Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

A deadline approaches to deal with healthcare costs and Obamacare subsidies. 

On Today's Show:
Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent, KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, discusses the latest over the battle in Congress over the fate of the Affordable Care Act.

On Today's Show:

Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation and the author of The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things That Last (Crown Currency, 2025), talks about how Wikipedia was able to rely on the "wisdom of the crowd" even as distrust climbed in the larger culture.

The conservative Supreme Court majority seems poised to allow President Trump to fire the top official on the Federal Trade Commission, expanding presidential power. 

On Today's Show:
Elie Mystal, justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation magazine and host of the podcast, Contempt of Court with Elie Mystal, and author of Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America (The New Press, 2025), discusses this and other legal news.

Paramount and Netflix are vying to buy up parts of Warner Bros. Discovery.

On Today's Show:
Rohan Goswami, business reporter at Semafor and Katie Campione, senior TV & labor reporter at Deadline, discuss the recent merger talks, including the politics at play, and what it means for consumers.

According to DHS, almost three-quarters of people detained by ICE since October do not have any criminal convictions.

On Today's Show:
David Bier, director of immigration studies and the Selz Foundation chair in immigration policy at the Cato Institute, explains the data, and claims from the Trump Administration that they are prioritizing detaining people with violent criminal histories.

Some recent health headlines surround the federal government's changes to SNAP benefit programs, vaccine guidance for infants and others, and Obamacare.

On Today's Show:
Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent, KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, and Jude Joffe-Block, reporter at NPR, discuss the latest in health-related news.

An education advocate, who formerly supported school vouchers and charter schools, is now speaking in support of public education.

On Today's Show:
Diane Ravitch, education historian, former research professor of education at New York University, blogger at dianeravitch.net and author of the recent book An Education: How I Changed My Mind About Schools and Almost Everything Else (Columbia University Press, 2025), talks about the changes that led her to become a promoter of public schools.

Senator Mark Kelly appeared in a video alongside other veterans now serving in Congress, telling service members, “Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders.” The Pentagon has since opened an investigation and even raised the possibility of recalling him to active duty for potential discipline. 

On Today's Show:
Zachary Cohen, senior reporter on the national security beat for CNN, talks about what Kelly said, why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the probe, and how this all fits into other Pentagon headlines this week, including reports of U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats.

On World AIDS Day, a look at the impact of foreign aid cuts on HIV prevention programs, particularly in South Africa.

On Today's Show:
Pratik Pawar, Future Perfect fellow at Vox, talks about a new HIV prevention drug the U.S. is making available worldwide, except to South Africa, the country with the most people living with HIV.

President Trump and his allies are framing the kidnappings and other attacks in Nigeria as Islamic attacks on Christians, and even threatening military action

On Today's Show:
Emmanuel Akinwotu, international correspondent for NPR, talks about the situation, including how extremist groups are killing people of all faiths in the country, not just Christians.

On points where he disagrees with the scientific concensus, what makes RFK. Jr so sure he's right?

On Today's Show:
Michael Scherer, staff writer at The Atlantic, talks about his Atlantic cover story on HHS Secretary RFK, Jr., and other news.

After a busy weekend for national political headlines, a local congressional leader weighs in.

On Today's Show:
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY8) offers his take on how the meeting between President Trump and Mayor-elect Mamdani went, and more national political news.

President Trump and NYC's Mayor-elect Mamdani are meeting in DC today after many traded barbs and concerns over how the two very different administrations will work with, or against, each other.

On Today's Show:
Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW, writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the national political news of the week.

For our monthly 'Call Your Senator' series, NJ listeners asked about their healthcare prices, and other national issues.

On Today's Show:
U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey, including the debate over ACA subsidies, the Gateway tunnel funding, and the Epstein files.

President Trump has reportedly reversed course on the Epstein investigation over the weekend, now urging his party to baack a vote to release a large tranche of emails and other documents. 

On Today's Show:
Eleanor Mueller, congress reporter at Semafor, talks about the latest national political news from Congress, including the shutdown winners and losers, the upcoming vote in the House on the Epstein files and more.

With so much political baggage attached to labels like communism, socialism and Marxism, we look at the terminology, and how much the distinctions matter. 

