Virginia HeffernanEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

From Richard Dawkins to Larry Summers, brilliant minds get pulled in. I sat down with the journalist Virginia Heffernan for a recent conversation on Cults, Culture & Coercion to talk about who falls for the Trump cult and why. Virginia spent time inside a group of academics and intellectuals sponsored by Jeffrey Epstein, called Edge, run by literary agent John Brockman. She wrote about involvement in the Epstein cult for The New Republic. She told me she was fortunately kept at arm’s length from the worst of it. “I was only there as a fig leaf because they didn't have any women,” she said. “They didn't want me at the parties or on the island.” She watched the dynamics around her. Edge included Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary and Harvard president. The Epstein correspondence released by the House Oversight Committee in November 2025 documents a years-long stream of personal advice Summers sought from a convicted sex offender. In the messages, Summers asked Epstein for guidance on his pursuit of a younger woman he described as a mentee. Epstein called himself Summers' wing man and urged Summers to play the long game by keeping the woman in a forced holding pattern (Harvard Crimson, November 17, 2025). Virginia framed it bluntly: “I would venture to say someone you would least expect to fall under a spell. These are grown men who should know better.” Virginia writes the Magic and Loss Substack, hosts the Omni Shambles podcast, and contributes to The New Republic. The 10th anniversary of her book Magic and Loss has her circling back to a question she has carried since 2016. I thanked Virginia for reading my book and then being the first media person to bravely and publicly support what I wrote about. She wrote a Los Angeles Times op-ed that it was the “best explanatory framework” for what was happening politically. She then went on CNN to be interviewed about it. This led to Brian Stelter interviewing me about my book for his CNN show Reliable Sources. She put it plainly: “I was trying to solve a problem in my mind, which was, how did we get here? And you came along with your book; The Cult of Trump and you did me the favor of giving me a framework.” This is a fascinating interview with a crack journalist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OCCUPATIONS: The Podcast - E33 Virginia Heffernan - JOURNALISM Download Virginia Heffernan, Journalist and Staff Writer at The Republic joins me for episode 33 of OCCUPATIONS. She tells us about her path to her incredible career full of different writing subjects and styles and, of course, has some great advise for those who might want to have a career in journalism.

Episode Summary If you’ve watched or listened to this podcast for a while, you probably know by now that Theory of Change is about stories—larger trends that happen and the narratives we tell ourselves about them. We’re finite beings; we exist for a moment within a small slice of spacetime. To understand anything at all about externality, we have to simplify it. But sometimes simplification makes things more complicated and confusing. The historical moment we’re sharing together is incredibly messy and confusing which is why I firmly believe that while the 20th century was the age of the economist, the 21st century is the domain of the philosopher—an era of interpretation. That’s why I’m excited to bring you today’s discussion with Virginia Heffernan , a really fantastic writer and thinker whose work you may have seen in the New Republic, Wired, or at her Substack, “ Magic and Loss .” Virginia has written a lot of great journalism over the years, but at heart, she’s a literary critic—a profession that I think is very well-suited to interpret our interesting times in which the division between text and sub-text is often impossible to delineate. The video of this episode is available, the transcript is below. Because of its length, some podcast apps and email programs may truncate it. Access the episode page to get the full text. You can subscribe to Theory of Change and other Flux podcasts on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Amazon Podcasts , YouTube , Patreon , Substack , and elsewhere. Related Content • “This Present Darkness” and the fictionalization of evangelicalism • How an oversharing Christian blogger inadvertently documented his own radicalization • Why 90s Christian pulp fiction explains today’s Republican Party • How Democrats got trapped in the fictional politics of “ The West Wing ” • Jeffrey Epstein as the synechdoche of cruelty across political ideologies • The Big Ten rises up against Trump Audio Chapters 00:00 — Introduction 07:42 — The 21st century as the return of philosophy 10:54 — Oral versus written traditions 13:32 — The fragi

This episode I'm joined by my former long-time client and friend, the incredible journalist and author Virginia Heffernan. Virginia is the author of Magic and Loss The Internet as Art . On today's show discuss the substack article she wrote about Ozempic. Virginia is a warrior for humanity's human-ness. We had a wonderful conversation. Be sure to subscribe to her newsletter and f ind her recent writing and media appearances here . Follow her on IG here. Follow Busy Body Podcast on IG @brooklynstrength for free content to help your body feel better and opportunities to work with me directly. Get full access to After Class with Cadence at cadencedubusbrooklynstrength.substack.com/subscribe

This week The Unspeakable welcomes three guests. Mike Pesca, Virginia Heffernan and Jamie Kirchick are the hosts of the brand new podcast Not Even Mad. Mike, who's the host of the long running podcast The Gist, conceived Not Even Mad as an alternative to the glut of podcasts in which the hosts and guests do nothing but agree with each other. With Virginia representing the political left, Jamie the right and Mike in the middle, Not Even Mad offers balanced, informed discussions that also model civility and mutual respect. In this conversation, the three talk about how they manage this feat, why they hold the political views that they do, and how they stay friends despite strong disagreements. Jamie also shares the secret of becoming an "instant New York Times bestseller." (Hint: it's easier than you think.) In Guest Bios: Mike Pesca is the host of the podcast the Gist, the longest running daily news podcast. He is a former sports reporter and producer for NPR, and previously worked for Slate. He is author of the book " Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History" . Virginia Heffernan is a columnist for Wired and is an experienced host of such podcasts as Trumpcast and This Is Critical . Jamie Kirchick is the New York Times bestselling author of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington and a columnist for Tablet Magazine.

