The apparent assassination of Charlie Kirk has both sides of the aisle calling on Americans to ‘lower the temperature’ of political rhetoric. But we’ve been here before – is there actually any chance that happens? We hear why Kirk was so effective in motivating young conservatives and look at what could happen next. 
Guest: Alex Stone &amp; Lilliana Mason, SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins Professor of Political Science 
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Host: David Rind 
Showrunner: Felicia Patinkin 
Editorial Support: Donie O’Sullivan &amp; Sean Clark Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Is Kash Patel’s Bro-Coded FBI Dropping the Ball?

Starting August 2, 2026 all new episodes can be found over in the ⁠CNN 5 Things feed.⁠  Search "CNN 5 Things" wherever you get your podcasts.



You’ve been overwhelmed with headlines all week – what's worth a closer look? One Thing takes you beyond the headlines and helps make sense of what everyone is talking about. Host David Rind talks to experts, reporters on the front lines and the real people impacted by the news about what they've learned – and why it matters.