The Dispatch Podcast

"Title 42," the pandemic-era immigration restriction, was slated to expire December 21, until the Supreme Court stepped in. Now, the Biden administration and conservatives are in loggerheads on what to do next. Esther sits down with Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, the Policy Director at American Immigration Council to discuss the historical context behind Title 42, its impact on border crossings, and what we might expect if it goes away. Show Notes: -Aaron Reichlin-Melnick’s American Immigration Council (AIC) profile -AIC's Guide to Expulsions at the Border -Docket filings related to the Application for Emergency Stay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With new polls showing Donald Trump losing his grip on the Republican base, Sarah, David, and Steve debate the do's and don'ts of gauging Trump's political altitude. They also discuss Ron DeSantis' attempt to court the vax-skeptic voter, the recent COVID outbreaks in China, and what the implosion of Sam Bankman-Fried tells us about America's cult of the CEO. Plus: Should we be talking about MTG? Show Notes: -Josh Kraushaar on Trump's declining position Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will the aftermath of Herschel Walker's defeat in Georgia create a rare window for Republican introspection? And can the infotainment right be part of the solution? Sarah, David, Jonah and Steve also discuss what we know (and don’t know) about the Hunter Biden scandal, wonder what ever happened to the Electoral Count Reform Act, and catch up on what’s going on in the rest of the world. Show Notes: -The Twitter thread that caught Steve's eye Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, David, Jonah and –– believe it or not! –– Steve discuss whether and how the United States should support dissidents in China and Iran, ponder the poetic timing of the Fuentes dinner, and lament the intractability of America’s gun debate. Also: why is it so difficult to enjoy America beating Iran in the World Cup (besides it being soccer)? Also also: will David’s scotch-taped computer survive the whole hour? Listen and find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the war not going as smoothly as he might have hoped, Putin turns to Iran for help replenishing Russia's arsenal. Frederick W. Kagan, director of the Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins David to explain the nature of this alliance-of-convenience and where things could go from here.Show Notes: -Critical Threats: Ukraine Stream - Critical Threats: Iran Crisis Updates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Donald Trump officially running for president, Ron DeSantis faces a twisted decision tree. Sarah, David, and Kevin are here to make sense of it. Plus: how should the U.S. respond to the deadly missile incident in Poland? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Jonah, and David come together to give the midterms a post-mortem to end all postmortems. They discuss the vibe theory of political trends, the presidential prospects of Republicans Not Named Donald Trump, and the lessons both parties took away from the elections. Oh, and of course: do all roads lead to Georgia..? Again?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s explainer, Declan is joined by RAND Corporation senior researcher David Luckey. A retired Marine Corps officer, David is now devoted to getting congressional attention to the thing that killed tens of thousands of Americans last year: fentanyl. David explains the scope of the overdose epidemic, its force multipliers, and the ways to fight it. Show Notes: -The Morning Dispatch on the Fentanyl Crisis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With religion, political corruption, nationalism, and court reform on the ballot, Israel concluded this week its fifth election in three years. Tomer Persico, research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, joins Adaam to offer a quick explainer about Benjamin Netanyahu's comeback, the rise of religious nationalism in Israel, and the universal language of populism. Show Notes: -The Morning Dispatch on the Israeli election Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With less than a week before the midterms, Sarah, David, and Jonah come together to answer your questions: Can voters push their parties to be better? What’s the best way to engage with your representatives? When is Nick Cattogio joining the pod? Plus: the panel reacts to Biden’s Democracy in Peril, Pt. 2 speech. Show Notes: -Sarah’s piece for POLITICO about the GOP’s election laws -Sarah, David, and Jonah’s report for the National Constitution Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does the Fetterman-Oz debate reveal about the media? Will the isolationist horseshoe in Congress have an effect on Putin? And are we ready for Kevin’s theory of political cooties? Join