The Assignment with Audie Cornish

The Free Speech Wars on Campus Sep 21, 2023

Between student protests, controversial speakers, and debates over “safe spaces,” complaints about free speech on campus are louder than ever. How do school leaders respond to these gripes? And how do they balance freedom of expression – and the idea that speech can be violence?

We have two college presidents from the front lines of this debate: Roslyn Clark Artis of Benedict College and Michael Roth of Wesleyan University. Both schools are part of the so-called “Campus Call for Free Expression.”

Leave us an Assignment: theassignment@cnn.com or call (202) 854-8802‬.

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Greek Life Gone Viral Sep 14, 2023

In recent years, Greek life faced a crisis as the pandemic cast a shadow on recruitment, and the “abolish Greek life” movement grew across campuses. But then came #RushTok — a flurry of TikToks documenting the sorority recruitment process among university campuses, especially in the South. One tag, in particular, soared to remarkable heights: #BamaRush. It chronicled the rush process at the University of Alabama and has garnered an astonishing 3 billion TikTok views (and counting).

This week we speak to writer, journalist, and former sorority sister Anne Helen Petersen, who has been documenting the phenomenon. Why are the videos dominating our feeds? And what does RushTok’s popularity say about its stars... and its biggest stans?

Anne Helen Petersen is a writer and journalist whose writing has appeared in BuzzFeed News, The New York Times, Vox, The Atlantic, and more. Her books include Out of the Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home and Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. She writes a Substack newsletter called Culture Study.

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We’re Taking Your Assignments: Money, Marijuana, and Montana Sep 07, 2023

Is there a coin shortage in the U.S.? Is there an increase in kids smoking weed at school? And: what’s the deal with Montana politics?

All of these questions were asked by you, our listeners. Throughout the life of this podcast, we’ve asked you to pick up the phone and leave us Assignments – and you have delivered. We love getting these messages. We took these three Assignments and called up three reporters who could give us some answers. Joining us this week, CNN Business reporter Clare Duffy @claresduffy, CNN Health reporter Jacqueline Howard @JacqEHoward, and Montana Free Press editor, Brad Tyer.

Read the Montana Free Press at MontanaFreePress.org and follow them at @mtfreepress.

We're only getting started with your Assignments, so if you want to leave us one, please do! You can send an email to theassignment@cnn.com or leave us a voicemail: 202-854-8802

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Hollywood’s Hot Strike Summer Aug 31, 2023

For Labor Day — the unofficial end of summer and the official holiday celebrating the American worker — we are checking in on the state of the striking actors and writers demanding more from the studios they work for. When the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike earlier this year, no one was sure how long the first dual strike in over 60 years would last. Six weeks later both unions are still on the picket line. This week we speak to industry insider, Franklin Leonard, about the state of the strikes and how this could change the way Hollywood works, and how we watch movies and TV.

Franklin Leonard is a film and television producer and the founder of The Black List, a platform for film and television writers to showcase their work to industry professionals.

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The Fight Against Digital Hate Aug 24, 2023

Imran Ahmed is a man in the middle of the disinformation wars. He is the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), an organization dedicated to researching online hate speech and disinformation. Audie talks with him about how he came to the work, the lawsuit filed against him by Elon Musk’s X Corp. (formerly Twitter), and what it all means for the debate over “free speech” versus “hate speech” online.

For more context on today’s conversation, read CNN’s reporting here. And read X Corp’s response to CCDH here.

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Fighting Fires on the Frontlines of Climate Change Aug 17, 2023

Devastating wildfires like the ones in Maui could become more common in our future due to a host of several factors, including climate change. But what about the folks who are already grappling with the fact that climate change is here? This week, we break down the connection between climate change and wildfires with climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain. Then, Audie talks with former wildland firefighters Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan and Riva Duncan about how climate change is shifting the way fires are fought, and how the work is getting more demanding, more difficult, and more dangerous.

GUESTS:

Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan is currently a Program Manager at Firewise USA, which teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action now to prevent losses. She is a former wildland firefighter.

Riva Duncan is the vice president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, a nonprofit advocacy group fighting for reforms for federal wildland firefighters. She retired from wildland firefighting in 2020 after more than 30 years.

Dr. Daniel Swain is a climate scientist focused on the dynamics and impacts of extreme events—including droughts, floods, storms, and wildfires—on a warming planet. He blogs at Weather West, which provides real-time perspectives on California and western North American weather and climate.

