Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

European officials are reportedly convinced that former president Trump Trump is going to win the election in November.On Today's Show:McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Romney: A Reckoning (Simon & Schuster, 2023), shares his reporting, and why some foreign leaders are increasingly alarmed at the prospect.

President Biden's executive action on the southern border, his son's trial and the latest on the role of the U.S. in cease fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.On Today's Show:Jonathan Lemire, host of “Way Too Early" on MSNBC, Politico White House bureau chief, and the author of The Big Lie: Election Chaos, Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020 (Flatiron Books, 2022), talks about the latest national political news

After Dobbs and other Supreme Court decisions that restrict certain rights at the federal level, are there strategies for progressives to codify those rights at the state level?On Today's Show:Eyal Press, contributing writer at The New Yorker and the author of Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America (Macmillan, 2021), talks about renewed efforts to focus on the rights found in individual state constitutions.

Both parties try to maximize the political advantage of Donald Trump's guilty verdicts in the Manhattan trial, as jury selection starts in the Hunter Biden case in federal court. On Today's Show:Jill Colvin, national political reporter for the Associated Press, talks about the political impact of the Trump verdict on the presidential campaign, the start of the Hunter Biden trial, and the campaigns' embrace of TikTok.

Yesterday afternoon, former President Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. On Today's Show:Andrea Bernstein, journalist reporting on Trump legal matters for NPR, host of many podcasts including "Will be Wild" and "Trump, Inc." and the author of American Oligarchs: The Kushners, The Trumps and the Marriage of Money and Power (W. W. Norton & Company, 2020), reports on the guilty verdict for President Trump from her vantage point from the courtroom, and as a longtime reporter on the former president and his business dealings.

Donald Trump's hush money case is currently being deliberated by the jurors after hearing weeks of arguments.On Today's Show:Andrew Weissmann, professor of practice at NYU School of Law, lead prosecutor in Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel's Office, co-author of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024) and co-host of the podcast "Prosecuting Donald Trump," explains the central questions the jury is discussing as well as what impact the jury's decision, whatever it may be, could have on our legal system and future political campaigns.

Presidential polls showing a decline in popularity since 2020 for Pres. Biden among younger voters, as well as Black and Latino voters -- traditionally groups that vote for Democrats. On Today's Show:Eric Levitz, senior correspondent at Vox, shares his theory behind the change and the role trust in institutions plays a big part.

Former president Trump is reportedly offering a 'deal to big oil companies that could save industry $110 billion in exchange for campaign donations.On Today's Show:Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter at Guardian US, shares her investigative series on "Big Oil," including debunking top oil firms' climate pledges and more.

The Supreme Court issued a ruling that will allow a gerrymander in South Carolina to stand, on the basis that it was done for partisan, not racial, reasons. On Today's Show:Ari Berman, voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones and author of Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People—and the Fight to Resist It (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024), explains how this will affect voters in South Carolina and beyond, and explains the larger voting rights context of the decision.

How have the turbulent periods of the past shaped the present, and what can they tell us about how to move into the future?On Today's Show:Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post columnist, host of CNN’s "Fareed Zakaria GPS," and the author of Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), looks back at other turbulent eras for insights into navigating this one.

Briefing the press, framing the President's agenda, and deciding on the political messaging of a presidency are all part of the job for the White House Press Secretary.On Today's Show:Jen Psaki, former White House press secretary, MSNBC host, and the author of Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World (Simon & Schuster, 2024), offers advice on effective communication in Washington, and beyond.

Why are "grievances" big and small motivating so much of our politics -- on both the left and the right, and what does it mean for democracy?On Today's Show:Frank Bruni, New York Times op-ed columnist and the author of The Age of Grievance (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 2024), discusses.

After reporting from some of the most troubled corners of the earth, our guest discusses the intersection of hope, and journalism.On Today's Show:Nicholas Kristof, opinion columnist for The New York Times and author of several books, including the new memoir Chasing Hope (Penguin Random House, 2024), reflects on his long career covering tough stories, including war, genocide and addiction, and explains how he remains optimistic despite it all.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer and incumbent Congressman Jamaal Bowman, who are vying for the Democratic nomination in New York's 16th Congressional district.On Today's Show:Tara Rosenblum, anchor, host and reporter for News 12, and Chris McKenna, reporter at The Journal News and lohud.com, recap the debate in what Politico called, "likely the most contentious in the nation."

Amid back-and-forth over declined ceasefire terms, we look at the US's position on the conflict in Gaza.On Today's Show:Francesca Chambers, a White House Correspondent for USA Today, talks about the news from Washington and beyond.

Nicholas Wu, Politico congressional reporter, talks about the latest news coming out of Congress, including the bipartisan vote that kept Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House.