You're struggling to advance your writing career. You reach out to a mysterious book agent who seems to be the key to success, along with his exclusive group of intellectual heavy hitters. Little do you know, that group is not all it seems... and it's closely connected to an absolute monster. Journalist Virginia Heffernan shares the origins of male-dominated intellectual organization Edge, its promise of merging the arts and the sciences to create a "third culture," how she joined through founder John Brockman, and the lengthy list of prominent academics, billionaires, and artists involved, from Elon Musk to Richard Dawkins--to Jeffrey Epstein. Plus, the "billionaires' dinners," its close financial ties to Epstein, and the overlap with the Intellectual Dark Web. Got your own story about cults, extreme belief, or abuse of power? Leave a voicemail or text us at 347-86-TRUST (347-868-7878) OR shoot us an email at Trust Me Pod @gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @TrustMePodcast @oohlalola @meaganelizabeth11 TWITTER: @TrustMeCultPod @ohlalola @baberahamhicks TIKTOK: @TrustMeCultPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virginia Heffernan (@page88) joins the ladies to talk about dealing with debt, what they like to splurge on and whether or not you should shave above your knees. They also talk about those annoying chin hairs, they play WWWWW and answer two lady problems about moving to a new city and getting your boyfriend to propose! Have a lady problem that needs answering? Send the ladies an email at: ladytoladycomedy@gmail.com or, better yet, leave us a voicemail at (323) 6BUTT30! Want to support the show and get access to bonus content? You can do so by subscribing to us on Wondery+! You can also join us over at Patreon.com/LadytoLady to get access to ad-free episodes, exclusive merch, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Aired April 2021 American Friends of Rabin Medical Center presents its monthly leaders forum, Global Connections with Robert Siegel: Navigating the New Normal , on society, the economy, real estate, medicine, technology and science. Moderator Robert Siegel (host of NPR's All Things Considered from 1987-2018) interviews: Prof. Sherry Turkle (MIT Social Studies of Science & Technology; Founding Dir., MIT Initiative on Technology & Self; Author, The Empathy Diaries: A Memoir) Nicholas Carr (former Executive Editor, Harvard Business Review; Author, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains) Dr. Virginia Heffernan (Columnist, LA Times, The Economist’s 1843 & Wired magazines; Author, Magic and Loss: The Internet as Art) Global Connections is presented by American Friends of Rabin Medical Center (AFRMC), a 501 (c)3 nonprofit charitable organization that was established in 1995. Through a variety of programs and fundraisers across the United States, the funds raised by American Friends of Rabin Medical Center benefit AFRMC in furtherance of its mission to fund charitable, educational and scientific purposes at Rabin Medical Center. A portion of all funds raised are used for AFRMC operations. Israel’s Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikvah, named after former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, is the pride of Israel, serving the needs of one million patients annually without regard to ethnicity, nationality or religion. Learn more at AFRMC.org ******************** AMERICAN FRIENDS OF RABIN MEDICAL CENTER (AFRMC) NEEDS YOUR HELP Many of you have asked how you can help us and Rabin Medical Center face the COVID-19 pandemic. You can help sustain our beloved institution and support the Global Connections online programming and television broadcast to raise awareness in our community to help navigate the new abnormal times we live in. Make A Donation: http://www.afrmc.org/donate Thank you for anything you can do to help!

Today I welcome journalist and cultural critic Virginia Heffernan back to COVIDCalls. Virginia Heffernan is an accomplished journalist and cultural critic—she is a regular contributor to The New York Times , as well as The Wall Street Journal , Mother Jones , and Politico . She writes a regular column for Wired Magazine and the LA Times—and she is co-host of the Trumpcast on Slate. She is also the author of Magic and Loss: The Internet as Art (2016) with Simon and Schuster. She hosts the This is Critical podcast.

