The WNBA just wrapped its most-watched season in history, with soaring team valuations and unprecedented public interest. But the league is preparing for possible labor tension as players push for greater revenue sharing and ask who really benefits from its success. Audie turns to CNN contributor and host of Naked Sports, Cari Champion, to talk about what the next era of the WNBA could look like: the economics of the game and how a new competitor could redefine ownership, competition, and opportunity for female athletes.
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25:17
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25:17
Why Orwell's '1984' is having a moment in 2025
Film director Raoul Peck grew up in Haiti and the Congo, and is no stranger to authoritarianism. So it was an easy “yes” when he was offered access to author George Orwell’s entire body of work, from the original manuscript of “1984” to letters and journals. The result is “Orwell: 2+2=5,” a documentary about how a man named Eric Arthur Blair became the timeless face of truth. Peck talks to Audie about his take on Orwell’s legacy and what it still has to teach us.
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This episode was Produced by Madeleine Thompson and Lori Galarreta
Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig
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31:07
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31:07
Uncovering the Story of Police Torture in Chicago
This week The Assignment presents the first episode of CNN’s powerful narrative series, Tortured Justice with Omar Jimenez. It’s the story of systemic torture carried out by the Chicago police department over many years starting in the 1980s. The series focuses on James Gibson, who was wrongly convicted and tortured, Andrew Wilson, whose guilt for killing two police officers has not been questioned even as people learned of his torture, and Jon Burge, a police commander who oversaw torture.
Subscribe to the podcast to hear all the episodes. And read more about how Omar reported the story.
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Producers: Graelyn Brashear, Madeleine Thompson, Emily Williams, Kyra Dahring, Sofia Sanchez, and Lauren Kim
Editor: Lacy Roberts
Technical director: Dan Dzula
Executive producer of CNN Podcasts: Steve Lickteig
Production help from: Jake Sorgen, Joe DeCeault, David Guggenheim, Jessica Pupovac
Special thanks to: Ferlon Webster, Jr. and Ed Kelly
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37:30
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37:30
How MAGA and Billionaires Are Reshaping What Media You Consume
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel returned to TV after being suspended for his comments on Charlie Kirk's assassination. It was the latest sign of political pressure shaping the media landscape into something that may have been unrecognizable a decade ago. So how did we get here, and where are we headed? Axios media correspondent and CNN contributor Sara Fischer talks about the forces at play and how they’re influencing everything from talk shows to social media algorithms.
This episode was Produced by Lori Galarreta and Madeleine Thompson
Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig
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28:06
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28:06
How to Break the Cycle of Political Violence
Charlie Kirk’s assassination may be part of a larger “political realignment” in America, that’s according to Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a leading scholar on political violence. She explains what it is, why it's violent, how it could get worse, and possible paths out.
This episode was Produced by Lori Galarreta and Jesse Remedios
Senior Producer: Matt Martinez Technical Director: Dan Dzula Executive Producer: Steve Lickteig
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Every Thursday on The Assignment, host Audie Cornish explores the animating forces of this extraordinary American political moment. It’s not about the horse race, it’s about the larger cultural ideas driving the conversation: the role of online influencers on the electorate, the intersection of pop culture and politics, and discussions with primary voices and thinkers who are shaping the political conversation.
Ireland