From the free press, this is honestly and I'm Barry Weiss.

2025 wasn't exactly easy, but it was certainly eventful.

Donald Trump returned to the White House and issued a record number of executive orders.

He deployed the National Guard to American cities like L.A. and D.C.

He imposed sweeping tariffs on our trading partners,

gutted the government with Doge, and unleashed a massive crackdown on immigration.

And that was just some of the things that happened here at home. This administration reached a ceasefire

between Israel and Hamas, and all of the living hostages came home from Gaza.

Israel and the United States struck Iran's nuclear sites.

We got the first American pope, and I haven't even started on the pop culture moments of this year,

like the Sydney-Sweeney-Geenie jeans ad, the Travis Taylor Engagement, or when Lauren Sanchez-Nau-Bezos,

and Katie Perry went to space. There was so much, and if I listed all of them, we'd be here all day.

But this is our now annual tradition. It's our predictions episode. And if 2025 brought all of that

and more, the question is, what will 2026 bring?

I sat down with the deputy editor of the free press, Ollie Weissman, and we called up some friends

of the pod, who also happened to be leading experts in their field, to get a better sense of

what could be in store in the year ahead.

We spoke to legal analyst Sarah Isger, who told us what we could expect in Trump's second year.

We talked to languish, John McWhorter, who told us how new words and language will evolve in 26.

Our very own Susie Weiss, as always, talked us through the cultural calendar.

Writer and fashionista Leandra Medine Cohen clued us into fashion trends to watch for.

And of course, Dr. Mark Hyman told us how to get healthier in 26.

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