim Geraghty discuss how much voters care about policy, whether Trump made any good points and how his false claims about pet-eating immigrants mask a genuine issue.

And don't forget to check out the first two stories in our series, “Who is Government? Seven writers go in search of the essential public servant.”

The Canary, by Michael Lewis

The Sentinel, by Casey Cep

Keep an eye on Washington Post Opinions each Tuesday morning to see future installments.

What do men want? Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

The evidence is in. American men are facing a crisis — in health, in education and in the labor force. But under all of that runs deeper trends — disconnection, loneliness and a lack of role models. Columnists Theodore Johnson and Shadi Hamid talk with Richard Reeves, founder of the American Institute for Boys and Men, about the dueling visions of masculinity on the political stage and a hopeful way forward for the modern man.

Check out some of the work Richard Reeves mentioned in the show:

“Men are having a health crisis. Why aren’t we paying attention?”

“The State of Working Class Men”

And read more from Washington Post Opinions on this topic:

Theodore Johnson: “I grappled with masculinity. My mother showed me the truth.”

Christine Emba: “ Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness.”

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Why not pay teachers $100,000? Aug 27, 2024

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As American kids head back to school, columnist Daniel Pink makes the case for paying teachers more money. High-quality teachers, he argues, significantly improve student learning, so shouldn’t they be paid as much as somebody assessing insurance premiums on your car? Plus, humor columnist Alexandra Petri discusses sending her child to school for the first time.

This essay by Daniel Pink is part of a year-long project with Washington Post Opinions called “Why Not?” Check out some of the other columns in his series:

Why not ban left turns on busy streets?

Why not shake up the Olympics?

Why not overhaul America’s national holidays?

Why not require a civics test as a rite of passage for all Americans?

Don’t miss any of Daniel Pink’s “Why Not?” columns. You can follow his LinkedIn newsletter here.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Out with the old at the DNC Aug 20, 2024

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We are in Chicago, where it's Kamala Harris's party now. Columnists Dana Milbank, Jennifer Rubin, Jonathan Capehart and Jim Geraghty discuss why gender isn’t being talked about in this campaign so far, and they do the math on what percentage of the Democrats’ energy is from excitement, relief and just avoiding existential dread.

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Surviving Putin's gulag: Vladimir Kara-Murza tells his story Aug 14, 2024

Show notes

Pulitzer Prize winner Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was part of August’s massive prisoner exchange with Russia, sat down to talk with Post Opinions editor David Shipley about his time in jail, the importance of freedom of speech and what the future holds for Putin’s regime.

Today’s show was produced by Charla Freeland. It was edited by Allison Michaels and Damir Marusic and mixed by Emma Munger.

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Tim Walz won’t hurt Kamala Harris. Will he help? Aug 06, 2024

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Tim Walz went from being a little-known Midwestern governor to Democratic vice-presidential candidate in a matter of a few weeks. But in this sprint of a campaign, nothing is moving slowly. Charles Lane, Molly Roberts and Matt Bai talk through whether Walz can keep up the momentum of the Harris campaign, if the “weird” strategy is good or bad, and how much of a unifier Walz will be for the Democratic ticket.

Read more from our columnists about Kamala Harris’s choice of a running mate here:

Karen Tumulty: “Tim Walz made ‘weird’ happen. What he offers the ticket is much more.”

Perry Bacon Jr: “Tim Walz is a bold, smart choice for Harris’s running mate”

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The misery of airline travel might be our fault Jul 31, 2024

Show notes

Airline travel is increasingly exasperating. Any blip, whether it’s a weather event or a technical problem, leads to cascading days of delays and cancellations. Why does it all seem so fragile? Charles Lane, Catherine Rampell and Marc Fisher discuss the economics of flying and how customers might be helping drive a race to the bottom.

Stay until the end to get humor columnist Alexandra Petri's take on flying.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here.