Reasonably Optimistic

Additional reading by our columnists:

Ramesh Ponnuru: The Republican shell game on tax cuts

Natasha Sarin: This senator’s comment on Medicaid cuts was brutal but accurate

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Democratic socialism has notched another victory. Zohran Mamdani’s win over the establishment is just the latest in a line of self-proclaimed socialist candidates who’ve been invading the Democratic Party for the past decade. See: Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But are people actually drawn to the policies and ideology of socialism, or is it about something else? Molly Roberts, Drew Goins and Philip Bump discuss what Mamdani’s victory tells us about the power of young voters.

Read more from our columnists:

Philip Bump: The Democrats’ generational rift just got harder to ignore

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After much hemming and hawing, President Trump joined the Israeli attack on Iran over the weekend. He’s now declared a ceasefire, but it’s off to a shaky start. So was the U.S. bombing a success and what’s next in the Middle East? Can the current leaders in Iran and Israel ever actually come together? Columnist Dana Milbank talks with Jason Rezaian, former Tehran correspondent at the Post, and Emily Harding from the Center of Strategic and International Studies about what’s going on in the Middle East. 

Read more from our columnists:

Dana Milbank: War with Iran? Let’s run it up the flagpole!

Emily Harding: The Iran strike was probably the right move. We may need to do it again.

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AI has become the one-stop solution to most of the problems we face. But can it truly substitute for human relationships? Drew Goins is joined by Post Opinions editor at large Bina Venkataraman and inclusion strategist Charlotte Marian Pearson to discuss the rise of AI companionship and what could be lost as more and more people get closer to this new technology.

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With Israel’s relentless attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites and top military leaders, the country is on the verge of catastrophe and major change. But what are Israel’s end goals, and does it need the United States to achieve them? Dana Milbank is joined by Jason Rezaian and Keith Richburg to talk through what’s happening in the Middle East and how the politics are playing out in an interesting way back in the U.S. 

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As troops descend on Washington to show off U.S. military might, the National Guard is being sent to respond to protests in Los Angeles and accompany ICE on raids. At the same time, President Donald Trump is saying the military’s mission is not to spread democracy, but to “dominate any foe.” Contributing columnist and Navy veteran Theodore R. Johnson joins Drew Goins and Molly Roberts to discuss what happens when the military is sent into cultural battlegrounds, whether the parade will make anyone feel more patriotic and what military service means today. 

Theodore R. Johnson: What real patriots should think about Trump’s parade

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Protests against President Trump’s immigration policies have spread from Los Angeles outward over the past week. And his decision to send in National Guard troops, and then Marine units seems only to be adding fuel to the fire. Columnists Molly Roberts, James Hohmann and León Krauze discuss why these protests are happening now, whether democracy is beating authoritarianism and if this is really what voters wanted when they elected Trump. 

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In the background of the parades, festivals and protests going off for Pride Month, there are executive orders targeting trans Americans and diminished support of certain rights for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Many corporate sponsors, happy to wave rainbow flags and sell Pride-themed merch in years past, are pulling back funds, too. Writer John Paul Brammer joins Drew Goins and Molly Roberts to discuss how the political atmosphere is affecting Pride this year. 

Find John Paul Brammer on Substack. Here’s his latest on Pride: Shelter

Additional reading:

Pride Month is over. Welcome to LGBTQ Wrath Month.

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Some investors on Wall Street are starting to call President Trump’s bluffs on tariffs — coining the acronym TACO, for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” But will Trump make good on his promises to end the conflict in Ukraine, strike a deal with Iran and make nice with China? Or is his strongman approach just making things worse? Columnists Dana Milbank, Catherine Rampell and Jim Geraghty discuss how difficult it is to strike deals when Trump’s actual policy objectives are so muddled.

Additional reading by our columnists:

Dana Milbank: The bully gets punched in the nose

Jim Geraghty: Trump belatedly wakes up to Putin’s brutality

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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 desert

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