Democrats have swept back into control of Congress, winning Senate seats in Republican strongholds including including Texas, Kansas, and South Carolina. So what drove this blue wave - and how much can it change Trump’s presidency?

In this episode, Charles Hunt, a political scientist at Boise State University in Idaho, explores shifts among young men and Hispanic and Latino voters, economic discontent and the limits of billionaire campaign spending. He explains how Democrats could constrain Trump’s agenda and investigate alleged corruption - and where presidential power remains. He also unpacks whether Democrats can turn this victory into a coalition that lasts beyond Trump.

This episode was written and produced by me, Justin Bergman, Gemma Ware, and executive producer Grace Jennings Edquist. Sound mixing is by Michelle Macklem, and our theme music is by Nita Sarle. Ashlynne McGhee is our head of editorial innovation, and Mischa Ketchell and Stephen Khan are our editors in chief.

You can sign up for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.

If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news organisation.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Making of an Autocrat

Search "The Conversation Weekly" for our new series: The Making of an Autocrat. Is America watching its democracy unravel in real time? In The Making of an Autocrat from The Conversation, six of the world’s pre-eminant scholars reveal the recipe for authoritarian rule. From capturing a party, to controlling the military, Donald Trump is borrowing from the playbook of strongmen thoughout history. This is the story of how democracies falter — and what might happen next.

Twenty years ago, extreme and violent pornography was largely confined to a niche corner of the internet. Today, depictions of strangulation and sexual violence have become mainstream. So how did porn become so extreme?

In this episode, Clare McGlynn, professor of law at Durham University in the UK, explains how the algorithms and business models of major porn platforms are helping to normalise increasingly violent content. She also discusses its impact on young people’s sexual behaviour, and unpacks new UK laws that target porn depicting strangulation and other forms of sexual violence.

Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of sex and sexual violence.

This episode was written and produced by Gemma Ware and Isabella Podwinski. Mixing by Michelle Macklem and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Grace Jennings-Edquist is executive producer of podcasts. Ashlynne McGhee is our head of editorial innovation. Misha Ketchell and Stephen Khan are our editors in chief.

You can sign up for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.

If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news organisation.

In Tennessee, death row inmate Christa Pike survived an attempt to execute her by lethal injection in late September. Meanwhile, plans to livestream a US military execution recently sparked outrage, prompting President Donald Trump to walk back the broadcast.

These controversies come after a sharp rise in executions in the United States in 2025, reversing a decline that had lasted two decades.

In this episode, historian Carolyn Strange, emeritus professor at the Australian National University, talks us through the history of capital punishment in America, from public hangings to lethal injections. She explains why failed executions are nothing new, what's driving the resurgence, and why the death penalty remains so deeply political.

This episode was produced by Justin Bergman, Isabella Podwinski and Gemma Ware. Grace Jennings-Edquist was the executive producer. Mixing by Dan Semo and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Ashlynne McGhee is our Head of Editorial Innovation. Misha Ketchell and Stephen Khan are our editors in chief. You can sign up for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.

If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news organisation.