Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

Democrats moved a joint human-and-physical infrastructure bill through Congress, to the chagrin of moderates who wanted it split into two distinct bills. On Today's Show:U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, NJ-12), vice chair at large of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, talks about the House deal on the budget and infrastructure bills, the Afghanistan withdrawal, and more.

Over the weekend at a press conference, President Biden talked about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. His aides spent the rest of the weekend clarifying his remarks. On Today's Show:Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty (Twelve, 2019) and the forthcoming Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power (Twelve, April 2021), talks about the latest in national politics, including the Afghanistan withdrawal and the infrastructure and budget bills in the House.

There's no shortage of hot-takes about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. But what does a former State Department official who worked out of Kabul have to say about the situation? On Today's Show:Annie Pforzheimer, non-resident associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), acting deputy assistant secretary of state for Afghanistan until March 2019, and deputy chief of mission in Kabul from 2017-2018, talks about the sudden fall of the Afghan government and the continued efforts to evacuate Americans and those who worked with them.

With the news that the Biden administration is recommending the CDC approve COVID vaccine boosters, listeners called in to ask an expert what it means for them. On Today's Show:Georges C. Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association, discusses the latest COVID news, from the rise in delta variant cases to the distribution of booster shots.

With the withdrawal of US troops and the ascent of the Taliban, Afghan women have a lot to lose. So let's make sure we understand what they're facing. On Today's Show:Sarah Chayes, former NPR reporter who covered the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, talks about the recent updates from Afghanistan and what Afghan women are experiencing as the United States withdraws from the country.

As the Taliban takes back the reins of government in Afghanistan, how has the Biden administration's withdrawal plan affected the lives of Afghans who assisted the U.S. military? 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), and Kristen Rouse, president & founder of the NYC Veterans Alliance and board member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, discuss the latest updates on the situation in Afghanistan.

Perdue Pharma is fighting in bankruptcy court to insulate themselves against opioid lawsuits that could cost trillions of dollars. So what does fighting the crisis looks on the street? On Today's Show:Sessi Kuwabara Blanchard, harm reduction outreach worker at a NYC syringe exchange, program director of the DSA's Opioid Overdose Prevention Program and freelance journalist, talk about why fentanyl is becoming more ubiquitous and what we can do to prevent overdose deaths.

Former Governor David Patterson took office after Elliot Spitzer resigned in a prostitution scandal. He brings his experience to help make sense of Cuomo's resignation. On Today's Show:David Paterson, former governor of New York, talks about Gov. Cuomo's resignation through the lens of his own experience as New York's governor and his long experience with politics in the state.

Gov. Cuomo took pains to explain in his resignation speech that he simply didn't know that his behavior was unacceptable. So how far has the #MeToo movement really come? On Today's Show:Rebecca Traister, writer-at-large for New York Magazine and the author of, most recently, Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger (Simon & Schuster, 2018), talks about the toxic workplace that Gov. Cuomo allegedly fostered, and how that intersected with the Me Too movement and was part of what led to his resignation.

There's division among Democrats in Congress over whether the same bill should address both physical infrastructure and human infrastructure. So what are the politics at play? On Today's Show:Rep. Josh Gottheimer, (D, NJ-5), co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, talks about the infrastructure deal and whether the House will take it up, plus other national issues.

July's job numbers are out, but do they really paint a complete picture of the post-vaccine economy, with delta cases rising and unemployment benefits set to expire? On Today's Show:Jeanna Smialek, reporter covering the Federal Reserve and the economy for The New York Times and Lauren Hirsch, New York Times and DealBook reporter covering business, policy and mergers and acquisitions, discuss the latest jobs report and what the delta variant means for the return to the workplace.

Lots to cover in Congress these days, including the moderate/progressive split among Democrats, addressing the looming eviction crisis, and the best way to balance the Supreme Court. On Today's Show:Rep. Mondaire Jones, a Congressional freshman, (D-NY17, Rockland County and part of Westchester County), joins to brings the latest news, politics and analysis from the Capitol.

Yesterday's AG report found that all 11 sexual assault allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo were credible. Where does he, and the state, go from here? On Today's Show:Gwynne Hogan, reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, and Karen DeWitt, Capitol bureau chief for New York State Public Radio, talk about what comes next for the governor and what role the state legislature plays. Plus, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman and chairman of the committee on judiciary, joins to discuss his committee's role in what's to come.

Amid rising cases of the delta variant, New York City is re-instating some COVID precautions that it had previously rolled back. What does the science have to say about the policy? On Today's Show:Nsikan Akpan, WNYC's health and science editor, breaks down the science behind breakthrough infections, local pols' decisions not to mandate indoor masking and more COVID news.

