Start Making Sense

Subscribe

Start Making Sense is The Nation’s flagship weekly podcast, hosted by contributing editor Jon Wiener, featuring the magazine’s writers and editors as well as activists who shape the week in news. Subscribe at Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, for new episodes each Wednesday.

Haiti Kidnapping

The Politics of Kidnapping in Haiti: Amy Wilentz The Politics of Kidnapping in Haiti: Amy Wilentz

Plus Dave Zirin on The Kaepernick Effect.

Oct 28, 2021 / Podcast / Start Making Sense and Jon Wiener

Texas Capitol

How Dems Can Turn Texas Blue How Dems Can Turn Texas Blue

John Nichols on politics, plus Adam Shatz on Richard Wright.

Oct 21, 2021 / Podcast / Start Making Sense and Jon Wiener

Captiol Hill

Do Democrats Need to Stop Talking About Climate, Immigration, and Policing? Do Democrats Need to Stop Talking About Climate, Immigration, and Policing?

John Nichols says no, plus Melina Abdullah on the LAPD, and Ray Suarez on the new podcast Going for Broke.

Oct 14, 2021 / Podcast / Start Making Sense and Jon Wiener

Anti-mask protest

America’s Lunatics: Katha Pollitt America’s Lunatics: Katha Pollitt

Plus John Powers on Percival Everett’s Emmett Till novel.

Oct 7, 2021 / Podcast / Start Making Sense and Jon Wiener

Capitol police

Can Policing Be Reformed? Can Policing Be Reformed?

Erwin Chemerinsky on police brutality, plus Eyal Press on dirty work.

Sep 30, 2021 / Podcast / Start Making Sense and Jon Wiener

US-Mexico border

Biden’s Disastrous Deportation of Haitians Biden’s Disastrous Deportation of Haitians

Amy Wilentz on the situation at the border, plus Ruth Milkman and Stephanie Luce on Occupy Wall Street 10 years after.

Sep 23, 2021 / Podcast / Start Making Sense and Jon Wiener

Mosque

How Mosques Became FBI Targets After 9/11 How Mosques Became FBI Targets After 9/11

Ahilan Arulanantham on state secrets, plus Amy Wilentz on The Chair.

Sep 16, 2021 / Podcast / Start Making Sense and Jon Wiener

Texas abortion law

Abortion Politics and Republican Power Abortion Politics and Republican Power

Rick Perlstein on the Texas law, plus Eric Foner on Tulsa.

Sep 9, 2021 / Podcast / Start Making Sense and Jon Wiener

Biden Afghanistan speech

Will the Afghanistan Withdrawal Hurt Biden? Will the Afghanistan Withdrawal Hurt Biden?

John Nichols doesn’t think so. Plus Adam Shatz on William Gardner Smith’s Parisian years.

Sep 2, 2021 / Podcast / Start Making Sense and Jon Wiener

Afghan woman refugee

What America Owes Afghan Women: Katha Pollitt What America Owes Afghan Women: Katha Pollitt

Plus Eric Foner on Black politics and history.

Aug 26, 2021 / Podcast / Start Making Sense and Jon Wiener

x