On Today's Show:
Carlo Invernizzi-Accetti, professor of political science and executive director of the Moynihan Center at The City College of New York, and author of 20 Years of Rage: How Resentment Took the Place of Politics (Mondadori, 2024), explains the core principles of the various strains of thought on the left.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives returned to work after a 54-day hiatus, and have been releasing documents throughout the day related to Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump.

On Today's Show:
Nicholas Wu, congressional reporter at POLITICO, talks about the contents of the files, the upcoming vote in the House on the funding bill that would end the government shutdown, why some Democrats are furious at their Senate colleagues who broke ranks to cut a deal and more.

NOTE: This conversation was recorded on the morning of Wednesday, 11/12/25, amid a developing story. Check other...

On Veterans Day, we explore recent changes to the US military under Pete Hegseth.

On Today's Show:
Paul Rieckhoff, independent national security, veterans affairs and political analyst, host of the Independent Americans podcast, founder & CEO, Independent Veterans of America, co-founder of American Veterans for Ukraine, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), discusses how vets are viewing the changes Pete Hegseth is making to the armed forces, and how well they feel they are being taken care of under Hegseth and the Trump administration. 

A Long Island congressman explains his centrist, bi-partisan approach to the current political moment.

On Today's Show:
U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi (D-NY3) talks about the Senate's possible end to the longest shutdown in history, and what the election of Zohran Mamdani means for the Democratic party.

As Rep. Nancy Pelosi announces her decision to retire from Congress in 2027, the longest ever shutdown of the federal government continues.

On Today's Show:
Toluse Olorunnipa, staff writer at The Atlantic, discusses the latest national political news.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on the legality of President Trump's tariffs. 

On Today's Show:
Aziz Huq, professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School and author of The Rule of Law: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2024), offers legal analysis of the case, and how the justices might be inclined to rule, based on their questions.

Democrats won big in several electoral contests across the nation yesterday, including in NYC, New Jersey, Virginia and California. 

On Today's Show:
Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of several books, including The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters (Simon & Schuster, 2024) and the forthcoming The Queen and Her Presidents (Harpers, April 2026), talks about what the New York City mayoral results might mean for Democrats moving forward, and offers analysis of election results across the country.

In the Virginia governor's race, Democratic nominee and former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger has maintained a lead in polls since very early in the race over Republican nominee Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears.

On Today's Show:
Markus Schmidt, senior Virginia politics reporter and deputy editor at The Virginia Mercury, breaks down the latest on Virginia's gubernatorial race.

One of the nation's most prolific historical documentarians takes on the American Revolution, ahead of next summer, when the US will celebrate its 250th birthday. 

On Today's Show:
Ken Burns, documentary filmmaker, and Sarah Botstein, co-director of "The American Revolution," talk about their new, 12-part docuseries on PBS called "The American Revolution," which is being released ahead of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, in July 2026.

Due to the government shutdown, millions of Americans are likely to miss their Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP) paychecks starting this Saturday. 

On Today's Show:
Grace Yarrow, food and agriculture policy reporter for POLITICO and author of POLITICO Pro's daily Morning Agriculture newsletter, reports on which states will be most impacted and how recipients are preparing. Plus, Karen Yi, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering homelessness and poverty, explores how local and state resources are responding to the expected needs of NYC's communities. 

The federal shutdown continues, as President Trump continues to push the limits of executive power.

On Today's Show:
Joyce Vance, a legal analyst for MSNBC and former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, University of Alabama School of Law professor, and author of the Civil Discourse Substack, and of the new book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable:  A Manual for Keeping a Democracy (Dutton, 2025), talks about the rule of law and offers legal and historical context for the current moment in American history as she calls for citizens to uphold the Constitution.

On Today's Show:

Julia Ioffe, founding partner and Washington correspondent of Puck and the author of Motherland: A History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy (Ecco, 2025), talks about her new book that delves into the feminist history of Russia and why it offers context for the war in Ukraine, and the latest news of Melania Trump's backchannel conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The nation's largest city is in the midst of both a mayoral election, and various standoffs with the Trump administration.

