Over Memorial Day weekend, Americans went to the movies in record numbers. They were drawn by a live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch,” the ninth Mission Impossible movie, and perhaps some good air-conditioning. Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Will Leitch talk about why Hollywood continues to cash in on remakes, and what makes a film worth getting off your couch and going to the theater for.Additional reading:Will Leitch: ‘Sinners’ is leading the movies out of the streaming desertCheck out this limited time offer to subscribe to the Washington Post. It’s for just $2, every four weeks, for your first year and it’s ending soon.
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24:06
Can universities survive this?
President Trump, under the cover of the culture war, is attempting to pull billions of dollars in funding from universities unless they agree to his ideological demands. After Harvard refused and sued the Trump administration, Trump tried banning all of its 27 percent of international students last week. Dana Milbank, Catherine Rampell and Jason Willick discuss why the president is so obsessed with attacking universities, and what the consequences might be for future students. Additional reading by our columnists:Catherine Rampell: Trump is killing one of our strongest exportsJason Willick: The Antisemitism Awareness Act shows the mire of identity politicsCheck out this limited time offer to subscribe to the Washington Post. It’s for just $2, every four weeks, for your first year.
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28:58
We’ll defend Sesame Street with our life
“Sesame Street” recently announced it is coming to Netflix. The deal is a lifeline for the 56-year-old kids’ show, which has struggled after getting dropped from HBO and now has to deal with federal funding cuts for educational programming. With public media under attack once again, Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Monica Hesse talk about whether things like “Masterpiece Theater” or “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” or NPR are still important — and can still survive — in today’s political and cultural landscape. Check out our Memorial Day Sale to subscribe to the Washington Post. It’s just $2, every four weeks, for your first year. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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24:02
There’s nothing beautiful about this big bill
Republicans are haggling over the details of how much to cut Medicaid and food stamps while also trying to give bigger tax breaks to the richest Americans. Meanwhile, the rating agency Moody’s has downgraded the United States’ perfect economic score for the first time, because of how much this bill could run up the national debt. Dana Milbank, James Hohmann and Natasha Sarin talk about whether the Republicans can get this legislation over the finish line and why America is suffering from “boy-who-called-wolf energy” when it comes to the federal debt.Check out our Memorial Day Sale to subscribe to the Washington Post. It’s just $2, every four weeks, for your first year. Additional reading by our columnists:Natasha Sarin: The Trump administration’s tax math doesn’t add upSubscribe to The Washington Post here.
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22:05
AI is getting smarter. But are we?
The debate over how to use AI in schools, and what constitutes cheating, is not unlike other arguments about tech and learning in recent decades — be it students using graphing calculators to solve problems or Wikipedia to do research. But will AI be more disruptive than anything we’ve seen before? Columnists Molly Roberts, Megan McArdle and Monica Hesse discuss how they’re using AI in their work and personal lives, and how they think we can create a helpful — and hopeful— AI future. Check out our Memorial Day Sale to subscribe to the Washington Post. It’s just $2, every four weeks, for your first year. Additional reading from our columnists:Megan McArdle: Don’t be fooled. This is the calm before the AI storm.Megan McArdle: If you haven’t been worrying about AI, it’s time to start preparingMolly Roberts: AI is forcing teachers to confront an existential questionAnd here’s a link to an article mentioned in the episode:Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College (New York Magazine)
Smart when you need it, fun when you want it — with hosts who feel like friends. Impromptu is your twice-a-week conversation with Washington Post columnists who bring fresh insight and perspective to the stories shaping the week. On Tuesdays, Dana Milbank and his colleagues dig into the political news that actually matters. Then, on Fridays, Drew Goins and Molly Roberts ease you into the weekend, breaking down the cultural moments you can’t stop thinking about.
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