Between the more contagious delta variant, and the need for vaccine boosters possibly on the horizon, the COVID risk calculus has changed. How should we be thinking about safety now? On Today's Show:Leana Wen MD, emergency physician, professor at George Washington University, contributing columnist for The Washington Post, CNN medical analyst, and former Baltimore Health Commissioner and the author of Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health (Metropolitan Books, 2021) joins to discuss the new COVID risk calculus.

We're in the midst of long-term national conversation about policing, crime, race and justice, and we wanted to hear what a career member of the policing establishment thought about it. On Today's Show:Bill Bratton, former New York City police commissioner and the author (with Peter Knobler) of The Profession: A Memoir of Community, Race, and the Arc of Policing in America (Penguin Press, 2021), talks about his law enforcement career as commissioner of police in some of the biggest cities in America, and shares his views on current crime stats, including rising gun violence.

This week, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles said that she wasn't in the right headspace to compete. So what happens when trailblazers, those known for breaking glass ceilings, need a minute? On Today's Show:Candace Buckner, reporter focusing on the intersection of race, gender and diversity issues in the world of sports for The Washington Post, breaks down the intersectional pressures Biles is under in the Games and her influence beyond the sport. Plus, listener calls with the unique mental health challenges facing BIPOC trailblazers.

As Congress begins hearings into the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, the question of whom to hold accountable is front and center. What did we hear at the hearing, and what does it mean? On Today's Show:Washington Post congressional reporter Jacqueline Alemany and national security and law enforcement reporter Devlin Barrett, breaks down the first hearing of the special House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The CDC just rolled back its guidance that vaccinated people could safely go maskless indoors. COVID breakthrough infections are becoming more common as the Delta variant spreads quickly. So how should people be thinking about public health and risk management these days? On Today's Show:Dara Kass, MD, emergency medicine physician at the Columbia University Medical Center, explains why it's happening (and why you shouldn't panic), and what to do if you are vaccinated and become infected anyway.

Tomorrow, a congressional panel will convene to begin hearings into the Jan. 6 insurrection. What should we expect from the hearings, and just how bi-partisan is this effort? On Today's Show:Mara Liasson, national political correspondent for NPR, ticks through the biggest political stories from over the weekend and what to watch for in the coming days, including tomorrow's hearings on the Jan. 6 insurrection and vaccination efforts around the country.

This year, we've seen flooding on the east coast, wildfires on the west coast, and a late-winter snow storms in Texas that knocked out the power grid. So what's up with the weather? On Today's Show: Adam Sobel, professor at Columbia University, director of Columbia's Initiative on Extreme Weather and Climate, host of the podcast "Deep Convection" and author of Storm Surge: Hurricane Sandy, Our Changing Climate, and Extreme Weather of the Past and Future (Harper-Collins, 2014)

We've learned a lot more about Trump's insurrection in the months since it happened. But we didn't know how far his military advisors went to avoid a constitutional crisis. On Today's Show:The Washington Post's White House senior Washington correspondent Philip Rucker and national investigative reporter Carol Leonnig, authors of I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year (Penguin Press, 2021), tell the untold story of 2020 and the Trump White House and how last year's events reverberate today.

At some point after the election, AG Barr reversed course on Trump's 'Big Lie.' But how did his actions before the election enable the former president's behavior? On Today's Show:Elie Honig, CNN senior legal analyst and author of Hatchet Man: How Bill Barr Broke the Prosecutor's Code and Corrupted the Justice Department (HarperCollins, 2021) talks about his new book examining the Bill Barr era at the Department of Justice, plus offers analysis of current legal issues.

The anti-government protests in Cuba are sparking debates here in the US about the embargo and our icy diplomatic relationship with the island. How are Cuban-Americans thinking about it? Today:Dr. Andy S. Gomez, Retired Director of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies and former Assistant Provost and Dean of International Studies of Cuban Studies at the University of Miami, and Frances Robles, national and foreign correspondent for the New York Times, break down the recent anti-government protests in Cuba as well as abroad in solidarity. Plus, listeners with connections to the island help report the story.

In the 1600s, Britain used Jamaica as a hub of the transatlantic slave trade. Now, the Caribbean nation is taking steps to demand restitution. On Today's Show:Selwyn R. Cudjoe, professor of Africana Studies at Wellesley College and an expert in Caribbean literature and Caribbean intellectual history, discusses the reports that Jamaica plans to petition Britain for compensation for the slave trade in the former colony.

