A lot of famous bands go on long past their prime, doing nostalgia tours and squeezing their hits for all they’re worth. But not R.E.M., one of the biggest bands in the world during a stretch of the 1990s. The band went from regularly playing shows for more than 100,000 people to calling it quits. Contributor Will Leitch, who occasionally bumps into the former members of R.E.M. in the grocery store, talks about how rare and admirable it is to know when to move on, and how the music is still there for all of us even if the band is not. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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Alligator Alcatraz and the loss of America’s soul
A new immigrant detention center in Florida has been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by Republicans, who are now selling merch around the pop-up prison. It’s just one more stunt in a long line of immigration performance from President Trump and his administration. But is all this just a distraction from the difficulty of actually fulfilling his mass deportation campaign promises? And what happens to public support as Trump’s policies become more extreme? Dana Milbank, Eduardo Porter and Monica Hesse discuss. Read more from our columnists:Monica Hesse: Alligator Alcatraz turns serious matters into cheap entertainmentEduardo Porter: The profound hypocrisy underlying America’s immigration policy
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Can nature help fix our brains?
Last month, Post columnist Dana Milbank hiked part of the Appalachian Trail with his brother. Along the way, he detached from the news and reacquainted himself with nature. In the process, he received a real-life lesson about how the world around us can reduce cognitive fatigue and enhance well-being. He reflects on his journey in a recent essay.Check out some of the other columns about Milbank’s adventures in nature:Dana Milbank: Technology broke our connection to nature. Here is a way back.Dana Milbank: Nature’s lesson for the politically worried: Spring will come againDana Milbank: My new tractor will either extend my life or end it quicklySubscribe to The Washington Post here.
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This ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ got even worse
Additional reading by our columnists:Ramesh Ponnuru: The Republican shell game on tax cutsNatasha Sarin: This senator’s comment on Medicaid cuts was brutal but accurateSubscribe to The Washington Post here.
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The generational shift coming for Democrats
Democratic socialism has notched another victory. Zohran Mamdani’s win over the establishment is just the latest in a line of self-proclaimed socialist candidates who’ve been invading the Democratic Party for the past decade. See: Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But are people actually drawn to the policies and ideology of socialism, or is it about something else? Molly Roberts, Drew Goins and Philip Bump discuss what Mamdani’s victory tells us about the power of young voters.Read more from our columnists:Philip Bump: The Democrats’ generational rift just got harder to ignoreSubscribe to The Washington Post here.
Smart when you need it, fun when you want it — with hosts who feel like friends. Impromptu is your twice-a-week conversation with Washington Post columnists who bring fresh insight and perspective to the stories shaping the week. On Tuesdays, Dana Milbank and his colleagues dig into the political news that actually matters. Then, on Fridays, Drew Goins and Molly Roberts ease you into the weekend, breaking down the cultural moments you can’t stop thinking about.
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