Plain English with Derek Thompson

Four months ago, the U.S. and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran. Supporters predicted a decisive victory that would curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions and reshape the balance of power in the Middle East. Instead, the war became a costly stalemate. Iran's power continued, the conflict dragged on, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted global energy markets, sending economic shockwaves around the world.

Now, a ceasefire has ended the fighting. But critics argue that the agreement gives Iran major concessions in exchange for empty promises about its nuclear program that prove difficult to enforce.

Today, Karim Sadjadpour returns to the podcast to examine the end of the Iran war. Why did the Trump administration agree to this deal, and will history remember it as a necessary compromise or a strategic failure?

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Host: Derek ThompsonGuest: Karim SadjadpourProducer: Devon BaroldiAdditional Production Support: Ben Glicksman
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What is Donald Trump good at? In his second administration, he promised lower prices, stronger manufacturing, and an end to foreign conflicts. Instead, inflation has risen, blue-collar job growth has slowed, and the U.S. finds itself involved in another war in the Middle East. But there is one area where Trump has undeniably succeeded: increasing the wealth of the Trump family.

Even as his approval ratings have fallen, Trump and his businesses have reportedly received billions of dollars in new investments and deals, raising questions about presidential ethics and conflicts of interest.

Today, Derek is joined by Isaac Saul of Tangle to draft the most striking examples of alleged corruption and ethical controversies in the second Trump administration and ask a simple question: Are we witnessing an unprecedented era of presidential profiteering?

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here:https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson

If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.

Host: Derek ThompsonGuest: Isaac SaulProducer: Devon BaroldiAdditional Production Support: Ben Glicksman

LINKS: https://www.readtangle.com/the-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-corruption-story/

This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify

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For years, scientists worried that medical progress was slowing down. Drug development became more expensive than ever with more complex clinical trials, and even then, many new treatments offered only modest gains. But over the past month, a series of breakthroughs has raised hopes that medicine may be entering a new era.

Researchers unveiled a massively promising new therapy for pancreatic cancer, a gene-editing treatment that could dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease, and an experimental obesity drug that not only produces unprecedented weight loss but also improves a huge range of related conditions. Cancer and heart disease are America’s two biggest killers, but if these treatments fulfill their promise, they could transform public health and extend millions of lives.

Today’s guest is Matthew Herper, senior writer at STAT News. We discuss this remarkable month in medicine, why so many advances are arriving at once, and what they could mean for the future of human health.

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Host: Derek ThompsonGuest: Matthew HerperProducer: Devon BaroldiAdditional Production Support: Ben Glicksman

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Prior to the 1930s, old age in America often meant poverty. But thanks to Social Security, Medicare, medical advances, and rising asset prices, over the past 90 years, older Americans have become one of the wealthiest and most politically powerful groups in the country.

In his new book, 'Gerontocracy in America,' Samuel Moyn argues that this success has created a dangerous imbalance. He says America isn't just facing oligarchy, or rule by the rich, but "Old-igarchy": a system in which wealth and power are increasingly concentrated among older generations, often at the expense of younger Americans.

Today, Derek talks with Moyn about the rise of gerontocracy in America, whether elderly power has become a problem, what reforms could rebalance the scales between generations, and whether this argument is a serious critique of American politics or simply ageist nonsense.

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Host: Derek ThompsonGuest: Samuel MoynProducer: Devon BaroldiAdditional Production Support: Ben Glicksman
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Humans are unusual dads. Across the animal kingdom, dads are often absent from child-rearing altogether. But among humans, fatherhood takes many forms, and in the last half century, it has changed dramatically. College-educated American fathers now spend nearly four times as much time caring for their children as they did in the 1960s.

And according to new research, this new type of fatherhood doesn't just change a man's schedule or priorities—it can literally change his brain.

Today, Derek talks with USC psychologist Darby Saxbe, author of 'Dad Brain,' about the science of modern fatherhood. They discuss how active parenting affects men's psychology and how changing expectations around fatherhood are reshaping families and men themselves.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here:https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson

If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.

Host: Derek ThompsonGuest: Darby SaxbeProducer: Devon BaroldiAdditional Production Support: Ben Glicksman
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