Life or death decisions are being gamified for profit on online prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. But these platforms may also have the potential to create a modernized—if morally questionable—method of opinion polling. Politico Magazine contributing writer Nancy Scola joins Offline to explain the rise of these markets, the argument for them, an ... Show More
Yesterday
Optimism In Our Age of Anxiety
Why fight for a better future if we don't believe one is possible? Why organize, why vote? Dr. Deepika Chopra, the "Optimism Doctor," joins the show to talk about the dangers of cynicism, and to explain how optimism is a more rational and democracy-safeguarding response to this p ... Show More
54m 55s
Mar 14
Trump's Memeification of War
Journalist and historian Anne Applebaum joins Offline to discuss America’s slide towards autocracy, as illustrated through Trump's war of choice in Iran. Anne is a staff writer at The Atlantic, an authoritarianism expert, and the host of the "Autocracy in America" podcast. She an ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 7
Endless Slop, Cancer Cures, or Robot Apocalypse? Derek Thompson on Our AI Future
Derek Thompson, journalist and co-author of Abundance, joins Offline to hash out some hard truths about AI: who it will actually replace, why we haven’t seen more labor market disruption, and why the Department of War’s battle with Anthropic spells the end of private property rig ... Show More
1h 10m
Jan 2025
It's a Numbers Game Podcast: The Rise of Trump's Multiracial Coalition
<p>In this episode, Ryan and Patrick Ruffini discuss the evolving dynamics of American politics, particularly focusing on the rise of Donald Trump's multiracial coalition and the shifting voting patterns among minority groups. They explore the concept of racial de-alignment, the ... Show More
38m 59s
Aug 2025
Pete Buttigieg Thinks Democrats Can't Go Back
<p>Pete Buttigieg—former South Bend mayor, 2020 presidential candidate, and Transportation Secretary—sits down with Jon Favreau to discuss how much of the status quo Democrats should aim to restore (if any) if they win in 2026, what the party needs to change to effectively messag ... Show More
1h 15m
Nov 2024
Making Sense of Trump's Win
After a night of resounding losses and a nationwide lurch to the right, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan begin to sift through the pieces—what we know, and we don't, about the race Democrats ran, what voters are looking for, and how to endure the turmoil of a second Trump term. For a ... Show More
54m 17s