Expanded child tax credits are expected to hit peoples' bank accounts in the next few weeks. So who's getting one, and what does the government hope the money gets spent on? On Today's Show:Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist for The Washington Post and author of the new book What To Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits, breaks down what you need to know about the new monthly child tax credit payments and takes listeners' questions.

Some Democratic legislators in Texas have fled the state in an attempt to prevent sweeping changes to election law that would make it harder to vote. On Today's Show:Ari Berman, senior reporter at Mother Jones covering voting rights and author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, recaps President Biden's major speech on voting rights which comes at the same time as some GOP-controlled legislatures have pushed ahead new state laws restricting ballot access. Plus James Talarico, Texas State Representative (D, 52nd, Williamson County), talks about the Texas Democrats' efforts to prevent passage of GOP voting laws in the legislature.

Twenty-three former members of Colombia's military have been arrested as suspects in the assassination of Haiti's president, including one with former ties to U.S. law enforcement. On Today's Show:Catherine Porter, Toronto Bureau Chief for the New York Times and and author of the memoir A Girl Named Lovely (Simon & Schuster, 2019) about her experience in Haiti after the 2010 Earthquake, and Marlene L. Daut, Ph.D., professor in and Associate Director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African American and African Studies at the University of Virginia, join to update us on the ongoing investigations and break down the history that got us here.

We check in on the Biden Administration. In particular, its missed vaccine benchmark, and a timeline for Afghan troop withdrawal. On Today's Show:Jonathan Lemire, White House reporter for the Associated Press and political analyst for MSNBC/NBC News, discusses the latest national political developments, including the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden's vaccine goals, and a rising concern among voters about crime and policing.

Gun violence is a tragic, complicated and confounding problem. What does the research say about why young men in particular pick up firearms. On Today's Show:Rachel Swaner, research director at the Center for Court Innovation; Elise White, deputy research director at the Center for Court Innovation; and Basaime Spate, community-based research coordinator at the Center for Court Innovation, talk about their 2020 report "Guns, Safety, and the Edge of Adulthood in New York City"—a year-long study into the reasons young people carry guns in NYC.

Over the weekend, Biden celebrated his first 4th of July as President. We look at his remarks on the occasion, and how his version of patriotism compares to his predecessor. On Today's Show:Yamiche Alcindor, White House correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and moderator of Washington Week, and a political contributor to NBC News and MSNBC, discusses President Biden's July 4th, and the latest headlines coming out of Washington, D.C.

The Supreme Court issued its final opinions of the term, including a ruling that Arizona's legislature can make it harder to cast early votes. On Today's Show:Jami Floyd, senior editor for race and justice and legal editor at WNYC, offers her analysis of the 6-3 opinion by Justice Alito (and a strong dissent from Justice Kagan) upholding Arizona's voting laws. Plus, her take on the surrender for arrest by the Trump Organization CFO and the release of Bill Cosby.

On the last day of Pride Month, we spotlight some reporting and analysis of how some companies mask anti-LGBT behaviors behind rainbow branding. On Today's Show:Zach Stafford, MSNBC contributor, the former editor-at-large of BuzzFeed and the first Black editor-in-chief of The Advocate, the oldest and largest LGBT publication in the United States, discusses a recent study which found that some companies that have expressed support for the LGBTQ community during Pride Month have given over $10 million to politicians who have pushed anti-LGBTQ legislation.

There's a debate in public health about whether vaccine policy should target American children, or adults globally. On Today's Show: Dr. Leana Wen, emergency physician, professor at George Washington University, contributing columnist for The Washington Post, CNN medical analyst, former Baltimore Health Commissioner and the author of the forthcoming book Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health (Metropolitan Books, 2021), argues vaccinating young kids here should be an "urgent priority," plus talks about the threat of the Delta variant.

Two matters of law — a voting rights case in Georgia and an indictment of officials in the Trump Organization — have moved forward in recent days. On Today's Show:Aziz Huq, professor of law at the University of Chicago School of Law, explains the legal underpinnings behind these two cases, how the parties might proceed.

If you've been noticing long lines at the store, it's probably not capacity requirements anymore. Instead, look at why so many workers are leaving retail. On Today's Show:Anna North, senior correspondent at Vox and author of the bestselling book Outlawed (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021), joins to take calls from listeners on how this exodus is affecting their lives -- whether from the perspective of the workers or the shoppers.

On Monday, the Las Vegas Raider's Carl Nassib announced on Instagram that he is gay. On Today's Show:Jane McManus, director of Marist's Center for Sports Communication and Deadspin sports columnist, joins to discuss the news and what we as a society expect from male professional athletes with Jeff Rueter, staff writer at The Athletic, who recently wrote an article on the topic.

