Reasonably Optimistic

For years, women were told that freedom meant independence: Build a career, make your own money and never need anyone’s help. But what if there is an alternative?

Host Megan McArdle talks with Leah Libresco Sargeant, author of “The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto,” about why feminism’s promise of independence can fall short and how to build better work and family lives.

This episode was originally published on April 8.

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In a recent interview, President Donald Trump said he’s ready to make a deal on immigration. But what would one that is popular across the political spectrum actually look like?

Host Megan McArdle talks with Alexander Kustov, a political scientist and professor at the University of Notre Dame, about what voters really want from immigration policy and how policymakers could build a system that welcomes immigrants while serving national interests.

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Weil, Gotshal & Manges was a nearly century-old law firm that was profitable, prestigious and apparently healthy — until an exodus of superstar partners caused it to unravel.

In the wake of the firm's collapse, host Megan McArdle talks with legal journalist David Lat about workplace loyalty, the “businessification” of professions and the power of top employees. They also explore how AI is eliminating the entry-level tasks that once trained young lawyers and what happens across industries when technology removes the first rung of the career ladder.

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For years, religion in American politics has been closely associated with the right. But in the 2026 midterm elections, candidates on the left — including Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and James Talarico in Texas — were notably vocal about their faith. That raises questions that have long been simmering: At a time of deep division and growing secularism, what role should faith play in a religiously diverse democracy? And how openly should religious people bring their beliefs into public life?

Host Megan McArdle talks with Washington Post contributing columnist Shadi Hamid, co-author of “Can Religion Save Democracy?,” about faith, pluralism and democracy.

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Artificial intelligence can feel as though it arrived overnight. But today’s AI boom grew out of a vision championed by a small group of researchers who believed machines could one day rival human intelligence. That once far-fetched idea has become a global race that no one seems to know how to stop.

Host Megan McArdle talks with Kevin Roose, author of "The AGI Chronicles," about the unusual people and rivalries behind the AI revolution, why the race for superintelligence is so difficult to slow down and whether governments can shape what comes next.

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