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.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
The Dark Side of Meditation
A psychologist wanted to conduct a study showing the benefits of meditation. But the results—and some of her own unsettling experiences—turned everything she thought she
Sep 17 35 min
‘The Canadians Have Had Enough of This Nonsense’
President Trump insisted last week that Canada is “dying to make a deal” on tariffs with the United States. But dealmaking hasn’t been working out well for him lately. An
Sep 14 26 min
Sarah Longwell's Playbook for Defeating MAGA
Despite his message at the first-ever Republican midterm convention this week, President Trump’s brand is weak. His approval rating is hanging at about 35 percent, and ev
Sep 10 32 min
How the Government Wastes Our Time
Long DMV lines, endless tax forms, and paperwork-heavy safety-net programs aren’t just annoyances—they’re “time taxes,” the administrative burdens that waste people’s tim
Sep 7 30 min
Creating the Perfect Female Monster
The breakout crime drama “Furious,” which had its series finale this week, centers around a female serial killer who is exacting revenge on the men who abused her. We tal
Sep 3 25 min
Trump’s Economy Goes to the Polls
Midterm elections are almost always referendums on the policies of the party in power; President Trump is hoping that Republicans steer into the skid. Last week, my colle
Aug 31 28 min
Bill Gates on the Dangers of AI
Bill Gates has generally been an AI optimist. Three years ago, he wrote that AI had downsides, but the risks were “manageable.” This week, Gates wrote a new memo, headlin
Aug 27 35 min
Where Do America’s Colleges Go From Here?
This back-to-school season, higher education finds itself at a crossroads. Amid rising costs, pressures from the Trump administration over admissions and ideological dive
Aug 24 30 min
Secrets of a Jeopardy Champion
What does it take to win Jeopardy? Drew Goins—an Atlantic staff writer, a Jeopardy champion, and the creator of The Atlantic’s new trivia game, Rabbithole—shares his sec
Aug 20 24 min
The Trump Administration Wanted Her Expertise, Just Not Her
In 2013, Julia Curlee became the first CIA officer to transition openly and keep serving the agency.She felt more effective at her job living as the person she always bel
Aug 17 38 min
Longing for a Time Before Smartphones
Gen Z has romanticized the technology of the ’90s—or the era’s lack of it. Young long for a time when people were looking at each other instead of their phones. But could
Aug 13 39 min
Never Trump, Still a Republican
Radio Atlantic host Adam Harris speaks with former Republican U.S. Senator and former U.S. Ambassador Jeff Flake about his recent endorsement of Democratic Senator Jon Os
Aug 10 18 min
The Death of Romance
We’ve entered the era of the great romance slump. Fewer people are moving in together and getting married, and a shrinking number of young adults say they have experience
Aug 6 29 min
What ‘America First’ Means for Global Health
Ebola is ravaging the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in what may soon become the worst outbreak of the disease ever recorded. This particularly d
Aug 3 24 min
The Town That Wants a Data Center Next Door
Opposition to data-center construction is the bipartisan issue of the moment—70 percent of Americans are against construction in their communities. Recently, New York pas
Jul 30 39 min
Can a Progressive Win a Purple State?
Nationwide attention and endorsements are flooding into Michigan as voters get ready to pick their Senate candidates Aug. 4. Why is everybody from President Trump to Bern
Jul 27 25 min
Is the Age of Reading Over?
People may be reading now more than ever (emails, texts, social-media posts). But fewer and fewer people are reading actual books. The Atlantic’s staff writer Rose Horowi
Jul 23 30 min
What We Know About the Recent ICE Killings
The fatal shootings of two men in Texas and Maine by immigration officers have put the Department of Homeland Security back under renewed scrutiny.
Host Hanna Rosin is j
Jul 20 23 min
The Election Deniers Are in Charge Now
Today’s episode is a dispatch from Georgia, where election skeptics run elections. Lately, the president has gone into an election frenzy, trying to spread the idea that
Jul 16 49 min
The War Trump Can't Control
Though President Trump has said he would not enter any “forever wars,” America seems to find itself headed toward one. With the latest cease-fire “over,” is there a way o
Jul 13 24 min
Chart trend
Position in the Politics chart (US), last 90 days.
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#4
all-time peak
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days in the top 10 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where Radio Atlantic ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 17, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
I have subscribed to The Atlantic for several years cuz of great journalism. But it’s more important than ever now, when it’s one of the few sources still willing to report the truth. They have not been silenced or intimidated like so many. I hope that won’t change now that they are being targeted because of Sarah Fitzpatrick’s important reporting on the weakness of the FBI Director Patel.
DrDK2 · Apr 2026
Really enjoy this show. It’s a mix of great questioning, excellent guests, and good production. Thank you for your timely and thoughtful work
Ca from LA in Pa · Jan 2026
As a longtime reader of The Atlantic, I appreciate the topics and depth of presentation by Hanna and her crew. I find these topics interesting (even if I wasn’t hooked by the title initially). This is the goal of solid authorship. I read The Atlantic cover-to-cover every month just for that. As one of my favorite authors I thoroughly enjoy listening to Hanna and her guests!
Rickda nurse · May 2024
Hanna’s curious, compassionate, and clever mind draw me into the podcast. I hope she’ll continue to shine a light on how we can all learn new things - and change our minds along the way.
dcurbanexperiment · Aug 2023
I typically love this podcast. But the Experience Economy episode was unlistenable. They kept talking over each other. A lot of side or inside jokes about each other. I just couldn’t listen anymore. I come to this podcast for news and facts. If I want the View, I’ll watch it on TV.
CJListens1 · Feb 2026
Stimulants are life changing & already so many people are worried about using them & stigma surrounds them, to frame one person’s story as a critique of this whole class of drugs is highly problematic & irresponsible. Further, another drug he used was Benzos, a drug class well known to cause many many issues for people, yet your reporting said nothing about that at all. His story was compelling & worthy of telling, but the journalist interpretation of it was uninformed & further contributed to false narratives about this class of drugs. Where was the data? The presentation of a most nuanced & complex picture? Highly disappointing to me as a mental health professional & family member to multiple people with ADHD.
LaurieBudlong · Aug 2024
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Radio Atlantic, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
