Reasonably Optimistic

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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A quarter of Americans, most of them Republicans, say immigration is the most pressing issue facing the country. Post columnists Karen Tumulty, León Krauze and Jim Geraghty discuss why this issue is top of mind for so many people, how politics continues to thwart policy and whether Americans still see our country as a cultural melting pot.

Read more from the columnists.

Karen Tumulty: “The U.S. is failing millions of undocumented essential workers”

León Krauze: “Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge fall spotlights immigrant workers”

Jim Geraghty: “Why America Needs a Secure Border | National Review”

And here’s more information on the topics discussed in the show:

“Immigration Named Top U.S. Problem for Third Straight Month”

“The Economic Impacts of Removing Unauthorized Immigrant Workers”

“Fueled by unprecedented border crossings, a record 3 million cases clog US immigration courts”

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The Alitos are the latest couple to face the question: When you are married to someone in public life — a Supreme Court justice, a member of Congress, a Post Opinions columnist — what compromises do you need to make? Should you be held to the same ethical standards as your spouse? Charles Lane, Ruth Marcus and James Hohmann discuss the politics of marriage, whether the Supreme Court is more partisan now than in the past and why they don’t think Justice Alito needs to recuse himself in the Jan. 6 case.

Read more from the Washington Post:

“The strange case of Alito v. Alito” 

“Sam Alito's flag flew upside down. Are his ethics?”

“Read Justice Alito’s letter denying requests to recuse from Jan. 6 cases”

Do we actually want AI that seems human?

Chatbots are being made to act and sound like humans. That makes them easier to talk to, but there could be other consequences. As our relationships with artificial intelligence evolve, do we need to draw a brighter line between what is technology and what is us? Opinions columnists Josh Tyrangiel, Bina Venkataraman and Amanda Ripley talk about what we really want out of AI. 

Read more on AI from our Washington Post columnists.

Josh Tyrangiel: 

“Honestly, I love when AI hallucinates”

“Let AI remake the whole U.S. government (oh, and save the country)”

“College students are dropping out in droves. Two sisters could fix that.”

Bina Venkataraman:

“When technology of the future traps people in the past” 

“Can AI solve medical mysteries? It's worth finding out.”

Take advantage of our Memorial Day sale and subscribe to The Washington Post for just 99 cents every four weeks for your first year. This deal runs from May 21-June 3, 2024. Subscribe here.

The house, the yard and the picket fence have long been part of the American Dream. Owning a home is lauded as a way to grow your wealth and pass it down to future generations. But high demand and short supply, coupled with today’s soaring interest rates, have made home ownership out of reach for many Americans. Opinions columnist Catherine Rampell and associate editor Alexi McCammond join deputy editor Charles Lane to talk about the cultural and financial forces at work and the generational shift in thinking about whether buying a house is the best place to put your money. 

Read more from the Washington Post:

“The YOLO economy is saving American cities” 

“Cities try every tool to fix the housing shortage except what works”

“Stop blaming millennials for the housing crisis”

Take advantage of our Memorial Day sale and subscribe to The Washington Post for just 99 cents every four weeks for your first year. This deal runs from May 21-June 3, 2024. Subscribe here.