Sarah, David, Steve, and Kevin as they embark on the penultimate round of midterms punditry. Show Notes: -The New York Times on the new campaign press aides -The Dispatch is coming to Chicago Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Allan Fung was the mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island for over a decade. Now, he’s hoping to be the first Republican to represent the state in Congress in nearly 20 years. He joined Declan to talk about his “check in those party labels at the door” approach to politics, about the possible agenda of a Republican House, and whether Trump still sets the tone for the party. Show Notes: -Axios on Allan Fung Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a compressed panel of election punditry, Sarah is joined by Kevin and Andrew to discuss Democrats’ preemptive blame game. They also try to wrestle with what it might mean for the country if abortion doesn’t play the big role in the midterms Democrats had hoped it would. Also: 2024… should we start talking about it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new study shows the stark lack of ideological diversity in elite universities. Lawmakers call to rethink relations with the Saudis after OPEC’s decision to cut oil production. John Fetterman’s NBC interview raises difficult questions. Sarah, David, Jonah, and Declan wrestle with these topics before providing an urgent manatee update. Out of context: “If you stare at 2 + 2 = a duck and you say ‘oh I get it,’ that’s a problem for you.” -American elite students study -Fetterman’s NBC interview -Manatees update Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With OPEC+ committed to gutting production, Americans are bracing for a gas price hike. This leads Sen. Bill Cassidy to wonder, how should the U.S. maintain a relationship with the Saudis when “what they do can make or break a family budget”? On the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Cassidy calls for more market-based solutions to both bolster energy independence and get carbon emissions under control. He joins Sarah to wrestle with all these problems –– and their political implications –– before turning to the main event: the ultimate Louisiana VS Texas BBQ showdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sparing an hour between driving his “friends” to and from the airport, Declan joins Sarah, David, and Jonah to debate the Herschel Walker saga, whether moral character matters in politics, and whether Democrats enjoy a double standard on hypocrisy. A broader midterms update is then followed by a quick glimpse into the new Supreme Court term. Plus: Elon Musk gets another NWYT mention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Axios Senior Political Correspondent Josh Kraushaar joins Sarah to explain what happens when the Democrats’ sugar rush drops. Are the fundamentals still favoring Republicans in the midterms? What's going on in Georgia? Can candidate quality block a red wave? And how’s 2024 shaping up? Join for a healthy fix of pre-midterms political punditry and prognostication. Show Notes: -Josh's Axios piece on the state of play for November Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the editors of The Morning Dispatch eloquently put it, Nord Stream went boom. But who’s responsible? Sarah, David, and Jonah leave no conspiracy theory unexamined. Turning to the midterms, they discuss the power of low expectations, ask when spending money stops being useful, and wonder what it takes to be a good leader (or at least a good politician) during natural disasters. Also: the trio displays heroic restraint in today’s Not Worth Your Time, as they refrain entirely from making any kind of double entendre. Show Notes: -Tucker Carlson, literally wall-to-wall on Russian TV -Lizzo playing James Madison’s flute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Understanding The Electoral Count Act, as it’s currently worded, requires a team of legal experts. So we got one! Sarah is joined by John Fortier, senior fellow at AEI, and Matthew Seligman, fellow at the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School. Together they try to make sense of the law’s history, explain the difference between the two reform bills coming up through the House and the Senate, and debate whether either one goes far enough to prevent a constitutional crisis in 2024. Show Notes: -Matthew in support of the Senate bill -What the Vice President can’t do -John’s guide to the electoral college -Matthew’s 2024 risk assessment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when Vladimir Putin starts feeling cornered? Sarah, David, Steve, and Jonah react to Russia announcing military mobilization and think through the implications of Putin’s nuclear chest-thumping. They then turn to the politics of immigration (still very bad), and conclude with some rank punditry: is the Democrats’ momentary surge in the polls already bust? Out of context: “To me, it’s a little like the fight: Hiter-Stalin – who is worse?” Show Notes: -NBC poll showing decline in GOP loyalty to Trump -Politico: using cartoons as political ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At long last in the same room, Sarah, Steve, David, and Jonah debate whether the conversation around abortion is changing, why it doesn't feel like Republicans are out of power, and whether lawmakers will ever do the right thing on border security. Plus: Sarah offers a troubling glimpse of the gents' problematic footwear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The rapid developments in the Justice Department’s investigation of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago may be hard to follow, but not to worry, Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and Declan are here to clarify and discuss. Plus: a look at the long-term impact of COVID-19, and the internal battles as both parties look to the midterms. Show Notes: -TMD: How Sarah Palin Lost Alaska’s House Special Election -The Dispatch: Trump Is Hurting the GOP’s Midterm Prospects Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week saw the Justice Department disclose new evidence that the former president and his legal team likely sought to conceal classified documents from investigators. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and Declan are here to discuss. Plus: Alaska says no to Sarah Palin, and how should we view Mikhail Gorbachev’s legacy? Show Notes: -TMD: Trump Team Likely Sought to Conceal Classified Documents From Investigators, DOJ Says -The Sweep: How Will Abortion Play in the Midterms? -G-File: Grading Gorby on a Curve Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve is joined by Mark Leibovich to discuss his new book Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission. How did the Republican Party get to its present predicament? Leibovich gives us his eyewitness account of how the former president transformed Washington, and a major American political party. Show Notes: -Thank You for Your Servitude by Mark Leibovich -Leibovich’s page at The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden announced a plan to provide tens of millions of Americans with student loan debt relief. The fallout was swift. Our hosts are here with their reactions. Plus: Jonah, David, and Declan discuss the results of this week’s primary elections. Show Notes: -TMD: Biden’s Base Gets a Student Loan Gift -The Dispatch: The GOP Is Shrink-Wrapping Itself Around Trump -The Dispatch: Tim Ryan Keeping the Pressure on J.D. Vance in Ohio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's Dispatch Live, which is a weekly live stream for Dispatch members only, ran into some issues because Substack was completely down on Tuesday. So, because most members did not get to hear it we are offering it in its entirety as The Dispatch Podcast. If you're not a member of The Dispatch and liked what you heard here, click the link below to join so you can tune into Dispatch Live weekly on Tuesdays at 8pm ET. In this episode, David, Declan, Andrew, and Audrey discuss the Senate GOP candidates for the midterm elections, the latest in the Mar-a-Lago search, and the chances of DeSantis 2024. Show Notes: - Join The Dispatch Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Liz Cheney lost her re-election bid to her Trump-backed primary challenger in the Wyoming Republican primary on Tuesday. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David discuss the result, and share their thoughts as the primary season wraps up. Plus: What’s the latest from Ukraine? Our hosts discuss the state of the conflict. Show Notes: -The Dispatch: Liz Cheney: ‘There Is Actually Precedent for ... Vice Presidents to Testify’ -The Dispatch: Choosing to Lose -The Sweep: Warning Signs for the GOP’s Senate Hopes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. Scott Lincicome, director of general economics at the Cato Institute, joins Declan to help us better understand the legislation. What’s actually in the law? How questionable is the budget math? Show Notes: -Uphill: Breaking Down the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 -Read Declan in The Morning Dispatch -Read Scott in Capitolism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a busy week for the former president, the FBI searched his home at Mar-a-Lago, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in a New York deposition, and Attorney General Merrick Garland moved to make public the legal authorization for the FBI’s search. Sarah, Jonah, and David are here to discuss the fallout. Plus: Our hosts have new inflation numbers, and primary results to chew on. Show Notes: -TMD: The FBI Raids Trump’s Home -French Press: Thinking Through the Trump Search -G-File: Yearning for a Banana Republic -Stirewaltisms: Of Presidents and Precedents -The Dispatch: A Tale of Two GOP Responses to the Trump Search -TMD: A Hint of Inflation Relief -The Dispatch: Trump-Endorsed Tim Michels Prevails in Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and David get together for this special Advisory Opinions crossover episode to discuss the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago on Monday. What does it all mean? How does a federal investigation of a senior official work, and what happens next? Plus: some possible theories and explanations that might shed some light on the events of yesterday. Show Notes: -TMD: The FBI Raids Trump’s Home -Andy McCarthy in National Review: ​​The FBI’s Mar-a-Lago ‘Raid’: It’s about the Capitol Riot, Not the Mishandling of Classified Information -Marc Elias Twitter thread Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, David, Steve and Jonah are back for an action-packed show today including the primary elections, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, and the demise of al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri on Sunday. Will tensions over abortion issues cause bigger voter turnouts in the future? Plus: The Senate overwhelmingly voted to approve Sweden and Finland for acceptance into NATO on Wednesday with a lone dissent from Sen. Josh Hawley. Show Notes: -The Sweep: What We Learned -TMD: Another Blockbuster Primaries Tuesday -The Current: Killing Zawahiri: How the CIA Hunts Monsters -TMD: Tensions Flare in the Taiwan Strait Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Axelrod, chief strategist for former President Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns and host of The Axe Files and co-host of Hacks on Tap podcasts, joins Steve to tackle the complex questions about the midterm primary elections this week. What’s up with the Democrat Party’s tactic of funding extremist Republican candidates? And what is the outlook for the upcoming general elections? Plus: Axelrod gives listeners the big picture of what’s happening in Kansas as well as what the abortion rights issue means to both sides of the political aisle. Show Notes: -The Axe Files with David Axelrod -TMD: Another Blockbuster Primaries Tuesday -The Dispatch: Peter Meijer Falls to Trump-Endorsed John Gibbs in Michigan -The Dispatch: Eric Schmitt Wins the Missouri GOP Senate Primary -The Sweep: What We Learned Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David are back to discuss big pieces of legislation coming down the pipeline. Will the Inflation Reduction Act find footing in the House? The White House’s stretched definition of a recession is digging the administration into a deeper hole of messaging problems. Plus, Is President Biden gunning for another term in 2024, and are ordinary Democrats distancing themselves from his leadership? Show Notes: -The Dispatch: Who Decides What a Recession Is? -G-File: Merrick Garland’s Playing It Right -The Current: The CHIPS Act: Far From Perfect, but Still Very Good -The Dispatch: Dem Campaign Chiefs Tell Different Stories on GOP Primary Meddling Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mo Elleithee, founding executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service, joins Sarah to talk about the complexities of politics. Results from a new Battleground Poll are in, and it’s clear that most Americans believe that the state of our politics is “really bad.” What happened and what can we do to fix it? Also on the agenda: Alaska’s interesting nonpartisan primary system, and the Democratic National Committee’s recent decision to make states bid for early waivers. Show Notes: -Georgetown Institute of Politics & Public Service Battleground Civility Poll Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and David are joined by The Morning Dispatch editors Declan Garvey and Esther Eaton to discuss the vivid testimonies during Thursday night’s January 6 committee hearing. Also on the agenda: In the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Republicans are wary of giving Democrats a win with a contraception bill currently on the Senate floor, and a same-sex marriage bill faces an unclear way forward after Tuesday’s House vote. Show Notes: -TMD: The January 6 Committee Presses the Secret Service -TMD: Donald Trump’s Inaction on January 6 -The Dispatch: A Timeline of What Trump Did—and Didn’t Do—on January 6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Images from the James Webb Space Telescope have taken the internet by storm, and Declan is here with two guests who worked on it for a fascinating conversation about its long journey into reality. Dr. John Mather, a Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the senior project scientist for the JWST, and Dr. Scott Acton, a physicist at Ball Aerospace and JWST’s Wavefront Sensing and Controls scientist, relay their exploits in achieving the most incredible and ambitious