Left, Right & Center: Recent Episodes
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Left, Right & Center is KCRW’s weekly civilized yet provocative confrontation over politics, policy and pop culture.
The first primary debate of the 2024 presidential election took place in Milwaukee this week. Eight Republicans took the stage. Who left their mark?
Donald Trump was invited but chose not to attend. His presence continues to linger over the participants and the identity of his party. Will the GOP’s traditional conservative ideals take hold, or will voters follow their hearts back to Trump and his acolytes?
The response to Maui’s raging wildfires left plenty of room for criticism of emergency and government officials, including Joe Biden. His genuine empathy and ability to connect used to be a strength, but has it fallen to the wayside during his presidency?
A fourth indictment was filed against Donald Trump this week — in the state of Georgia. Fulton County D.A. Fani T. Willis presented a sprawling document charging Trump and 18 others for conspiring to reverse the state’s results in the 2020 presidential election. Will an elected official pursuing a legal case against Trump hurt what is an otherwise strong case?
The first Republican primary debate is less than a week away. With several candidates jostling for second place behind Donald Trump’s big lead, a report detailing strategy memos from a Ron Desantis super PAC surfaced.
Will the derided governor’s campaign be able to recover before he hits the stage?
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit social media to call on the FDA to reduce its strict regulations on sunscreen. It could be a viable political move. So what’s stirring the criticism from supporters on the left?
Ohio voters turned out in droves to reject a ballot measure that would change the state’s amendment process. An upcoming vote on abortion rights lingered in the background of the special election. What role could abortion play in national voter turnout next November?
Hunter Biden’s business partner testified before Congress last week. A collapsed plea deal on tax charges means a potential trial for the president’s son could be around the corner. Could further investigation into Hunter’s legal troubles spell disaster for his father’s re-election hopes?
Negative reactions to the U.S. Women’s National Team’s early exit from the World Cup angered supporters. Is it unfair to expect the team to be shielded from critiques over their political activism?
Donald Trump was indicted this week for several charges related to the events of January 6. U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith presented a strong legal case against the former president. Will litigating the Capitol riots help mend the political divide, or set a strict precedent for the executive branch?
President Biden’s administration says it’s doing everything it can to solve a broken immigration system. The policies put in place so far haven’t garnered much support from either side of the political aisle. Do genuine solutions lie in the middle, and what do they look like?
In the latest installment of “Changed My Mind,” a veteran reckons with the realities of battle.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy thinks it may be time to open an impeachment inquiry to get more information on President Biden’s involvement in his son Hunter’s questionable business dealings. Congress can pursue impeachment at its own discretion, but is now too soon?
Also, Mark Zuckerberg narrowly missed being held in contempt of Congress after initially withholding internal communications between the White House and Facebook. The House Judiciary Committee says he may not be so lucky next time. Is there any middle ground for allowing communication between the White House and tech platforms?
Plus, in the next installment of our “Changed My Mind” series, learn why you should always examine polling data.
Conservative groups and the Donald Trump campaign are collaborating to expand executive powers if Trump secures a second White House term. At the heart of the plan is a legitimate debate about the scope of government —- and legitimate fears about what Trump would do with all that control.
The independent group No Labels held a town hall unveiling its plans to present a third party option to a Biden-Trump rematch. Can they present anything to independent voters that’s worth a spot on the ballot next November?
Two blockbuster films hit theaters this weekend — about one of the world’s most popular toys, and about one of history’s most destructive events. Some moviegoers can’t wait to see both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” What does that reveal about us?
Plus, the first in a new series of essays presents a shocking discovery about relationships.
Both the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the National Institutes of Health need a chief. Some senators are blocking confirmation of those nominees — so what will it take to win them over?
Meanwhile, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama is feeling heat for his comments defending white nationalism. Why does the GOP still feel the need to reach a controversial wing of voters?
The increased popularity of artificial intelligence means tech could play a bigger role this upcoming election season. Are politicians ready to handle that responsibility?
Will the showdown between Threads and Twitter become an ideological battle?
President Biden is putting the spin on “Bidenomics.” The administration is hoping they can capture voters with improved messaging on popular policies, but will it work?
We’re a week removed from the end of the Supreme Court’s most recent term. What are the big takeaways from the slate of decisions from the court, and lessons about the newest justice?
America celebrated its independence once again this past week. But after a tumultuous last few years, confidence in institutions is down across the board. Is our democracy healthy enough to regain the trust of voters?
The Supreme Court ruled against long-standing affirmative action practices for public and private universities. Is there any chance this could improve how colleges try to increase diversity on campuses, or will it set back the clock in the push for racial equity?
After last week’s short-lived mutiny, plenty of questions remain about the strength of Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia. What can we take away from how he’s handled the aftermath? How has it impacted support for Putin at home and abroad?
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Florida Governor Ron Desantis have used state policies to bring national attention to their ideological battle. Are the dueling governors just trying to boost their national profiles, or do they accurately represent the direction that their respective parties are headed in?
President Biden is hitting the campaign trail to tout his first-term accomplishments, gain support, and refill his war chest. But in the face of sagging poll numbers, can he convince voters to grant him a second term?
It’s now been one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. What’s changed in the absence of federal abortion protections, and what else has the court ruled on in its most recent term? Can it maintain public credibility amidst political polarization?
A storm is brewing inside the environmental movement, pitting clean energy advocates against conservationists concerned about the impacts of development. How will a movement that’s been primarily focused on opposing new projects retool to build the infrastructure necessary to combat climate change?
Donald Trump has broken another record. Already the first former president ever indicted on criminal charges, he’s now the first ever indicted twice. He faces 37 felony counts stemming from his improper withholding of top secret documents at Mar a Lago. He stored them, among other places, in the bathroom. Trump cries witch hunt, but what defense will he employ in federal court?
And then there’s the court of public opinion, where Trump holds defiant rallies and the usual cast of Republican surrogates jumps to his defense. Will Trump’s political opponents capitalize on another chapter in a long series of scandals, or can the former president spin this to his advantage as part of his deep state narrative?
All the drum beating from Republican leadership stirs up right-wing extremists online, but Trump’s arraignment in Miami went off with little more than a whimper. In the wake of January 6, how big a threat does conspiracy-driven political violence continue to pose?
Mike Pence is officially running for president — against the former president who made him vice president. He’s trying to evoke Reagan conservatism, but does the Trump-dominated GOP actually want to go retro? And does Pence have the charisma to bring voters with him?
The Ukrainian military may or may not have launched its much-anticipated counteroffensive in the wake of a horrific dam break that flooded the front lines. If Russia was responsible, could it be a dangerous sign of things to come in this war, and should the world condemn the act with a louder voice?
And this week’s announcement of a big merger in the world of golf raises questions about Saudi Arabia and whether it’s using sports to turn attention away from its record of human rights abuses.
The months-long battle to raise the limit on how much money the federal government can borrow cleared its biggest hurdle: the Republican-controlled House, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“We didn’t do it by taking the easy way,” McCarthy said. “We decided that we had to spend less, and we achieved that goal. Is it everything I wanted? No. But sitting with one House, with a Democratic Senate, and a Democratic Senate who didn’t want to meet with us, I think we did pretty dang good for the American public.”
Negotiating this bill also marked the first big test of McCarthy’s speakership.
After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his presidential campaign on Twitter last week, he had a more conventional kickoff in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina this week. He spent most of his stump speech going after President Biden, but when talking with reporters, he criticized his top GOP rival, former President Trump, more explicitly.
“He’s attacking me for opposing an immigration amnesty for illegal aliens that he did support when he was president. … He campaigned against that in 2016,” DeSantis said. “I do think, unfortunately, he’s decided to move left on some of these issues.”
And HBO’s flagship drama (or tragic comedy?) “Succession”ended on Sunday night. Author Kurt Andersen says the show “nailed the unreal way we live now.”
Despite protests and promises of change, violent acts from police officers and scandals in law enforcement agencies seem to continuously dot the headlines. That’s according to Christy E. Lopez, columnist at the Washington Post, in her recent LA Times column, “A dismissal at Customs and Border Protection shows how hard law enforcement reform can be.”
She joins as this week’s special guest to discuss U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus’ departure from his position last month after just a year on the job. Known as a reformer, the Biden administration hired Magnus to help address the corruption, racism, and violence among border patrol agents.
But more than a dozen House Republicans wrote to the White House, asking for Magnus to go. Though he said he was leaving due to differences with leadership at Homeland Security.
With Magnus gone, an agency that has faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans needs new direction. What are the broader implications of his exit? And does his absence reveal the difficulties of reforming a law enforcement agency from the inside?
Plus, antisemitic comments and hate crimes are rising in the United States. Even political leaders, like Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, and public figures, like the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, are making hateful statements. Why is antisemitism rearing its’ head again and how can we stop its’ spread?
Host David Greene discusses with Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right.
And the World Cup is in full swing with exciting matches on the pitch and political drama behind the scenes. Should athletes focus on their sport or do they carry a responsibility to speak for or against their government? And how does a worldwide competition affect geopolitical relationships?
It’s been nine months since Russia invaded Ukraine, starting a war that has killed at least 200,000 military personnel and approximately 40,000 civilians, according to U.S. officials.
Winter is fast approaching, and it seems like both sides might be gearing up to fight well into next year.
At the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit, world leaders issued a statement saying they “deplore in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.” They demanded a “complete and unconditional” withdrawal from Ukraine.
Thousands of Russian citizens have fled the country to avoid the draft, while others have been arrested for protesting their government’s actions. Are Russians responsible for President Vladimir Putin’s decisions? And could this be the moment a lasting empire falls in Russia?
Plus, Russia is not the only democracy worldwide that has shifted in recent years. Leading up to the recent midterm elections, President Biden said repeatedly democracy itself was at risk, a sentiment shared by the majority of Americans. Is America’s democracy adjusting to current society or are we falling into authoritarianism?
Host David Greene discusses with special guest Anne Applebaum, historian and staff writer at The Atlantic, about what’s at stake for the future of Russia and Ukraine, as well as her recent article, “The Russian Empire Must Die.”
Plus, Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service, joins on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right, weigh in on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s legacy after her announcement to not seek reelection to Democratic leadership.
What made Pelosi special? How did she become an enemy for Republicans? And where will House Democrats go from here?
The balance of power in the nation’s capital has finally been decided — Democrats will keep control of the Senate and Republicans grabbed the majority in the House, though by slim margins.
And as both sides decide their party’s leaders, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced she would not seek reelection for Democratic leadership.
But before a new Congress begins its work next year, the lame duck season has begun. The Democrats have already secured bipartisan support for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would protect same-sex marriages if the Supreme Court decided to overturn that right. It earned 62 votes — enough to overcome a filibuster — so it may be on its way to becoming law.
With all its technicalities, is this a good bill? What does it say about this moment in American culture that 12 Republicans supported it?
And Democrats are also eager to move the needle on the DACA program that protects “Dreamers,” but why? How are Republicans responding with calls for more border security?
What other legislation can we expect to see coming down the pipeline over the next two months?
Plus, Donald Trump announced his presidential bid for 2024, despite being blamed for his hand-picked candidates losing. Are Republicans ready to move past Trump?
Host David Greene discusses with Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right.
And special guests Jim Hobart, partner at Public Opinion, and Margie Omero, principal at GBAO Strategies, weigh in on exit poll trends and why certain issues deeply resonated with voters.
Millions of people cast their ballots in the 2022 midterm elections this week — though votes are still being counted — and neither Democrats nor Republicans saw the results they expected.
A sitting president’s party often takes a beating in a midterm election, so Democrats were preparing to lose their majorities in the House and Senate. Despite sky-high inflation and sinking approval ratings for President Biden, Republicans won far fewer seats in the House than anyone predicted. And some competitive Senate candidates, like Pennsylvania Republican candidate Mehmet Oz, underperformed.
There’s still a chance, though much smaller than before, that Republicans could control both houses of Congress. Was this a repudiation from voters on both sides? Could this election be the start of a reckoning in both parties?
The issue of abortion played a large role in this election, especially for Democrats. Plus, inflation and the economy were top of mind for most voters. But much of the conservative messaging focused on crime and immigration.
Did Republicans misread their base? Did they suffer for promoting abortion bans, when the majority of the country doesn’t agree with that stance? And what did Democrats get right in their campaigns?
Plus, a healthy portion of Republican candidates that questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election and backed by former President Trump lost their bids. Meanwhile, more moderate conservatives won by significant margins.
Did Trump’s handpicked candidates harm Republicans overall? Will this showing encourage the GOP to move past Trump’s hold on the party?
And what does all of this mean for the 2024 presidential bid?
Host David Greene discusses with Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left; and Jim Hobart, partner at Public Opinion Strategies, on the right.
And special guest Molly Ball, national political correspondent at TIME Magazine, weighs in on how this election could reshape politics and discusses her cover piece for TIME Magazine, “How Democrats Defied History in the Midterms and What it Means for 2024.”
With only a few days before midterm elections, a number of key races across the country are heating up, putting the capital’s balance of power on the ballot.
A recent NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist national poll shows the country has swung by six points in favor of Republican candidates, who are now more confident they can take control of the House.
For Democrats, who are trying to hold onto their slim majority, a loss of control could bring their agenda to a standstill. But would this give President Biden more freedom to negotiate with less pressure to please his party?
This week, Biden delivered a speech and said this election is specifically about our democracy, addressing the hundreds of election deniers running for office across the country. But many voters say the price of gas, inflation and the economy are their top issues this cycle.
While it made sense for Biden to speak about preserving democracy, should he have addressed the economy or inflation? Will Democrats suffer at the ballot box for not laying out their vision for the economy?
Plus, the issue of crime in Wisconsin has taken center stage in the Senate race between incumbent Republican Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes. Did progressive messaging around public safety and crime hurt Democrats?
And another significant Senate race in Nevada has Senator Catherine Cortez Mastro fighting to hold onto her seat against Republican Adam Laxalt. Are Democrats wrongfully assuming they’ve locked down the Latino vote? And will Republicans be able to peel off that voting bloc?
Host David Greene discusses with Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right.
Also, a man broke into Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s home in San Francisco last week with the intention of kidnapping her and breaking her kneecaps. While the Speaker was in D.C., the man attacked her husband, Paul, with a hammer and fractured his skull. How did Nancy Pelosi become a target for far-right extremists? And how can politicians ensure their words don’t lead to violence?
Special guest Molly Ball, national political correspondent at Time Magazine, weighs in on the rise of political violence and discusses her bestselling biography about the Speaker called “Pelosi.”
Midterm elections are a week and a half away, which could alter the balance of power in the nation’s capital. Millions of people have already cast their ballots, and overall voter turnout is projected to be one of the highest ever for a midterm.
The Senate race in Pennsylvania could be crucial for Democrats to pick up and hang onto control. The fight between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz is narrowing, and the candidates debated for the first and only time this week. Oz attempted to appease both sides on the abortion debate, but did he alienate everyone instead? And how will Fetterman’s ongoing recovery from a stroke this summer sit with voters?
Plus, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are holding events throughout the country to advocate for their parties. Both are using scare tactics — just in time for Halloween — to persuade voters the other party has become too extreme.
Is this argument more effective for Republicans or Democrats? And, is this actually a country full of political extremists?
Host David Greene discusses with Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right.
And, special guest Kimberly Atkins Stohr, senior opinion writer at the Boston Globe, weighs in on the future of affirmative action in higher education. Atkins Stohr discusses how universities could uphold diversity if the Supreme Court strikes affirmative action down, and her recent column “Affirmative action in college admissions is at risk.”
And finally, a Halloween treat of Sarah Isgur’s secret skill.
With nearly three weeks until the midterm elections in November, Republicans may have a good shot at gaining the majority in both the House and Senate.
Democrats saw boosted support over the summer after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, but that enthusiasm may be waning. The tide may be turning for Republicans, despite trailing Democrats just one month ago. A New York Times-Siena College poll shows a bump in support for Republicans in recent weeks.
Plus, President Biden’s approval ratings plunged over the summer to record lows because of high gas prices and inflation, and they still haven’t completely recovered. Nearly half of likely voters say they strongly disapprove of Biden’s job performance.
Republicans only need to pick up five seats in Congress to gain the majority, and just one for control of the Senate. So, what would the first changes a Republican-controlled Congress would make? And how would a conservative legislative branch work with Biden on matters like abortion, Russia’s war against Ukraine, or a possible recession?
Host David Greene discusses with Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right.
Plus, the new Supreme Court session is in full swing, but many Americans are questioning if the highest court has become too politicized. Special guest Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor at Slate and author of “Lady Justice: Women, The Law and the Battle to Save America,” weighs in on judicial gender parity, and why she’s worried about an uprising among those in the legal profession.
Despite President Biden’s promise to unify the country, our politics seem more divisive than ever. Are universities to blame? And is an overrepresentation of liberals in higher education changing our political sphere?
This week, the January 6 House Committee voted unanimously to subpoena testimony from former President Donald Trump.
In what could be the final televised hearing, the committee members recapped much of the evidence it’s been gathering for the last year. They presented proof that Trump wanted to join the violent mob that day, despite knowing he had lost the election.
The committee also played never-before-seen footage of congressional leaders during the Jan. 6 attack, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer attempting to contact state and federal officials for help.
After the hearing ended, Trump posted on his own social media platform, Truth Social, that the committee was a “bust,” and asked why they had waited for months to subpoena him. The former president has reportedly indicated he would appear before the committee if it televised live. What is Trump’s legal team weighing? And would live testimony give Trump the upper hand?
While the decision to subpoena a former president is uncommon, the ability to prosecute sits with the Department of Justice. And the Jan. 6 Committee will dissolve after it delivers its final report. So, have the members performed their job well? What will they need to show in their report to have any lasting impact?
Plus, Trump may run for president again. And nearly 300 candidates on the ballots for federal or state office next month deny that Trump lost the previous election. Could these hearings affect these candidates' chances of winning? Or does it fire up their supporters?
Host David Greene discusses with Jill Filipovic, columnist at CNN.com, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right. And special guest Evelyn Farkas, executive director at the McCain Institute, weighs in on Russia’s latest tactics in their war against Ukraine and how its consequences are playing out across the world.
This week, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Plus coalition, a crude oil group led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, announced the biggest cut in oil production in two years. This means that Russia will make more money off its oil, which it can then use to fund its war against Ukraine.
Americans are likely to see soaring gas prices at the pump again. This is a diplomatic problem for President Biden. He has invested a lot of capital in trying to talk the Saudis out of this move, including when he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in July and initiated a controversial fist bump.
Presidents are often blamed for economic trends, even if they don’t have much control over economic highs and lows. But is Biden, at least partially, at fault? And should the United States keep ties with this Saudi regime that is responsible for killing an American journalist?
Rising gas and oil prices have also caused a political problem for Democrats. Inflation is often cited as one of the top issues for voters, and Biden’s party may suffer in the midterm elections for the economic hit.
Plus, this week marked 100 days since the Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to get an abortion by striking down Roe v. Wade. Biden said that decision has had frightening ripple effects across the country.
The president announced some new guidelines and grants to help protect abortion rights — in part as a response to a new policy at the University of Idaho that threatened employees with felony convictions if they refer a student for the procedure, reported by the Washington Post. But at least 14 states have already enacted near-total bans on abortion, leaving nearly 30 million women without access in their states.
Some reproductive health rights advocates and progressives want Biden to use executive powers to protect abortion rights nationally. But he maintains that the only way to codify abortions by law is to give Democrats a larger majority in Congress. Has Biden exercised everything in his control to reinstate abortion rights?
And after Kansas residents overwhelmingly voted against removing abortion protections from their state constitution in August, Democrats are trying to build on that momentum. Should Republicans be worried Roe’s fall could cost them in the midterm elections? And how is the abortion debate playing out in key races like Georiga?
Host David Greene discusses with Jill Filipovic, columnist at CNN.com, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right. Plus special guest Bill Kristol weighs in on the differences between state and local Republican candidates, and how November’s midterm elections could strengthen America’s democracy.
This week, Hurricane Ian slammed into southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm and one of the strongest to make landfall in the U.S. Millions of people are without power and many homes are underwater.
Natural disasters are often tests of state and federal leadership. The Biden administration was in contact with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ahead of the storm to help support emergency response. But the stakes are high for DeSantis. The governor is seen as a frontrunner for the presidential bid in 2024, and handling this disaster could hurt or bolster his potential campaign. How is he doing so far?
DeSantis made a point during the COVID-19 pandemic to refuse federal guidance. Will a disaster of this scale help government agencies work together? Or will political tensions block necessary coordination?
Plus, Iranian protests, largely led by women, have lasted for nearly two weeks. They were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who was apprehended by the “morality police” for not wearing her head covering correctly.
Iranian authorities are violently cracking down on protestors, which the Biden administration swiftly denounced. The White House is also getting communications equipment to protestors as the government shuts down internet access.
Could this ignite a universal feminist movement? And will the protests force a change in U.S. policy toward Iran?
Host David Greene discusses with Jill Filipovic, columnist at CNN.com, on the left; and Avik Roy, president at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, on the right.
And special guest Renato Mariotti, former federal prosecutor and columnist at Politico, analyzes the upcoming consequential Supreme Court docket.
What can we expect from the conservative majority court? And could cases on affirmative action, immigration policy, or voting rights drastically reshape our society?
This week, global political leaders met in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. U.S. and European officials slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin for further escalating the war against Ukraine, calling up 300,000 reservists, and threatening to use nuclear weapons.
Should Americans be worried about Putin’s nuclear threat? And how should the United Nations respond to Russia’s invasion and alleged human rights violations?
During the assembly, President Biden said Russia is violating the core tenets of membership in the U.N. and trying to extinguish Ukraine’s right to exist.
Is Biden rising to meet the moment, and will this standoff define his presidency?
Host David Greene discusses with Jill Filipovic, columnist at CNN.com, on the left; and Avik Roy, president at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, on the right. And special guest Evelyn Farkas, executive director at the McCain Institute, analyzes Putin’s strategy and how Russian citizens are responding.
Plus, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent two planes of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard last week as a political stunt. DeSantis, along with other governors from Republican-led states, are looking to show that the country’s immigration challenges are a burden that shouldn’t only fall on border states.
Do Republican governors have a point? Could this force Biden to take action on immigration policy?
But officials deceived families about where they were going, and some Democrats are calling the stunt outrageous and cruel. A class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of the migrants against DeSantis, claiming the incident was fraudulent and illegal.
Do the migrants have a legit case against DeSantis? And can there be any bipartisan agreement on immigration policy?
And, President Biden said on an interview with “60 Minutes” that the pandemic is over. People in both political parties expressed outrage at this declaration, and even his own staff seemed surprised.
Abortion policy continues to develop and change nationwide, leaving little room for voters in the middle. This week, Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham introduced national legislation that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The bill includes narrow exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, and also prevents states from allowing abortions later in pregnancy.
While Graham describes his bill as moderate, members of his party seem to be distancing themselves from the legislation. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he believes most Republicans prefer states handle the issue. (And Graham said the same thing after Roe v. Wade fell in June.)
Meanwhile, states are still grappling with the aftermath of Roe’s fall. West Virginia passed a bill prohibiting nearly all abortions this week, making it the 14th state to fully ban the procedure. Do voters want a near-total ban, or is there a middle ground?
And the World Health Organization director-general said that COVID-related deaths are waning, and the end of the pandemic could be in sight. As many people return “back to normal,” a new poll found that people believe Democrats handled the pandemic better than Republicans. But COVID seems to be a nonissue in the midterms. Do voters just want to move on?
Plus a report from the LANCET COVID-19 Commission blamed the World Health Organization and governments worldwide for a “massive global failure.” It said misinformation, neglect, and low public trust potentially caused millions of preventable deaths.
How can government agencies gain back the public’s trust? Can Americans create a better “normal” after the pandemic?
Guest host Molly Ball discusses with Jill Filipovic, columnist at CNN.com, on the left; and Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner, on the right. And special guest Margie Omero, Democratic pollster, weighs in on what voters actually think of these divisive issues.
And the January 6 Committee is back at work. They’ve recently sent out a number of requests to high-profile politicians, including former Vice President Mike Pence and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.
The committee has three months to release its report with final recommendations on how Congress should prevent another attack on the Capitol or what crimes former President Trump and others should potentially be charged with.
Will any of the Committee’s revelations effect the midterms?
It’s the week after Labor Day, which marks the unofficial final push of midterm election campaigning. Democrats are optimistic thanks to an unexpected bounce in President Biden’s approval rating. It tanked at 37% in July but recently landed at 42%, reports FiveThirtyEight. Will Democratic candidates hold on to this momentum?
Plus, since the Supree Court overturned Roe v. Wade, women are out-registering men and voting in historic numbers to protect abortion rights. And a bill to protect same-sex marriage is on Congress’ fall agenda. How will all this play out in elections?
Guest host Molly Ball discusses with Zac Petkanas, Democratic strategist, on the left; and Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner, on the right. And special guest Tara Palmeri, senior political correspondent at Puck, weighs in on how voters are feeling before November.
This week, President Biden gave several campaign-style speeches, emphasizing the “soul of the nation.” On Thursday, he argued that “MAGA forces” are putting fair elections, privacy, personal rights and economic security at risk.
Biden is a first-term president with low approval ratings, which historically means Democrats will get throttled during the midterms. What rebuttal might Republicans or former President Trump give?
Meanwhile on Tuesday, the world mourned the death of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who was a main player in ending the Cold War. How has American politics changed since December 1991?
Host David Greene discusses with Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the left; and Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner, on the right.
Plus, special guest Danielle Allen, professor at Harvard University and director of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics, argues that social media has undermined our constitutional democracy.
This week, Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day, despite trudging through a brutal war with Russia. Though the countries have been fighting for six months, many Ukrainans would say the war started when Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014.
The Biden administration is helping keep Ukraine in the fight by announcing it will send $3 billion more in aid to buy more weapons.
But how long can President Biden continue sending aid to Ukraine before the public loses interest? Will this escalate tensions and put the world in danger of nuclear threats? And what does this mean for the existential fight for democracy?
It’s been two weeks since the FBI removed boxes of classified documents and records from former President Donald Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago. Yet the National Archives released a letter this week about other classified materials recovered from the property this past January.
Should Americans be worried about potential security threats from these documents? And was Trump being careless after moving out of the White House, or were his actions more nefarious?
Plus, President Joe Biden announced he is canceling $10,000 in student debt for anyone who earns less than $125,000. For low-income families who received Pell Grants for college, they’ll see $20,000 in debt relief. But does Biden have the authority to do this, and will it worsen inflation?
Host David Greene discusses with Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the left; Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner, on the right; and special guest Evelyn Farkas, executive director of the McCain Institute and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russian/Ukraine/Eurasia.
This week, Congresswoman Liz Cheney lost her Wyoming primary to Harriet Hageman, a Trump-endorsed attorney, ending a political dynasty. Her defeat by more than 37 points was one of the largest losses by a House incumbent, despite her conservative voting record. Cheney previously voted against restoring parts of the Voting Rights Act, expanding the Affordable Care Act, and impeaching Trump the first time.
But the GOP and the Wyoming Republican Party noisily separated from Cheney after she voted to impeach former President Trump for inciting an insurrection in 2021 and denounced his lies about the 2020 election. So where does she go from here? And what does this signal about the GOP’s future?
Now Cheney is hinting at running for president in 2024, presumably against Trump. But after this significant defeat, does she even have a chance?
This political moment and the Republican Party’s recent shift may have ties to the 1990s. What can history teach us about times when belief in the democratic process is fading? And how can the Democratic party build a candidate that personally resonates with voters similar to Trump?
Fall marks the start of a new school year, and the fight over vaccine mandates seems to have slowed down. In Washington, D.C. public schools are mandating students get vaccinated against COVID-19, but no state is requiring it.
Should there be a limit to mandates in public schools? And how can the general public discuss these complicated issues without becoming politically divisive?
Host David Greene discusses with Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the left; Tara Setmayer, senior advisor at the Lincoln Project, on the right; and special guest Nicole Hemmer, associate professor of history and director of the Rogers Center for the Study of the Presidency at Vanderbilt University.
This week, the FBI executed a search warrant at Donald Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago, breaking into his safe, and seizing several boxes of presumed classified documents that he allegedly took from the White House when his presidency ended.
Then, a federal appeals court ruled that the House Ways and Means Committee is allowed to look at Trump’s tax returns from 2015 to 2020 — something Democrats tried doing for years.
New York Attorney General Letitia James also deposed Trump under oath — in regards to a civil case about his business dealings. During the hours-long testimony, Trump pleaded the Fifth Amendment, invoking his rights against self incrimination. But in the past, he said, “If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”
Still, Trump’s base seems to be more energized than ever, and some are even calling for a civil war. Meanwhile, some Republican campaign staffers are saying this week sealed the deal on Trump’s GOP 2024 presidential nomination.
Host David Greene discusses with Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the left; Tara Setmayer, senior advisor at the Lincoln Project, on the right; and special guest Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor.
Plus, gas and plane tickets are slightly down from the sky-high prices from earlier this summer, but inflation is still affecting many Americans. Democrats are set to pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Will that combat inflation? Probably not anytime soon. But the IRA is set to be the most groundbreaking climate change legislation Congress has ever passed.
And what was the actual cost to get Senator Joe Manchin to sign onto the IRA? For Manchin’s vote, Democrats agreed to support the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which spans more than 300 miles, and will carry natural gas through the Appalachian Mountains, furthering fossil fuel dependency. Special guest Alexa Beyer, environmental and energy reporter at Mountain State Spotlight, weighs in.
It was a good week for election deniers. Several Trump-backed candidates sealed primary wins in Arizona, Michigan and Missouri. This includes businessman Blake Masters, who’s vying for a Senate seat in Arizona and identifies as part of the “New Right.” Plus, Eric Schmitt won the GOP primary for Senate in Missouri. Both Masters and Schmitt have falsely denied the 2020 election results.
Meanwhile, the Democrats are hoping that a far-right candidate will be easier to beat in the November midterms. They supported some far-right candidates, including John Gibbs. Gibbs beat the more moderate incumbent, Representative Peter Meijer, who was one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump.
What do those candidates’ wins say about the evolving Republican Party? Is this a wise plan for Democrats? And how does this affect voters’ faith in election integrity or democracy itself?
Plus, red-leaning Kansas overwhelmingly rejected a Constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to ban or restrict abortions. Will the messaging used by abortion rights groups in Kansas resonate with voters across the country in the midterms? Can Democrats capitalize on this momentum?
And was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial trip to Taiwan bold or catastrophic?
Host David Greene discusses with Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left; Tara Setmayer, senior advisor at the Lincoln Project, on the right; and special guest, Shankar Vedantam, creator and host of the Hidden Brain podcast and author of “Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain.”
Just when things looked bleak for Democrats’ agenda, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin finally decided to back a $369 billion climate and tax package. Lawmakers are racing to pass several bills before the August recess, and Senate Democrats are hopeful that they will be able to pass a reconciliation bill now with Manchin’s support.
If both chambers of Congress green-light the reconciliation bill, it could change the whole conversation on the campaign trail in the coming weeks.
But what’s the likelihood that it’ll pass? Will it make a dent in the climate change fight? And how much power should Sen. Manchin have?
Host David Greene discusses the revival of President Joe Biden’s climate and economic agenda with Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left; and Tara Setmayer, senior advisor at the Lincoln Project, on the right.
Plus, in opening remarks during a meeting on reproductive health care, Vice President Kamala Harris stated her pronouns. She was then mocked and ridiculed on Twitter, among other places. Did she add fuel to a culture war? And why didn’t Harris give more context, and explain why pronouns are important?
And special guest Shankar Vedantam, creator and host of the Hidden Brain podcast and author of “Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain,” talks about how polarized we really are as a country.
What happened during the 187 minutes between the time Trump left the Ellipse, the park near the White House where he urged his supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol — and when he was at the Rose Garden, urging those supporters to go home after the insurrection? This week, the January 6 House Select Committee gave a play-by-play of what Trump was doing at the time.
It turned out that he was watching TV in the White House dining room, according to testimony in the hearing. He never called law enforcement, and didn’t listen to pleas from members of Congress, his staff, and his own family to condemn the violence and urge the rioters to leave.
His inaction was a cornerstone of the hearing. Was it enough to prove that Trump did not fulfill his sworn duty as president? The committee wrapped up its hearings now, and promised more in September.
Guest host Gustavo Arellano discusses some of the most damning moments from the hearings with Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the left; Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right; and special guest Sarah D. Wire, Justice Department reporter at the LA Times, who was inside the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Plus, more than two dozen states issued heat wave warnings this past week. Is there hope for climate legislation that would curb emissions? Democrats had been trying to pass President Biden’s climate bill. But after 18 months of negotiations, Senator Joe Manchin, who has personal ties with the fossil fuel industry, killed the bill, citing gas prices and inflation as the reasons why. If Americans see some relief from inflation, would Democrats consider resuming talks with Manchin?
And how worried should the Biden administration be about rising COVID and monkeypox cases?
Food, health care, and rent are all going up, but wages are not. There’s tiny relief in gas prices finally dipping this month, and job gains are better than expected. However, Americans are still worried about a looming recession.
Guest host Gustavo Arellano discusses President Biden’s response to inflation and the threat of a recession with Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right.
Plus, the January 6 Select Committee held their seventh public hearing this week, which focused on linking former President Trump and far-right extremist groups. As Trump hints at a potential 2024 White House run, how much do Americans care about what’s been revealed in the hearings? Have they changed opinions about the 2020 election? And will that impact whether or not Republicans would support Trump’s third run for the White House? Panelists discuss with special guest Keli Goff, columnist and producer of “Reversing Roe.”
The overturning of Roe V. Wade and recent mass shootings continue to cast a shadow over American politics. President Joe Biden has been reacting to those and other domestic problems with an incremental approach, and many Democrats find that too slow. More and more of them are publicly expressing their frustration. How much will this hurt Biden politically?
Guest host Gustavo Arellano discusses with Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, on the right; and Baratunde Thurston, a founding partner at Puck, creator and host of the podcast “How to Citizen,” and host of the PBS show “America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston,” on the left.
Meanwhile, Biden scored international wins recently at the G7 and NATO summits. Will that shore up his poll numbers and political capital back at home? His current approval rating is 38%, according to a poll released last week by Harvard CAPS-Harris. Panelists discuss with special guest Juliette Kayyem, professor of national security at Harvard; former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security; and author of the book “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.”
Plus, who are the winners and losers of the 2022 primary season heading into the November midterms? And what is next for both parties?
This week, the Supreme Court wrapped up its term after issuing opinions that dramatically alter Americans’ abilities to confront climate change, our constitutional rights, and faith in the high court itself.
Guest host Kimberly Atkins Stohr talks rolling back the EPA’s power with Christine Emba, columnist and editor at the Washington Post, on the left; Sarah Isgur, staff writer and host for The Dispatch, on the right; and special guest Jonathan H. Adler, a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he directs the Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law.
Plus, how does the end of Roe V. Wade affect the legal landscape, the public opinion of the court, and the message Democrats are sending to voters?
And the January 6 Select Committee’s surprise witness gave jaw-dropping testimony about Trump’s actions and state of mind on the day of the insurrection. Is it enough to change minds?
This week, bipartisanship emerged in the Senate, where 14 Republicans voted with Democrats to move forward with a gun safety bill. What should we make of this latest effort?
Guest host Kimberly Atkins Stohr talks gun politics with David Dayen, executive editor at The American Prospect, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer and host for The Dispatch, on the right.
Republican election officials appeared before the House Select Committee investigating January 6 to detail how they stood up to former President Trump. How worried should Americans be about our next elections? Special guest Rick Hasen, UC Irvine professor of law and political science, joins to answer that question.
Plus, the legal case of “Happy” the elephant could have far-reaching implications for animal rights.
In its most recent hearing, the House Select Committee recounted all the ways former President Trump tried to pressure Vice President Mike Pence into doing what he wanted: to illegally stop the electoral vote count and overturn the election. The committee says Pence’s life was endangered. Advisors to Pence are just the latest voices from Trump’s world to join the House Select Committee in painting a full picture of how close the country came to a constitutional crisis.
Guest host Gustavo Arellano, of The Los Angeles Times and The Times Daily podcast, represents the left and asks what else do Republicans and federal prosecutors need to know about Trump’s motivations to bring an indictment?
John Avlon, senior political analyst and anchor for CNN, joins from the center. Sarah Isgur, staff writer for The Dispatch and host of The Dispatch podcast, joins from the right. This week’s special guest is Emily Bazelon, staff writer for the New York Times and co-host of Slate’s Political Gabfest podcast.
Plus, can the Federal Reserve reduce inflation without triggering job loss or a recession?
President Joe Biden came to Los Angeles this week to host the Summit of the Americas, an event that’s supposed to bring together leaders from across the Western Hemisphere. But the agenda was overshadowed by the list of world leaders who were excluded or who boycotted, including Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Mexico, and more. Biden’s looking to make diplomatic progress on migration and the economic devastation and violence that drives it. Can he succeed?
Voters went to the polls across the country this week, with some big primary races in states like California. Pundits like to draw national conclusions from local races and sometimes that’s a mistake, but we can’t help ourselves.
This week also marked the dramatic kickoff to the House hearings on the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Guest host Gustavo Arellano, of The Los Angeles Times and The Times Daily podcast, tackles all this with panelists Tara Setmayer, senior advisor with The Lincoln Project, in the center; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right; as well as special guest Julio Ricardo Varela, interim executive director of Future Media.
A bipartisan group of senators is working to find gun control legislation that could make it through Congress. Ideas are being tossed around, like raising the age requirement for buying a gun. To date, Republicans on Capitol Hill have not been interested in passing any gun control measures. Is there hope for a bipartisan compromise? * ***
Guest host Gustavo Arellano of the LA Times joins from the left — with Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right, and Tara Setmayer, senior advisor at The Lincoln Project, from the center.
Then, special guest Gal Beckerman shares his idea about kids being the leaders in pressuring Congress to pass gun legislation. But is it fair to expect kids to take on this burden?
And gas prices continue to rise, baby formula is still scarce, and inflation doesn’t look like it’s ending soon. Can Biden and Democrats improve the situation in time for the midterm elections?
On May 24, an 18-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two adults. The nation responded in horror and dismay that a school shooting happened again. There have been 212 mass shooting incidents in 2022, and the U.S. has the world’s highest number of mass shootings, according to the World Population Review. Can politicians agree on reforms that could decrease the catastrophic number of such incidents in the U.S.?
Guest host Jessica Yellin of “News Not Noise” discusses with Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the left; and Avik Roy, president of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, on the right.
Then, special guest Evelyn Farkas, executive director of the McCain Institute, shares her thoughts on how likely Ukraine is to win the war against Russia, which is now in its fourth month. With rumors that President Putin has cancer and that Russian elites are unsettled by the economy and global isolation, is there an increasing chance Putin leaves power in the near future?
China has been watching all this with their eyes on Taiwan, where tensions have been ramping up. On his recent trip overseas, President Biden said he would defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression. Should U.S. policy toward Taiwan and China change?
This week, the nation witnessed another mass shooting. The gunman live-streamed the attack in which he specifically targeted Black people. Police soon uncovered the shooter’s racist manifesto and his inspiration from “the Great Replacement Theory.” Did this act result from mental illness or racism?
The majority of Americans believe in some form of gun control but once again, Congress is at an impasse. What is it going to take to implement change?
Also, the shooter found information about “the Great Replacement Theory” via social media chat rooms. Fox News broadcasts sanitized versions of the same ideas, and the Republican Party under Trump regularly echoed racist beliefs. Should Fox News and Republicans be held responsible?
Guest host Jessica Yellin of “News Not Noise” discusses with Sarah Isgur, staff writer for “The Dispatch” and host of “The Dispatch Podcast,” on the right; and Baratunde Thurston, a founding partner at Puck and creator and host of the podcast “How to Citizen,” on the left.
Then, mixed results are trickling in from this week’s primaries. A number of Trump-backed candidates won, including Sen. Doug Mastriano, in the governor’s race in Pennsylvania. In the state’s Senate race, Trump-endorsed celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz and hedge fund executive Dave McCormick are still tied. Meanwhile, another Trump-supported candidate, incumbent Madison Cawthorn, lost in North Carolina’s GOP race. What does this say about Trump’s power with GOP voters?
At the same time, Democrat Cheri Beasley made history as the first Black woman to become chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Is there hope for the Democratic Party after all?
Finally, panelists rant about the baby formula shortage, Judge Alito’s leaked draft abortion ruling, and what the polls really say about Americans’ views on Roe vs. Wade.
The Senate has stymied a vote intended to secure nationwide abortion rights. Democrats knew this would happen – so why did they introduce the bill at all?
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said it was a way to get every member on record about their abortion stance. It also shored up support for Democrats ahead of a hotly contested midterm election. How can Democrats motivate their base when they face so many structural obstacles to their policy goals?
Guest host Jessica Yellin of “News Not Noise” discusses with Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner, on the right; and Chuck Rocha, president of Solidarity Strategies, on the left.
Then: What is the Latino vote? The concept itself may be flawed, since the 16.5 million of them who voted in 2020 are hardly a monolith, but it’s a question that’s quickly becoming relevant. They’re turning out to vote in historic numbers, and polling shows Republicans are making huge inroads among Latino voters. How can Democrats reverse that trend? And what can they learn from the Republican approach?
Gen Z and millennials are now the largest voting bloc in the U.S. They’re the most diverse and technology-savvy generation this country has ever seen, but they’re inheriting some very real problems. So what do they care about, and what’s animating them ahead of the midterms?
We bring on Gen Z guests Javon Price, a policy analyst at the America First Policy Institute, on the right; and Elise Joshi, the operations director at Gen Z For Change, on the left, for a special segment exploring the zeitgeist of this generation.
Finally, our Gen Z panelists rant about why the fight against climate change is not over, and how the Dallas Cowboys can bring home a Lombardi.
It’s a historic week in Washington: A leaked draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito suggests the Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Americans have reacted with shock and elation, and a post-Roe reality might come this summer. How will an increasingly polarized abortion debate fare against states’ rights? And could Roe’s reversal have radical implications for other rulings on privacy, like gay marriage?
Guest host Jessica Yellin of “News Not Noise” discusses with Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner, on the right; and Jill Filipovic, columnist at CNN and author on Substack, on the left.
Finally, panelists rant about the G-20 summit, taking in more refugees, and why shutting down schools for COVID was a terrible idea.
Is it doom or salvation for the Twitterverse now that Elon Musk is poised to take over? He seems to want “maximum fun.” What does that mean for politics, free speech, and Twitter trolls?
Guest host Jessica Yellin of “News Not Noise” discusses with Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner, on the right; and Liz Bruenig, staff writer at the Atlantic, on the left.
Also, the past 10 years of American life have been uniquely stupid. That’s the title of an essay in The Atlantic by Jonathan Haidt of the NYU Stern School of Business. He explains why social media is promoting “structural stupidity” and if there’s any way to bring us back from the brink.
Also: Kevin McCarthy was caught in a January 6 lie on tape. He seems to be on a clear path to be the next speaker of the House of Representatives if Republicans take it back in the midterms – but will these new developments weaken his bid? And after what’s probably the thousandth push alert about the Jan. 6 commission, are people tired of hearing about the Capitol riots?
Finally, panelists rant about Gen Z’s labor aspirations and flawed definitions of disinformation.
The CDC sent the DOJ an SOS over masks this week. If that sounds like incomprehensible alphabet soup, just know that wearing a mask is up to you.
Is the federal government doing enough to protect Americans from COVID? Is a laissez-faire approach to masking best? And how can we bring ever-changing science into policy without alienating voters?
Guest host Jessica Yellin of “News Not Noise” discusses with Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner, on the right; and Christine Emba, columnist and editor at the Washington Post, on the left.
Meanwhile in Ukraine, how has the conflict evolved? Former LRC guest host David Greene is in Kyiv and shares what he’s been experiencing on the ground. He is co-founder and host of Fearless Media's "Ukraine Stories." How are Ukrainians coping with the crisis? Do they think America is doing enough to help? And why are people taking out their political frustrations on Russian civilians?
If you thought there was only one “Don’t Say Gay” bill, think again. There are more than a dozen making their way through state legislatures across the country, and it’s shaping up to be a big wedge issue come the midterm elections. Why are we seeing more of these efforts to block instruction on gender and sexuality? What’s the line between letting parents take the lead on these discussions, and stigmatizing the identities of already vulnerable kids in school?
Finally, panelists rant about sports betting, consent, and cynicism in politics.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is now a “genocide,” at least according to President Biden. That’s one of the strongest accusations against Putin we’ve heard from Biden, who’s been (mostly) carefully wording his statements to avoid triggering an already bristly Russian leader. That change in rhetoric also comes with new bids to join NATO from Sweden and Finland.
With the West seemingly firmly united against Russia, could Biden’s words further escalate the conflict? And could Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 help decode Putin’s next move?
Guest host Kimberly Atkins Stohr of the Boston Globe discusses with panelists Kristen Soltis Anderson, Republican pollster and founding partner at Echelon Insights, on the right; and Liz Bruenig, staff writer at the Atlantic, on the left.
Then: American workers are joining forces. Amazon and Starbucks workers are unionizing in droves, even as corporate leaders try to quash their efforts. So, why is the push to unionize stronger than ever? Will the movement sustain its momentum? And can they get legislation through Congress to make their gains permanent?
Plus: Is the center more Mike Bloomberg or Jeb Bush? Politics and politicians are now more polarized than ever, and finding the throughline in the two-party system might be the key to getting past that. In the wake of COVID and the Capitol riots, is the window of centrism shifting? And if so, in which direction?
Finally, panelists rant about washing your hands, following traffic rules, and killing all mosquitoes.
Ketanji Brown Jackson can officially put “Supreme Court Justice” on her resume this week, as three Republicans joined Senate Democrats to confirm the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Jackson will replace soon-to-be former Justice Stephen Breyer, who will retire in the summer.
The vote, historic though it may be, was also largely expected despite the furore of the confirmation hearings – especially since it wouldn’t affect the ideological balance of the court. So, why only three Republican votes for Jackson? And why did the same coalition that voted for her also torpedo a much needed COVID relief bill over immigration concerns?
Guest host Kimberly Atkins Stohr of the Boston Globe discusses with panelists Megan McArdle, columnist at the Washington Post, on the right; and Liz Bruenig, staff writer at the Atlantic, on the left.
Then: All eyes have been on the Ukrainian city of Bucha this week, as evidence emerged of indiscriminate civilian killings by Russian forces. In response, Biden announced more sanctions on Russian banks and Vladimir Putin’s adult children, while the U.N. General Assembly voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council.
But how far can sanctions and censures go to deter Russia’s territorial aspirations? And how can the United States stand for Ukraine without escalating global tensions beyond the point of no return? Special guest Daniel Drezner, professor of international politics at Tufts University, breaks it down.
Plus: Twitter’s introducing an edit button so you can correkt yur typoes. And that’s got the support of Elon Musk, who’s now their largest stockholder after buying nearly 10% of the company’s shares. He’s been vocal about what he sees as heavy-handed moderation by Twitter even as misinformation continues to circulate among users. How could Musk’s influence change things for the bird app our panelists love to hate, but can’t seem to stay away from?
Finally, our panelists rant from across the political spectrum about the reptilian-avian-mammal Easter Bunny, relocating Walt Disney World, and why Russian nationals should still be allowed to run the Boston Marathon.
How long is seven hours? It’s not long if you’re binging our show, but that’s a long time to not have records of telephone calls made by former President Trump on January 6, 2021.
There’s a lot of news here, so here’s the TL;DR: A federal judge has ruled that Trump “more likely than not” committed felonies in his attempts to overturn the election, and the DOJ has expanded its investigation into the Capitol riots, hiring 131 more attorneys to work the case.
And then, there’s those texts between Ginni Thomas (the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas) and Mark Meadows, the former White House Chief of Staff, urging Meadows to take steps to overturn the election … as well as her participation in the riots.
So, should Justice Thomas recuse himself from cases about the insurrection? Does that set a dangerous precedent for future justices, or is staying on the bench a blatant conflict of interest?
Guest host Kimberly Atkins Stohr of the Boston Globe discusses with panelists Sarah Isgur, staff writer and podcast host for the Dispatch, on the right; David Dayen, executive editor at the American Prospect, on the left; and our special guest Anthony L. Fisher, senior opinion editor at the Daily Beast.
Then: New budget just dropped. President Biden released his roadmap for 2023 government spending, and it’s got a hefty price tag of $5.8 trillion. This, of course, will be reshaped before it gets past Congress in September. But does it do enough to tackle COVID and rampant inflation? And is Biden squirreling away his executive power in favor of gridlocks in the legislature?
Plus: The Russian invasion of Ukraine is still unfolding, with no end in sight as peace talks drag on. That means more pain at the pump for Americans, which Biden’s trying to address by releasing roughly 180 million barrels of oil from U.S. reserves in the next few months. Is this a sign that America needs to go electric? And if so, can Congress agree on how to do it?
Finally, our panelists rant from across the political spectrum about Republican office gossip, racist college admissions tests, and the slap heard around the world.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic confirmation hearings are now underway. She seems to be on pace to become the next associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, but not without some friction.
Republicans grilled Jackson this week about some of her past cases, but also about a children’s book, her religious beliefs, and the definition of a “woman,” all with the goal of opening a window into what her future rulings might look like. So, were they successful? And did we learn anything about her legal philosophy?
Guest host Kimberly Atkins Stohr of the Boston Globe discusses with panelists Sarah Isgur, staff writer and podcast host for the Dispatch, on the right; and David Dayen, executive editor at the American Prospect, on the left.
Next: Confirmation hearings are always political – and these were politically supercharged. Woven throughout Republican senators’ questioning were issues that seemed to pander to their voter base, between child pornography and critical race theory. Could that be a dangerous move that damages their credibility? Or is it just one more way they can get people out to vote going into the midterms?
Plus: The dark cloud of a potential nuclear war is brewing. Vladimir Putin has refused to rule out using weapons of mass destruction in his invasion of Ukraine, and the United States has started preparing a contingency plan if Russia does go nuclear.
To help us understand what’s at stake, we bring on our special guest Uri Friedman, who is a managing editor at the Atlantic Council and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. How does this moment compare to past tensions? How does Russia’s struggle to win a decisive victory in Ukraine complicate efforts? And how can we use diplomacy to prevent Putin from doing the unthinkable?
Finally, our panelists rant from across the political spectrum about why women and minority history months get problematic, and anything “anti-Joe Manchin” is good.
P.S. Please send your love to panelist Sarah Isgur, who joined us despite a bout of COVID and is gratefully ranting about vaccines in between naps.
It’s the third week of Russia’s war on Ukraine. But this week was the first time President Biden called President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal.”
There are courts that could theoretically convict Putin on that charge, but what happens once they do? Is the international government more about virtue signaling than actual action? And what happens to ceasefire negotiations when the U.S. and Russia are once more at loggerheads?
Guest host Kimberly Atkins Stohr of the Boston Globe discusses with panelists Sarah Isgur, staff writer and podcast host for the Dispatch, on the right; and David Dayen, executive editor at the American Prospect, on the left.
Next: The U.S. Federal Reserve is hiking interest rates in a bid to tame sky-high inflation. But is it too little, too late? And is that really the best way to fix the economy, when supply chain concerns abroad are also driving up consumer prices?
Either way, the economy is about to get political. Fed Chair Jerome Powell and his crew are also facing a reckoning over green energy, which brings in questions from Congress over whether rewiring the financial system is too risky right now. Special guest Nick Timiraos of the Wall Street Journal help us break it down.
Plus: A historic confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson begins next week. If the Senate gives her the green light, she’ll become the first former public defender and the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court. Or could the hearing become a partisan fight? What questions will Republicans be asking to get a sense of what she stands for?
And finally, our panelists rant from across the political spectrum about outdated textbooks, vaccine intellectual property, and why the Crown Act needs to become law.
President Biden announced this week that the United States will ban imports of Russian oil and gas. The move was met with bipartisan approval despite promises of inflation and more pain at the pump. Was this the right move? How long will public support last?
Guest host Kimberly Atkins Stohr discusses with Sarah Isgur, staff writer for The Dispatch and host of The Dispatch Podcast, on the right; and David Dayen, executive editor at The American Prospect, on the left.
Special guest Sammy Roth, energy reporter at the Los Angeles Times, talks about our big oil problem. When there’s no more Russian oil and gas coming into the United States, what will replace it? Will the Biden administration use this as an opportunity to shift away from fossil fuels permanently? Is the future all-electric?
Then: The Florida Senate has passed a controversial bill banning instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten to third grade. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has already indicated he’d sign the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. State lawmakers have already filed more anti-LGBTQ bills this year than during all of last year, so what’s going on? Why have schools become a political battleground on the topic? Is thinking of the children just a stand-in for a wider cultural debate?
And finally: Our panelists rant from across the political spectrum about toddlers wearing masks, daylight saving time, and why we won’t be prepared for the next COVID wave unless we spend money on it.
President Biden gave his first State of the Union address this week, and it was certainly a doozy amid the invasion of Ukraine, COVID, and rising inflation. So how’d it go?
The answer: It depends on the symbolism you’re looking for.
Right behind President Biden sat a notably maskless Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi – a sign, perhaps, of a White House that’s willing to live with rather than eradicate COVID-19. There was also plenty of bipartisan applause when Biden vowed to crack down on gun violence and “fund the police.” But was his speech focused too much on statesmanship, and not enough on policy?
Guest host Keli Goff discusses with panelists Tara Setmayer, senior advisor at the Lincoln Project on the right; David Dayen, executive editor at the American Prospect on the left; and special guest Kristen Soltis Anderson, Republican pollster and founding partner at Echelon Insights.
Next: How does bias in newsrooms determine which crises go viral, and which get relegated to the digital darkness? Also, several gallons of Russian liquor are now swimming in the American drainage system. But how will eschewing Russian products and culturally sanctioning its citizens put an end to Putin’s invasion?
Plus: Who is a conservative? It’s a question worth asking, now that thousands of Republicans, including our own Tara Setmayer, have left the party. Is the typical conservative pro-Trump? Anti-Trump? Or is Trump not a factor at all anymore?
And finally: Our panelists rant from across the spectrum about ocean shipping, pop culture, and why Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court is a historic win for Black women, even if she’s never confirmed.
Russia has invaded Ukraine in full force. This week, missiles, tanks and troops poured over the borders as explosions rocked the country, causing thousands of civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter. Biden’s response? Swift … but not S.W.I.F.T.
The president announced he’d be leveling harsh sanctions against Russia’s banking and tech sectors, but stopped short of putting American troops in Ukraine or cutting off Russia’s access to the S.W.I.F.T banking system they send financial transactions through.
So, why is Putin even doing this, and where will he stop? Has Biden been tough enough? How far should the U.S. and NATO go to prevent an Article Five invocation? And can the E.U. hold together through the worst land conflict Europe has seen since World War II?
Guest host David Greene discusses with panelists Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, on the right; Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left; and special guest Juliette Kayyem, professor of national security at Harvard University and former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.
Also: Former President Trump praised Putin as a “genius,” and expressed support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine this week. Is that a deeper philosophy in the right, or just another Trump-ism? And how concerned should Americans really be about this war when they’re just trying to get through the day amid an ongoing global pandemic? Our panelists discuss.
Finally: Juliette Kayyem makes the argument that our recovery from the pandemic SHOULD be political. But before you groan and turn off the episode, bear with us — because while Anthony Fauci’s a great doctor, he’s not an elected leader. So how can politicians turn science lessons into meaningful policy that balances risks with living life?
Canada’s having some close encounters of a truckish kind. For three weeks now, a convoy of truck drivers have occupied major cities north of the border and blocked trade in protest of vaccine mandates for truckers. They’ve gained support from many prominent right-wing figures in the United States, including former President Donald Trump.
Do the protests signify freedom of expression against authoritarianism, or do they cross a line and are more about making a partisan point?
Guest host David Greene discusses with panelists Tara Setmayer, senior advisor at the Lincoln Project, on the right; Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left; and special guest Chris Buskirk, publisher and editor of American Greatness.
Next: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is calling for the Republican party to break with former President Trump before the midterms — can they do it? Are Democrats going to benefit from the identity crisis on the right?
Then: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders calls for empathy for Putin, and suggests a radical solution to the crisis on the Ukrainian border – shutting the country out of NATO forever. But is that going to defuse Russia’s territorial aspirations? And can Democrats walk the tightrope between looking soft on Russia and outright war?
We’re several weeks into world leaders trying to quell tensions over the Ukraine - Russia border. And if you thought things weren’t complicated enough, Russian and Chinese leaders also issued a joint statement saying their partnership would establish a new “world order.” That sounds pretty ominous – so why aren’t the United States and NATO responding in kind? Can the EU get over its energy woes and sanction Russia until it backs out of Ukraine? And should we be freaking out, or is this just dictators dictating?
Guest host David Greene discusses with panelists Tara Setmayer, senior advisor at the Lincoln Project, on the right; and Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left.
Next: Depending on where you live, you might finally be able to give your mask tan lines some sun. Omicron is subsiding, and Democratic governors are saying goodbye to mask mandates for now, leaving behind a patchwork of local regulations that depend on case counts, vaccine rates and political pressures where you live. So, is it time to burn your masks, even though other variants are potentially on the horizon? Or are unified federal or state mandates the way to go?
Also, when did schools become public health and political battlegrounds? And why do schools seem the last to loosen restrictions when pandemic kids are already vulnerable to learning loss and mental health challenges? We bring on special guest Kimberly Atkins Stohr of the Boston Globe to discuss.
Then: President Biden has vowed that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s replacement would be a Black woman. Since then, he’s been criticized by some who say this pledge demeans the very people it’s trying to help by suggesting they can’t compete in the process without assistance from the outside. But do today’s questions echo those around other groundbreaking Supreme Court nominations, or is this debate just a hallmark of grievance politics?
And for our rants this week: condemnations of political apologies, reporter tell-all books, and why we need to Build Back Better Bridges.
The crisis in Ukraine is edging toward what its president warns will be a “full-scale war” if Russian troops move in on the country — but this might also be a proxy war for democracy as we know it. What emboldened Putin to act now? Could it be that Russia believes Washington is weaker now than ever before, between troubles at NATO and turmoil at the White House? And if democracy is at risk at home, how justified is the fight for it abroad?
Guest host David Greene discusses with panelists Megan McArdle, columnist at the Washington Post, on the right; and Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left.
Next: It’s time for the United States to take a metaphorical look in the mirror. Former President Donald Trump gave a fiery speech in Texas, hinting at another bid for the presidency, while also calling for people to protest in American cities if prosecutors investigating him did anything “wrong or illegal.” If that sounds a little too familiar, it might be because there’s an audience listening to Trump’s rhetoric — and we bring on special guest Jean Guerrero of the Los Angeles Times to explain why.
Then: If you’re listening to this show on Spotify, you might have heard about the spat between musician Neil Young, podcast host Joe Rogan, and the audio streaming platform. Young demanded his music be taken down from Spotify because Rogan had been allowed to spread misinformation about vaccines and COVID. So what does Spotify owe its listeners? Should publishers be taking stances on the content they put out? Or does that create more echo chambers where good faith dialogue is desperately needed?
Finally: Our panelists rant about why the left and right don’t talk enough, and why fake snow is the absolute worst.
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring after 27 years on the nation’s highest court, giving President Biden his first chance to nominate a justice to the bench. He’s expected to announce his pick by the end of February, and has vowed to nominate a Black woman.
So, who’s the right person for the job? Will the fight to hold down the liberal wing of the court fall along ideological lines? And when did Supreme Court nominations become tit for tat?
Guest host David Greene brings on panelists Megan McArdle, columnist at the Washington Post, on the right and Mo Elleithee, executive director of Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service, on the left to discuss.
Next: Where is this chess match between Vladimir Putin and the rest of the world headed? There are 100,000 troops poised and ready at Ukraine’s border, but what Putin will order them to do is anybody’s guess. With China undoubtedly watching the situation closely, how can Biden convince fuel-reliant Germany to get behind the NATO bloc against Russia? Are there foreign policy lessons to be learned from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and beyond?
Also: Special guest and former Stockton mayor Michael Tubbs discusses radical approaches to ending the cycle of poverty. Is there a place for child tax credits and stimulus checks in a post-pandemic America? And how can macroeconomic growth translate to concrete benefits for people on the ground? Our panelists discuss.
Finally: Why is the FDA conspiracy against Floridians “triple-distilled balderdash?” And David Greene makes a personal plea to keep your pandemic grumpiness at home.
President Biden took questions from reporters on Wednesday for nearly two hours — ranging widely from voting rights to Ukraine and more — as senators from his own party threatened his top legislative goals.
The president says he’s outperformed expectations. His approval rating — a meager 40% or so — doesn’t seem to square with that. But can Biden be blamed for taking power during a historic pandemic? Or did he set himself up for failure by trying to strongarm moderate Democrats into a bill they already said they wouldn’t vote for?
Also, Biden says he expects Russia will invade Ukraine. Economic sanctions might work, but how can the U.S. and Europe — which is heavily reliant on Russia for energy — work together to curb Russia’s territorial aspirations? Guest host Jeremy Hobson brings on panelists Megan McArdle on the right and Jamelle Bouie on the left to discuss.
This week’s special guest is John Avlon, a political analyst at CNN and the author of a new book called “Lincoln and the Fight for Peace.” With Democrats’ voting agenda in peril and some on the left saying democracy is facing an existential fight, how does the present moment compare to other presidents in times of trouble? Our panelists break it down.
Then — what are Republicans for? Biden asked that question at this week’s press conference and it may become a talking point during the 2022 midterm elections. How will Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis differentiate himself from Trump in the run up to the Republican primary? Which Republican nominee should Biden be more worried about?
If your grocery or gas bill weren’t enough of an indicator, inflation is here at historic levels. The consumer price index, which tracks how prices change over time, showed a 7% increase at the end of last year, which is the highest jump since 1982.
The Biden administration says this too shall pass. But voters are feeling sticker shock and aren’t giving the president good marks on the economy despite a strong job market, a low unemployment rate, and rising wages.
How did we get here? Are generous stimulus packages and tax credits to blame? Is there a way to move forward on spending bills with inflation in mind, and to get the sign-off of one Democratic senator from West Virginia? Guest host Jeremy Hobson brings on panelists Christine Emba and Alice Stewart to discuss.
Next: Voting rights are big on Biden’s agenda. On the heels of the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Capitol riots, the president and Vice President Kamala Harris travelled to Atlanta to make their biggest push yet for voting rights.
They’re encouraging Democrats to do away with the filibuster and get rid of the 60-vote threshold to pass a bill, all to pass comprehensive legislation to expand voting access to Americans. We bring on special guest and former congresswoman Jane Harman to discuss whether that’s a good idea, and whether it’s risky to excite Biden’s base if he can’t deliver.
Also, high-level talks took place this week between Washington, NATO and Russia amid fears of another Russian invasion of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin’s troops are looming over Ukraine’s border, and he’s demanding that NATO withdraw all allied troops from countries that border Russia.
That’s a key foreign policy test for President Biden, who’s had to deal with many a crisis abroad during his presidency between a trade war in China and an evacuation in Afghanistan. The million dollar question: What should the U.S. do if Putin invades Ukraine? Do economic sanctions even work? And if they don’t, what’s next for war-weary America?
And finally, GOP consultant Alice Stewart explains what’s wrong with shopping carts, Washington Post columnist Christine Emba says [Joe] Manchin and [Kyrsten] Sinema aren’t really Democrats, and host Jeremy Hobson explains one way the pandemic could be depoliticized.
We kick off a new year of Left Right & Center as the country reflects on the one-year anniversary of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Guest host Jeremy Hobson talks with Jamelle Bouie, Alice Stewart and Amy Walter about how the battle for voting rights has changed since last year’s insurrection as well as policy approaches to the Omicron surge.
Another massive Covid surge reminds us that the pandemic named for the year 2019 - is still kicking in 2022. Should President Biden be doing more to control Covid-19? What more can he do given that so many people aren’t getting vaccinated? Is it time for more carrots than sticks?
A year ago, on January 6th, Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Is the investigation into that attack moving fast enough? Why do so many Republicans believe President Trump when he tells them the election was stolen? Democrats hope the anniversary will spur on voting rights reform in Congress. Is there any chance it will pass?
Welcome to Josh Barro’s final episode as host of Left, Right & Center. It’s a special episode with some of our most frequent panelists to close out 2021 and Josh’s seven-year run as host.
A lot has changed in the last seven years, and weirdly, a lot hasn’t. In this episode, you’ll hear clips from Josh’s first episode as host of Left, Right & Center in which he moderates a discussion of vaccine policy, mandates and vaccine skepticism. Can’t make this up! Back then, the issue was contentious but not hyper partisan. You’ll also hear Josh moderate a discussion about Donald Trump declaring his candidacy for president in 2015. It’s…a lot. LRC regulars Megan McArdle, Tim Carney, David Dayen and Keli Goff talk with Josh about how the Trump presidency and the pandemic have changed American politics and how the parties have changed, or failed to change, along with it. To mark this very transformative period for American politics and for Left, Right & Center too, Josh and the panelists make predictions about what the next seven years hold for us.
Well, it’s been a year: 2021 has been better than 2020 all told, but not as normal as hoped. It’s seemingly not as normal as the voters hoped it would be either, with President Biden’s approval ratings sliding from the summer on with inflation, resurgent covid cases, and a haphazard withdrawal from Afghanistan. So one year on, how is President Biden doing? And what can he do to right the ship before Democrats face voters next November?
On this special episode of Left, Right & Center, frequent panelists LANHEE CHEN, CHRISTINE EMBA, and GUSTAVO ARELLANO join departing host JOSH BARRO to look backward and forward. The panel discusses the highlights and the discontents of this year, hopes for what the government will do differently (and what will go differently) in 2022, the pluses and minuses of this economy, and the tools, both old and new, that could bring the virus under enough control for things to be close enough to normal…if we do things right.
The holidays are coming and so is the omicron wave. Well, that’s not great timing. Booster shots will help, and so many people have some immunity already from two doses of vaccine and/or prior infection. But we don’t have all the tools we might like to protect ourselves against a great deal of sickness and possible death. Josh Barro, Ross Douthat and Elizabeth Bruenig talk about living with the threat of illness and the different reactions at the extremes from right and left.
Then: Democrats’ spending plans have stalled and Senate Democrats are now saying they’re turning to voting rights, another legislative priority that’s also stalled. Are they just done with legislating for the year? Ross Douthat wrote a column this week on the New New Right: what they stand for, and whether voters will be attracted to their positions.
We’re in this for the long haul. As the omicron variant spreads throughout the country, one of the best tools we have in our arsenal are at-home rapid tests. But right now, they’re way too expensive and maybe out of stock at your local CVS. Is there a better way to do this? Probably, but it’ll require a lot more creativity from the Biden administration. Tests are free and plentiful elsewhere -- why shouldn’t tests be sent to every American?
From complaining about tests to complaining about Congress: the House passed a convoluted bill this week to raise the debt limit and hopefully prevent future government shutdowns, and the Build Back Better plan is still stuck in Congress because Joe Manchin wants fewer things done better, and it appears Mitch McConnell agrees with this too. Can Democrats find the middle ground between their welfare state goals and moderate policy objectives?
Our special guest this week is Paul D. Miller on the Summit For Democracy President Biden has convened, and what, if anything, can come out of a meeting of a global leaders on Zoom. What’s particularly striking about this summit is that it comes at a time where Russian troops are amassing at the Ukrainian border, and China is still in an aggressive posture toward Taiwan. What is the line the United States should draw that, if crossed, would trigger action?
Plus, Ross assails an assailing critique of the media, Liz is covered in puke and calling for family leave, and Josh says if you insist on using the term Latinx, you’re not doing your homework.
A new Greek letter is on the mind this week: Omicron. New cases of the variant have been popping up all over the world, prompting travel restrictions and renewed calls for eligible adults to get their COVID booster shots.
We’ve been through this at least a couple of times already with the Beta and Delta variants – so how should the Biden administration react to this latest variant? What’s in his power to change? Can he effectively work with a slow-moving FDA and CDC and return to the back-to-normal politics that made him popular at the beginning of the year? And is it really that big of a deal that we might have to get booster shots to be considered fully vaccinated? We discuss.
Next: the pandemic has a huge political cost, which Democrats are desperately trying to avoid in the midterms next year. How can they get to some semblance of normal without alienating people who prefer to be more cautious? Does the answer lie in extending pandemic safety measures or is it in quickly approving antiviral pills, which have lots of potential to reduce hospitalizations? And why does this pandemic feel like a really bad episode of House?
Emily Bazelon joins the panel this week to talk about oral argument at the Supreme Court on Mississippi’s ban on abortion after the fifteenth week of pregnancy. After this week, it looks like the court is likely to overturn Roe. What did we learn at oral argument and what’s the future of abortion law in the US?
And finally: why Fauci really should be talking to Fox News, the discovery of diseases needs to be separate from moral judgment, and why “affordable fourplexes” just mean zero housing.
Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on all counts in a Kenosha courtroom this week, successfully asserting self-defense against two counts of murder. Whether Rittenhouse committed a crime and whether he acted in a morally acceptable manner are two separate questions. Are Americans separating them appropriately? Josh Barro, Elizabeth Bruenig and Ross Douthat discuss the discourse: why have conservatives been rallying around Rittenhouse? Is vigilante justice conservative? Have certain voices on the left come to regret defending rioting and property damage last summer?
Then: Serge Schmemann joins the panel to talk about Havana Syndrome, the mysterious illness affecting more than 200 U.S. service personnel, mostly posted abroad. Sufferers say they’re experiencing ringing in the ears and a feeling of pressure in the head, among various other symptoms. Could this be the product of some secret Russian microwave gun? Or is it actually just a mass psychogenic illness caused by stress? And is the political infighting around the illness just a distraction from finding a way to help the afflicted?
Finally: we take a deep dive into Ross Douthat’s new book about his experience with chronic Lyme disease. Why has the disease become so controversial?
All that plus why turkeys are bad, why too-long blockbuster movies are even worse, and why it’s good Jerome Powell will stay at the Fed.
New infrastructure law just dropped. President Biden got to celebrate one of the biggest infrastructure spending bills of the past decade, while Republicans vented at each other about giving Democrats a (very expensive) win. Political showmanship aside, Biden’s poll numbers aren’t budging. Josh Barro, Elizabeth Bruenig and Tim Carney discuss the deal, if it will help Democrats, and how much will it help American households and the economy?
Next on the show: who should get COVID booster shots? Some states are doing away with eligibility requirements entirely and asking everybody past that six-month mark to get a booster. On the federal level, guidelines remain convoluted – for example, you qualify for one if you were ever a smoker, depressed, or work in education, among other factors. What makes sense for guidance on this and mask mandates, and how does Pfizer’s new antiviral pill change the pandemic response?
Our special guest this week is Ali Wyne, a senior analyst at Eurasia Group’s Global Macro Practice. He’s on the show to help us understand the implications of President Biden’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday (if you can call a Zoom meeting a summit). The meeting comes at a time of high tension between the two countries over human rights, trade and Taiwan – and also as they try to figure out how to work together on climate change.
Finally, a very special announcement from Josh.
Inflation is at its highest in nearly three decades and that has big potential costs, but how much is it really under his control? Josh Barro, Elizabeth Bruenig and Ross Douthat kick around some ideas the president could try, whether it’s a good idea to try them now, and how to fix the persistent weirdness in the American economy since the pandemic.
Next: already it seems Democrats are recalibrating some positions since Glenn Youngkin’s win in Virginia. The panel discusses voters’ skepticism for politics and politicians when it seems like they’re holding the ball on their true policy views, and if Republicans have picked a sustainable position on education.
Our special guest this week is Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who has a new book, “Integrity Counts,” about the now-famous phone call he received from President Trump about “finding” votes to put him ahead of Biden in Georgia. He tells the panel why he thinks the system isn’t as broken as the right and left claim. Secretary Raffensperger also talks about Georgia’s new voting law.
Finally: devastating conspiracy theories about an already devastating tragedy in Houston; a rant about reactions to the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial, and why you should leave your very personal aspects of your life in the private sphere...not in a national publication.
It’s been a rough week for Democrats. They lost a governor’s race in Virginia and just barely held on in New Jersey – and even in New York City, Democrats lost city council seats to Republicans. What does this national rejection mean for the midterm elections, and how did things go so wrong for them?
First, we discuss why Glenn Youngkin won in a remarkably high turnout election in Virginia, and what was behind his gains in the suburbs and in diverse, historically Democratic cities. Did Donald Trump’s endorsement play into it? Was it a bad strategic move for his Democratic opponent to compare him to the former president? Also on the show: why Youngkin’s more centrist than the media says he is, and how his campaign on education was about a lot more than critical race theory.
The panel talks through local races across the country and what they say about the issues voters care about. Voters in Minneapolis and St. Paul voted to establish rent control, and Boston elected a progressive mayor. Are places that aren’t seeing a surge in crime and unrest actually more likely to want progressive policies? What does this mixed bag of results mean for the left?
Plus, your weekly infrastructure update: Congress is very, very close to passing this bill (again). There’s also a new (Liz says worse) resurrection of a paid leave program. But with the scores from this week’s election, how much are voters counting on Democrats and President Biden to “build back better”?
Finally: Sean Trende wants you to read Ulysses and if you’re incensed by “let’s go, Brandon,” Liz and Josh implore you to chill out.
President Biden returned to Capitol Hill one more time...with a framework of what’s supposed to be in the big spending package, for real this time.
What’s in: child care, universal pre-kindergarten and a tax credit for parents, big spending on climate change policies and more subsidies for people to buy health insurance.
What’s out: a heavily hacked-at paid leave program.
Is this the final-final-final deal? Will Democrats agree on it? And what about the pay-fors? Who’s rich enough to face a higher tax rate under this plan? And what about the cliffs and sunsets in this package? Many of these programs are currently temporary programs. Democrats are betting they’ll be popular and Republicans will have no choice but to extend them. Josh Barro, Tim Carney, Liz Bruenig and special guest Matt Bruenig (it’s Take Your Husband On LRC today) look at the big picture of this proposed social safety net.
Then: national attention has turned to the Virginia governor’s race next week, and much of that attention and local attention has revolved around schools: mask mandates, vaccine mandates, curriculum, assigned books and more.
Finally: subsidizing the wealthiest, which end-of-the-year holiday Liz considers a bump in the road, and $5 gas in West Hollywood.
For Democrats negotiating the Build Back Better plan, bad news is good news: because every disagreement means they’re a step closer to passage. But to get there, they’ll have to combine changes that satisfy both Joe Manchin and many Democrats’ least favorite Democrat, Kyrsten Sinema.
What’s driving their motivations to block the bill from passing? Where are the hard asks? Could Sinema just be trying to fill up her campaign coffers by protecting big business interests, and what happens if she gets primaried? We discuss.
Next: climate action policies are a major plank of Biden’s agenda and there’s a lot of agreement that it’s needed. Are these the right policies? Will they achieve the benchmarks in the Paris agreement, and Biden’s goals? This bill earmarks lots of money for green infrastructure like electric vehicle charging and renewable-friendly power grid upgrades.
But is it too ambitious a plan? Do voters care about an issue whose impacts are so long-term and diffuse? Are climate subsidies the right tool to make the most impact? Joseph Majkut joins the show to analyze the bill and what it could mean for the United States and the rest of the world.
Also in this bill: a child care plan, which has been under scrutiny this week. Does it have too many of the same features and pitfalls as the Affordable Care Act? Federal quality requirements add cost – and as with the ACA, many states are likely to be uncooperative in administering this Democrat-designed benefit. Should the government simply give money to families and let them decide how to spend it? And does the plan ignore parents who want to stay at home with their kids?
Finally: friendly reminder that vaccines make you safer, not immortal; when your pandemic hairdo is a don’t, and why you should consider the magic of radio if you’d rather be watching the game instead of driving Josh around LA.
The Port of Los Angeles will now be running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, under a new plan announced by President Biden. Right now his administration is juggling a lot of problems that are weighing down voter confidence in his presidency: supply chain logjams, rising inflation, a slowing job market and gridlock in Congress. The persistent list of problems now 10 months into Biden’s first term runs counter to the “return to normal” message he successfully ran on when he beat then-President Trump in 2020. But is the president being proactive, or is he opening himself up to blame for problems plaguing the entire global supply chain that are mostly out of his control?
This week, we bring on special guest Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report to talk about what voters want from the economy and the president right now. Some Americans are feeling a lingering sense of unease, as the country continues to face labor and goods shortages tied to the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats still can’t come to an agreement to pass Biden’s domestic agenda. How does political polarization affect the way voters think about the administration’s handling of the economy? We discuss.
Next on the show: Redistricting is underway as we head into next year’s midterm elections. As was the case 10 years ago, Republicans have an advantage because they control more state legislatures, while some Democratic states, like California, have put redistricting decisions in the hands of independent commissions. But how many seats could Republicans realistically pick up next year through redistricting alone, especially since demographic changes in some major swing states would seem to favor Democrats? A hotly contested gubernatorial election in Virginia next month could give us some clues. Also, what the heck is ‘bacon-mandering’?
Then: our panel discusses vaccine mandates and religious exemptions, specifically among Catholics. The Catholic Church’s official position is that getting vaccinated is morally permissible, but sincerely held religious beliefs should be honored as a valid basis for exemption. As vaccine mandates become more commonplace, how does society negotiate those tensions?
Finally: Why adults need to stop making Halloween sexy, and why the “woke” Fed is really just doing its job.
It’s been an especially stupid week in Congress. Members of Congress are fighting over the debt limit – an archaic, post-war provision from the 20th century. Both sides of the aisle agree that the debt limit needs to go up… but they disagree on how.
Democrats can do this on their own. What are they afraid of? Attack ads? Taking up too much floor time when they have other legislation they could be working on, like the infrastructure bill and the spending bill that….they still haven’t agreed on? Republicans say Democrats should raise the debt limit by themselves, but Democrats insist Republicans need to help them out. But just in the nick of time before a partial government shutdown, Republicans allowed Democrats to fund the government for about two more months, so over the holidays, we can do this all over again.
Then: President Biden’s approval rating is tanking. A new Quinnipiac poll puts him at just 38 percent approval on the job market and a dismal 25 percent approval rate on immigration. What’s the source of this dissatisfaction?Could the problem just be that Biden isn’t taking credit for the good things his presidency has done, and not “owning” enough conservatives?
Next: Professor Kate Shaw joins the panel to talk about the controversial new law in Texas that bans abortions after six weeks, which was preliminarily enjoined this week by a federal judge. This might go all the way to the Supreme Court, which is already hearing oral arguments in December about a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks. Does the Constitution actually create a right to abortion? And if Roe is overturned, what can Democrats do to protect abortion access?
And finally: having kids might not be that bad an idea, even today… but if you send them to school sick, Liz Bruenig has some words for you.
It’s...past the wire for Democrats and their votes on two big spending packages that are the priorities of President Biden. As we recorded this episode Friday morning, the promised day for a House vote on the Senate-passed infrastructure bill had passed and Democrats were still fighting amongst themselves on both the price tag of the spending bill and what to prioritize between social and climate spending. All eyes are on the Progressive Caucus, Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema, and they’re watching each other. Where will this end up?
Then, former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb talks about the major failures of the pandemic in the United States, why he has lots of feedback for the CDC in particular, and how approaching pandemics like national security threats could serve us better the next time around.
All that, plus the media company that wasn’t, moving the fences back, and some proof that vaccine mandates are effective.
This week, guest host and Left, Right & Center contributor Keli Goff takes a deep dive into two issues in the news right now. First: she speaks with Geraldo Cadava about what Democrats and Republicans misunderstand about the “Latino vote” and what they get right. Geraldo says the parties oversimplify voters’ profiles and overlook important factors like geography, the rural/urban divide, class, and many others. Keli and Geraldo discuss the faults of thinking about groups of voters as monoliths — Keli points out that she longs for the day that campaigns approach Black voters like they would swing voters. What do we know about the appeal of the Republican party to Hispanic and Latino voters over the past few decades? And should Democrats be more concerned about whether their strategy is effective?
Then, Keli discusses the new laws restricting abortion access in Texas with Gloria Feldt, former president of Planned Parenthood and president of Take The Lead, a national organization advocating for gender parity. Gloria talks about the slippery slope of similar laws, what she fears is ahead for abortion access, and makes a case for new laws that would guarantee women’s rights to live as full citizens in the United States.
Democrats have spent weeks talking about their big spending plans, and now they’re talking about how to pay for them. Some ideas: tax increases on corporations and wealthy Americans, a capital gains tax regimen, and allowing the government to negotiate drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies which would cut what the government pays and cutting costs for other American consumers. But can progressives and moderates agree on how to do these things? And how much will the scope of the plan shrink in the process? Then there are the cliffs: hello, a government shutdown is looming September 30, and the debt limit needs to be raised. Can Democrats manage to squeeze out a compromise by the end of the month? And how will that affect the fate of the spending plan?
The FDA is reviewing the case for a COVID booster shot. Should Americans be getting a third (or fourth, or fifth…) shot when the rest of the world remains unvaccinated? DR. PETER CHIN-HONG of UCSF talks with the panel about the disagreement among the Biden administration, the medical community and public health officials about whether booster shots are needed now, and how to balance a vaccination campaign and a booster strategy.
Also: California Gov. Gavin Newsom soundly defeated a recall effort. Does this tell us anything about next year’s midterm election?
And finally: Josh thinks Larry Elder is NOT the future of the California GOP. Also, why Tim might take heat from space Twitter after we publish this.
This week, President Biden announced a sweeping new mandate for American workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Companies with 100 or more employees are mandated to require employees to be vaccinated or take a weekly test. Health care workers and federal government employees and contractors must be vaccinated. Companies will have to give employees paid time off to be vaccinated, plus more time to recuperate from any side effects. Is this the right thing to do?
Democrats are already making tough choices on their spending bill. Will they have to cut and trim their $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill into a much smaller one? What will end up on the cutting room floor?
Then: our relationship with Europe was supposed to be warmer with President Trump out of office but it doesn’t really seem to be the case. What happened? Do European leaders have reason to be frustrated still? EMMA ASHFORD joins us to discuss the grumbling.
And, finally: Josh rants about ice cream with chocolate chunks before he’s gently reminded by his producer that we already know he thinks frozen chocolate is bad because he ranted about it three years ago. Josh hasn’t changed his mind, and ice cream hasn’t changed either.
This week, a new law took effect in Texas prohibiting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, which is before most women are aware that they’re pregnant. There are many state laws that seek to impose bans on abortions after a certain point in pregnancy, but none are designed the way this Texas law is. It creates a procedural and legal hurdle to those seeking abortions right now, effectively stopping them altogether, before the law can be challenged and reviewed in court. The Supreme Court decided not to stop the law from taking effect. How was it able to do so, based on emergency filings rather than oral arguments and full consideration of the constitutional issues? What are the political implications of this law and the reactions to it from right and left? Are both sides hemmed into extreme positions on abortion when the majority of the public falls somewhere in the middle? Separately, the Supreme Court had already docketed a case on Mississippi’s 12-week ban on abortions this term. Is the end of the Roe/Casey era near? We discuss.
Also: an op-ed by Senator Joe Manchin in the Wall Street Journal this week is exactly what progressives DON’T want to hear – that he wouldn’t support a $3.5 trillion spending plan to go along with the infrastructure bill. But he didn’t say anything about what he would support. Is that a smart political decision? Should Democrats be more cautious about major spending with rising inflation and the ongoing pandemic?
Then: Jay Powell’s term as chair of the Federal Reserve is up, and President Biden is expected to decide soon whether to nominate him for another four years. Some believe Powell should stick around for his effective handling of the financial aspects of the COVID crisis. David Dayen argues it’s time to appoint somebody who makes the existential threat of climate change a priority.
And, finally: how the bankruptcy system protected the Sackler family, why we shouldn’t pretend vaccine mandates don’t curtail civil liberties, and how the NFL’s campaign to get players vaccinated actually worked.
A suicide bombing near the Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. service members just days ahead of the withdrawal deadline. The Biden administration still plans to withdraw from Afghanistan by August 31. Does this deadly attack change that calculus?
Also: Democrats in the House are testing their leverage over two very spending bills: the infrastructure bill and the $3.5 trillion social spending bill...that we don’t really know too much about yet. David Dayen says he can’t envision one passing without the other: it’ll be both or neither. Will progressives and moderates hold together? Plus, how much should Democrats take advantage of the economic moment the country is in now? Is time of the essence? How does the economic climate play into how bills like this get passed?
Then: the Supreme Court threw out the CDC’s controversial moratorium on evictions. The Biden administration knew its survival was tenuous, and Congress had already approved enough rental assistance money to extinguish all the rent debt in the country. The only problem is very, very little of that money has reached the hands of tenants and landlords so far. Why is that? And why is this an enduring problem for other kinds of government aid?
Kabul has fallen. While this was expected to happen, the U.S. government has been surprised by how quickly the Taliban took over.
At the start of this week, there were as many as 15,000 Americans in Afghanistan. Now, Americans, along with thousands of Afghans, are trying to flee the country. The result? Mass chaos.
This week, panelists Josh Barro, Liz Bruenig, Megan McArdle and special guest Paul D. Miller spend the entire show talking about the war in Afghanistan. Why did the war continue on for so long and what was the U.S. trying to achieve? Was there a better way to withdraw that posed less risk to American personnel and provided more evacuations of vulnerable Afghans? And what should we do now? We discuss.
President Trump has tested positive for the coronavirus. Just days ago at the presidential debate, he mocked Joe Biden for wearing masks too much. After learning Hope Hicks, a top aide, had the virus, he still attended an in-person fundraiser with dozens of supporters. Does the president bear moral responsibility for taking excessive risks, contracting the virus and exposing others to it?
Tuesday’s debate was a bit of a mess. Josh Barro empathizes with moderator Chris Wallace, and the panel considers what viewers learned in the debate. In his attempt to dominate the debate, Trump took heat for his unwillingness to condemn the Proud Boys, and his sinister take on voting and election legitimacy. Michael Brendan Dougherty wonders if the president has lost the ability to make a populist case for his presidency, or even tell a story about the corruption in Washington and why voters would still want him to be president? Jamelle Bouie says that if Trump had populist instincts, he wouldn’t have fought the Democrats on another coronavirus relief package. Speaking of: will Congress finally go for another round of coronavirus relief?
On the Supreme Court, why are Republicans making assurances that even a court with a conservative majority won’t do what conservatives have asked it to do on abortion and Obamacare? Plus: remember the story about the president’s tax returns from the beginning of the week?
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is dead at 87. She leaves a legacy as a liberal icon, from her time litigating for equal rights before the court and from her 27 years serving on the bench.
In the midst of fierce objections from Democrats in Congress, Republicans intend to replace her with a conservative, which will shift the Supreme Court firmly to the right. How would this affect American law in the long run, and more immediately, the challenge to the Affordable Care Act that the justices intend to hear right after the election? Should the Supreme Court — and its individual justices — have this much power? Josh Barro talks with Michael Brendan Dougherty, Jamelle Bouie and Emily Bazelon to talk about Justice Ginsburg’s legacy, what happens when the Supreme Court moves away from American public opinion, and how the Supreme Court’s power could be limited, and if it should be.
Then: one of the Louisville police officers involved in the fatal raid on Breonna Taylor’s apartment has been indicted, but not for killing her. We’ll look at whether there was a viable avenue to prosecute, and whether reforms in Louisville will prevent similar botched raids in the future.
***Hi Left, Right & Center listeners: this week’s episode was recorded Friday morning before news broke that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at 87 of pancreatic cancer.
President Trump is fighting with his CDC director. Dr. Robert Redfield says we won’t likely have wide enough distribution of a potential coronavirus vaccine to return to normal life until the second or third quarter of next year. Anthony Fauci agrees with that rough timeline.
But that’s not the full story: it will take months to get all those doses in people’s bodies and fighting the coronavirus. Josh Barro talks with Michael Brendan Dougherty and Jamelle Bouie about how Democrats can express concerns about Trump’s role in the vaccine process without scaring people away from an effective vaccine when it does come.
Then, Matt Yglesias joins the panel to talk about his argument that the United States should have population one billion: how we could achieve it, and why America needs to be bigger to be better. Elizabeth Nolan Brown joins the conversation too.
Wildfires are raging in the west. The pandemic is still raging, with nearly 200,000 Americans dead. What is the government doing? Congress still cannot agree on additional aid for Americans. President Trump has resorted to using disaster relief funds to pay for additional jobless benefits and is eyeing more executive action, but is there a bigger response coming for any of these crises?
President Trump took a lot of heat for statements he made to journalist Bob Woodward, detailed in Woodward’s new book Rage, about how he knew how bad the coronavirus was and downplayed it on purpose to avert panic.
Ariel Edwards-Levy (senior reporter and polling editor at the Huff Post) tells the panel about the state of the presidential race and sticks up for polling: why you should believe it more than a lot of people say they do.
Diaries of a Divided Nation: 2020 is a people’s history of the United States recorded in real time.
Over the past year, a team of audio journalists have documented the lives of seven ordinary people with different views, living in different places, and with different stakes in politics. Each participant has recorded their thoughts and experiences as the extraordinary events of 2020 have unfolded.
We hear from Americans in Texas, Iowa, Virginia, Washington, Alabama, Michigan and Kentucky among others.
Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin this week, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake and subsequent protests, riots and looting. President Trump warned putting Democrats in power will lead to more of this sort of unrest. Joe Biden spoke in Pittsburgh to say riots are bad — which has been his position all along — and that Trump has fomented unrest with his divisiveness. A new wave of polls showed the presidential race little changed, not due to this news story, and not due to the conventions either.
Then: Since students returned to campus at the University of Illinois one week ago, the university is processing more than 15,000 tests a day, accounting for as much as two percent of daily nationwide tests. This is part of the university’s plan for in-person instruction while preventing outbreaks. Dr. Rebecca Smith, a researcher and epidemiologist at the university, talks about how the program works, how it’s working so far, and where else this testing model could be appropriate.
Jamelle Bouie and Michael Brendan Dougherty discuss the president’s executive actions for coronavirus relief, including the use of the Centers For Disease Control to stop evictions, and the outlook for a coronavirus relief package this month.
President Trump accepted his party’s renomination to be president on the White House lawn, despite rules about not using government property for political purposes. He says he wants to unify the country and that Joe Biden is a Trojan horse for socialism who will demolish the suburbs and govern in thrall to Bernie Sanders.
Josh Barro says that seems a little over the top. He recaps the GOP convention, President Trump’s nomination acceptance speech and the party’s overall message with new Right and Left panelists Michael Brendan Dougherty of National Review and Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times
Tim Alberta says the GOP’s “we’re not that evil” message was directed at one class of persuadable voters the party cannot afford to lose en masse: college educated suburban voters, i.e. voters who aren’t running away from the Republican Party so much as they are sprinting away.
According to public opinion, Americans say the most important issue facing the country is the coronavirus, so is it a good strategy for the Republican Party to talk about the coronavirus like it’s in the past? Michael Brendan Dougherty says it might work out that by November, voters will be more ready for President Trump’s outlook and tone. Jamelle Bouie says that will be a tough sell if the virus spikes in the fall, people are still out of work with their children attending school from home, and moreover, the theme of this race has been the steadiness of Biden’s lead over Trump. What was the GOP’s closing argument to voters? And is triggering the libs enough of a policy platform for Republican voters?
Kenosha, Wisconsin has been rocked by protests and riots over another police shooting of a black man, plus counterprotesters, some of whom were essentially militia. One person shot and killed two demonstrators and wounded another. What will this mean for police reform and a 2020 campaign in which both parties have made policing a key issue?
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are officially the presidential ticket for the Democratic Party. The virtual convention was a little awkward, but was it any more awkward than conventions usually are? Josh Barro, Megan McArdle and Dorian Warren talk about the case Democrats made for themselves this week and why some progressives felt they got short shrift. The panel also discusses Steve Bannon’s legal troubles and why his alleged scheme to rip off conseervative donors worked so well.
Then: Rick Hasen joins for a conversation about trouble at the post office, and real election risks and a plan for preserving election legitimacy. He says some of the biggest risks are known, they’re not new and they have to do with election management. He makes case for flattening the ballot curve, being realistic about the timeline of ballot distribution and return in a pandemic, and not seeing every instance of incompetence as dysfunction on purpose.
Then: with every passing week without a federal aid deal, the funding crisis facing state and local governments gets more real. It’s not just blue cities that will be hard-hit. Some of the direst scenarios are for strong Republican cities. A new study looks at which will be hurt the most, and why, and it has a lot to do with our new socially distanced normal.
This week, Joe Biden announced California Senator Kamala Harris will be his running mate. The Left, Right & Center panel interprets the choice. Dorian Warren says this shows how the party has changed since 2016, she may mobilize more voters (especially as President Trump and the GOP attack her) and it says a lot about Biden’s leadership that he chose someone with whom he disagrees. Megan McArdle says she doesn’t see Harris bringing much to the ticket in terms of her policy stances or her legislative record, but this pick matters more than a normal presidency because she may succeed Biden if he runs for a second term.
Congress has settled into a stalemate over coronavirus aid so President Trump signed some executive orders in an attempt to support the economy. What will they do, and what will they not do? And is it even legal? And is it good politics? Indivar Dutta-Gupta (co-executive director of the Georgetown Center for Poverty & Inequality) joins to talk about the mechanics and risks of the executive order for a new unemployment insurance program and the executive order for a payroll tax holiday.
Last week, an assessment from the intelligence community reported Russian-linked entities are trying to boost President Trump for re-election and undermine Joe Biden, while China and Iran appear to prefer that Trump be defeated. Why would China prefer Biden over Trump? Patrick Chovanec says there are a lot of reasons, but it could because China has not found President Trump to be a reliable negotiator. What else does China want out of the election?
It’s August, the enhanced unemployment air ran out in July, and lawmakers in Washington don’t seem much closer to extending that and other aspects of the coronavirus aid.
How long will be left in the lurch? And what do we make of the report that shows employment kept growing even as the epidemic got worse around the county? In July, about 1.8 million jobs were added and economist Betsy Stevenson has mixed feelings about it. She says economic recovery is very closely tied to virus control, which is not going very well, but we should also see this jobs report as proof that the first coronavirus aid packages have worked. Speaking of that, Republicans and Democrats are in a stalemate (as of this taping) over the next aid package. President Trump is getting frustrated and is threatening to act via executive order. Can he do that? Should he do that if Congress can’t break the stalemate?
Josh Barro, Dorian Warren, Megan McCardle talk with Betsey Stevenson about the childcare crisis that the pandemic has brought into focus. If millions of American parents are staying home with their children who cannot attend school in person, where does that leave the workforce? And what about the future workforce: children who miss a year of in-person school are going to have big learning gaps to make up. If schools can’t open, is it time for a major federal investment in child care?
Data from major American cities show an increase in homicides and violent crime in May and June. Criminologist Richard Rosenfeld talks about what could explain the numbers and what can be done about it.
The US economy shrank at a record pace in the second quarter, contracting nearly ten percent. In the real world, that means tens of millions of Americans lost jobs and so many businesses were closed. We knew it wasn’t going to be good, but what’s worse is the recovery we were seeing in the late spring appears to have stalled. On top of that Congress isn’t even close to a solution for the expiring enhanced unemployment benefits that so many Americans are relying on through this crisis. So we wait.
On today’s show Josh Barro, Dorian Warren, Megan McArdle and special guest Shai Akabas of the Bipartisan Policy Center talk about the state of the next relief package — is it a stimulus or not? — and the big missing piece of coronavirus economic policy: actually beating the virus.
Then: pro sports are back, sort of. Pablo Torre of ESPN talks about the strategies that are working and what’s definitely not working as leagues resume or begin their seasons in our new reality.
Those enhanced unemployment benefits that have kept many American households afloat through the pandemic? They’re about to run out, and Congress is just now getting around to doing something about it. In the first week of negotiation, Republicans and Democrats are still far apart on another coronavirus relief package. Congress has played a game of brinkmanship with government shutdowns, but during a pandemic with millions of Americans out of work, it’s a different situation. Christine Emba says Americans don’t have the patience for this game when it affects the livelihoods of so many. Megan McArdle says Congress must envision a post-pandemic economy as it considers the appropriate relief efforts now. What else is Congress fighting over in the next bill, and how do we contend with the fact that many Americans won’t get much relief until many weeks or months from now?
In Portland, federal agents are throwing protesters into unmarked vehicles. Why? Is there any proper role for the federal government in responding to unrest in cities? Geoff Ingersoll joins the panel to discuss that and if this helps or hurts President Trump with voters.
Also, what does New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have against Buffalo wings? He does know they were invented in his state, right?
The economic recovery appears to be stalling as the coronavirus epidemic intensifies across the south and southwest. How did we get here? What are the policy failures that allow uncontrolled spread to resume? Why is there such a big testing backlog? And where do we go from here? Dr. Kavita Patel joins the panel to discuss.
Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has enjoyed higher public approval on his handling of the economy than on his overall job. Joe Biden released an economic plan last week that aims to dent the president’s advantage, in part by co-opting some of his themes about promoting manufacturing in the United States. He wants an expansive “buy American” program, big public spending on research and development to rely less on international supply chains, and a major public spending plan for the climate and environment. Does this mean that both Right and Left are ready to abandon neoliberal ideals of globalism? And is there a tradeoff between raising labor standards in the United States and raising labor standards in other countries? Biden’s climate action plan is a very progressive proposal — his moderate image might be helping him put forward very left proposals, but would that help him with actual policy making if he is president?
Finally, Dorian Warren argues the time is right for a third Reconstruction, a deep structural transformation of institutions in the United States to remedy inequities.
The coronavirus pandemic crisis is stretching on and the United States is in dire straits. Infections are surging in the south and west and there's doubt about whether schools can open safely for the new school year.
Megan McArdle says the lags of this disease are contributing to serious policy disasters and many states are falling victim to normalcy bias, where, if it doesn't look like chaos, it's harder to persuade people and public officials to take appropriate action to prevent the situation from deteriorating. Dorian Warren says it is ultimately shameful that the United States is failing at virus mitigation.
Then, Helen Alvare joins the panel to talk about the Supreme Court's final decisions. Was this term a major disappointment for conservatives? Chief Justice John Roberts promised to call balls and strikes, but might he be working towards a more long-sighted goal?
Finally: Mexico's president visited President Trump in Washington this week, and Jose Diaz Briseno of Reforma talks about the state of their relationship. Is it correct to call President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador a leftist? And is he, like many other world leaders, doing his best just to appease and not influence President Trump?
Halfway through an extremely eventful 2020, what is the outlook for persistent change?
In this special midyear episode, Josh Barro speaks with Dorian Warren and Megan McArdle about whether this year’s events — in policing and racial justice, the economy, and public health — will make change in these areas more possible and more necessary.
A lot of change is happening quickly. The government has spent trillions to support the economy, Americans’ lives are barely recognizable, and public opinion has moved faster than we’ve ever seen on issues related to race and policing. Will it change the country permanently? Positively? And what are we learning from these extraordinary months?
Megan notes that many trends appear revolutionary in the short term but less so in the long term, citing how little changed after the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. She also says there are examples in our history of police reform and “defunding” actually backfiring, and reform may be more difficult in the midst of economic troubles.
Dorian notes that we’ve already seen incredible change as a result of the multiple crises facing the country now. “Normal models we look for in politics don’t quite explain how much change we’ve seen so far...” and he says generational change and indicators in the culture should not be underestimated.
How’s this for a civilized yet provocative start to the show? This week, people finally started admitting Josh Barro has been right about Joe Biden. Though, for the record, a lot of people have been agreeing with him all along: voters. Now, many others are realizing maybe what America needs next in a president is a broadly acceptable leader with unifying messages that can make people feel good about the country again, and one who adopts broadly popular reform positions while resisting the pressure to be on the unpopular side of wedge issues.
Well, on this show, we do a lot of disagreeing, and Megan McArdle and Christine Emba have some things to say about Josh’s victory lap. What everyone does agree on is that President Trump’s handling of national crises grew even more grim and it’s definitely not helping him in the polls. The sparsely attended Tulsa rally didn’t help either, nor do the spikes in covid-19 cases in the south and west. Progressives had a strong showing in Tuesday’s primaries, so what are the implications further down the ballot if Biden wins big in November?
Plus: what should be done about China? Democrats and Republicans feel increasingly negative about our relationship with China. Why is it so hard to determine the exact foreign policy strategy? Ali Wyne from the Atlantic Council joins the panel to talk about the tough road ahead.
The Supreme Court delivered two major opinions this week and conservatives are not very happy with two Republican-appointed justices. Justice Neil Gorsuch — often held up as the example of why Republicans should tolerate President Trump’s antics — wrote the opinion in a 6-3 decision that said employers cannot discriminate against employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity because, well, Gorsuch argues that’s what the text of the law says. Might conservatives abandon textualism? Later in the week, the Supreme Court decided 5-4 the Trump administration improperly tried to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects from deportation many unauthorized immigrants who arrived in the country as minors.
One way to read Chief Justice John Roberts’s opinion, Emily Bazelon says, is that he’s offended by the Trump administration’s sloppy lawyering. They should have been more clear about why they wanted to toss protections for Dreamers. Michael Steele says the administration’s actions are less about a coherent immigration policy and more about undoing President Obama’s work. This decision, of course, doesn’t erase all the uncertainty about the future of DACA. Plus: why did the Supreme Court pass on cases about the Second Amendment and qualified immunity?
And speaking of, how much would eliminating qualified immunity actually improve police behavior? Without it, Christine Emba says there could be trickle-up accountability — the threat of a lawsuit could make officers behave better, but maybe it would simply force local government to pay more attention to training and hire better officers. Emily Bazelon says the threat of lawsuits can be a good accountability tool for law enforcement, but for large-scale reform, major culture change is necessary from leadership to the unions and through the ranks.
Finally: John Bolton’s tell-all memoir is coming out next week, and the details in it are pretty embarrassing for President Trump. The Department of Justice is trying very hard to stop the publication of the book. Josh Barro says it’s an egregious abuse of power for the Department of Justice to try to silence John Bolton and punish him for exercising his First Amendment rights.
Lots of people in Washington seem to want more distance from President Trump as his actions have grown even more erratic and his poll numbers have deteriorated. This week, General Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff apologized for appearing with President Trump in that infamous church photo opp. Mitt Romney got a lot of attention for marching in support of Black Lives Matter. Michael Steele says it was partially political because the senator is unlikely to face retribution from his party or his constituents but it’s an important moral and personal move too.
This week, there was a pretty big contrast between President Trump’s calls for “law and order” and Joe Biden’s empathy, and the polls show Biden with a growing lead over the president. It appears Biden is more open and interested in policies further to the left. He might not be a full-blown leftist, but he appears to be open to influence, Christine Emba says.
Protests about policing are yielding government action. New York passed ten police reform laws, Minneapolis is moving toward efforts to abolish its police department, though it’s not entirely clear what that would mean or what institutions would be developed to replace it. Democrats in Congress have a suite of proposals and Republicans are working on their own slate. But some activists urge that we abolish or defund the police. What does that mean? Emily Owens says, too often, discussions about policing focus on its impact and benefits, and it’s important to consider the costs of policing — to communities, to the social safety net, and to people’s lives.
Plus, America is reopening despite the fact that COVID-19 cases appear to be spiking. President Trump even intends to resume campaign rallies. Are we ready if things get worse? Is the president?
The killing of George Floyd by a white police officer who now faces murder charges set off a wave of peaceful protests nationwide. It also resulted in incidents of violence, with police officers blamed for using unnecessarily brutal methods to clear activists, while others have been accused of using the guise of activism to destroy and steal property. Meanwhile the president’s response has elicited criticism from some surprising sources, including the military community. The panel considers this moment: Does it represent a seismic shift? Will either party advocate real reform? The panel reacts with a mix of hope and reality.
Plus: The Left has been clamoring for General Jim Mattis, President Trump’s former defense secretary, to speak out. Did he choose the right time? Will it matter what he’s said? And how much does it matter who Joe Biden picks to be his running mate?
This episode of Left, Right & Center has an all-black panel: Keli Goff is the Center with Christine Emba on the Left, Michael Steele on the Right and special guest Robert A. George.
The death of George Floyd — who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck for seven minutes in the process of arresting him — has reignited outrage over police treatment of black Americans. There have been protests in cities across the country in response to Floyd’s death and the recent deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, and in Minneapolis, a level of unrest led the governor to call in the National Guard. The panel discusses what’s driving the protests and what governments can do to gain the public’s trust that justice will be done when police abuse power.
Also on the show: Joe Biden has a plan for that. That’s what Matt Yglesias says: that Biden is the most progressive Democratic nominee ever with a long list of plans for progressive policy change. But will progressives believe that? And will conservatives be able to convince anyone that Biden is a radical? The United States Postal Service, like many institutions, faces financial trouble due to the pandemic. What’s the social purpose of the post office? And what does that say about how Congress should help it out?
President Trump really doesn’t want to be photographed wearing a mask (even though he has a cool one with the Presidential Seal on it). But 72% of Americans say that they’re wearing masks all or most of the time when they’re out of the house. So why have masks become a political symbol? And will that interfere with efforts to contain the virus?
Plus: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had a relative light touch when it came to lockdown orders and many critics warned of dire outcomes from that. Was Governor DeSantis right all along? Or has he just been lucky?
Then: Frederick Hess, resident scholar and director of the Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, joins the panel to look at how the coronavirus is affecting education. Are students actually learning at home right now? Will schools be ready to open in the fall? And is there even enough money to pay for all the changes needed to make it work?
President Trump is very upset about Obamagate. It seems to have to do with his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn — who the president fired after he lied to Vice President Pence and the FBI, and who pleaded guilty to charges that the Department of Justice is now seeking to drop. Is this a really important political issue? Or is this just President Trump’s effort to talk about anything besides the pandemic?
Plus: Will Joe Biden leave his basement? Or, does laying low draw the contrast with President Trump that works for his campaign? Does either candidate need to be worried about their campaign right now?
Then: Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations joins the panel to grade the American and international response to the coronavirus pandemic. What happens when international institutions atrophy? This isn’t all President Trump’s fault: so far, the pandemic has highlighted changes to the international order that have put the US in a weaker position to lead through the crisis.
More than 20 million jobs were lost in April and it keeps getting worse. Millions of Americans continue to file for new unemployment benefits every week. Is there and end in sight? And what does a plan look like to keep Americans afloat through the rest of the crisis and ensure that business is there to employ them again? Former top Obama economic adviser Gene Sperling joins the panel to talk about economic dignity in a pandemic and after. Will there be significant policy changes to match this recognition of the importance of essential workers, so many of whom are low paid?
Even Mitt Romney has a bill for federally funded hazard pay for essential workers in this crisis. But will America’s relationship to low-paid essential workers change permanently, or will our economy go back to its precarious normal?
Plus: the Justice Department wants to drop the charge against Michael Flynn for lying to federal agents, a charge he already pleaded guilty to. Ken White joins the panel to talk about the justification for that, and what it means for other criminal defendants.
Joe Biden says it never happened. Biden spoke publicly for the first time in response to an accusation from former Senate staffer Tara Reade, who says Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993. How should voters evaluate this allegation? And how does Democratic support for Biden square with Biden’s own expressed standard from the Brett Kavanaugh fight that “you’ve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence” of these sorts of allegations is real.
Dr. Ashish Jha of the Harvard Global Health Institute talks about states easing stay-at-home orders and trying to reopen the economy. We have to do it sooner than later, but do we have what it needs to make that reopening sustainable? Dr. Jha talks about the level of testing we need and if states are ready to trace the contacts of people who test positive for Covid-19.
Plus: Justin Amash’s Libertarian bid for president, stay-at-home protests in Michigan, and how hard it can be to access unemployment insurance in certain states
Congress agreed this week to replenish money for the Paycheck Protection Program, which makes loans to certain kinds of businesses that are hurt by the pandemic and then forgives those loans if businesses keep their workers on payroll. But there are some problems. There wasn’t enough money, smaller businesses without really deep banking relationships have been left behind, and some bigger “small” businesses have gotten the money while mom-and-pop businesses haven’t gotten any.
Even with new money, the PPP is likely to run out of money again, and the dispute at the center of the next bailout package will be assistance to state and local governments. Mitch McConnell says states should be able to file for bankruptcy. Does that make sense?
Then Samuel Brannen gives us a check up on the US coronavirus response. Sam was part of a pandemic simulation just a few months ago — how is the real-life response tracking with that simulation? Unfortunately: he doesn’t have good news. The panel points to President Trump’s increasingly unhelpful and absurd coronavirus briefings. Is he intentionally weakening his presidency so he can’t be blamed for anything? Should the response to a crisis like this be centered in the federal government or the states? Or does it make more sense for states and localities to decide certain measures while the federal government concentrates on the bigger picture issues, like testing and sharing of resources? Sam says government and governments have never mattered more than our lifetime than right now.