On this week's show we have a broad ranging discussion with the well known journalist and author Virginia Heffernan. Virginia has written a bunch on the topic of technology, social media, scientism, and especially the Edge organisation. We discuss her research into Edge and related figures but also range further afield to cover debates in academia, the culture war and gurus, anthropology debates in the 90s, race & IQ rationalists, and other such topics. One short service note is that Matt is incognito for part of the conversation as he had a prior appointment so you will have to endure Chris functioning on his own but do not fear our intrepid psychologist re-emerges to offer some words of wisdom at the end. Also, the conversation with Virginia was recorded in advance of the events in Ukraine so no recent events are discussed (which is probably for the best). For those who want to do a bit more digging on the topics discussed, below are a bunch of related articles and you can also follow Virginia on Twitter (@page88) and check out her new podcast ' This is Critical ' which encourages people to look critically at a wide array of topics, which is quite on brand for us! Links Virginia's piece on Edge & John Brockman Virginia's essays on Wired Virginia's Substack piece on Jordan Peterson Virginia's Substack piece on Peter Thiel Virginia's Website Virginia's book: Magic & Loss- The Internet as Art Insider article on the sordid tale of Chris chan Two articles Chris wrote on his ancient blog about the Captain Cook debate ( part 1 and part 2 ) This Week's Sponsor Check out the sponsor of this week's episode, Ground News, and get the app at ground.news/gurus .

No one sees the truth and the Internet like Virginia Heffernan. Online since she was a child in the ‘70s, Heffernan is a Harvard Ph.D. whose book examining digital culture, “ Magic and Loss: The Internet As Art ” was called “An illuminating guide to the internet” by the Wall Street Journal. Heffernan’s a contributing editor for Wired, frequently writes for The LA Times, The Atlantic, and the NY Times, and hosts the podcast This is Critical which fans call “my drug of choice” and “a joy to listen to.” This week she joins Media Roundtable to talk about her career, the state of culture, and how the internet has changed life as we know it. For Heffernan, advertising thrives on the blurring of lines between fact and fiction (that’s why ads try so hard to sound like the unpaid content that surrounds them). Brands can drive action by hypnotizing the audience because they don’t know what is true. But Heffernen argues, your brand will do better by meeting your audience in a playful space with ads that are clearly meant to entertain and engage a “willing suspension of disbelief. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

This week Virginia Heffernan and Leah Bonnema join Negin to discuss Canada's truck strike and if they are winning any supporters. Then a very serious conversation about the years long McDonalds vs Burger King's fast food war. Finally, a conversation about an article in Vox that takes a look at comedies identity crisis. —— Thank you to this week’s sponsor: athleticgreens.com/FAKETHENATION - (a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase) TrueBill.com/FAKETHENATION Stamps.com - (Sign up with promo code FAKETHENATION for a special offer that includes a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale. No long-term commitments or contract) —— Rate Fake The Nation 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave us a review! Follow Negin Farsad on Twitter Email Negin fakethenation@headgum.com Support her Patreon —— Host - Negin Farsad Producer - Danielle Jones-Wesley Engineer - Stephanie Aguilar —— Advertise on Fake the Nation via Gumball.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

In this week’s episode of Let’s Get Civical, Lizzie and Arden sit down with journalist, author, and host of the podcast “This is Critical”, Virginia Heffernan! Join them as they discuss…well…many things, including current events, the power of media, and how a study from Brookings made a positive impact! Follow us on socials: Let’s Get Civical Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgetcivical/ Lizzie Stewart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_the_rock_stewart/ Arden Walentowski Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ardenjulianna/ Love the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode of Let’s Get Civical, Lizzie and Arden sit down with journalist, author, and host of the podcast “This is Critical”, Virginia Heffernan! Join them as they discuss…well…many things, including current events, the power of media, and how a study from Brookings made a positive impact! Follow us on socials: Let’s Get Civical Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgetcivical/ Lizzie Stewart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_the_rock_stewart/ Arden Walentowski Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ardenjulianna/ Love the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Virginia Heffernan returns to the show to talk about trolley problems, her favorite and least favorite holidays, Glenn Gould, and why she doesn't think Donald Trump is more powerful now than when he was president. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Notes Virginia Heffernan is one of the top journalists out there covering tech, culture, politics, science, and everything in between. But aside from being an amazing author, she's also been sober since 2011. In this episode, we chat with Virginia about her experience with addiction, getting sober, and how she copes in this hectic world while covering such stressful topics. Follow Virginia on Twitter @page88 Check out Virginia's podcast This is Critical Get a copy of Magic and Loss Get your free books by Chris here: https://bit.ly/3vkRsb6 Follow @TheRewiredSoul on Twitter and Instagram Subscribe to The Rewired Soul Substack Support The Rewired Soul: Get books by Chris Support on Patreon Try BetterHelp Online Therapy (affiliate) Donate

We all know that theater loves social justice — or is that just a show? As curtains rise again, we just might have our answer. Virginia Heffernan talks to award-winning playwright Paul Rudnick about Broadway’s political evolution, and how hard it is to adapt comedies like The Devil Wears Prada for a new decade, plus a pitch from comedian Kate James. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Wherein we are joined by Virginia Heffernan who will spin a yarn about something and see if we can discern her veracity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wherein the Taliban has taken over Afghanistan and it's too depressing to discuss, so Virginia Heffernan joins us to talk about county fairs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.