Rethinking identity in a fractured America
Post Reports
The Washington Post
4.4 • 5.1K Ratings
🗓️ 15 May 2024
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As trust in institutions plummets and as many people search for shared values, what is the state of American identity? Today, in a special episode of “Post Reports,” we feature a live discussion about the importance of identity in a changing world.
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In a live podcast taping, “Post Reports” hosts Martine Powers and Elahe Izadi sit down in Seattle at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival with Post Opinions columnists Shadi Hamid and Jason Willick. They rethink American identity and whether, during these fractured times, we are creating more opportunities to understand each other – or becoming more distant?
For more from our Post Opinions colleagues, listen to their podcast “Impromptu.” Each week, columnists get into it, with conversations about ideas and debates they can’t stop thinking about. Listen and follow here.
Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon and edited by Monica Campbell.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, it's Martin. So today we have a special episode for you about the importance of |
| 0:08.6 | identity and how we as Americans make sense of our own identity in the face of a changing world. |
| 0:16.9 | But before we jump in, I'm going to flag one of the big stories that we're following, |
| 0:20.9 | the latest from Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York. |
| 0:25.0 | Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer, took the stand this week. |
| 0:28.9 | He's a key witness when it comes to whether Trump falsified business records to cover up a payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. |
| 0:37.0 | On the stand, Cohen explained Trump's involvement in all the deals he executed on behalf of the former president. |
| 0:45.0 | Trump's lawyers question Cohen's credibility and his often profane social media commentary |
| 0:50.1 | about Trump. |
| 0:51.6 | So listen to post reports later this week for a breakdown of what |
| 0:54.7 | happened in Manhattan. We'll also dig into how this trial and Trump's other |
| 0:59.0 | legal battles are affecting his ground game ahead of November's election. |
| 1:05.2 | As for today's episode and that conversation on identity that I promised you, |
| 1:09.2 | you're about to hear a live discussion from the Cascade PBS ideas festival, held earlier this month in Seattle. |
| 1:16.8 | It's a gathering that brings together journalists and innovators to tackle some of the most critical |
| 1:22.1 | cultural conversations we're having in our country today. |
| 1:26.0 | My post reports co-host Alahizati and I hosted a live podcast taping of post reports. |
| 1:32.1 | On stage with two of our colleagues from Washington Post |
| 1:34.5 | opinions columnist Shady Hamid and Jason Willick. We chatted about the |
| 1:40.0 | state of American identity as trust in institutions has reached record lows, and many people are |
| 1:46.7 | in search of shared values, community, and ways to understand where they fit in. |
| 1:53.0 | Where do these changes leave us? |
... |
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