On Today's Show:
Errol Louis, political anchor of Spectrum NY1 News, host of Inside City Hall and The Big Deal with Errol Louis, New York Magazine columnist and host of the podcast "You Decide," talks about how each mayoral candidate says they will respond to ICE or other federal agents conducting raids in the city, like the one that happened earlier this week in Chinatown.

In response to the "No Kings" protests this weekend, President Trump shared an AI-generated video involving brown liquid that surely signifies excrement. 

On Today's Show:
Stuart A. Thompson, reporter at The New York Times covering online influence, breaks down his latest reporting on how President Donald Trump is using fake artificial intelligence generated imagery to attack his perceived enemies and successfully rouse his supporters.

Recently, President Trump commuted the sentence of former Long Island congressman George Santos.

On Today's Show:
Grace Ashford, New York Times reporter covering New York State politics and government, talks about why Trump wanted Santos's early release after serving less than three months of his long sentence for crimes related to theft and fraud.

House Speaker Mike Johnson called this weekend's "No Kings" protests "hate America" rallies. 

On Today's Show:
Listeners call in to share what they were rallying for and against, and respond to Johnson's characterization of the marches.

The Supreme Court has, over the past few years, opted to grant the federal government and the executive branch more and more leeway. 

On Today's Show:
Emily Bazelon, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School and author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution  and End Mass Incarceration (Random House, 2019) previews the cases the Supreme Court will take up in its new term, including a redistricting case they are hearing arguments on this week, and off...

President Trump has been using different executive agency programs to target certain cities. 

On Today's Show:
U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D NJ) weighs in on the Trump announcement that the Gateway tunnel project is "terminated."

The federal government shutdown is now in its 15th day.

On Today's Show:
David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about the latest national political news, including the latest on President Trump's 'autocratic' tendencies.

On Saturday, the Trump administration rescinded the layoffs of hundreds of scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who were mistakenly fired the day before. 

On Today's Show:
Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter at The New York Times, explains what happened and who remains at the CDC.

On today's show: Julian Brave NoiseCat, writer, filmmaker, student of Salish art and history and the author of We Survived the Night (Knopf, 2025), talks about his new book, the story of North American indigenous people through his reporting and his own story, all in the style of a traditional "coyote story." 

Venezuela's opposition leader María Corina Machado has been named as the 2025 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

On Today's Show:
Gideon Rose, adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the former editor of Foreign Affairs and author of How Wars End (Simon & Schuster, 2010), talks about Corina Machado's work, and related world news.

The federal government shutdown continues, as Trump's efforts in the Middle East draw praise.

On Today's Show:
Jonathan Lemire, co-host of "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, contributing writer at The Atlantic and author of the book,The Big Lie: Election Chaos, Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020 (Flatiron Books, 2022), talks about what he calls the "project 2025 shutdown" and more national political news.

As the federal government shutdown enters its second week, a Democrat in the Senate shares his insights.

On Today's Show:
U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) talks about the ongoing shutdown and how issues like the Affordable Care Act are a part of the negotiations.

President Trump is making moves to deploy national guard troops to cities like Chicago and Portland, OR. 

On Today's Show:
Kyle Cheney, senior legal affairs reporter for Politico, talks about how states are reacting and why a federal judge keeps blocking the plan for Portland.

As the federal government shutdown continues, how is the White House using it for political leverage?

On Today's Show:
Russell Berman, a staff writer at The Atlantic talks shares the latest shutdown news. 

Note: This conversation was recorded on Friday morning about a developing story. 

It's the second day of the latest federal government shutdown over funding.

On Today's Show:
Politico congressional reporter Nicholas Wu talks about the latest on the impasse, who is getting blamed for the shutdown, and what it will take to end it.

Universities have had to contend with a climate of protest, and pressure from the Trump administration to crack down on it. 

On Today's Show:
Christopher Eisgruber, president of Princeton University and the author of Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right (Hachette, 2025), talks about issues of free speech and campus politics at Princeton, and the university's relationship with the Trump administration.

As Artificial Intelligence technology develops, and as nations vie for technical dominance, the UN has been considering its role. 

On Today's Show:
Vilas Dhar, president of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and member of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Body on AI, talks about the two new institutions created by the United Nations to study and discuss the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence, and his goals for governing this emerging technology so that it serves the public good.

