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10 April 2026

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Jun 5, 2013 — Conor Friedersdorf & Elizabeth Nolan Brown
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Friedersdorf

On Friedersdorf, Conor and Elizabeth consider how Bushwick, Brooklyn quickly went from post-apocalyptic wasteland to hipster paradise. They discuss the new season of Arrested Development on Netflix and how binge watching has changed our relationship with TV. They move on to a controversial essay by a woman who chooses not to use birth control, which leads to a consideration of new ways that non-fiction writers can tell stories. Is Mark Bittman wrong about eating meat? And is a Northwestern student wrong to refuse to sing a song with lyrics by Walt Whitman?

Jun 4, 2013 — Alyssa Rosenberg & Sean T. Collins
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Critic Proof

Spoiler alert! On Critic Proof, Alyssa and Sean dive deep into the infamous “Red Wedding” episode of Game of Thrones. How did the climactic scene compare to the book? Has the show done a disservice to the character of Catelyn? They discuss how GoT portrays spectacle and extreme violence on a limited budget, compare Walder Frey and Craster, and analyze the series’ portrayal of the evils of war. Turning to Sunday night’s other prestige drama, they wonder whether Mad Men is stuck in a rut and guess where the show will go next.

Jun 4, 2013 — Kevin Glass & Alex Seitz-Wald
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Jun 3, 2013 — Alyssa Rosenberg & Noreen Malone
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Critic Proof
On Critic Proof, Alyssa and Noreen compare New Girl creator Liz Meriwether with Girls creator Lena Dunham, especially in terms of their presentation of sex on TV. Alyssa describes how New Girl has grown on her despite her apprehensions about star Zooey Deschanel. She also discusses Mindy Kaling’s show The Mindy Project. Why are the breakout characters on the new crop of female-centric comedies mostly male? Is charm on the decline among men? Is the “unromantic comedy” on the rise? Are traditional romantic comedies bad for women? Turning back to New Girl, they suggest that romcoms could succeed by becoming more realistic about love and life.
Jun 3, 2013 — Robert Wright & Serhat Güvenç
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Worldwise
Jun 2, 2013 — Jonathan Phillips & Joe Henrich
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The Mind Report
Jun 1, 2013 — Robert Wright & Mustafa Akyol
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Worldwise
May 31, 2013 — Robert Farley & Nate Jones
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Foreign Entanglements
On Foreign Entanglements, Rob speaks with Nate about newly declassified documents concerning the secret 1983 NATO exercise Able Archer. Rob sets the stage by discussing the increase in tensions between the US and the USSR, and Nate explains why the exercise scared the Soviets. Nate then describes three sets of documents about the exercise, shedding light on Soviet fears of a US nuclear first strike, how a Warsaw Pact-NATO war in Europe would play out, and whether there was a real danger of the war game becoming real. Nate describes the “crown jewel” of declassified documents. They close by predicting the contents of declassified war on terror documents from decades in the future.
May 30, 2013 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ
On The DMZ, Bill asks Matt about his feud with Howard Dean, which leads to a reflection on the legacy of Dean’s primary campaign 10 years ago. They compare Dean to Michele Bachmann, who is retiring from Congress. Matt wonders why it’s so hard to find a smart, charismatic conservative leader like Ronald Reagan. Turning to the Obama Administration’s scandals, Bill finds it ironic that conservatives are siding with The New York Times against the Justice Department. Plus: Should Eric Holder resign?
May 29, 2013 — Robert Wright & James Traub
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Worldwise

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