Derek Thompson
Derek Thompson56:00
About the show
Longtime tech, culture, and political writer Derek Thompson cuts through all the noise surrounding the big questions and headlines that matter to you in his podcast Plain English. Hear Derek and guests engage the news with clear viewpoints and memorable takeaways. New episodes drop weekly, and if you’ve got a topic you want discussed, shoot us an email at plainenglish@spotify.com.
A Broken NBA
Episode Breakdown
Journalist Tim Alberta wrote joins Derek to talk about the state of the modern NBA, whether the league has optimized the fun out of basketball, and what the impact is when a sport stops being treated like a game that exists to remind people that there is more to life than work and money.
56:00
Episode Breakdown
Journalist Tim Alberta wrote joins Derek to talk about the state of the modern NBA, whether the league has optimized the fun out of basketball, and what the impact is when a sport stops being treated like a game that exists to remind people that there is more to life than work and money.
On the State of AI
International Affairs
All Episodes
Health and Wellness ... and Their Politics
Plain History: The Full Series
Abundance
Abundance
By Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein • March 18, 2025
‘Abundance’ is Plain English host Derek Thompson and New York Times journalist Ezra Klein’s call to renew a politics of plenty, face up to the failures of liberal governance, and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life.More info
Abundance
Abundance
Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein • Mar 18, 2025
‘Abundance’ is Plain English host Derek Thompson and New York Times journalist Ezra Klein’s call to renew a politics of plenty, face up to the failures of liberal governance, and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life.
‘Abundance’ is Plain English host Derek Thompson and New York Times journalist Ezra Klein’s call to renew a politics of plenty, face up to the failures of liberal governance, and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life.