Tim Walz went from being a little-known Midwestern governor to Democratic vice-presidential candidate in a matter of a few weeks. But in this sprint of a campaign, nothing is moving slowly. Charles Lane, Molly Roberts and Matt Bai talk through whether Walz can keep up the momentum of the Harris campaign, if the “weird” strategy is good or bad, and how much of a unifier Walz will be for the Democratic ticket.

Read more from our columnists about Kamala Harris’s choice of a running mate here:

Karen Tumulty: “Tim Walz made ‘weird’ happen. What he offers the ticket is much more.”

Perry Bacon Jr: “Tim Walz is a bold, smart choice for Harris’s running mate”

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Airline travel is increasingly exasperating. Any blip, whether it’s a weather event or a technical problem, leads to cascading days of delays and cancellations. Why does it all seem so fragile? Charles Lane, Catherine Rampell and Marc Fisher discuss the economics of flying and how customers might be helping drive a race to the bottom. 

Stay until the end to get humor columnist Alexandra Petri's take on flying.

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Ava Wallace, sports reporter at The Washington Post, is in France to report on the Summer Games — and eat a lot of croissants. Join her through the entire run of the games, for several episodes a week as she captures the highs, the lows and the Paris of it all, along with other Post colleagues.

Follow The Sports Moment podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or YouTube.

Sign up for The Sports Moment: Olympics Edition newsletter here.

After all the hand-wringing over the last month, it took only about 24 hours for Democrats to fall in line behind Vice President Harris as their new nominee. Even so, some worry she’s not the strongest candidate that could have been put forward. Our columnists discuss whether she can win, who might join her as a running mate and what it means for her chances to be a woman of color on the top of the ticket in 2024.

Read more from Post Opinions:

“The five groups of Democrats that ended Biden’s candidacy”

“Today's Democrats love unity and hate arguing. Here's why.”

“Democrats should not fear running two women”

“What Harris needs to do, now, to win”

After a truly wild few weeks in politics, our columnists huddle up at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. They discuss the mood on the ground in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, how the unity message seems to be fraying and what recent events mean for the presidential campaign – and the country – going forward. Plus, humorist Alexandra Petri serves up an imagined J.D. Vance infomercial using his own words about Trump.

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With falling poll numbers and President Biden's public appearances doing little to reassure voters he’s still got what it takes to win, Democrats are faced with a difficult decision about how to proceed. Biden has dug in, pledging to the public that he isn’t going anywhere. Charles Lane, Karen Tumulty and Perry Bacon Jr. talk through whether Biden can salvage his campaign, how possible it really is to change course now and who else could step up.

Read more from our columnists:

“Kamala Harris walks into the storm — and keeps her footing”

“What if Biden steps aside from the Democratic nomination?”

“If not Biden, who? Five columnists weigh in.”

It’s the week of the Fourth of July and the word patriotism is as divisive as the rest of American politics. Theodore Johnson, Karen Attiah and Jason Rezaian discuss the good and the bad about the United States, and how to reconcile its shortcomings while pushing for a better future. 

Read more from some of our columnists —

Ted Johnson: “American democracy is fine. It's the republic that's in trouble.”

“Buck up, America. Help is on the way.”

Karen Attiah: “How to reckon with the cult of the gun”

President Biden’s debate performance has Democrats in a panic and Donald Trump supporters gleeful. Columnists Karen Tumulty, Dana Milbank and Jim Geraghty process how things feel the morning after, whether the president should step aside and how the truth was the night’s biggest loser. 

Read more from our columnists about the debate:

Karen Tumulty: “The Great Democratic Freakout is upon us”

Dana Milbank: “If America is failing, that debate showed why”

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Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy recommended putting a warning on social media for minors last week, while governors from coast to coast have pushed for restrictions on teen phone use. But how worried should we really be, and what is there to do about it? Post columnists Amanda Ripley, Molly Roberts and Theodore Johnson talk through the dumbphone trend, how explicit lyric warnings on CDs backfired and what actually worked in the campaigns to stop kids from smoking. 

Listen to Murthy talking to our colleagues on the daily news podcast, Post Reports, about why he sees social media as such a threat to young people.

"How bullying shaped the surgeon general's fight against social media"

Read more from the Washington Post: 

“Surgeon general calls for social media warning labels”

“What research actually says about social media and kids’ health”

“Opinion | Why a warning label for social media is so crucial”

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It’s been a rough few years for movie theaters, and the dismal start to the summer blockbuster season hasn’t helped. If people go to theaters less often, will that change the type of movies that are made? Is the future of moviegoing a boutique, high-end experience? Matt Belloni, host of “The Town,” joins The Post’s Alyssa Rosenberg and Chris Suellentrop to talk about what’s going on with the movies and what, if anything, will get people out of their living rooms and into theaters.

Read more from Belloni here and subscribe to his “What I’m Hearing” newsletter. Or you can find his podcast about the entertainment business, “The Town” wherever you listen.

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