Learning institutions, from public schools to universities, have been the site of several political fights in recent times. 

On Today's Show:
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the author of Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy (Thesis, 2025), talks about her new book and explains why she says education protects democracy.

The prospect of a government shutdown is growing as Democrats are threatening to not help Republicans on the Hill pass a spending bill by the September 30 deadline. 

On Today's Show: 
Deirdre Walsh, congressional correspondent for NPR's Washington Desk, talks about the politics of the potential shutdown and related news from Congress.

Jimmy Kimmel's brief suspension and, as of yesterday evening, illustrates some of the thornier challenges around the ideal of free speech.

On Today's Show:
Greg Lukianoff, attorney, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the author of several books on free speech, offers his thoughts on how he says both the political left and right weaponize crackdowns on speech, and why he thinks that is a problem for everyone's rights.

After President Trump and his public health chief raised concerns about the use of acetaminophen while pregnant, we look at what the science has to say.

On Today's Show:
Chelsea Cirruzzo, Washington correspondent for STAT News, talks about the results of last week's meeting of the federal advisory committee on vaccines and other public health news.

On today's episode, Richard Gowan, Director of UN and Multilateral Diplomacy at the International Crisis Group, shares insights on what to expect at the UN General Assembly, including President Trump's Tuesday address, the war in Gaza and the role of the United Nations worldwide.

Trump's administration has been using pressure to tamp down criticism by some major network late night hosts. 

On Today's Show:
Elie Honig, senior legal analyst at CNN, New York Magazine columnist, former state and federal prosecutor and author of several books, including When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ’s Pursuit of the President, From Nixon to Trump (Harper, 2025), explores investigations by the Department of Justice of presidents and other high-ranking officials throughout the years, and how the system may be tested during Trump's second presidency, as well as his efforts to control narratives about his...

With the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's late night show, and the news that ABC has temporarily suspended Jimmy Kimmel, we explore the changing landscape and moving goalposts of 'free speech.'

On Today's Show:
Two Atlantic staff writers, Ashley Parker and Adam Serwer share highlights and discuss the latest from the world of politics, where President Trump's administration and its allies have taken aim at critics of Charlie Kirk in the wake of his assassination. 

The Trump administration's recent lethal strikes on purported drug boats in Venezuela drew widespread condemnation from experts in international law. 

On Today's Show:
Brian Finucane, senior adviser at the International Crisis Group and a non-resident senior fellow at Reiss Center on Law and Security at NYU Law, talks about the strikes and the legal issues around them.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has issued a report on the state of children's health.

On Today's Show:
Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent, KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, talks about the details of the report and where it fits into the Trump administration's MAHA initiative.

Almost immediately after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed, videos were circulating on social media, and many people saw the gruesome crime without meaning to just by logging on.

On Today's Show:
Adam Clark Estes, senior technology correspondent at Vox, talks about how little content moderation big tech companies are doing these days, how the algorithm fed off people pausing to watch the video, and how content like this may traumatize vast swaths of people.
 

Democrats in the Senate are debating whether to allow the government to shut down when it runs out of funding later this month.

On Today's Show:

Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent at Vox and the author of The Reactionary Spirit: How America's Most Insidious Political Tradition Swept the World (PublicAffairs, 2024), talks about what's at stake in the debate over whether to go along with the Republican plan to fund the government or withhold their votes in protest.

On today's show: Kelly Drane, research director at Giffords Law Center, Ned Parker, investigative reporter at Thomson Reuters, and McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Romney: A Reckoning (Simon & Schuster, 2023), talk about guns and the state of political violence in America, after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at an event on a Utah college campus.

On Today's Show:

Ben Casselman, chief economics correspondent for The New York Times, talks about the adjustments to hiring numbers showing 911,000 fewer jobs were created in the 12 months before March 2025, as listeners share their real-world job search stories.

After a string of losses in lower courts by the Trump administration, in an unsigned order on Monday, the Supreme Court lifted a restriction on ICE from conducting indiscriminate stops and raids in Los Angeles that have been decried as racial profiling. 