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Sex and Sensibilities: Let’s Talk About Puriteens Aug 10, 2023

Have you heard about the “puriteens”? That’s the nickname for Gen Z’ers who are uncomfortable with sex and sexuality, and discuss that discomfort, largely online. Well, the media is obsessed with them and what their #thoughts mean for the state of their sex lives. But how accurate is that label? Is this a real thing? Our Assignment this week: unpacking the “puriteen” label.

We called up Constance Grady, who is both a millennial and the Vox senior correspondent behind The Purity Chronicles, and Izzy Ampil, the Gen Z writer who reported “People Think Gen Z Is Sex Negative, But The Truth Is More Complicated” for Buzzfeed News.

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The Assignment presents The Axe Files with David Axelrod Aug 03, 2023

When Audie Cornish first crossed paths with David Axelrod, she was a young radio reporter with no clout and he was the big-shot campaign manager of then-candidate Barack Obama. No wonder she couldn't get an interview. Today as colleagues at CNN, they can finally sit down and compare a few notes on that historic time in American politics. This conversation leads us into a special episode of The Axe Files featuring an interview with former president Barack Obama, presented in full. We'll be back with new episodes of The Assignment soon.

Subscribe to The Axe Files

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The Assignment presents Chasing Life with Sanjay Gupta Jul 27, 2023

Why is there such stigma attached to getting older? How can we prepare to transition through the different stages of life? Those are some of the questions CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is exploring on the latest season of his podcast Chasing Life. Audie sits down with Sanjay to talk about his approach to this season, and we’ll hear the first episode which features a lovely interview with Sanjay and his parents. The team at The Assignment is taking a short break to do more reporting, we’ll be back soon with more episodes. Thanks for listening!

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TikTok Is Changing Music, One Song at a Time Jul 20, 2023

TikTok has turned the traditional music industry on its head. Users on the platform are dictating hits before they reach the charts and revolutionizing the way artists are discovered. But what happens to the creative process when "going viral” takes center stage? This week, Audie talks with songwriter Kaydence and Hip-hop artist Armani White about the TikTok-ification of music, hooking listeners, and what works — and doesn’t — in the never-ending quest to make a good song. Plus, how is TikTok changing the way we listen to music? Music industry expert and consultant Tatiana Cirisano weighs in.

Kaydence is a two-time Grammy-Award winning songwriter and artist who has written songs for Ariana Grande, Brandy, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and ZAYN, among others.

Armani White is a rapper known for his N.O.R.E.-sampling viral hit, “Billie Eilish.” which first made waves on TikTok in 2022. Since then, he has signed with Def Jam Records and released his second EP, Road to CASABLANCO. in May.

Tatiana Cirisano is a senior music industry analyst and consultant at MIDiA, where she specializes in emerging consumer trends and the intersection of music and technology.

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Courting Controversy: Inside the Supreme Court Jul 13, 2023

The Supreme Court just completed a historic term that sent the country spinning and CNN’s own Joan Biskupic is here to help make sense of it all. Joan’s 30-year career reporting on the court has afforded her a front row seat to its profound changes. Her newest book is titled Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court's Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences.

Transcripts and previous episodes

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Larry Wilmore: A Candid Conversation on Television, Culture, and Creativity Jul 06, 2023

Larry Wilmore’s influence as a writer and producer spans shows from “In Living Color” to “The Bernie Mac Show” to “The Daily Show.” He’s acutely aware of the role that television plays in our lives and in shaping our understanding of American identity. Today’s Assignment: Larry Wilmore on his prolific career in television, mentoring younger writers, dapping up President Obama, and what he’s working on next. Larry is also the host of his own podcast “Black on The Air.” We highly recommend it.

Many of the shows Larry wrote for are part of the new five-part CNN Original Series, “See It Loud: The History of Black Television.” It airs Sundays at 9p ET/PT starting July 9. “See It Loud” will stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com and CNN OTT and mobile apps under “TV Channels” or CNNgo where available. The series will also be available On Demand the day after the broadcast premiere to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN apps, and Cable Operator Platforms.

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Meet the New Homeschoolers Jun 29, 2023

The pandemic kicked off a dramatic rise in homeschooling. And who had the largest increase? Black families. This week, Audie talks with two parents who chose to homeschool their children, Carlos Birdsong and Sherri Mehta. They talk about what it’s like to be a part of the Black homeschooling movement, how they’re altering the public image of homeschooling, and whether they see themselves as part of the “parents' rights” movement.

