How Is This Better?
Episodes
Class Solidarity Could Change Everything
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Why have Democrats recently struggled to connect with working-class and rural voters – and what would it take to change that? Akilah Hughes talks ...
How Mormons Captured Pop Culture
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mormonism is having a pop culture glow-up. But did it happen by accident? In this episode, Akilah Hughes digs into the rise of Mormon influencers, th...
The Oscars, Brain Rot, and The Death Of Prestige
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As younger generations continue to turn towards the internet for their content, what fate awaits for Hollywood? Last Sunday, celebrities and renowned...
The First AI War
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI-generated war footage is spreading across the internet faster than the truth. As conflict escalates in Iran, social media platforms like X, Instag...
What 4 Generations of Veterans Think of Trump’s War in Iran
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Are we at war or not? According to Trump, he's scoring a 15 out of 10 "on the war front," and Department of War Secretary, Pete Hegseth, says the figh...
Is ICE More Like the Gestapo or Slave Patrols? Yes.
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
People keep comparing ICE to the Gestapo. But is that the right historical analogy? We we talk with public historian Ashley Baron aka @ashleytheeb...
Rotisserie Chicken Killed the Housing Market (Apparently)
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Homeownership used to be a starter pack for adulthood. Now it feels like a luxury good. This week, Akilah asks a question most of us have yelled at Zi...
Bad Bunny, The Super Bowl, and the American Denial of Puerto Rico
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Your conservative uncle is wrong about Bad Bunny. So are Trump, all of MAGA, and the angry drunk guys who watch the NFL. They're mad because Bad Bunny...
The Wrestling-ification of Politics (Unedited Bonus with Josie Riesman)
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is our last unedited bonus before we're back with a brand new episode next week! This week, we bring you the entirety of my conversation with Jos...
There's No DEI in Baseball (Roy Wood Jr. Extended Conversation)
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is it DEI to honor one of the greatest baseball players of all time? Our president seems to think so. Comedian Roy Wood Jr. weighs in on Trump's crusa...
Adam Mockler on Masculinity and the Right-Wing Pipeline (BONUS)
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Remember that conversation we had last year? The one with Adam Mockler, about the nightmare that is modern masculinity? Well, we have more where that ...
A Surprising Grade for 2025
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As we all know, 2025 was the best year that any of us have ever had. Nothing went wrong, no evil was done, and things were generally really, really ch...
Black Women Are Doubled Taxed in America. There's Data.
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a second-term Trump economy obsessed with the word “meritocracy,” Black women are being pushed out of the workforce at alarming rates — while...
Can Your Shopping Choices Fight Fascism?
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You may have heard a lot about boycotting this year, especially when talking about Target or Amazon. Organized actions like these have been happening ...
Space is Over
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a president decides America is done with space? This week on How Is This Better?, Akilah Hughes digs into the Trump administration’...
These Cheap Vertical Videos May End Hollywood (As We Know It)
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hollywood (as we once knew it) may have collapsed, but a new form of “storytelling” is thriving in the rubble. This week on How Is This Better? Ak...
The Plot to Force Evangelical Christianity on Everyone
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The First Amendment established the separation of church and state in America — but is that principle truly being upheld today? A powerful contingen...
How to Run for Office When You’re Not Rich (with Kat Abughazaleh and Zohran Mamdani)
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it really take to run for office when you don’t have a billionaire on speed dial? Akilah Hughes talks with Kat Abughazaleh, the journalist...
Money in Politics: It Wasn't Always Like This.
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 2010, the Supreme Court of the United unleashed chaos with their decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In that ruling, they...
Conversion Therapy and The Consequences of Legalizing Harm
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on How Is This Better? – Akilah Hughes talks with civil rights attorney and conversion therapy survivor Ryan Kendall, as the Supreme Cour...
The AI Existential Crisis of our Own Making
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From companions, to lovers, to suicide note co-authors, people are relying on AI more than ever to help them navigate life’s ups and downs. So far, ...
Trump’s Media Takeover Is Happening.
02 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting just announced it will shut down after Congress –under pressure from Trump – eliminated $1.1 billion in fu...
How to Fight Back Against Alligator Alcatraz and Inhumane Immigration Policy
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Akilah Hughes breaks down the immigration policies of Trump's second term, from mass deportations to family separations and the rollback of birthright...
The Manosphere and the Alpha Male Content Trap
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Akila Hughes explores the dangerous online pipelines that lure men seeking advice into radical ideologies. Joined by guests Denny Carter, Adam Mock...
Trad Wives, MAHA, and the Women’s Wellness Pipeline
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new flavor of conservative content is targeting women online—and it’s going viral. This week, Akilah Hughes explores the rise of the "tradwife" ...
Politics is Wrestling
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Akilah Hughes steps into the ring with "The Progressive Liberal"—yes, that’s his real wrestling persona—alongside author Josie ...
Erasing Jackie Robinson
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Baseball legend Jackie Robinson broke barriers on the field, but his legacy off the field is under attack. In this episode, Akilah Hughes explore...
Don’t Blame Canada: Trump Blew It With Our Besties
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
America’s relationship with Canada has always been close — like cousins who share a border, celebrities and culture, and a love for maple syrup. B...
The Evolution of Mark Zuckerberg
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Once a hoodie-wearing coder preaching openness and connection, Mark Zuckerberg is now a gold chain wearing, jiu jitsu obsessed metaverse warlord who i...
Will I Ever Get to Yosemite?
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On February 14th, 2025 Donald Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sent a letter to 1000 probationary National Parks staff –...
Introducing: How Is This Better? with Akilah Hughes
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump has been campaigning to “make America great again” for a decade. Tech bro oligarchs swear they’re “making the world a better plac...