1. Lovett or Leave It

(The other Crooked Media Podcasts like Pod Save the World, Pod Save the People, and Pod Save America are also really great!)

In 2018, it seemed that the US had gone a bit over the edge and it was easy to be overwhelmed by all of the news coverage. Lovett or Leave It breaks down the news and puts a funny comedy spin to it that harkens to a modern adaptation of an early John Stewart’s Daily Show. With shows and segments like The Rant Wheel, Too Stupid to Be True, and Ok, Stop, the show walks you through current issues in game-like formats that point out just how different are times are now from just three years ago. 

Nerd Fact – I actually try to save my Lovett or Leave It Podcasts for the Sunday Long Runs during my half marathon training. They make me feel like I am at the live show and not running in 93 degree weather – lol.

2. NPR Politics Podcast

While Lovett or Leave It encompasses a cast of characters that I am aligned with politically, the NPR Politics Podcast delivers the news with a clinical viewing. They work hard not to sway the audience either way but just present the facts. Even though I was a political science and international relations major in college, I am not completely familiar with some of the popular culture associated with political movements prior to 2008, which was the first election I participated in. The staff of the NPR Politics Podcast helps give me perspective by showing how the current administration is either a-historic of previous administrations or similar to previous administrations. 

3. The New York Time’s The Daily

I am interested in politics if you couldn’t tell 🙂 The New York Time’s The Daily offers a good mix of political news and other news so that I feel up to date on a wide range of topics from the story behind Roe v Wade and why Massachusetts just signed a bill into law this year to give women the right to an abortion regardless of the the status of Roe v Wade to the effects of US trade war with China on farmers all over the US. The podcast is usually between 20-40 minutes in length making it easily digestible on your way to work. It comes out every weekday morning. 

4. Tiny Desk Concert

In between the rush of all of the news, I really enjoy listening to music and discovering new music. NPR’s tiny desk concerts (available in video or audio/podcast form) bring in artists big and small to perform in an intimate setting and speak about their music. The podcast often lasts under 45 minutes and allows for music discovery as well as a cool background soundtrack to study to or to do work to.  

One of the most recent episodes that I have repeatedly listened to is the episode with Mumu Fresh featuring Black Thought & DJ Dummy (July 11). If you get a chance to check it out, please do!

5. Better as Friends Podcast

This is a podcast that I recently started listening to because I graduated high school with one of the hosts, Alex Staub. The hosts, Maureen and Alex, tried to date and realized that they were “better as friends.” They are two young professionals and millennials who talk about dating, relationship, family and more. It’s a nice look into how dating is different for men and women and how different people approach dating, intimacy, and life differently. 

Note – Some of the podcast episodes are definitely not suitable for listening at work 🙂 

6. Political Gabfest 

Every person has that one podcast that was their gateway into more podcast listening. For me, that podcast is Slate’s Political Gabfest. John Dickerson, Emily Bazalon, and David Plotz have inspired me to read more, chatter more, and think about things from more than just my perspective. They banter and oppose each other respectfully while showing each of their points of view. John Dickerson’s comments usually provide political or social context, Emily Bazalon provides legal frameworks to understand the news or topic of the day, and David Plotz provides a more libertarian viewpoint to the show. 

Live Shows – While I do love listening to this show every week, seeing them live is even better. After a few years of listening to them, I flew to DC to see their live show with my friend, Felicia, and we had a blast! The hosts were really enjoyable to watch and it was great to see their facial expressions as they discussed topics such as “Should we teach our children to be afraid of the police?”

7. FiveThirtyEight Politics

While there is a ton of information about Trump Administration policies, it’s sometimes hard to connect that to the midterm elections. FiveThirtyEight’s Politics Podcast helps to breakdown the data and explain what polls they use and why. They describe particular races as well as what to look out for on election night. With all of the special elections coming up, its a great listen when trying to see if there really is a blue wave coming and what that wave may or may not look like. 

Not to brag or anything but, Nate Silver and I have the same birthday (Jan 13th for the win!) and I’m pretty sure that means that we are destined to be BFFs. 

8. Vox’s Worldly 

With all of the political news going on in the US, its easy to become solely focused on US news. Vox’s Worldly is US centric as the hosts are all Americans but they dive more in depth into international issues and explain topics from health care in America to the feud between Saudi Arabia and Canada. I enjoy they white papers and other research papers that they bring into the conversation and how they back up their discussions. I feel like i am learning and being brought through a research process with each episode. 

If you like this, also check out Vox’s The Ezra Klein Show!

9. Freakonomics

These were the shows that inspired me to take advanced microeconomics and macroeconomics without completing calculus the summer after I graduated college. They make economics and behavioral economics fun, easily understandable, and leave you with greater knowledge about economic principles around you. 

Also, Freakonomics is a book and a documentary (on Netflix) that you should check out. One of the statistics that they do is a deep dive into the reduction of crime in the 1990’s and how that was actually linked more to abortion rates of 20 years prior (Roe v Wade) than a national crackdown on crime. 

10. Adulting (Oenone Forbat)

According to the podcast’s description, this is a podcast “where [Oenone] tries to unpack the difficult process of growing up in this confusing world.” This podcast speaks to women’s issues and coming of age in 2018. She is a bada$$ feminist who looks to have open discussions about love, life, sex, modern dating, feminism, sexism, and how to love yourself. She makes you feel like you are at a small girls’ night with her and her guest as they talk about the issues that affect all of us.

Honorable Mentions: Displaced, Hidden Brain, Code Switch, Slow Burn, Modern Love, Politically Reactive, The Impact, The Waves, Invisibilia, and Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History.