Radio Atlantic

The Atlantic has long been known as an ideas-driven magazine. Now we’re bringing that same ethos to audio. Like the magazine, the show will “road test” the big ideas that both drive the news and shape our culture. Through conversations—and sometimes sharp debates—with the most insightful thinkers and writers on topics of the day, Radio Atlantic will complicate overly simplistic views. It will cut through the noise with clarifying, personal narratives. It will, hopefully, help listeners make up their own mind about certain ideas.

The national conversation right now can be chaotic, reckless, and stuck. Radio Atlantic aims to bring some order to our thinking—and encourage listeners to be purposeful about how they unstick their mind.

News
Society & Culture
Politics
26
Strike First, Explain Never
22 min
27
18 Minutes From Nuclear Annihilation
A House of Dynamite screenwriter Noah Oppenheim and staff writer Tom Nichols explain why the threat of nukes is as frightening as ever.
32 min
28
If the Voting Rights Act Falls
32 min
29
Saudi Arabia Gets the Last Laugh
The Riyadh Comedy Festival is just one part of a much bigger plan.
26 min
30
Weaponizing the Justice Department
The president wants his enemies prosecuted. How far can he go?
38 min
31
An American Education | 2. Testing Teachers for...
A vision of public schools by conservatives, for conservatives. The second episode in a two-part series.
38 min
32
Live from The Atlantic Festival: ‘2026 Is the B...
39 min
33
David Letterman on the Threats to Late-Night Hosts
20 min
34
An American Education | 1. Is Oklahoma Breaking...
“Woke”-teacher screenings. Trying to get Bibles in schools. A two-part series on how one state is remaking American education.
42 min
35
Rupert Murdoch Gets His Succession Finale
And his conservative media empire gets its new leader.
30 min
36
Welcome to the Vaccine Free-for-All
States are making their own rules
27 min
37
A Blueprint for Military Takeovers
How the president could normalize military presence in American cities.
33 min
38
Peace in Ukraine Is Not a Real-Estate Deal
31 min
39
No Easy Fix | 3. A Golden Opportunity
Is there such a thing as compassionate coercion when it comes to saving lives?
35 min
40
No Easy Fix | 2. Tolerance
San Francisco’s methods for treating addiction are changing, and the timing couldn’t be worse for Evan.
32 min
41
No Easy Fix | 1. Vanishing Point
What does it take to make a city’s most visible failure disappear?
31 min
42
A New Kind of Family Separation
25 min
43
Epstein Conspiracy, or Epstein Conspiracy Theory?
Julie K Brown broke the Epstein story seven years ago. She saw this latest twist coming.
26 min
44
Should You Be Having More Babies?
Dean Spears, a co-author of After the Spike, makes the case for more people.
29 min
45
The Patriotic Punk
Jeffrey Goldberg interviews Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys
26 min
46
Who Could Rule Iran Next?
It could get better. Or much worse.
26 min
47
Change Your Personality
28 min
48
The Real Problem With Trump's Parade
The military may start to see itself differently.
17 min
49
Elon and the Genius Trap
33 min
50
Mossad’s Former Chief Calls the War in Gaza ‘Us...
26 min