Start Making Sense Clips

Mar 14 2024 557 ep. 20 mins 67

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Amy Wilentz: Turmoil in Haiti

Mar 14 2024 16 mins

After gangs took over most of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s acting prime minister, Ariel Henry, agreed to step aside. Longtime Haiti observer Amy Wilentz analyzes the forces at work shaping the country’s next steps.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Katha Pollitt: Republicans and no-fault divorce

Jun 14 2023 14 mins

You might think Republicans would take a breather after banning abortion in the states they control; but no: they’ve set their sights on a new target: no-fault divorce. Katha Pollitt explains.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Brenda Stevenson on The Enslaved Black Family

Jun 07 2023 19 mins

The Black family under slavery and after -- down to Barack and Michelle and Sasha and Malia. Historian Brenda Stevenson explains; her new history of the enslaved black family is “What Sorrows Labour in My Parent’s Breast.”Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Christina Gerhardt: Disappearing Islands

May 31 2023 18 mins

Climate change is raising sea levels, and soon low-lying coastal areas will be under water. But the most severe threat, the brunt of the suffering, is coming first to low-lying islands around the world -- even though they are least responsible for global warming. Christina Gerhardt comments – her remarkable new book is “Sea Change: An Atlas of Islands in a Rising Ocean.”Adver

Adam Shatz on Writing and Political Commitment

May 24 2023 23 mins

What does it mean to be a politically committed writer? Adam Shatz talks about that—it’s the focus of his new book, “Writers and Missionaries: Essays on the Radical imagination.” He’s The Nation’s former literary editor and US editor of the LRB.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Adam Hochschild on Anti-Woke History

May 17 2023 18 mins

Ron DeSantis is campaigning for president promising to “stop woke history” – stop teaching about slavery and its legacy of institutional racism. Adam Hochschild found the history curriculum DeSantis wants—the Hillsdale College “1776 Curriculum.” He reports on what’s in it—and what’s not.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://

Hollywood Writers on Strike: Josh Gondelman

May 10 2023 18 mins

11,500 members of the Writers Union are on strike--against the film, TV and streaming companies--with picket lines up in L.A. and New York. Both sides have prepared for a months-long conflict; award-winning TV writer Josh Gondelman explains the issues.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Eric Foner: Joe Biden, the GOP, and 'Freedom'

May 03 2023 14 mins

Joe Biden announced that the theme of his reelection campaign will be that the Democrats are the party of “freedom.” But the Republicans claim THEY are the defenders of freedom. Who is right? Eric Foner has the answer -- he's the author of "The Story of American Freedom."Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/priv

Haitians Fight Back: Amy Wilentz

Apr 26 2023 17 mins

How a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince fought back against the gangs: Amy Wilentz comments on the news from Haiti.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

John Nichols on the Politics of Abortion Rights

Apr 19 2023 19 mins

Abortion rights will be a key issue for Democrats in the 2024 election, especially after Republican judges have tried to ban medication abortions. John Nichols comments.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy