My Recommendations This Week
Here’s what I am reading, watching, and listening to
It’s been a long week for all of us, no matter who you wanted to win the election. Here’s some recommendations for what to read as we take time to reset before next week.
The Words of Victory and Defeat
Here’s what both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have said since the election was called.
My Post-Election Day Message
No matter which side you’re on, there’s something I hope we can remember: that hope does not arrive, unbidden, on the back of a silvery bird, deposited on our doorstep during the night. Hope is a choice. Hope is fought for. Hope rises from the ring, bloodied and broken, to fight again.
Reader Q&A
How quickly and easily can Trump make changes? What is the future of women's health? Can RFK ban vaccines? All that and more…
What I am reading…
What the 2024 election tells us about Trump’s voters
By Scott Clement, Emily Guskin, Dan Keating and Júlia Ledur for The Washington Post
The Washington Post analyzed exit polling data since the 2000 presidential election to better understand how support for Republicans has changed among key voting demographics.
Meet the history-makers of the 2024 elections
By Andrew Menezes and Annette Choi
The winners of several elections this year are making history, and a diverse group of newly elected lawmakers will be entering Congress in January.
What I am listening to…
Fair Voting on the Ballot with Deb Otis
Here’s Where It Gets Interesting
How can we improve U.S. elections to ensure that every vote truly counts? I talked with Deb Otis from FairVote about solutions like proportional representation and ranked choice voting. Deb shares her thoughts on reforms that could lead to nicer politicians, and more choices for voters.
Joe Biden: Triumph, tragedy and the fate of the center
Presidential
This special episode explores Joe Biden's decades-long, hard-fought personal and political path to the White House, with the New Yorker’s Evan Osnos.
How to End Christian Nationalism with Amanda Tyler
Footnotes with Dr. Jemar Tisby
Dr. Jemar Tisby speaks with Amanda Tyler, head of the BJC, a Baptist group that works for religious freedom for all, about her new book "How to End Christian Nationalism."
What I am watching…
Why Are North Korean Troops in Russia?
The New York Times
Over the last month, North Korea’s role aiding Russia in its war in Ukraine has significantly escalated. U.S. officials reported that North Korean soldiers are already operating in the Kursk region in western Russia, where Ukrainian forces are staging a counteroffensive. Michael Shear, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, explains what the deeping relationship between Russia and North Korea means for the war in Ukraine and the world.
Franklin
Apple TV
I’ve been so busy with my book launch and tour that I haven’t watched a TV show at home in at least six months. (I promise this is not a holier-than-thou flex.) My husband Chris and I often have different taste in TV, and it can be more difficult for us to find something we both enjoy. (Ted Lasso. Ted Lasso was the last thing we both loved.) We just started watching the miniseries Franklin on AppleTV, which follows Benjamin Franklin in France — a portion of his life Americans tend to know much less about.
Conversations I had this week…
Sharon McMahon is doing the next needed thing
By Meg Walter, Deseret News
I talked to the Deseret News about my motivation, what’s needed in our society, and why I care about the small and the mighty.
Armchair Expert
I’ve always wanted to join Dax Shepard on his podcast and it finally happened! We spoke for hours about my favorite historical writers and what types of modern challenges the US Supreme Court faces. We also dug into different types of democracies, the importance of constructively challenging other’s ideas, and how dangerous it can be to have blind allegiance to a party.
Go Beyond Voting: Sharon McMahon
Future Hindsight
We discuss the importance of shifting our mindset to one that is infused with hope. Positive change comes when we choose hope. Though nobody can fix it all, we can all do something and make an impact. I remind us all that if something is worth doing for everyone, it’s worth doing for one person.
Join me at the…
University of Pennsylvania: Sharon McMahon & Adam Grant
I will be doing a free event with Adam Grant, an author and professor, in Philadelphia this week on Nov. 14! I’d love to see you there.
And this Friday I’ll be signing The Small and the Mighty at the Philadelphia Barnes & Noble! There are only a handful of free tickets left. Register here.
I wanted to say…
Thank you so much. My book tour wrapped up right before the election, and it was an absolute dream come true, and my heart is so full of joy, thankfulness, and hope, all because of you showing up and cheering me on.
I am where I am because of you, and I will never forget that.
I was Friday years old when I discovered the hilarious magic that is you. As a political consultant and child welfare expert I have spent a career dealing w/ people who never watched Schoolhouse Rocks How A Bill Becomes a Law or ever took a civics course. So I have already ordered the book, shared your website w/ all my followers on every platform and basically developed an obsession w/ consuming everything you've ever said, written or talked about. At this particular moment in our political history your POV is just what we need. Perspective, context, knowledge. I can't thank you enough! Loved Armchair which is how we connected!
Jon Stewart’s podcast with Heather Cox Richardson was excellent. Definitely recommend giving it a listen and also her Letters from America on Substack.