On Today's Show:
Lindsay Nash, professor of law at Cardozo Law, co-director of the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic and co-director of the Center for Immigration Innovation, offers legal analysis of the ruling, and its implications for previously established protections against racial profiling.

Cristian Farias, legal journalist who writes for Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and other publications, and the host of The Bully’s Pulpit, a podcast of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, talks about the many legal issues the Trump administration is running into, related to sending the National Guard in to LA and DC, deportations and more.

Recent developments on the world stage may be shifting the geopolitical calculations of the Israel-Hamas war. 

On Today's Show:
Jane Arraf, international correspondent covering the Middle East for NPR, talks about the latest developments in Gaza as Israel clamps down on volunteer doctors and threatens more restrictions on humanitarian aid amid reports of famine.  

With the Epstein case and the possibility of other powerful abusers still at large, we look at the latest.

On Today's Show:
Jacob Shamsian, legal correspondent at Business Insider, talks about the latest developments in the Epstein saga as several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein urge Congress to act.

We look at how the media, including social media, is part of President Trump's approach to politics.

On Today's Show:
Ben Smith, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Semafor, and the author of Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral (Penguin Press, 2023), shares his analysis for how the president has come for civil servants, and what it might mean for the government bureaucracy in the future.

Congress is returning from its summer recess to a host of issues of national and international importance.

On Today's Show:
U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey as congress returns to work, including his recent trip to Asia, deportations and immigrant detention, further rescission demands, and why he's supporting Zohran Mamdani.

On Today's Show:
Nick Miroff, staff writer for The Atlantic who covers immigration and the Department of Homeland Security, talks about the changes at the immigration enforcement agency and how the $75 billion budget bump will be spent.

In an executive order on Monday, President Donald Trump directed each state’s National Guard to be prepared to respond to civil disturbances

On Today's Show:
Dan Lamothe, U.S. military and Pentagon reporter at The Washington Post, breaks down the latest news and what this might mean for cities like Chicago, Baltimore and New York City.

Between a meeting with South Korean leaders, further tariffs, and foreign investments, this week has seen several headlines regarding Trump's economic agenda. 

On Today's Show:
Lydia DePillis, New York Times reporter covering the American economy and Shawn Donnan, Bloomberg News senior writer, talk about the latest economic and tariff news, including U.S. investment in Intel, other deals involving foreign investment in U.S. businesses, and the Federal Reserve.

The left is taking a variety of different, somewhat disjointed approaches to counter-messaging the Trump administration. 

On Today's Show:
Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic Daily newsletter, talks about national politics, including Democratic messaging strategies, like California Gov. Newsom's efforts to 'troll' Trump on social media.

In July, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced it had issued subpoenas to medical providers that had provided gender-affirming care to minors. On today's show: Washington Post reporter Casey Parks discusses one of those subpoenas, which was newly made public, and what it means for transgender healthcare.

As the Trump administration conducts a review of the content in the Smithsonian museums, the president wrote on social media earlier this week that the Smithsonian Institution was too focused on the horrors of slavery.

On Today's Show:
Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University, a CNN Presidential Historian, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, talks about what could be lost if the administration is able to censor what is presented to museumgoers.

In a leaked recording, NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo suggests that Trump will urge his supporters to vote for him, rather, rather than GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa.

On Today's Show:
Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, and Jeff Coltin, Politico reporter and co-author of the New York Playbook, talk about the latest news in the mayoral campaign, including Andrew Cuomo's comments regarding President Trump at a Hamptons fundraiser.

Wall Street is reportedly worried that President Trump will come after big banks the way he did big law firms and elite universities.

On Today's Show:
William Cohan, co-founder of Puck News and author of many books, including Power Failure: The Rise and Fall of an American Icon (Penguin Random House, 2022), talks about the many ways President Trump is interfering in big U.S. businesses
 

The Presidents of Russia and the U.S. will meet in Alaska to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine. 

On Today's Show:
Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNBC; writer for MSNBC and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine.

President Trump is reportedly using federal agencies to beef up law enforcement presence in Washington DC. 

On Today's Show:
David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), talks about the context and implications of Pres. Trump's takeover of policing in Washington, DC, plus other national news.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has canceled nearly half a billion dollars in federal funding for future vaccine development.