Athena Jones's report: ‘A form of resistance'

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After Roe: Navigating the Legal Landscape of New Abortion Laws Jun 22, 2023

One year after Roe v Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, we were wondering: what is happening to people caught up in the web of changing law? It's been a tumultuous and uncertain era for reproductive rights, so this week The Assignment checks in on the activists at the frontline defending women who are being criminally prosecuted under state laws that restrict or ban abortion. Amanda Allen, Senior Counsel and Director at the Lawyering Project, and Dana Sussman, Acting Executive Director at Pregnancy Justice, speak to Audie about their work in this post-Dobbs world.

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Gratuitous Gratuity? The Truth About Tipping Jun 15, 2023

This week, Audie visits a restaurant that got rid of tipping, and looks into the movement to get rid of the practice all together. Our guests are Amanda Cohen, chef and owner of Dirt Candy, a no-tipping restaurant in Manhattan, and David Stockwell, co-owner of Faun in Brooklyn. We talk about the value – versus the cost – of good service, what the pandemic revealed about how customers really feel about tipping, and what happens when your ideals clash with your economic reality.

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Wired for Trouble: Kara Swisher on Big Tech Jun 08, 2023

Today, we explore the perils of social media on kids and the way families are fighting back against big tech. First, how the experience of Candace Wuest and her daughter CeCe show the consequences of social media on kids. Then, journalist Kara Swisher takes us through the long view on big tech companies, and finally, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talks us through his potential solution: the Kids Online Safety Act.

This is a companion podcast to the CNN Original “Wired for Trouble,” debuting in June on The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper. Past episodes of The Whole Story are available to stream now on Max.

Kara Swisher is the host of two podcasts: On with Kara Swisher and Pivot.

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Flying This Summer? Pack Your Patience Jun 01, 2023

Staffing shortages caused major disruptions for air travelers last summer. Now air crew unions are pushing back against their bosses and losing patience with customers. From "no toe nail clipping" to "leave the crying babies alone," we hear advice on how to make everyone’s flight experience better this summer. Our guests are Keturah Johnson, international vice president of the Association of Flight Attendants, and former flight attendant Angie Andrechyn, whose passionate resignation letter from American Airlines went viral.

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What’s Your Sign? Astrology's Modern Renaissance May 25, 2023

Why is astrology having such a moment? The business of astrology — estimated to be worth more than $2 billion — is booming: apps, classes, conferences, startups. All being fueled by the social media age. This week Audie looks to the heavens with two world-renowned astrologers, Jennifer Freed and Chani Nicholas. They explore astrology’s popularity as well as the meaning and history of this ancient personality system. (Oh, and they read Audie her chart.)

Jennifer Freed Ph.D. is a psychological astrologer and author of ten books, including: Use Your Planets Wisely and A Map To Your Soul: Using the Astrology of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water to Live Deeply and Fully She has served as the clinical director of Pacifica Graduate Institute and is national consultant for EMDR (Post Traumatic Growth Therapies). She is a regular contributor to goop.

Chani Nicholas is an astrologer and author of You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance. She’s been a counseling astrologer for more than twenty years and is the proprietor of the wildly popular CHANI app, which offers users a personalized, daily understanding of their birth chart.

Special thanks this week to the fantastic TikTokers we featured: @tobiasthoth, @jkitscole, and the hilarious @mamaa.arii

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Navigating Misinformation at the Border May 18, 2023

How has technology reshaped the migrant journey? When the Trump-era immigration policy called Title 42 expired, misinformation proliferated on social media platforms that migrants use to communicate and to navigate their way to the U.S. Audie talks with CNN's Rosa Flores about the reality on the ground, and how migrants are navigating sometimes conflicting and confusing messaging.

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The Rise and Fall of “Woke” with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi May 11, 2023

What’s it like to be at the forefront of a cultural backlash? Academic and author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi certainly knows. His books, “How to Be an Antiracist,” and its follow-up, a youth-friendly version called, “How to Be a (Young) Antiracist,” teach readers how to actively fight racism instead of passively acknowledging it. Audie talks with Dr. Kendi about the backlash around “wokeness,” antiracism, and what it’s like to live in the middle of cultural maelstrom. They spoke in front of a live audience at the Crosscut Ideas Festival in Seattle.

Ibram X. Kendi is a historian and antiracist scholar. He is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and the Founding Director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. He is the author of 14 books, including, "Stamped From The Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America." His forthcoming book is, "Stamped From The Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America."

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AI in the time of Loneliness May 04, 2023

This week, the Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy addressed the epidemic of loneliness Americans are facing. As a way of combatting the feelings of isolation, Dr. Murthy laid out a six-pillar plan rooted in social connection. What's not mentioned in his plan... artificial intelligence or chatbots. But that hasn't stopped folks from turning to them in times of distress. In this episode, we explore the communities that are leaning on AI and chatbots for comfort and the ripple effects this could have on how we connect with one another.

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Yes, We're All Being Spied On Apr 27, 2023

Remember the Chinese spy balloon? Since then, we’ve seen leaked Pentagon spy documents on Discord and the discovery of fake Chinese police stations used for surveillance in the U.S. The line between espionage and everyday surveillance/data collection is more blurred than ever, thanks to the integration of technology into our daily lives. All of us are walking pieces of data being gobbled up and analyzed by spy agencies around the world. All of this spy news is a reminder of how high the stakes are, and how little we really know about the global fight for information. Audie talks with CNN Anchor and Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto, and former FBI intelligence official Javed Ali about what can spy balloons, leaked documents, and AI tell us about the state of spying today.

Jim Sciutto is co-anchor of “CNN News Central” weekday afternoons from 1 to 4. His latest book is “The Shadow War: Inside Russia's and China's Secret Operations to Defeat America.”

Javed Ali is an associate professor of practice at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

Thanks to the Hayden Center at George Mason University for letting us use audio from their panel on “Counterintelligence Today.”

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Clickbait Fashion Is Taking Over Your Feed Apr 20, 2023

Are we cycling through fashion trends faster than ever? Cores, aesthetics, and those big red boots! Our Assignment this week is a deep dive into how the social media algorithm is turning each of us into mini-fashionistas, and whether fashion trends can help us understand the state of the economy. Audie’s guests are trend forecaster Agustina Panzoni and culture critic Terry Nguyen.

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Louder Than Guns Apr 13, 2023

Can Country music help lead the U.S. out of the gun debate? There is a long history of famous country musicians using their platforms to comment on social and political issues. But since the lead singer of The Chicks, Natalie Maines, was ostracized after criticizing then President George W. Bush, country music stars have felt safer keeping their political views out of the public eye. Musician Ketch Secor of the band Old Crow Medicine Show is trying to change that. After the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, Ketch wrote an Op-ed in The New York Times calling for country music stars to let go of the fear of retaliation from their fanbase, and to break their silence on the gun debate. Audie talks with Ketch about what it’s like to be a musician and a parent in Nashville right now and what he thinks country musicians can do to help prevent another mass shooting.

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Holding Space for Therapy Speak Apr 06, 2023

Why is everyone talking about their “attachment style” or “boundaries” and “triggers”? Therapy speak, both online and IRL, has become a normal part of our daily discourse – especially since the pandemic brought mental health issues to the forefront. Audie talks to two psychologists, Dr. Arianna Brandolini and Dr. Luana Marques, about how widespread use of the language of their profession can both increase access to certain resources, and at the same time be a poor substitute for treatment.

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Run, Hide, Fight Mar 30, 2023

We have trained a generation of people how to think about, respond to, and survive a mass shooting, including children. Educators and law enforcement officials have developed curricula for schools to help teachers and students survive a shooting. The foundation for this teaching comes in large part from the work of Katherine Schweit. She is a former FBI Agent, author of the book, “Stop the Killing: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis,” and co-host of the podcast Stop the Killing. At the time of the Sandy Hook shooting she realized that training and education would be key in preventing more deaths. She developed the active shooter training program for the FBI. Its mantra of “Run, Hide, Fight” is now an essential element in mass shooting education. Audie talks with Katherine about how she came to this work, and what it’s like to do it in the midst of political paralysis.

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Yes, This Economy Is Confusing Mar 23, 2023

The past few weeks have been head spinning: U.S. job numbers? Solid... except for those layoffs in the tech sector. Inflation? Slowly dropping... but still high. Not to mention the bank failures...

It all has made us wonder: Why was it so hard for economists to predict this? What will happen next? And what does it mean for folks caught in the middle of high inflation? Audie gets an assignment from a listener and asks economists Gary “Hoov” Hoover, Executive Director of the Murphy Institute at Tulane University, and Alfredo Romero, Associate Professor at North Carolina A&T University, to make this economy make sense.

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The Assignment Returns March 23rd Mar 16, 2023

The Assignment is returning with new episodes every Thursday, and we're taking some of our assignments from you, including: trying to figure out our baffling economy, the rise of therapy speak online and in our daily lives, and delving into the world of absurdist fashion trends.

New episodes start dropping March 23rd. Thanks for listening!

