5 Podcasts to Help You Sound Smart Following the RNC
Conservatism, an aspiring "Asian Oprah," and eerie relaxation tapes.

Donald, Melania, and Ted provided plenty of fodder for this week's conversations at the water cooler—so show your coworkers you've done your homework by bringing in tidbits from outside sources. On this week's podcast roundup, we've got political analysis from eminent conservative intellectual Yuval Levin and from Clevelanders besieged by the RNC. But that's not all—there's also some top-notch audio entertainment here from outside of the Republican Party, including the lost epistolary correspondence of an aspiring "Asian Oprah," the unlikely friendship of a prosecutor and a defendant who altered the role of race in American jury selection, and a "relaxation tape" that'll do anything but send you to sleep.
WNYC StudiosMore Perfect, "Object Anyway"
When a prosecutor struck all the African-American jurors from the jury pool, defendant James Batson objected---and called into question how the United States regulates peremptory challenges. Batson’s case made it all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that attorneys cannot strike a juror based on race. But as this episode of *More Perfect* explains, the ruling may have just made the problem of race-based jury selection even worse. [Listen here.](http://www.wnyc.org/story/object-anyway)- *Within the Wires* may offer directed deep breathing, but it’s no ordinary relaxation tape. From the brains behind *Welcome to Nightvale* and *Alice Isn’t Dead*, the show guides the listener through mindfulness and visualization exercises, including escaping the confines of the foreboding mental institution in which inmates---also known as listeners---are trapped. [Listen here.](http://withinthewires.libsyn.com/relaxation-cassettes-1)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesPolitics Inside Out, "Inside and Outside the Fence"
In *Marketplace*’s pop-up podcast, the team covers the RNC through the lens of insiders and outsiders. Listen to the week’s worth of brief segments for the political analysis, but also for the reactions from Americans in Cleveland: 21-year-old Trump supporters, enterprising vendors, proprietors of a local candy store, a line chef working across the street. (This week, the team will continue the pop-up podcast for the DNC in Philadelphia.) [Listen here.](http://www.marketplace.org/2016/07/18/elections/politics-inside-out/inside-and-outside-fence)
Killer Films MediaFound, "Asian Oprah: The Grand Dream"
“Dear Kevin B., I am hoping to stimulate your interest in creating the first mega Asian star in the United States,” wrote Jet Chirarand. On *Found*, host Davy Rothbart looks for the authors of found notes---and Rothbart has been wondering about this self-professed “Asian Oprah” for 15 years. He tracks down Chirarand---and uses his story as a path into whether the entertainment industry has changed for Asian-Americans and how people reframe their dreams as they age. [Listen here.](https://art19.com/shows/found/episodes/aa5e51e9-4aac-40aa-831f-0edea3e04da4)
- Yuval Levin, editor of conservative policy journal *National Affairs*, believes the Republican party has gone astray---and has a thoughtful explanation for how it happened. The conservative intellectual argues that both political parties are gripped by nostalgia for a golden era of modern American politics: the 1960s for the left, the 1980s for the right. To legislate problems in contemporary America, voters and politicians alike have to move beyond the dominant white male baby boomer nostalgia and the call to make America great *again*. In the midst of two conventions nominating 68-year-old and 70-year-old presidential candidates, it’s an argument worth hearing.
Comments
Back to topCharley Locke writes about growing up and growing old for publications including The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, and WIRED. ... Read More
Writer
WIRED Roundup: AI Psychosis, Missing FTC Files, and Google Bedbugs
In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we run through the top stories of the week and look closely at people’s complaints to the FTC alleging that ChatGPT led them or loved ones into AI psychosis.
WIRED Roundup: Alpha School, Grokipedia, and Real Estate AI Videos
In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we run through the top stories of the week and dive into why the promise of a tech-forward school in Texas with software instead of teachers fell apart.
How to Hack a Poker Game
This week on Uncanny Valley, we break down how one of the most common card shufflers could be altered to cheat, and why that matters—even for those who don’t frequent the poker table.
How KPop Demon Hunters Star EJAE Topped the Charts
Kids everywhere know her voice—if not her name. WIRED talks to the former SM trainee about her rise to global superstardom with her hit song “Golden.”
Battle of the Branches: Best Artificial Christmas Trees 2025
WIRED brought 10 of the most popular artificial Christmas trees into a studio, had volunteers assemble them, then got three interior designers to pick the best through blind judging.
How Data Centers Actually Work
In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we discuss the economics and environmental impacts of energy-hungry data centers and whether these facilities are sustainable in the age of AI.
Best Housewarming Gifts for Any New Home
Make a house into a home with these gifts, whether your recipient is moving into their first house or a great new apartment.
The Best Kindles to Take Your Library Anywhere
Here’s how Amazon’s ebook readers stack up—and which one might be right for you.
The Best Gifts for the PC Gamer in Your Life
It’s dangerous to go alone! Take these headsets, keyboards, and mice and give them to your favorite PC gamer.
32 Gifts Teens May Actually Like (According to Our Kids)
Teenagers can be scary and impossible to shop for. From gaming chairs to cologne to slippers, these adolescent-approved gifts can help.
Historians Don't Think a US Civil War Is Likely—but They're Still Nervous
“The fabric of what binds America together at this point is basically on its final thread,” one source tells WIRED.
The Best Holiday Photo Cards, Approved by Our Loved Ones
Mailing a holiday card this season? Here’s our top three after printing and testing 11 different holiday cards.