On Today's Show:
Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, founding director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), member of the Vaccine Integrity Project, and the author, with Mark Olshaker, of the forthcoming book, The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics (Little, Brown Spark, 2025), talks about RFK, Jr.'s cuts to mRNA vaccine development and what it means for public health and science, plus other vaccine-related news.

After many delays and negotiations, most of President Donald Trump's tariffs went into effect last Thursday, August 7th.

On Today's Show:
Eric Levitz, senior correspondent at Vox, break down the latest news, including why Trump’s tariffs, no matter how tough they might be on American pocketbooks, might be very hard to reverse.

One of NYC's most likely mayoral hopefuls has been finding success supporting some extremely left-leaning policies. 

On Today's Show:
Zohran Mamdani, New York State assembly member (D-36, Queens) and the Democratic nominee for mayor, makes his pitch to voters as he runs for mayor of New York City.

With Congress on summer recess after passing the big spending bill, GOP representatives are now tasked with defending their legislative records to their constituents. 

On Today's Show:
Eleanor Mueller, congress reporter at Semafor, talks about the particularly tough crowd Republican congressman Mike Flood faced on Monday evening and other news coming out of Congress. 

With recent stories around the Fed chair, and US employment figures, a former government economist explains the latest, and the stakes. 

On Today's Show:
Robert Reich, recently retired as Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, Secretary of Labor under Pres. Clinton, a columnist for Newsweek and The Guardian and Substack, and the author of several books, including his latest, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America (Knopf, 2025), shares his story and why he thinks his generation 'came up short' and why young progressives listen to his political analysis.

 ...

With national political issues like the social safety net, immigration, and foreign policy playing out locally in NYC, a local elected weighs in. 

On Today's Show:
U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (D, NY-15) talks about the latest national political news of the week, as Congress is in the midst of the August recess.
 

As new information and reporting into the human trafficking scandal around Jeffrey Epstein continues to come to light, we explore how we know what we know about the case.  

On Today's Show:
Epstein experts Vicky Ward, an investigative journalist and author of books including Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump (St. Martin's Press, 2019), and Jacob Shamsian, legal correspondent at Business Insider, comb through the extensive history of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes, information about his associates, and recent news involving the Trump administration.

As the Northeast US faces another heatwave, we take a look at some of the data behind particular climate issues.

On Today's Show:
Radley Horton, professor of climate at Columbia University's Climate School, connects the dots between hotter temperatures, air quality and Canadian wildfires.

Israel celebrates its apparent military victory over Iran. How does that square with the humanitarian conditions in Gaza?

On Today's Show:
David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about his recent trip to Israel as the country navigates the complicated geopolitics of the region, and the changing landscape of international support. 

The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, with many Palestinian civilians reportedly unable to access food, medicine and other basic supplies.

On Today's Show:
Avril Benoît, executive director of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières in the United States, and Katy Crosby, Mercy Corps Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, talk about the on-the-ground reports they're receiving on the food and medical crises in Gaza.
 

General Motors' CFO says they won't raise prices despite the tariffs imposed by Trump's White House, and the retaliatory tariffs imposed by the US's global trade partners.

On Today's Show:
Alexandra Svokos, the digital managing editor of Kiplinger, talks about what some economic indicators say about the effects of the new tariffs.

Speaker Mike Johnson sent members of the House of Representatives home for their August break a few days early in order to avoid a vote on releasing Epstein materials.

On Today's Show: 
Annie Karni, congressional correspondent for The New York Times and co-author (with Luke Broadwater) of Mad House: How Donald Trump, Maga Mean Girls, a Former Used Car Salesman, a Florida Nepo Baby and A Man with Rats in his Walls Broke Congress (Random House, 2025), talks about how the years-old story is roiling Republicans and delighting Democrats, and more Congressional news.

In clips that went viral, Mehdi Hasan, editor-in-chief and CEO of Zeteo, columnist for The Guardian and former MSNBC host, debated 20 far-right conservatives on Jubilee's YouTube series "Surrounded."  He talks about the experience and why he's still not sure it was worth it.

The Texas state legislature has reconvened for a special session and at the behest of President Trump, one of the primary goals is to redraw the state's Congressional map to shore up the Republican majority in the House. 