New York City is using "ranked choice voting" for the first time. It's the largest implementation so far of this different way of tallying votes. On Today's Show:It's the day of the primary, so we asked listeners to call in for an "exit poll" on how they decided their ballot rankings. Plus, Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, talks about what she is seeing at poll sites, answers last-minutes ranked choice voting questions and explains why the counting process will take so much time.

A group of conservative Catholic bishops have laid the groundwork to deny President Biden communion over his support of abortion rights. On Today's Show:Catholics call in to discuss whether they think it's justified or hypocritical.

On June 19th, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure that all enslaved people were freed, ushering in the end of slavery. Now, Congress has made it a holiday. On Today's Show: Elizabeth Alexander, president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, poet, educator, memoirist and scholar, looks back through American history — both recent and not — and asks the fundamental question "what does it mean to be Black and free in a country that undermines Black freedom?"

On June 19th, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure that all enslaved people were freed, ushering in the end of slavery. This week, Congress made it a national holiday. On Today's Show: Clint Smith, staff writer at The Atlantic, award winning poet, and author of How the World is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America (Little, Brown and Company June 1, 2021), leads listeners through a tour of U.S. monuments and landmarks that explain how slavery has been central in shaping our history.

Throughout the pandemic, Amazon has grown exponentially, as have calls for fairer working conditions for the logistic giant's workers. On Today's Show:Prize-winning investigative reporter and best-selling author Jodi Kantor, and Grace Ashford, a researcher and reporter with The New York Times' Investigations unit, break down the key takeaways from a months-long investigation of the JFK8 Amazon fulfillment center and what it exposes about the company's work culture.

The Senate has a lot on its plate, from infrastructure to voting rights. On Today's Show:Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator (D NY), talks about her work in the Senate on military justice, plus updates on the status of the Senate's other important business.

Newly released IRS documents show how the nation's tax enforcement treats the rich differently, often to their benefit. On Today's Show:ProPublica received a trove of IRS data showing that the wealthiest Americans "sidestep" income taxes, legally. Jesse Eisinger, senior reporter and editor at ProPublica, talks about his reporting, and what it says about the inequality baked into the US tax system.

Can businesses require their employees to disclose their vaccination status? Can they fire you if you don't want to get vaccinated? Is it OK to ask your colleagues about their status? On Today's Show:Robert Iafolla, reporter covering labor and employment for Bloomberg Law, joins to discuss what employers can and cannot mandate. Plus, he takes listener calls on how they would like their offices to reopen.

There are internal disputes at the American Civil Liberties Union over its tradition of defending all speech, including neo-Nazi protests and Klan rallies. On Today's Show:Nadine Strossen, professor of law at New York Law School, former president of the American Civil Liberties Union, member of the ACLU’s National Advisory Council, and author of HATE: Why We Should Resist It With Free Speech, Not Censorship (Oxford University Press, 2020), and Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation and consultant for Radiolab, discuss how The American Civil Liberties Union is grappling with prioritizing cases, and whether First Amendment battles are more important than other, more progressive battles.

Vice President Harris has been tasked with righting the nation's broken immigration system. On Today's Show: Anita Isaacs, professor of political science at Haverford College and director of Migration Encounters, argues that if the U.S. rethinks its approach to people coming from Guatemala, it could begin to fix the broken system.

Tennis player Naomi Osaka dropped out of the French Open after being fined for not holding a press conference. So what do you do when you love the work, but hate the working conditions? On Today's Show:Lindsay Crouse, an Opinion writer, and producer for The New York Times, talks about why Naomi Osaka's exit from the French Open was a powerful message to the sports establishment. Plus, your calls on times you quit something in protest and whether your absence effected any change for good.

We look at how the Tulsa Race Massacre was just one of many examples of racist violence that we weren't taught about in school, and what it means to unpack that history. On Today's Show:Jamelle Bouie, New York Times opinion columnist and CBS News analyst, talks about the many other moments in United States history, besides the massacre in a Black neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921, where White Americans committed organized acts of terror seeking the destruction of Black communities and neighborhoods.

After a year of racial reckoning, and centuries of systemic white supremacy, we turn again to the question of reparations and a city in Illinois that could serve as a model for the nation. On Today's Show:Andre Perry, senior fellow with the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, a scholar-in-residence at American University, and a columnist for the Hechinger Report, breaks down what reparations might look like, what it would mean for Black Americans.