The Next Big Idea Daily

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Forget Left vs. Right. Here's What Really Drives the Supreme Court May 14, 2026

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The Supreme Court isn't the ideological battleground you think it is—it's a workplace, complete with egos, alliances, and quirks that shape the law in surprising ways. First, Sarah Isgur pulls back the curtain on the very human dynamics behind the bench. Then, journalist Rebecca Nagle shows what those decisions look like on the ground, tracing the generations-long fight for justice on Native land.

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How to Stay Steady When the World is Crazy May 13, 2026

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There's a word most of us don't use nearly enough—equanimity—and Margaret Cullen says it's the key to feeling fully alive without getting wrecked by every emotional wave that rolls through. Then in the second half, Dan Lyons makes the case that one of the most powerful things you can do in an endlessly noisy world is simply stop talking.

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The Skill Nobody Teaches You: How to Not Know May 12, 2026

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The people who sound the most certain are often the most likely to be wrong. Simone Stolzoff makes the case for embracing uncertainty as a superpower in his new book How to Not Know. Then, in the second half, we revisit his earlier book The Good Enough Job — a reminder that a meaningful life can't be measured in output and hustle alone.

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Why Your Haircut Costs More Every Year (And Your TV Set Costs Less) May 11, 2026

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First, Alex Mayyasi of NPR's Planet Money breaks down the hidden mechanics shaping your wallet. Then Atossa Araxia Abrahamian pulls back the curtain on how the wealthy quietly rewrite the rules of the global economy to work in their favor.

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Lessons in Life, Loyalty and Leadership May 08, 2026

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When a Navy captain risks his career to protect his crew during a crisis at sea, the fallout becomes a masterclass in loyalty and moral courage. Brett Crozier shares hard-won lessons from his time commanding an aircraft carrier through impossible circumstances. Then, Navy SEAL commander Mike Hayes brings a different lens to military leadership, exploring what it really means to pursue excellence without ever settling for "good enough."

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You've Been Pooping All Wrong (And It's Affecting Your Brain) May 07, 2026

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Your toilet habits might be quietly shaping your health, energy, and mood — and Dr. Trisha Pasricha is here to explain why, with big ideas from You've Been Pooping All Wrong. Then Elsa Richardson takes us on a fascinating journey through the curious history of how humans have understood (and misunderstood) their guts.

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You Have Time to Read War and Peace (Here's the Math) May 06, 2026

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Most of us don't have a time-management problem — we have a time-anxiety problem, and Laura Vanderkam is here to prove you have more hours than you think with a practical framework for designing your life around what actually matters. Then, in the second half, she returns with battle-tested strategies from Tranquility by Tuesday — nine ways to calm the chaos and make all that reclaimed time feel genuinely peaceful.

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The Workforce Is Aging. Here's Why That's Good News. May 05, 2026

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Everyone's talking about AI reshaping the future of work, but there's a quieter revolution underway: the workforce is getting older — fast. First, Dan Pontefract makes the case that aging employees aren't a liability but an untapped asset. Then Jeff Schwartz zooms out to explore how resilience, opportunity, and human-centered thinking can help us thrive in a rapidly accelerating world of work.