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The Assignment presents Story of the Week Mar 09, 2023

The Assignment is hard at work reporting more stories about the people living the headlines. We’ll have new episodes in the feed starting March 23rd. In the meantime, here’s a special episode of another podcast that we think will bring a smile to your face. It’s called Story of the Week. Each week, journalist Joel Stein chooses an article that fascinates him, convinces the writer to tell him about it, and then interrupts a good conversation by talking about himself. In this episode, Choire Sicha, the editor of the New York Magazine piece on the new rules of etiquette that went viral in early February 2023, discusses the almost 200 dos and don’ts that will supposedly help us be better behaved in modern, polite society. Listen to new episodes of Story of the Week every Thursday at https://apple.co/3IRfQIE. You can read the full list from New York Magazine here: https://www.thecut.com/article/tipping-rules-etiquette-rules.html

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The Assignment presents Chasing Life with Sanjay Gupta Mar 02, 2023

The Assignment is taking a short break, we’ll be back with new episodes on March 23rd. In the meantime, we want to highlight the good work of some our colleagues and partners. This week, Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. In this sixth season, he explores how technology has disrupted our lives, the ways we interact with each other, work, learn, and even grow up. This season looks at the impact all this technology is having on young people. Like many parents, this topic is personal for Dr. Sanjay Gupta. We hear Sanjay speak with one of the people most directly impacted by it all: his daughter Soleil. Plus, a conversation with Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, about how social media is affecting youth mental health.

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Politics, But Make It Puppets Feb 23, 2023

Can puppets help us bridge the political divide? Probably not. But there’s one guy in Arizona who’s trying. If you saw Audie on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, you might have heard her mention a listener who called in about his R-rated puppet theater. His name is Shaun McNamara, and he’s the director of the All Puppet Players in Phoenix. His pitch: doing political humor in a red state. But with puppets. So, we called him up for chat.
We’re taking a short break with this episode. We’ll be back in your feeds in a few weeks. If YOU have an assignment for us, just like Shaun, you can give us a call and leave us a voicemail at 202-854-8802. You can record a voice memo on your phone and email that to us at: theassignmentcnn@gmail.com.

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The New State of Unions Feb 16, 2023

Do new unions need “Big Labor”? There is a new generation of labor organizers in the United States: baristas, warehouse workers, and grocers. They are organizing shop-by-shop and relying less on traditional big labor unions. Audie talks with longtime labor activist Erica Smiley, executive director of Jobs with Justice, and Nabretta Hardin, a Starbucks union organizer in Memphis, about legacy unions and their place in the new labor movement. Also: what can this new generation of activists learn from the old guard about sustaining a movement?

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Kicking the Football Habit Feb 09, 2023

When Buffalo Bills tight end Damar Hamlin collapsed of cardiac arrest after making a tackle, it set off a flurry of think pieces and debates about the safety and future of football. But with over 100 million viewers expected to watch the Super Bowl this year, it seems like football’s future is pretty clear. So, if a player almost dying on the field isn't enough to stir a longer, sustained debate about safety in the sport -- then, what is? Audie sits down with former NFL player Nate Jackson and sociologist Daniel Sailofsky — who quit the NFL after a decade of being a super fan — to talk about football's hold on the country and the moral quandary of supporting the sport.

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Life After the Traffic Stop Feb 02, 2023

What is it like to survive a violent police encounter? As the world processes the beating and death of Tyre Nichols, we hear from two men whose encounters with police changed their lives: Leon Ford is an author, speaker, and co-founder of The Hear Foundation. He was shot by Pittsburgh police in 2012 after being pulled over for a traffic stop. And Tim Alexander is a lawyer, politician, and former Detective Captain for the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office. He was “shot at, assaulted, and falsely arrested because of misidentification” by police officers in Newark in May 1985.

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‘I’m kind of lazy.’ Why We Aren’t Going Back to the Movies Jan 26, 2023

The pandemic, along with the rise of streaming services, shifted the way we experience movies. Theater ticket sales are still down, and many folks prefer to watch from the comfort of their own home. Is staying home bad for the movies? Will studios simply bombard us with sequels and superhero movies to get us back? We hear from Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List, about the state of cinema and the cultural necessity of going to the movies. And he tries to convince a very reluctant Audie Cornish to go back to the movie theater.

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The Prince and the Press Jan 19, 2023

In the last few years, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have traded their broken relationship with the UK press system for the celebrity industrial complex of the US. This week on The Assignment, Audie turns to two insiders from each media ecosystem to discuss how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are using the press to reshape their narrative. We hear from Los Angeles Times culture critic Mary McNamara and Newsweek’s Chief Royal Correspondent Jack Royston.