space images ever taken of thousands of galaxies, black holes, and dust clouds. And we have to ask: Are we alone in the universe, really? Show Notes: -First Images from the James Webb Space Telescope -Dr. John Mather -TMD: This Is Something That’s Going to ‘Change Our Understanding of the Universe’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, David, and Jonah reflect on the problem of inflation, which surged to 9.1 percent this week and look ahead to the presidential race in 2024. Will there be a showdown between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump to win the Republican nomination? Our hosts wrap up with a discussion of shifting coalitions within the political parties. Show Notes: -TMD: June’s Very Bad, No Good Inflation Report -New York Times: Most Democrats Don’t Want Biden in 2024, New Poll Shows -Axios: The great realignment -The Dispatch: How Joe Biden Set Himself Up for Failure -Pew Research Center: Religiously, nonwhite Democrats are more similar to Republicans than to white Democrats -First Images from the James Webb Space Telescope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert O’Brien, former U.S. ambassador and national security advisor to President Donald Trump, joins Klon Kitchen for a discussion of international politics from a bird’s-eye view. They discuss his time working for the former president, and the job of national security advisor. Plus: How can the United States protect itself from Chinese economic espionage? China’s threat to Taiwan? And what is the future of the war in Ukraine? Show Notes: -Uphill: The Showdown Over the China Competition Bill -The Current: Ban TikTok Now -The Current: Getting Smart on Intelligence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David discuss two major events from the last week, including the chaos across the pond with the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation on Thursday morning. Near Chicago, at least seven are dead and dozens injured after the July Fourth shooting at Highland Park, prompting questions about whether red flag laws really work. An update on Ukraine is also in order, as well as 2022 midterm implications for the House of Representatives and the Senate. Show Notes: -TMD: Boris Johnson to Resign -Stirewaltisms: Boris Johnson and the Survival of the Silliest -TMD: Tragedy in Highland Park -Harvard Center for American Political Studies/Harris poll on Roe v. Wade Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Miller, writer-at-large at The Bulwark, joins Steve to talk about his new book: Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell. Miller gives listeners a breakdown of the Washington, D.C. political culture and how it’s not what you might think. Plus: the book sparks a lively debate about the divides within the Republican Party, and whether there’s a way forward in the midst of the murk. Is there a place for center-right journalism to thrive? Show Notes: -Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah and Chris Stirewalt join Sarah to talk about the political aftermath of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization as states begin to grapple legislatively with the post-Roe era. Will we reach a consensus on what life means in the womb? Our hosts also discuss the nature of Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony during the surprise January 6 select committee hearing and the risks with the Democrats’ 2022 election strategy. Show Notes: -TMD: Surprise Witness Blows January 6 Investigation Right Open -The Dispatch: Donald Trump’s Fractured Inner Circle -The G-File: Democrats Have a Funny Way of Expressing Concern About ‘Our Democracy’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the audio version of the story documenting the creation and passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The story is based on more than 21 hours of interviews with more than two dozen people involved, including lawmakers, staff, and human rights advocates. Show Notes: -PDF: How the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Became Law -Introduction and Part 1 -Parts 2 and 3 -Parts 4 and 5 -Parts 6 and 7 -Parts 8 and 9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve, and Jonah dive into a delightful political potpourri, tackling everything from the Biden administration’s possible gas tax holiday to immigration and the Georgia congressional runoffs. They also discuss the House Select Committee’s January 6 hearing on Tuesday, which produced some interesting testimonies. Show Notes: -TMD: “Biden’s Mixed Messages on Oil” -Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal: “Biden Got the Energy Market He Wanted” -Capitolism: “Fueling Uncertainty” -TMD: “How Trump and His Aides Pressured State Officials” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember when filling up your gas tank didn’t cost the same amount as your weekly grocery bill? Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce & Technology Council, and Skanda Amarnath, the Executive Director at Employ America, join Declan to discuss the oil and gas supply issues America faces. The Biden administration’s current approach to the sector doesn’t inspire much confidence prices will come down any time soon, but there are levers policymakers could pull to ease the pain at the pump. Show Notes: -Capitolism: “Fueling Uncertainty” -Employ America Research Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been another week of interesting primary elections, and Sarah, David, Jonah, and Andrew discuss what we learned from Texas and South Carolina. Then our hosts dive into the details of the framework for a possible Senate gun bill and whether the House will learn to settle for compromise, not perfection. Finally, what are the key takeaways from the January 6 House Select Committee so far? Show Notes: -The Sweep: The Value of a Trump Endorsement -The Dispatch: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the January 6 Committee -The Sweep: The Politics of the January 6 Hearings -Uphill: The Way Forward for the Senate’s Gun Violence Bill -The Dispatch: Can We Make Red Flag Laws Work? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thiru Vignarajah, former deputy attorney general of Maryland, joins Sarah to talk about all things Baltimore: violent crime, reforming police practices, and the Baltimore City state’s attorney race. Plus: What might help bring down gun violence in major cities? Show Notes: -Justiceforbaltimore.com -French Press: Against Gun Idolatry -The Dispatch: Can We Make Red Flag Laws Work? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol held its first hearing Thursday night. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David discuss its fact-based and substantive approach to investigating what happened at the Capitol riots, and whether the Republican Party will hold former President Donald Trump accountable. Then our panel turns to the question of political violence in America: Is our political rhetoric out of control? Our hosts then cover how the California primaries are off to an interesting start with progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s recall on Tuesday. Show Notes: -The Dispatch: “Primetime Hearing Focuses on the Plan Behind January 6” -TMD: “January 6 Revisited” -Uphill: “January 6 Through the Images and Words of Those Who Lived It” -The Dispatch: “What Chesa Boudin’s Recall Says About Criminal Justice Reform” -The Atlantic: “How San Francisco Became a Failed City” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck Todd, host of NBC’s Meet the Press, joins Steve to discuss the public’s eroding trust in politicians and the political system. An alarming Pew Research poll turns the conversation to how context and nuance have been lost in political journalism and campaign coverage. Steve and Todd also cover the Trump divide within the Republican Party, what the January 6 Committee might tell us this week, and, of course, whether the Green Bay Packers will make the Super Bowl next season. Show Notes: -Pew Research: “Americans’ Views of Government” -The Sweep: “Why Issues Don’t Change Votes” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started almost 100 days ago. Our hosts are here to discuss the latest from the war and America’s role. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David then turn to the gun debate at home: Will mass shootings in recent weeks produce different political results than past tragedies? Finally they preview next week’s January 6 hearings on Capitol Hill. Show Notes: -French Press: “The Tide Is Turning Toward Russia” -The Dispatch: “​​A Marshall Plan for Ukraine?” -TMD: “100 Days of War in Ukraine” -New York Times: “Voters Say They Want Gun Control. Their Votes Say Something Different.” -New York Times: “A Timeline of Failed Attempts to Address U.S. Gun Violence” -RAND: “​​How Gun Policies Affect Mass Shootings” -RAND: “Facts About the Effects of Gun Policies Are Elusive but Important” -The Reload: “NRA Revenue Dropped $47 Million in 2021, Down $130 Million From Just 3 Years Prior” -San Diego Zoo Condor Cam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edward B. Foley, professor and director of the election law program at Ohio State, and Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America, join Sarah for a conversation about reforming primaries. What does primary reform look like? Their conversation covers political science, history, and math. That’s right math. Can math save democracy? Show Notes: -Requiring Majority Winners for Congressional Elections -Foley in the Washington Post: “How our system of primary elections could destroy democracy” -The Sweep: “A Focus on the Problem with Primaries” -Unite America: “America Has a Primary Problem” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices