Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

When police kill innocent Black people, victims' families are often thrust into a public mourning that's partially an tragic spectacle, and partially a motivator of change. On Today's Show:Charles Blow, New York Times opinion columnist, author and MSNBC political analyst, shares his thoughts on how family members of Black men and boys murdered by police officers are forced to mourn in public, and reflects on the week since the video was released.

A freshman House Democrat from New York brings the latest news from Congress, plus his analysis on George Santos, investigations into Trump, and more. On Today's Show:Rep. Dan Goldman (D, NY-10), former lead counsel for the impeachment investigation of President Trump in 2019, and former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District NY, talks about the latest news from Congress.

What are we to call this phase of living with COVID-19, as a new variant dubbed "the Kraken" emerges, and as federal emergency measures are set to expire soon? On Today's Show:Daniel Griffin, MD, PhD, infectious disease physician with a PhD in molecular medicine, researcher at Columbia, Optum chief of the division of Infectious Disease, president of Parasites Without Borders and co-host of the podcast "This Week in Virology", talks about what it means that President Biden plans to end the COVID emergency in May, planning for future boosters, and what we know about the "kraken" subvariant.

What's similar, and what's different, about the way the justice system treats the rich (like Trump), the powerful (like police officers), and average Americans? On Today's Show:Elie Honig, senior legal analyst at CNN, author of Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away with It (Harper, 2023), and former New Jersey and federal prosecutor, talks about the way the criminal justice system works differently for those with wealth and power, as well as weighing in on the prosecution of the police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols.

Amid the outrage over the killing of Tyre Nichols by police, we take stock of the discussion about whether the issue is individual cops, or the structure and culture of policing. On Today's Show:Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, talks about the murder charges for the former Memphis police officers in the death of Tyre Nichols, the release of the videotape of the encounter, and the federal civil rights investigation into the incident.

The year 1993 saw the inauguration of a Democratic U.S. president and a Republican mayor of New York. We're exploring the dynamics that took root when Bill Clinton and Rudy Giuliani rose to the height of their political power—and their impact on the world in 2023.On Today's Show:How today's hyper-partisanship got its start in the 1990s. Guests: Nicole Hemmer, political historian and founding director of the Rogers Center for the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University, co-host of the podcasts This Day in Esoteric Political History and Past Present and the author of Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries who Remade American Politics in the 1990s (Basic Books, 2022) and Steve Kornacki, national political correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC and the author of The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism (Ecco, 2018).

The powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl is responsible for a continued rise in overdose deaths in New York City and across the country. On Today's Show:Sam Quinones, independent journalist and the author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic and The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth, and Courtney McKnight, clinical assistant professor of epidemiology at NYU's School of Global Public Health, talk about the drug and what makes it so life-threatening and resistant to efforts to stem its abuse.

On Today's Show:Shefali Luthra, a healthcare reporter at the 19th, discusses new FDA rules allowing pharmacies to distribute abortion pills, how red states are responding to underground pill movements, and how abortion access has changed in the 50 years since the Roe v. Wade decision.

On the 30th anniversary of Pres. Bill Clinton's inauguration, we explore the the short- and long-term impacts of his tenure. On Today's Show: Eleanor Clift, columnist for The Daily Beast, and David Maraniss, associate editor at The Washington Post, Pulitizer Prize-winning reporter, and the author of several books and biographies, including First in His Class: A Biography Of Bill Clinton (Simon & Schuster, 1995) and his latest, Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe (Simon & Schuster, 2022), discuss the Clinton campaign and the factors leading to his victory.

Thanks to redlining, we know that historically, Black people have faced historical barriers to purchasing property. What about trying to *sell* property as a Black real estate agent? On Today's Show:Colette Coleman, a writer focused on race and equity, discusses her New York Times article "Selling Houses While Black" about the challenges faced, and strategies adopted, by Black real estate agents, who are underrepresented in the profession and earn less than their white counterparts.

With a key fiscal deadline looming over the federal government, we explore how important the national debt actually is. On Today's Show:John Cassidy, staff writer at The New Yorker, explains the economics -- and politics -- of the approaching "debt ceiling".

Gas stoves, versus electric stoves, have sparked some health and safety questions. What's the environmental impact of these appliances, and what are the politics of regulating them? On Today's Show:Somini Sengupta, international climate reporter for The New York Times and lead writer for the Climate Forward newsletter, explains why gas stoves have recently become a political flashpoint, and digs into what the science says about risks they may pose to our health and to the environment.

For this year's MLK day show, we opened the phones for listeners to share their memories and personal experience with the civil rights movements of the 50s and 60s. On Today's Show:Peniel Joseph, Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values, founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of The Third Reconstruction: America's Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century (Basic Books, 2022), talks about what was accomplished, as well as the inequality that remained unaddressed.

Ahead of MLK day on Monday, we hear from faith leaders who are continuing Dr. King's legacy of anti-racism, today. On Today's Show:Jacqueline Lewis, senior minister at the Middle Church and author of Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness that Can Heal the World (Harmony, 2021), and Joshua Stanton, rabbi at East End Temple in Manhattan, talk about Sunday's MLK Day teach-in "(Re)Building Black and Jewish Beloved Community."

Why do Republicans want to give the IRS less money, and what would it mean for taxpayers across income brackets? On Today's Show:Catherine Rampell, an opinion columnist at the Washington Post, an economic and political commentator for CNN, a special correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and a contributor to Marketplace, explains why Republicans are trying rescind additional IRS funding, what that funding was intended for, and what might happen if they succeed.

As part of our 'Climate Story Of The Week' series, we review climate change and policy since one year ago. On Today's Show:Now that 2022 has come to a close, Henry Fountain, climate reporter for the New York Times provides an update on climate trends.

Now that Republicans are in control of the House of Representatives, what will be the fate of some of the Democrats' policy items? On Today's Show:Rep. Ritchie Torres, U.S. Representative (D-NY15), recaps the grueling Speaker selection process and predicts what the change in leadership will mean for his constituents.

On the 2nd anniversary of the attack on the Capitol, a look at what we now know about who's responsible for the events of Jan. 6 . On Today's Show:Ari Melber, host of "The Beat with Ari Melber" and chief legal correspondent for MSNBC, talks about the official January 6 committee report and reflects on the insurrection, its fallout, and where the House is headed now.

As the contest over who will be the next House speaker drags on, we look at the views of the voters in districts represented by those GOP members who want anyone but Kevin McCarthy. On Today's Show:Astead Herndon, New York Times national political reporter and host of their midterms podcast "The Run-Up", talks about the GOP's policy priorities in the House and what Republican voters expect of the representatives who are holding out against electing Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker.

With the injury count as high as it is in a contact sport like football, what is there to say about the morality of being a fan? On Today's Show:Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after a tackle in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday. Though medical personnel restored Hamlin's heartbeat, this emergency shines a light on the league's injury crisis. William Rhoden, columnist for Andscape and former longtime sports columnist at The New York Times, discusses the news.

With Congress's new term beginning, we explore what's next in national politics. On Today's Show:Molly Ball, national political correspondent for TIME and the author of Pelosi (Henry Holt and Co., 2020), kicks off the new year with a look at the new divided Congress and what the Republican majority in the House will do in the first weeks of January.

As new details develop in the name of accountability for January 6th, we look at what it means to hold a president accountable, and whether it was done right in the wake of Watergate. On Today's Show:Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, CNN political analyst, NPR contributor, and author of The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: A First Historical Assessment (Princeton University Press, 2022) and co-author with Kevin Kruse of the forthcoming Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past (Basic Books, 2023), and Jill Wine-Banks, MSNBC legal analyst, former Watergate special prosecutor, co-host of the podcasts "#Sistersinlaw" and "IGenPolitics" and the author of The Watergate Girl: My Fight for Truth and Justice Against a Criminal President (Henry Holt and Co., 2020), look to lessons from Watergate for what needs to happen with the Jan. 6th committee report.

A review of 2022's most consequential events that made headlines or deserved a closer look.

A look at a speech given yesterday by Ukrainian president Zelensky before Congress, and at two bits of bad news for Trump: the release of his tax returns, and the final Jan. 6 report. On Today's Show:Luke Broadwater, congressional correspondent for The New York Times, shares the latest from the Capitol, including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's address to a joint session of Congress, the House Ways and Means Committee’s vote to make Trump’s tax returns public and the final report of the Jan 6th Select Committee.

At its final public meeting yesterday, the January 6 committee recommended criminal charges for former President Trump. On Today's Show:Jacqueline Alemany, Congressional investigations reporter for The Washington Post and contributor to NBC News and MSNBC, recaps the day and explains whether the Department of Justice must act on the recommendations or not.

Elon Musk has made a series of changes to Twitter, which he recently purchased, that have left users and commentators questioning his approach to managing the platform. On Today's Show:Philip Bump, national correspondent for The Washington Post, bring his analysis on Musk's stewardship of Twitter, including what to make of a poll he posted asking whether he should step down as CEO.

On Thursday, Congress passed a stopgap bill to fund the government for an extra week to avoid a shutdown, and to give them more time to agree on a full-year budget for 2023 when the GOP takes control of the House. On Today's Show:Emily Cochrane, reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times, covering Congress, brings us her latest reporting about Congress's spending bills, and Eric Toder, Institute Fellow at the Tax Policy Center, explains the federal budget process, and the latest deal passed by Congress, which averts a shutdown for a week to give lawmakers more time to agree on a full-year budget.

An influx of asylum seekers have made their way to El Paso to seek entry into the United States, as a federal border regulation is set to expire next week. On Today's Show:Uriel García, immigration reporter at The Texas Tribune, brings the latest from the western corner of Texas, and Maria Sacchetti, reporter covering immigrant communities and Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Washington Post, shares the latest on Title 42.

With Congress poised to pass a defense spending bill, we look at the cost of the US military, and why, even in a time of relative peace, that cost continues to rise. On Today's Show:Fred Kaplan, Slate's 'War Stories' columnist and the author of many books, including The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War (Simon & Schuster, 2020), talks about the massive budget, and why very few in politics or media seem to raise an eyebrow at the size of the military budget.

A new scientific breakthrough in nuclear power, with political and economic implications, could completely change the course of our energy future. On Today's Show:Arthur Turrell, deputy director for research and economics at the U.K.'s Office for National Statistics (ONS) Data Science Campus, a visitor to the plasma physics group at Imperial College London and the author of The Star Builders: Nuclear Fusion and the Race to Power the Planet (Scribner, 2021), talks about the reports of a breakthrough in the pursuit of nuclear fusion which promises a cleaner source of energy.

Some right-wing voices claim that the prisoner swap that brought Brittney Griner back to American soil was a mistake. That, and more Monday Morning Politics. On Today's Show:Susan Glasser, a staff writer at the New Yorker, where she writes a column on life in Biden's Washington and co-anchors a weekly roundtable discussion on "The Political Scene" podcast, and co-author with Peter Baker of The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 (Doubleday, 2022), talks about the latest national political news, including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's change in party affiliation, the disparate reactions to the release of Brittney Griner, and more.

After a year with so much hate-motivated politics and violence, we take a step back with three perspectives on bigotry and hate movements, and on responding with love. On Today's Show:Sharon Kleinbaum, senior rabbi and spiritual leader of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City, Jay Caspian Kang, staff writer for The New Yorker, documentary film director, and the author of The Loneliest Americans (Crown, 2021), Eddie Glaude, Jr., chair of Princeton's African-American studies department and the author of Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own (Crown, 2020), on the verbal and physical expressions of hate in 2022, and how to combat it.

There's news of a prisoner swap in Russia, a thwarted QAnon coup attempt in Germany, and a Supreme Court case about elections and democracy in North Carolina. 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 developments in national politics, including the Warnock victory in Georgia, Brittney Griner's release, and more.

What does a calculated leak from Elon Musk to a journalist suggest about partisan fairness in the realm of social media, and what does it mean for responsible reporting? On Today's Show: Michael Grynbaum, a media correspondent for The New York Times, explains controversies in the tech and media worlds surrounding Elon Musk's leak of internal Twitter documents to journalist Matt Taibbi. Musk handed over a trove of documents related to Twitter's decision to limit posts related to a story about Hunter Biden in 2020. The nature of the leak and Taibbi's story have set off debates about Musk's leadership and media ethics.

Can a website designer refuse too bake a cake... wait, no, design a website, for a gay couple's wedding? And what can we glean from SCOTUS's oral arguments in the case? On Today's Show:Katherine Franke, professor of law at Columbia Law School and the director of the Center for Gender & Sexuality Law, explains the details of the case, where a website designer did not want to create a site for a gay wedding, and what's at stake for religious liberty, LGBTQ rights, and speech.

Joe Biden wants to switch around the order of the Democratic primary contests. We look at why he wants to do that, and what it could mean for the party. On Today's Show:Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, host of the podcast "FAQNYC," host of "The Blackest Questions" podcast on the Grio and the author of Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream (Oxford University Press, 2013), talks about the latest national political news, including that President Biden is pushing for a change in the order of presidential primaries, starting with South Carolina instead of Iowa, which traditionally held the first Democratic caucus.

In California, a group has been tasked with studying a way to implement a system of reparations for the racism and repression of slavery and segregation. On Today's Show:Kurtis Lee, economics correspondent for the New York Times, discusses his reporting on California's first-of-its-kind task force which is looking at how the state can best make up for its history of racism and discrimination.

On Today's Show:Eunice Yoon, Beijing bureau chief and senior correspondent at CNBC and NBC News, reports on the rare protests happening China as frustrations over COVID policies simmer.

On Today's Show:Devlin Barrett, Washington Post reporter focusing on national security and law enforcement, discusses the verdict in the Oath Keepers trial and developments in the special counsel's investigation into former President Trump.

With Republicans soon to take over as the majority in the House, what could Senate Democrats get done during this lame duck session, and beyond? On Today's Show:U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D NY) talks about her work in Washington.

With a little over a month until Congress begins its next term, with a new GOP House majority, we look at what the political shifts will mean for federal policy going forward. On Today's Show:Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power (Twelve, 2021), talks about the latest national political news, including Nancy Pelosi's tenure as Speaker of the House coming to a close, the makeup of the next Congressional session, and how the 2024 presidential races are shaping up.

With a spate of new representatives headed to Congress, we heard from two Congressmen-elect about the political landscape, and their agenda for the upcoming legislative term. On Today's Show:George Devolder-Santos, capital investment manager and US representative-elect (R, NY-3) and Dan Goldman, US representative-elect (D, NY-10), formerly lead counsel for the impeachment investigation of President Trump in 2019 and former assistant US attorney for the Southern District of NY.

The White House plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loans for millions of Americans hit a snag this month after legal challenges from conservative interest groups. On Today's Show:Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, national higher education reporter at the Washington Post, explains these court developments and what they mean for student debt holders.

With Nancy Pelosi stepping down as the leader of House Democrats, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries seems likely to take up the mantle. How does he plan to work with a GOP majority? On Today's Show:Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D NY-8th, Brooklyn and Queens), the House Democrats' chairman, talks about his bid to be the next House minority leader, the big changes in leadership happening in Congress, and how he'd unite the fractured caucus.

A progressive voice brings her analysis in the wake of fatal violence at a night club in Colorado Springs, and the announcement of a special counsel to investigate Trump's role in Jan. 6. On Today's Show:Joan Walsh, The Nation's national affairs correspondent, talks about the latest national political news, including how GOP flips of Congressional seats in New York helped Democrats lose control of the House - and who is responsible for that in New York.

On Thursday, Nancy Pelosi announced she will step aside as a House Democratic leader.On Today's Show:Steve Israel, former member of Congress, writer and director of the Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at Cornell University, and Molly Ball, national political correspondent for TIME and the author of Pelosi (Henry Holt and Co., 2020) talk about these big changes to the balance of power in Washington, D.C. leadership.

Some soccer fans intend to boycott the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which begins next Sunday in the gulf state nation of Qatar, over concerns about the country's human rights and labor records. On Today's Show:Dan Friedman, writer, digital consultant and former Executive Editor of the Forward, tells us the history of this World Cup and why it matters.

With Donald Trump officially kicking off his campaign last night, we look at what it means for the Republican party, the conservative movement, and the politics of the 2024 election. On Today's Show:Eliana Johnson, editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon, unpacks the announcement and the early reactions from within the Republican Party.

Election deniers — many endorsed by former President Trump — didn't do so well at the polls last week, and voting was relatively smooth nationwide. On Today's Show:Nick Corasaniti, domestic correspondent covering national politics for The New York Times, talks about the possibility that the threat they posed to democracy is waning or even over.

With the Senate race in Arizona called, officially delivering control of at least one house of Congress to Democrats, by an extremely tight margin. On Today's Show:Molly Ball, national political correspondent for TIME and the author of Pelosi (Henry Holt and Co., 2020), talks about the weekend's big political news.