On Today's Show:
Matthew Choi, co-writer of the Early Brief politics newsletter at The Washington Post, explains why this is happening now, and how Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, are trying to fight back.

Hear about the latest media headlines, from the Late Show's cancellation, to Trump's newspaper lawsuits and public media funding clawbacks and the Epstein Files news cycle.

On Today's Show:
Brian Stelter, chief media analyst for CNN Worldwide, lead author of the Reliable Sources newsletter and the author of several books, including Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for America (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2024), offers analysis of all the big media stories from recent days.
 

Columbia University has announced it will use a controversial definition of antisemitism on campus, approved by the Trump administration. 

On Today's Show:
Arno Rosenfeld, enterprise reporter at the Forward and author of the Antisemitism Decoded newsletter, talks about the new definition and why some groups don't support it. Plus Katie J.M. Baker, national investigative correspondent for The New York Times, discusses Project Esther, a project of the conservative Heritage Foundation that aims to suppress pro-Palestinian activism and what it labels antisemitism across America.

The senate approved a rescission package of cuts to NPR and PBS along with foreign aid.

On Today's Show:
LaFontaine Oliver, president and CEO of New York Public Radio, and Sarah Gilbert, president and CEO of WAMC/Northeast Public Radio, talk about what comes next, both for larger stations like WNYC and smaller and more rural public radio stations.

President Trump has attempted to signal a change of tune toward Russian President Vladimir Putin in his war against Ukraine.

On Today's Show:
Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion and democracy activist, plus host of The Atlantic podcast "Autocracy in America," chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative and a vice president of the World Liberty Congress, offers his take on how the United States of America can avoid backsliding into autocracy.

A local Senator shares his thoughts on federal responses to recent flooding in his state, Trump's budget, and foreign relations.

On Today's Show:
Senator Andy Kim (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey.

On today's show:

Immigrants and advocates are alleging that conditions at a lower Manhattan ICE facility are inhumane, including no beds and not enough food. Arya Sundaram, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering race and immigration, shares her reporting on the story and what local elected officials have been able to find out is going on inside.

On today's show: Susan Kang, associate professor of political science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a commentator on state on local politics, defines democratic socialism and analyzes the way the Democratic Socialists of America's New York chapter figured into Zohran Mamdani's campaign in the Democratic mayoral primary. 

Big changes are coming to student loans as a result of President Trump's domestic spending law. 

On Today's Show:
Ayelet Sheffey, senior economic policy reporter at Business Insider, explains how the new law will make it harder for some borrowers to afford medical or law school, and how repayment plans for federal student loans will change.

On today's show:

Austin Kocher, assistant research professor in the office of research and creative activity in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University, and Substack writer, shares the data he's collected from the Trump Administration's mass deportation policy, particularly the increasing numbers of migrants arrested by ICE and living in detention facilities across the country.

Trump's so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill' would cut clean energy subsidies, and other programs aimed at mitigating climate change.

On Today's Show:
Zack Colman, Climate and energy reporter for POLITICO, reports on new analysis that show the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will raise greenhouse gas emissions and scale back U.S. environmental goals.

Over the holiday weekend, political voices across the spectrum, from a Trump advisor to a leading congressional Democrat, weighed in on the national implications of Zohran Mamdani's primary win in NYC.

On Today's Show:
Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of several books, including The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters (Simon & Schuster, 2024), talks about the latest national political new including the latest on the budget bill and the president's agenda, and more.

Today, the domestic funding bill that President Trump has been pushing through Congress is undergoing a vote in the House of Representatives.

On Today's Show:
Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent, KFF Health News and host of the What the Health? podcast, talks about the House and Senate budget bills and what they would mean for Americans' access to health care.

It's been an impactful term at the Supreme Court this year, with cases impacting many facets of presidential power and checks-and-balances. 

On Today's Show:
Ruth Marcus, contributor to The New Yorker, former columnist for The Washington Post and the author of Supreme Ambition: Brett Kavanaugh and the Conservative Takeover (Simon & Schuster, 2019), talks about Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and takes stock of the Supreme Court's latest blockbuster decisions.