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Divorce can be liberating. And expensive.

When author and science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer separated from her ex-husband, her social media feed was inundated with posts about the freedom of divorce. But while divorce can be empowering… Melinda felt like that narrative overlooked a pretty significant part of the process: the financial burden.

And she’s not alone. After detailing her experience on her Substack, Now What, it caught the attention of editors at New York Magazine. Apparently their divorced friends were also having a hard time financially and they wanted someone to look into it. Melinda’s reporting was published in The Cut, titled: The Strong, Empowered, Secretly Broke Divorcee.

Melinda joins the show to walk Brittany through how financially punishing divorce can be for women and why we should all be a bit more critical of the laws that intend to treat all parties fairly when we still live in a deeply unequal society.

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How do you decide who to vote for?

Some people are turning to AI chatbots to craft bespoke voter guides, while others are leaning on the wisdom of their favorite Instagram or TikTok influencers to guide them to the polls. But what are the pitfalls of each of these approaches, and what does our reliance on them say about what we need to feel informed? To find out, Brittany is joined by Maham Javaid, NPR politics reporter, and Dr. Martin Riedl, assistant professor of journalism and media at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Are you looking for more conversations on politics and culture? Check these out:

The DSA vs. establishment Democrats
How often do you think about the American Empire?

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Are we in an economic crisis? 

It’s a question that prompted Pulitzer Prize-winning data journalist and illustrator Mona Chalabi to pitch her first book, Ten Lives: How What We Have Shapes Who We Are.

It chronicles the economic lives of Americans -- from the mega wealthy to those living paycheck-to-paycheck -- over a six year period. She even digs into her own financial life. From the economic highs of inheritances and professional success to the lows of divorces and lawsuits, Mona chats with Brittany about how economic insecurity affects us all.

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Does private equity turn restaurants into zombified husks of their former selves?

From the Crumbl and Insomnia cookie empires, to some of our country's most enduring chains like Dunkin and Panera, private equity is getting its hands in a lot of food chains. And some consumers are actively avoiding places that are private equity backed – expecting high prices, low quality, and an unsettling sameness to the food. But what's behind all the private equity money in these food chains? And what makes the hate of it so personal?

To get into it, Brittany is joined by Alaina Demopoulos, daily features writer at the Guardian, and Courtney E. Smith, founder and owner of the independent food and culture site Ravenous.

(00:00) Why some are spooked by private equity in food
(2:04) Bagels, cookies, and Panera: what private equity involvement looks like
(06:22) The soulless private equity aesthetic
(10:15) Why restaurants are attractive to private equity - despite thin margins
(13:17) Why do some people take private equity involvement so personally?

For more episodes about food culture, check out:
Bacteria is taking over the food pyramid
Is the internet choosing your food?
It's healthy to eat your feelings. Here's why.

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Has Gen Z changed how we think about independents?

It's no secret that Americans are politically divided, as faith in political parties erodes. In the past, so-called "independent" voters were likely shifting between Democrats and Republicans. But now, especially Gen-Z, are pushing in new directions, far from the center. In this episode, we explore how "independent" became a rallying cry for change on the left and the right. 

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