How Is This Better?

After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Erika Kirk tried to turn grief into political momentum. Instead, the internet turned the entire thing into a meme. Akilah Hughes talks with journalist Kat Tenbarge about Erika Kirk’s chaotic rise inside Turning Point USA, the backlash to her grief tour, and her feud with Candace Owens. This episode explores internet culture, conservative media, gender politics, and the efforts to capture the post-Trump MAGA universe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when fashion’s biggest night starts to look like a billionaire branding exercise? This week, we examine the growing influence of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos on the Met Gala—and what it says about power, philanthropy, and who gets to shape culture in America. With Rebecca Sananes and Meredith Lynch, Akilah unpacks the contradictions at the center of the event: a fundraiser dependent on extreme wealth, a cultural institution tied to political influence, and a public that’s increasingly skeptical of both. Then designer Jonathan Hayden breaks down what’s happening behind the scenes—from labor realities to the economic pressures reshaping fashion from the ground up. Mint Mobile: Shop plans at https://mintmobile.com/courier for three months of coverage at $45. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices