After an arduous series of votes to get the job, it only took one vote to remove Kevin McCarthy from his position as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Guest: Todd Zwillich, deputy Washington bureau chief, VICE News
Dianne Feinstein’s Replacement Is Here. Who Is She?: California governor Gavin Newsom selected EMILY’s List president, Laphonza Butler
California Democrats were already jockeying to run for Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat next year and Governor Gavin Newsom sidestepped the contenders by announcing he would appoint Laphonza Butler to the seat.
While Newsom made good on his vow to appoint a Black woman to the Senate, does Butler’s job offer come with a poison pill?
Guest: Alex Sammon, Slate politics writer.
Oct032023
Fani Willis Takes on Trump: How bluster became a criminal conspiracy to disenfranchise Black voters
The fourth shoe dropped this week, when Fulton County DA Fani Willis announced Donald Trump’s latest indictment, charging the former president, along with 18 others, for engaging in a sprawling criminal conspiracy to disenfranchise Georgia voters. Trump has been responding by lashing out against Willis and voters in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee.
Guest: Rick Hasan, professor of law at UCLA and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project.
Aug162023
Florida Public Schools’ New Anti-Woke Partner
In July, Florida approved the use of Prager U materials in its classrooms. The organization claims its videos offer an alternative to the prevailing left-wing ideology in the classroom. Its founder told a sympathetic audience that what they offer is indoctrination. What impact could these videos have in public schools? And where could they be heading next?
Guest: John Knefel, senior writer for Media Matters for America.
Aug082023
It’s Hot as Hell. Why Are Pools Closed?
The temperature is going up, but the number of open, public pools isn’t. It’s not just a summer bummer; it’s turning into a public health crisis.
Guest: Mara Gay, member of the New York Times editorial board, focused on New York State and local affairs.
Aug082023
U.S. vs Trump
We’re eight months into the year—and former president Donald Trump has now been indicted three times. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury charged Trump with three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction. But what exactly does that mean? And can someone really run for president…while juggling three different trials?
Guest: David Graham, staff writer for “The Atlantic”
Aug022023
The Failed Coup in Russia
For months, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has been railing against his own country’s military leadership. It all came to a head this weekend – when the mercenary leader gathered his troops, took over a Russian city, and started to march towards Moscow. Then – as suddenly as it began – it stopped. Russia says Prigozhin has fled to Belarus, and his troops will all be granted amnesty. But an independent Russian journalist in exile doubts the official narrative, and speculates on Vladimir Putin’s future..
Guest: Mikhail Zygar, Russian journalist and author of the upcoming book, “War and Punishment: Putin, Zelensky and the Path to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine”
Jun262023
The Navajo Fight for Water
As states struggle to divvy up the Colorado River, the federal government has another obligation to fulfill:
he Supreme Court is currently hearing a case that will determine whether or not the government is obligated to ensure water access for Native American tribes. The arguments in the case, Arizona v. Navajo Nation, hinge upon whether or not the government has violated past treaties with the tribe by not providing adequate water.
Guest: Heather Tanana, assistant professor of law at the University of Utah and citizen of the Navajo Nation.
May232023
America’s Rich History of Gun Control: How “originalist” arguments against gun control distort actual history.
When the Supreme Court struck down New York’s concealed carry law last year, it set a precedent that gun control laws should be judged against “historical tradition.” But judged against actual American history, it’s the on-going repeal of gun control laws that’s an anomaly.
Guest: Robert J Spitzer, professor emeritus at SUNY Cortland, author of The Gun Dilemma.
May042023
Dianne Feinstein’s Last Stand: Can the Democrats afford to let the California senator finish her term?
The 89-year-old Dianne Feinstein has stated she plans to retire at the end of her term, but her health-related absences have stymied the Democrats’ ability to confirm judges—one of the few things the party can actually do in a divided government.
Guest: Joe Garofoli, senior political writer at the San Francisco Chronicle, covering national and state politics.
Apr192023
