Plain English with Derek Thompson

Longtime Atlantic tech, culture and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his new podcast Plain English. Watch Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday, and if you've got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at plainenglish@spotify.com! Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson

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Every guest on Plain English with Derek Thompson

219 guests, ranked by how many people never want them back.

1. —
   Jason Abaluck

   Why Do Americans Pay So Much for Drugs? · May 2025

   0 votes

   Never again
2. —
   Jason Furman

   The Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump’s Tariffs. Now What? · 6 episodes

   0 votes

   Never again
3. —
   Jeanna Smialek

   Econ Megapod: The Debt Ceiling Is Dumb, and the Inflation “Crisis” Might Be Over · Feb 2023

   0 votes

   Never again
4. —
   Jeff Asher

   Why Are the Police So Bad at Solving Murders? · Jul 2022

   0 votes

   Never again
5. —
   Jerusalem Demsas

   The Messy Debate Over Student Loan Forgiveness · 2 episodes

   0 votes

   Never again
6. —
   Jesús Fernández-Villaverde

   The Global Fertility Crisis Is Worse Than You Think · May 2026

   0 votes

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7. —
   Jordan Weissmann

   Americans Think the Economy Is Terrible. The Data Tell Another Story. · 2 episodes

   0 votes

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8. —
   Jorge Chavarro

   Sperm Counts Are Falling All Over the World—Why? · Dec 2022

   0 votes

   Never again
9. —
   Joseph Uscinski

   The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories · Sep 2024

   0 votes

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10. —
    Joshua Bercu

    Why Are Robocalls So Hard to Stop? (Plus: Kamala and the Gender Wars.) · Aug 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
11. —
    Julia Belluz

    Plain English BEST OF: What’s the Matter With America’s Food? · Feb 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
12. —
    Karen Ní Mheallaigh

    Why 'The Odyssey' Is the West’s Greatest Story · Jul 2026

    0 votes

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13. —
    Kevin Klatt

    Why Are Americans So Unhealthy? Part I: Is Ultra-Processed Food Killing Us? · Jun 2025

    0 votes

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14. —
    Lance Lambert
    0 votes

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15. —
    Liana Fix
    0 votes

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16. —
    Liaquat Ahamed

    The New Book That Scares Big Tech · Sep 2026

    0 votes

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17. —
    Margot Sanger-Katz

    The End of Roe v. Wade Changes Everything · Jun 2022

    0 votes

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18. —
    Mark Henry Phillips

    How AI Could Change the Future of Music · Mar 2025

    0 votes

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19. —
    Matthew Biel

    Why Are American Teens So Unhappy? How Do We Solve This Crisis? · Mar 2023

    0 votes

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20. —
    Max Bergmann
    0 votes

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21. —
    Max Spero

    AI Slop Is Breaking the Internet. Can We Save It? · Sep 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
22. —
    Melissa Murray

    How Would the End of Roe v. Wade Change America? · May 2022

    0 votes

    Never again
23. —
    Michael Batnick

    Are Young People Screwed? · 6 episodes

    0 votes

    Never again
24. —
    Michael Cembalest

    The Big 2025 Economy Forecast: AI and Big Tech, Nuclear’s Renaissance, Trump vs. China, and What’s Eating Europe? · Jan 2025

    0 votes

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25. —
    Mick West
    0 votes

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26. —
    Mike Simonsen

    "The Weirdest Housing Market in Recent History" · Jul 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
27. —
    Molson Hart

    A Toy Manufacturer Explains How Trump’s Tariffs Could Crush His Industry · Apr 2025

    0 votes

    Never again
28. —
    Nat Bullard

    The Whole World Is Fighting About Energy · Apr 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
29. —
    Natan Sachs

    World on Fire, Part 1: The Houthis, Israel's Impossible War, and Worsening Middle East Chaos · Jan 2024

    0 votes

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30. —
    Nate Cohn

    The Media is Missing Something Big in Biden’s Bad Polling Numbers · Nov 2023

    0 votes

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31. —
    Nick Papantonis
    0 votes

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32. —
    Norman Eisen
    0 votes

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33. —
    Packy McCormick

    Crypto Crash, Part II: A Debate About the Future of Web3 · Jul 2022

    0 votes

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34. —
    Peter Beinart

    How Israel Is Transforming American Politics · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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35. —
    Philip Landrigan

    Microplastics Are Everywhere. How Dangerous Are They? · May 2024

    0 votes

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36. —
    Pushmeet Kohli

    How AI Could Help Us Discover Miracle Drugs · Sep 2024

    0 votes

    Never again
37. —
    Rachel Ziemba

    The Economic Crisis of the Iran War Goes Far Beyond Oil · Mar 2026

    0 votes

    Never again
38. —
    Ramez Naam

    An Optimistic Guide to America’s Clean-Energy Future · May 2023

    0 votes

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39. —
    Rebecca Jarvis

    The Elizabeth Holmes Trial With Rebecca Jarvis of 'The Dropout' Podcast · Dec 2021

    0 votes

    Never again
40. —
    Richard White

    Plain History: The Gilded Age · Mar 2025

    0 votes

    Never again