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The Long Arc of Long Covid Jan 12, 2023

Millions of people are now disabled because of a long Covid, leading to what some are calling a “mass disabling event.” In this episode, Audie speaks with Dr. Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, who has been diagnosing and treating patients with long Covid, to unpack this new terminology. Audie also hears from Imani Barbarin, a disability advocate, and Alexis Misko, who is struggling with long Covid, about what it means to be disabled in the United States and discusses whether long Covid could change the way we think about disability.

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New Year, New Assignments Jan 05, 2023

Happy New Year! We’re still on our holiday break but wanted to take a moment to reflect and set some new goals. In this episode, Audie listens to your voicemails, feedback, and ideas for future assignments. Thank you for being part of this community, and we can’t wait to keep the conversation going. We are reading all your assignments – so please keep them coming. You can leave us a message in a voicemail at 202-854-8802. Or record a voice memo on your phone and email that to us: theassignmentcnn@gmail.com

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The Assignment presents All There Is with Anderson Cooper Dec 29, 2022

The Assignment is taking a short, holiday break. We’ll return with new episodes in January. Today, we invite you into a warm, gracious conversation between CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Late Show host Stephen Colbert. It’s from Anderson’s podcast All There Is, a deeply personal exploration of loss and grief and finding community. Download the entire season of All There Is wherever you get your podcasts.

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Journalism on the Ropes Dec 22, 2022

The debate among journalists over how to regain the public’s trust is increasingly centered around the idea of objectivity. In this episode, Audie turns the spotlight on herself and the media. She invites journalists to help her reckon with the idea of objectivity: what it is? Does it still work? And, what’s the way forward for both the press and the public? You’ll hear from Jelani Cobb, Dean of Columbia Journalism School; Margaret Sullivan, former media columnist at the Washington Post, and Maggie Haberman, reporter for The New York Times.

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When the Chanting Stops Dec 15, 2022

Protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 set the stage for people across the country to demand change within the criminal justice system. Calls to “defund the police” gained mainstream attention and paved the way for the election of “progressive prosecutors.” But more than two years later, the momentum for the movement has slowed down and some of these prosecutors are facing backlash and, in some cases, even recall efforts. This week, we hear from Sarah George, Chittenden County State’s Attorney in Vermont and Jose Garza, District Attorney for Travis County Texas, about how their offices are adjusting without the support of a strong protest movement and increasing headlines about rising crime.

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Pediatricians Caught in a Political Crossfire Dec 08, 2022

After Roe v. Wade legalized abortion 50 years ago, abortion clinics and providers saw waves of violence, protests and lawsuits. Recently, a new group of healthcare providers has come under attack— the doctors providing gender affirming care for transgender kids. With politicians passing anti-trans bills, states blocking medical care altogether, and hospitals and doctors now facing vitriol and threats, is this care on the line for trans kids? In this episode, Audie speaks with two gender affirming care providers to discuss the negative attention they’ve faced and understand the lifesaving care at risk.

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My Bread and Butter: The OnlyFans Economy Dec 01, 2022

In the early days of the pandemic, OnlyFans made headlines as both celebrities and regular people made large sums of money selling sexually explicit content on the site. In this episode, Audie hears from the people who have made OnlyFans their career. What do their days look like? How do they make their money? And do they see a future for themselves on OnlyFans?

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Trauma, Trauma Everywhere Nov 23, 2022

From viral TikToks to pandemic think-pieces, it feels like trauma is everywhere. The world seems more aware than ever of how much past traumas can affect us, especially for people of color. In this episode, Audie talks with psychologist Dr. Thema Bryant, the incoming president of the American Psychological Association, about what trauma really means and whether you can “get over it.”

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Meet The Parents Taking Over School Boards Nov 17, 2022

For decades, parents have been passionate about what their children learn in school. In 1970s West Virginia they protested over diverse textbooks, in 2022 it’s the handling of the pandemic and issues of gender and race. In this episode, Audie talks to two parent activists turned elected school board officials about what motivated them to run for office and the changes they hope to make while in power.

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Introducing: The Assignment Nov 04, 2022

Fiery Twitter threads and endless news notifications never capture the full story. Each week on The Assignment, host Audie Cornish pulls listeners out of their digital echo chambers to hear from the people who live the headlines. From the sex work economy to the battle over what’s taught in classrooms, no topic is off the table.

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