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Reasonably Optimistic

The Washington Post

Enough with the doom and gloom — we’re ready to talk about how America can thrive. Hosted by Washington Post Opinion columnist Megan McArdle, “Reasonably Optimistic” is your weekly conversation about how America can get unstuck and build a better future. Stop feeding your rage and start embracing our possibilities. Episodes drop Wednesdays.

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  1. What the collapse of a $2 billion law firm reveals 49:38
  2. Did the 2026 midterms put religion back in politics? 1:03:24
  3. How AI went from fringe idea to unstoppable force 56:06
  4. What a reality show taught this author about modern masculinity 49:45
  5. Netflix’s next act may look a lot like old TV 27:14
  6. How the DSA is reshaping the Democratic Party 48:05
  7. What prediction markets can tell us that polls can’t 28:15
  8. The fight for fed-up voters in the 2026 midterms 38:54
  9. The overlooked businesses making Americans rich 46:32
  10. How America can recover from Trump-era politics 40:57
  11. The job interview advice Gen Z needs to hear 27:00
  12. Is AI taking Gen Z’s jobs? It’s not that simple. 50:31
  13. The $1 million prize for academics who tell unwelcome truths 1:05:26
  14. How conservatism went from Reagan to Trump 36:22
  15. Why everyone seems to hate Flock cameras 45:17
  16. What AI experts fear most 48:55
  17. This medieval revolt has a warning for today 31:03
  18. The strange truth behind our obsession with UFOs and aliens 50:18
  19. My mother’s secret changed how I think about abortion 32:51
  20. The myths fueling America’s AI data center backlash 55:06
  21. Football is back. A new CTE study asks what it costs. 16:05
  22. The hidden forces behind America’s baby bust 56:35
  23. A sociologist’s perspective on the Jason Arday story 49:54
  24. What empty pews reveal about America 52:27
  25. Why this professor lost faith in higher education 59:37
  26. Why your cost of living keeps rising 35:45
  27. Is TikTok rewiring childhood? 54:25
  28. Stop cooking the ‘right’ way 34:53
  29. How to fix higher education without destroying it 21:29
  30. A therapist on relationships, ghosting and realistic standards 46:12
  31. Why homeownership feels impossible for Gen Z 21:48
  32. What America got wrong about drug addiction 25:32
  33. Lonely Gen Z needed this wake-up call 32:37
  34. This actor drove 10,000 miles to ask men about loneliness 33:46
  35. The problem with ‘Tax the rich!’ 21:09
  36. How populists turn distrust into power 31:11
  37. Why Europeans are falling in love with America 18:05
  38. What happened when fashion moved online 32:01
  39. What's behind the South's sudden boom 17:39
  40. Modern dating is miserable. Can it be fixed? 37:20
  41. Voters can push back against unsavory politicians 13:16
  42. Is there such a thing as too much empathy? 35:42
  43. Gen Zers don’t cook. It’s costing them. 20:57
  44. Do aliens exist? I asked an astrophysicist. 37:04
  45. How weddings got so expensive 18:39
  46. Why $1 million doesn’t feel rich for Gen Z 38:48
  47. Why everyone is talking about peptides 28:46
  48. What’s going on with Ebola and hantavirus? 23:30
  49. Is life better in Europe? It's not so simple. 13:01
  50. Men are falling behind. Let's talk about it. 34:29