How Is This Better?

Is ICE More Like the Gestapo or Slave Patrols? Yes.

People keep comparing ICE to the Gestapo. But is that the right historical analogy? We we talk with public historian Ashley Baron aka @ashleytheebarroness who went viral making the argument that the comparison overlooks a home-grown analogy. We also speak with Claire Aubin who is a Nazi-era historian and host of the podcast, This Guy Sucked, to break down what the Gestapo actually was — and why the ideology behind it matters more than any one-to-one comparison people point to.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rotisserie Chicken Killed the Housing Market (Apparently)

Homeownership used to be a starter pack for adulthood. Now it feels like a luxury good. This week, Akilah asks a question most of us have yelled at Zillow at least once: when did buying a house become a fantasy? Business Insider's James Rodriguez joins to help explain how we got here and why the future might be… single-family homes you can never actually own. Get unlimited premium wireless from Mint Mobile for just $15 a month at https://www.mintmobile.com/courier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bad Bunny, The Super Bowl, and the American Denial of Puerto Rico

Your conservative uncle is wrong about Bad Bunny. So are Trump, all of MAGA, and the angry drunk guys who watch the NFL. They're mad because Bad Bunny will be performing the half time show at the Superbowl this Sunday, and he'll be singing in Spanish - you know, the language the songs are written in - and believe that that makes him fundamentally un-american.  Unfortunately, this is not a unique experience. Puerto Rico, where Bad Bunny is from, has faced this same rejection and discrimination for years. But why? What did Puerto Rico ever do to them? Becca Ramos and I are going to find out. SUBSCRIBE to How Is This Better wherever you get your podcasts including YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wrestling-ification of Politics (Unedited Bonus with Josie Riesman)

This is our last unedited bonus before we're back with a brand new episode next week! This week, we bring you the entirety of my conversation with Josephine Riesman who authored Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America. We talked about the parallels between wrestling and modern politics and had a blast doing it. Please enjoy and stay tuned for a new episode next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's No DEI in Baseball (Roy Wood Jr. Extended Conversation)

Is it DEI to honor one of the greatest baseball players of all time? Our president seems to think so. Comedian Roy Wood Jr. weighs in on Trump's crusade to end diversity initiatives and tarnish Jackie Robinson's legacy. Before we get back to new content, we thought we'd release some of our favorite conversations from 2025 in all their unedited glory. For the full, edited episode featuring more conversations (and more of my commentary), click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices