Vox

Why the right can't stop talking about communism - November 4, 2026 - Vox
There’s been a lot of “communist” talk on the midterms campaign trail. It’s become Trump’s favorite new perceived threat coming from the left. But it’s actually not new at all.
US politicians, especially on the right, have long described communism as a threat to the American way of life. As a result, the United States has undergone historical periods of intense and occasionally violent means to suppress the spread of communism. Beyond the clash between capitalism and communism as economic systems, a line is often drawn between communist ideology and religion in America, specifically Christianity.
In the 1950s, President Dwight D. Eisenhower added the words “Under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance, doubling down on the Christian values of an anti-communist America. The phrase “In God We Trust” was also added to US currency. As evangelical Christians grew into a crucial voting bloc for the Republican party, communist accusations against the left have appeared now and again to mobilize the base.
Hosted by Kahlil Greene, this video is part of our new series Kahlil Explains that unites Vox’s unique brand of explainer journalism with Greene’s expertise in how politics and culture shape society. This episode traces the history of communism in America and its clash with religious groups to unpack why Democratic candidates are being labeled communists and whether the strategy will resonate with voters today.
Read more about communism and religion in America:
Andrew Hartman’s book Karl Marx in America: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/K/bo245100866.html
Vox’s Today, Explained covers Trump's imaginary Red Scare: https://www.vox.com/podcasts/498360/trump-democratic-socialists-communism-red-scare
Politico’s coverage of anti-communism rhetoric at the 2026 Republican midterm convention: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/09/a-communist-caucus-trump-gives-republicans-their-midterms-enemy-01070254
Insights from the Public Religion Research Institute’s American values atlas: https://prri.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PRRI-Feb-2026-CN-in-50-states.pdf
An article from The Atlantic’s archive titled Ideology: The Christian Anti-Communism Crusade: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1974/06/ideology-the-christian-anti-communism-crusade/663345/
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Rejection was Dan Toomey’s lucky break | Best of Luck - November 3, 2026 - Vox
How do you build your dream career when your dream job doesn’t call back?
Dan Toomey was rejected by the job he'd always wanted for four straight years. It was the luckiest thing that ever happened for his career.
Now, he’s the host of Good Work, where he makes funny videos about news in business, tech and finance that are watched by millions. 
In this episode: how do you build your dream job out of a job you never expected? Plus: why creating in public might get you hired, why Dan stopped looking at the numbers, and the case for taking up fly fishing in your 20s (and beyond).
00:00 Dan Toomey is not living his dream (sort of)
00:29 The story behind our theme song
1:49 A message brought to you by AlphaSpace
06:26 How ‘Good Work’ started
08:53 The failed experiment before ‘Good Work’
11:25 Dan Toomey’s worst stand-up bomb
19:49 How Dan resists the algorithm
20:50 Dealing with rejection
27:01 The algorithm shouldn’t dictate your work
36:26 Dan applies to be Kermit the Frog
39:50 Who Dan Toomey would hire (application tips)
41:42 Resume vs blog: create in public
Follow Best of Luck on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bestofluckpodcast
Follow Kyla Scanlon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylascan
Watch Good Work: https://www.youtube.com/@UC_-hYjoNe4PJNFa9iZ4lraA
Our theme song is "Frolic" by Jake Xerxes Fussell. Discover more of his music and tour dates here: https://www.jakexerxesfussell.com/
Why Trump’s base still believes Republicans can win | America, Actually - November 2, 2026 - Vox
With the midterms one day away, conservative radio host John Fredericks says Donald Trump can still close the deal for Republicans, even as voters struggle with rising costs. In a special episode of America, Actually Vox’s Astead Herndon speaks to the longtime Trump supporter as he defends the president’s record on the economy and Iran, explains why he believes MAGA voters will show up when Trump isn’t on the ballot, and discusses how the movement’s hold on the Republican Party will outlast Trump himself.
America, Actually publishes video episodes every Saturday, tackling key issues in politics, culture, and the economy. Subscribe to Vox’s YouTube channel to get them. Listen to episodes of America, Actually on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.
If you enjoy our reporting and want to learn more, sign up for Astead’s weekly newsletter, Midterms, Actually. Just go to www.vox.com/midtermsactually to learn more, and get in-depth analysis about this year’s election right to your inbox.
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Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.
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How Silicon Valley conquered the business of war | The Gray Area - November 2, 2026 - Vox
Silicon Valley says it can build better weapons, faster and cheaper than traditional defense contractors. But what happens when the companies making those weapons also get a say in how they’re used?
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In today’s episode, Vox reporter and producer Miles Bryan talks with long-time national security journalist Sharon Weinberger, author of Valley of Death: How Big Tech Is Fueling the Future of War. The book traces Silicon Valley’s deep ties to the military and its return to the weapons business through companies like Palantir, SpaceX, and Anduril. Sharon says this raises troubling questions of how private funding gives tech founders greater control over military technology, and whether their promises of innovation justify risks to accountability.
In this episode, Miles and Sharon explore the surprising CIA contract that helped keep Steve Jobs’s company afloat, how “tech companies” sell their visions to the Pentagon, if their innovations live up to the hype, and whether tech’s disruption of the defense industry could leave us with a more powerful version of the same old system.
Host: Miles Bryan, Vox Reporter and Producer
Guest: Sharon Weinberger, author of Valley of Death: How Big Tech Is Fueling the Future of War
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:29 What changes when Silicon Valley controls the weapons?
10:08 How did the CIA help keep Steve Jobs in business?
19:20 How did 9/11 bring tech and the military back together?
23:36 What are defense tech’s founders really selling?
29:15 Do Anduril’s weapons live up to the hype?
38:05 Who sets the rules for using privately owned technology?
43:37 Is Silicon Valley becoming the new defense establishment?
We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show.
And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube. New episodes drop every Monday and Friday.
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Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.
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Nevada tests midterm voter mood | America, Actually - October 31, 2026 - Vox
Nevada is in many ways “ground zero” for this year’s midterms. The state swung to the right in 2024 and voted for Donald Trump. Now, many voters there are grappling with buyer’s remorse.
Between tariffs that hit Canadian and Mexican tourism and aggressive immigration enforcement affecting local communities, workers are seeing their shifts cut and paychecks shrink, something many are now calling the “Trump slump.”
We followed canvassers from the Culinary Workers Union—an important local political force—to see how direct voter engagement works in one of the country's most critical swing states.
00:00 Midterms ground zero
03:03 The politics of the Culinary Union
07:48 Nevada’s Trump slump
11:50 Canvassing with the Culinary Union
24:43 Looking towards 2028
26:56 Final arguments
America, Actually publishes video episodes every Saturday tackling key issues in politics, culture, and the economy. Subscribe to Vox’s YouTube channel to get them. Listen to episodes of America, Actually on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.
If you enjoy our reporting and want to learn more, sign up for Astead’s weekly newsletter, Midterms, Actually. Just go to www.vox.com/midtermsactually to learn more, and get in-depth analysis about this year’s election right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.
Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o
Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H