President Biden is staking his legacy, and his reelection campaign, on massive amounts of domestic spending, spurred by the passage of four major laws. But a Politico analysis found billions of dollars Congress approved by passing these bills has not yet been spent.On Today's Show:Jessie Blaeser, data reporter at Politico, and Ben Storrow, reporter at Politico's E&E News, explain the delays, and why they are a threat both to the president's legacy and his reelection.

What does it mean that global forces like China and Russia and the domestic MAGA movement are working to discredit democracy?On Today's Show:Anne Applebaum, staff writer atThe Atlantic, historian and author of the forthcomingAutocracy Inc. (Penguin, 2024), talks about herAtlanticcover story, “Democracy Is Losing the Propaganda War," about the rise of autocracy around the world.

Congress has taken on the "complicated" task of legislating antisemitism. Annie Karni, congressional correspondent at The New York Times, talks about the latest national political news of the week, including legislation that recently passed the House on antisemitism, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's latest attempt to oust Speaker Mike Johnson and more.

The Department of Justice plans to change the way the federal government classifies cannabis, which will loosen restrictions on weed. Natalie Fertig, federal cannabis policy reporter for Politico, reports on the change, including how it will affect people, businesses and research in states where cannabis is legal (and not).

Aaron David​​​​ Miller, senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, former State Department advisor on the Middle East, and the author of several books, including The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace (Bantam, 2008), talks about the current state of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas and the best pathways to peace in the region. Plus, he reacts to President Biden's live remarks on the campus protests.

With pro-Palestinian protests going on in her district, U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill (D, NJ-11) reacts to the news overnight of police arresting campus protesters, and discusses her priorities related to reproductive rights and the National Defense Reauthorization Act.

How would a moderator handle a potential debate matchup between President Biden and former President Trump in order to make the most of the event for voters?On Today's Show:Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief shares the latest national political news, including the White House Correspondents Dinner and Pres. Biden's agreement to a debate against former President Trump.

Nicholas Kristof, opinion columnist for The New York Times and author of several books, including the forthcoming memoir Chasing Hope (Penguin Random House, 2024), shares his critique of how he says President Biden has mishandled the United States' role in Israel's war in Gaza, what he sees as Biden's reasoning, the political implications and what the United States could do moving forward to end the war.

Melissa Murray, NYU law professor, co-host of the "Strict Scrutiny" podcast and the co-author (with Andrew Weissmann) of The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary (W. W. Norton & Company, 2024), previews the oral arguments the Supreme Court will hear on former President Trump's immunity case.

One key part of the juror questionnaire in former President Donald Trump's "hush money" trial asked about the prospective jurors' media diets, which showed some interesting responses.On Today's Show:Erica Orden, Politico reporter, recaps what has happened so far at the juror selection and the consequent start of the trial, where David Pecker, the former publisher for the National Enquirer, testified about that publication's "catch and kill" strategy to suppress negative stories about people like Donald Trump.

Jane McAlevey, labor organizer, columnist for The Nation and the author of several books, including (with Abby Lawlor)Rules to Win By: Power and Participation in Union Negotiations (Oxford University Press, 2023), reflects on her life's work in organizing and recent wins for labor, and what she sees as crucial for workers to do if they want to continue the positive streak for unions.

As Passover begins, Noah Feldman, Harvard law professor, founding director of the Julis-Rabinowitz Program on Jewish and Israeli Law, and the author of To Be a Jew Today: A New Guide to God, Israel, and the Jewish People (Macmillan, 2024), talks about his new book, inspired by his conversations with his children and even more relevant since 10/7, that tries to define what all Jews have in common.

Recent history has shown how two global superpowers engage on the world stage. What changes when a third nation joins the mix?On Today's Show:David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times, talks about what he calls the new 'Cold Wars'—emphasis on the 's'—as the U.S., China and Russia vie for dominance.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments concerning the law used to charge defendants for their actions on January 6th.On Today's Show:Kate Shaw, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny, a contributor with ABC News and a contributing opinion writer with The New York Times, offers her legal analysis.

What is on Congress's radar after Iran's strike on Israel?On Today's Show:U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) talks about her work in Washington, including the war in Gaza, her bill for child care for police officers and more.

How are the politics and society of today similar to those of the 1960s?On Today's Show:Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian, author of many books, including Team of Rivals and her latest, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s (Simon & Schuster, 2024), writes about the life and times she shared with her late husband, Dick Goodwin, a speechwriter and advisor to JFK, RFK and LBJ.

This election year, the politics of inflation will be a key issue for voters. On Today's Show:John Cassidy, staff writer at The New Yorker, talks about the latest inflation report and how both parties are responding.

With Congress facing a number of key issues, we explore the Rep. Mike Johnson's stewardship of the nation's business before the House of Representatives. On Today's Show:Luke Broadwater, congressional correspondent for The New York Times, talks about the latest congressional news, including the pressure on Speaker Johnson from the right over FISA, spending, foreign aid, and more.

The White House says that President Biden’s new student loan forgiveness plan could help 30 million borrowers.On Today's Show:Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, national higher education reporter at the Washington Post, shares her reporting and unpacks the details.

Former President Trump recently stated that he thinks abortion policy should be left to the states, as many in the GOP are expressing support for a national 15-week abortion ban.On Today's Show:Molly Ball, senior political correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, talks about the 2024 election and abortion in light of recent developments

Objective economic indicators continue to show a mismatch with the public's perception of the state of the economy. On Today's Show:Megan Cassella, CNBC Washington correspondent, talks about Friday's jobs report, Treasury Sec. Yellen's trip to China, and other national political and economic news.

President Biden has reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu the humanitarian situation in Gaza had to improve, following the killings of aid workers delivering food and supplies. On Today's Show:Yasmeen Abutaleb, Washington Post White House reporter and co-author of the book, Nightmare Scenario: Inside the Trump Administration Response to the Pandemic that Changed History (Harper, 2021), offers analysis of the U.S. policy toward Israel and Gaza

An Israeli attack in Gaza has killed seven aid workers from the organization World Central Kitchen.On Today's Show:Allison Kaplan Sommer, a journalist for Haaretz and the host of the Haaretz podcast, talks about Israeli response to the deaths of the WCK aid workers, the state of U.S./Israel relations, and other developments in the Israel/Hamas war.

As Donald Trump's rhetoric grows increasingly more inflammatory, debate surrounding whether or not to use the label 'fascist' heats up as well.On Today's Show:Andrew Marantz, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation (Viking, 2019), discusses his latest piece, which explores whether or not Trump is a fascist, and what that label conceals or reveals about his campaign and his supporters.

The Biden campaign is currently out-fundraising Trump, who needs money not only for the campaign but for his growing legal bills.On Today's Show: Rebecca Davis O'Brien, reporter covering campaign finance and money in U.S. elections for The New York Times, explains why it matters, who is giving campaign cash and the difference between what large and small donors want when they give money.

One of Silicon Valley's most intrepid journalists shares her analysis of how the tech business helps shape the digital products they producer which in turn, shape our lives. On Today's Show:Kara Swisher, tech journalist, host of the podcasts "On with Kara Swisher" and "Pivot" and the author of Burn Book: A Tech Love Story (Simon & Schuster, 2024), tells her story as it overlaps with that of the tech industry, and what's gone right and where it's gone wrong.

How is critical infrastructure built and regulated—and what systems are in place to prevent an accident like the collision in Baltimore from happening in the future?On Today's Show:Peter Ford, founder of SkyRock Advisors, a port and maritime infrastructure advisor, and a member of the Cornell Program in Infrastructure Policy advisory board, and Brian Buckman, professional engineer and founder and CEO of Buckman Engineering, discuss maritime and bridge infrastructure.

A new Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll that shows President Biden seemed to have gotten a bump in some swing states after the State of the Union.On Today's Show:Laura Davison, politics editor at Bloomberg News, talks about the poll and what it suggests about the politics and policies that Biden touted, including the fact that that taxing the rich is a popular position among swing-state voters.

The CEO of Boeing, Dave Calhoun, announced he will step down this year amid a management scandal.On Today's Show:Lori Aratani, reporter covering transportation issues for The Washington Post, breaks down what's going on at the fraught airline company and just how safe it is to fly.

When it comes to the war in Gaza, some Israelis and Palestinians have an an appetite for productive dialog about what peace and justice could look like for both peoples. On Today's Show:Alon-Lee Green and Rula Daood, national co-directors of Standing Together, talk about their work leading a group that advocates for peace and justice for all Israelis and Palestinians, and how they are approaching their work amid the war.

Misinformation on social media—some of it seeded by groups that are anti-reproductive rights—is leading women away from using birth control.On Today's Show:Lauren Weber, health and science accountability reporter at The Washington Post, explains how it is affecting women's choices and access to reproductive care.

Violent gangs in Haiti have a history of violent interference in the country's democratic processes. On Today's Show:Garry Pierre-Pierre, founder and publisher of The Haitian Times, discusses the unfolding crisis in Haiti where gangs have ousted the president and wreaked havoc on the population.

With multiple major global conflicts raging, a humanitarian chef discusses the importance of civilian aid and food distribution. On Today's Show:José Andrés, a Michelin-starred chef, Emmy-winning television host, founder of the non-profit organization World Central Kitchen and the author of Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon (Ecco, 2024), talks about his work on the ground in Ukraine and Gaza with World Central Kitchen and his new cookbook.

What domestic or foreign consequences will come of a speech given by the highest ranking Jewish American lawmaker in US history, criticizing Israel's leader? On Today's Show:Claudia Grisales, NPR Congressional correspondent, talks about the latest national politics news, including the reverberations of Sen. Schumer's remarks about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.