Iran War: Tom Stevenson; News Avoidant Voters: Tara McGowan; Crossword Poliitics: Natan Last

Iran War: Tom Stevenson; News Avoidant Voters: Tara McGowan; Crossword Poliitics: Natan Last

March 13, 2026 · 59 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the Iran war, the challenges of engaging news avoidant voters, and the politics behind crossword puzzles.

Tom Stevenson analyzes the latest news and long-term prospects of Trump's Iran war, for both Iran and the US. Tom is a contributing editor for the London Review of Books, where he writes about, among other things, politics in the Mideast. Also: what news are people getting these days, and where are they getting it? Especially the people we call “news avoidant” & “low information” voters – the ones we want to vote for Democrats in November: what are the big stories for them? Tara McGowan explains – she’s founder and CEO of Courier Newsroom, a digital media company that operates a network of local news outlets. Plus: the hidden politics of the New York Times crossword puzzle: Natan Last explains; his new book is Across the Universe: the Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle. (Originally published 12-17-2025)

More episodes of Living in the USA

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Living in the USA podcast page.