The Dispatch Podcast

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

On Tuesday, an 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Our hosts are here to discuss the latest updates and what comes next. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David then turn to this week’s round of primaries. What did they learn? They finish by discussing the latest from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What does Russia’s Black Sea blockade mean for the world? Show Notes: -The Dispatch: “After Uvalde, What Now?” -Uphill: “Mass Shootings Reignite Gun Control Debate in Washington” -French Press: “Pass and Enforce Red Flag Laws. Now.” -The Sweep: “A Focus on the Problem with Primaries” -TMD: “A Big Night for GOP Incumbents” -The Dispatch: “Georgia Republicans Stick With Kemp by a Wide Margin” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erick Erickson, host of the Erick Erickson Show, joins Steve for a conversation about what we learned from the primary election results in Georgia, and what it all means for November and beyond. Steve is then joined by Khaya Himmelman to discuss her fact check of Dinesh D’Souza’s new documentary film 2,000 Mules. Show Notes: -Erick Erickson: “Trump's 2000 Mules Got Stuck in Georgia Clay” -Erick Erickson: “The Democrats Don't Want a Solution to Gun Violence” -Khaya’s fact check: “Fact Checking Dinesh D’Souza’s ‘2,000 Mules’” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following a man’s racist attack at a supermarket in Buffalo, in which he killed 10 people and wounded three more, our hosts are here to discuss what it means for our politics and culture. Sarah, Jonah, and Declan then discuss the baby formula shortage. How did the Biden administration drop the ball? And finally, reactions to the latest round of primaries around the country. Show Notes: -The Dispatch: “A Look at the State of Red Flag Laws After Buffalo” -TMD: “Grappling With the Buffalo Mass Shooting” -Capitolism: “America’s Infant Formula Crisis and the ‘Resiliency’ Mirage” -The Sweep: “Headed Toward a Recount in Pennsylvania” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining this week’s Dispatch Podcast with Sarah is former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Esper was also secretary of the Army during the Trump administration, and in his new book, A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times, he talks about the challenges that came with working under President Trump. In the podcast, Esper and Sarah discuss life on the inside of the administration, Esper’s infamous “Four Nos,” and what he sees as the greatest threat to the United States today. Hint, his fears are more about things happening inside the country, not outside. Show Notes: -A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times -Esper Paints Chaotic Picture of Trump Administration’s Middle East Policy, by Charlotte Lawson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The economic state of America, which technically may be improving according to the latest inflation numbers, is still not good. The gang (with deputy managing editor Michael Scott Reneau stepping in for Steve) discuss it and home in on why that’s bad news for Democrats. Plus, Tim Alberta of The Atlantic just wrote a profile of evangelical churches in America and it is so good Sarah, David, Jonah, and Michael had to talk about it and the state of evangelicalism on today’s episode. And finally, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer held a vote on abortion access in America which failed miserably. What the heck was he thinking? Finally, what is the legacy of John Brown? Show Notes: -TMD on the latest inflation numbers and baby formula shortage -Tim Alberta on the evangelical church -Politico: Senate Democrats’ imaginary majority Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is no shortage of stuff to talk about in This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future, the new book by New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns, and Steve does his best to discuss all of it in this week’s Dispatch Podcast. As Steve says, “The book makes you feel like you are in the room.” The trio breaks it all down—from January 6, those now infamous Kevin McCarthy recordings, and the early days of the Biden administration. Burns and Martin respond to McCarthy’s accusation that they took his comments “out of context.” Plus, why does Biden want to “do it all?” Finally, how do the authors deal with critics on the right that immediately write them off because they work for The New York Times? Show Notes: -This Will Not Pass by Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns -Recordings of McCarthy saying he will urge President Trump to resign Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are we to make the Justice Samual Alito’s leaked draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health? Our hosts are here to discuss as the politics of abortion take shape. Sarah, Jonah, and David then pivot to what they learned from Tuesday’s primary elections. And finally, what does all of this mean for Trump’s chances in 2024? Show Notes: -David and Sarah’s podcast breaking down the Suprme Court leak -French Press: “The Supreme Court Abortion Leak—Your Questions, Answered” -G-File: “Why Joe Biden Hates Saying the A-Word” -The Sweep: “What Does J.D. Vance’s Victory Tell Us About the Midterms?” -Sarah in the Washington Post: “We in the ‘shallow state’ thought we could help. Instead, we obscured the reality of a Trump presidency.” -Smithsonian’s National Zoo: “Tragic Loss of Animal Life at Smithsonian’s National Zoo” -DCist: “There’s An Angry Turkey Attacking People On The Anacostia Riverwalk” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney joins Steve for a discussion on the state of the economy and how to rein in inflation. Plus, the senator answers questions about canceling student debt, the Supreme Court abortion leak, J.D. Vance’s victory in Ohio, and the latest from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Show Notes: -Romney in the Wall Street Journal: “Biden’s Errors Worsen Inflation” -Capitolism: “Is President Biden Trying to Boost Inflation?” -TMD: “Washington Gears Up for a Post-Roe Future” -The Dispatch: “Non-Interventionist Republicans: A Small, Vocal Minority” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most economic numbers paint a dire picture for Democrats in the upcoming midterms. Steve, Jonah, and David discuss who is exactly to blame for that. Then the trio wade into the debate over forgiving student loans. (Spoiler alert: They aren’t fans.) Will the woes in the Democratic Party produce a Ronald Reagan-type figure on the right? Plus, what is everyone’s opinion of the White House Correspondents Dinner? Show Notes: TMD on the economy numbers Student loan forgiveness is regressive whether measured by income, education, or wealth | Brookings Institute Kevin McCarthy recordings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lanhee Chen is running for state controller in California, but what does a state controller do? Steve gets that answer, plus Chen’s thoughts on California’s fiscal state and his plan if he wins the election. Chen also discusses his experience running Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign’s policy shop. Show Notes: -Chen’s campaign website -Los Angeles Times endorses Chen’s campaign Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a busy week. The Justice Department is appealing a federal judge’s decision to strike down the CDC’s travel mask mandate. The Biden administration is standing by its plan to end Title 42, a pandemic-era border policy, despite pushback from Democrats. Texas and Florida have governors making their own questionable decisions. Netflix and CNN feel the full effects of the streaming wars. Plus, what did Kevin McCarthy say? Show Notes: -David and Sarah’s deep dive into the mask mandate decision -Sarah’s immigration conversation with Ali Noorani -Uphill: “Kevin McCarthy’s January 6 Lie” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Biden administration plans to end use of Title 42, the pandemic-era border policy, next month. The governor of Texas is busing migrants to the nation’s capital. Meanwhile, illegal border crossings are on the rise. Does anyone have a plan? Ali Noorani, president of National Immigration Forum and author of Crossing Borders, joins Sarah to discuss America’s immigration woes. Show Notes: -“Crossing Borders: The Reconciliation of a Nation of Immigrants” by Ali Noorani -Room to Grow: Setting Immigration Levels in a Changing America -Texas Tribune: “San Antonio and other Texas cities confront the spillover from the border migration crisis” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report this week, and our hosts are here to talk through it. What does this all mean for the upcoming midterms and 2024? They will discuss that too. Plus, Sweden and Finland are looking to join NATO. What does this mean for the Western alliance? What should we expect from Russia? Show Notes: -TMD: “Light at the End of the Inflation Tunnel?” -The Sweep: “Tsunami or Ripple? What a Midterm Wave Might Look Like.” -The Sweep: “To Agenda or Not? That Is the Question for the GOP.” -TMD: “Finland and Sweden Weighing NATO Bids” -New York Times: “Military Memo Deepens Possible Interstellar Meteor Mystery” -WUSA: “Teens among seven people arrested after detectives find dog reportedly taken at gunpoint” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and her guest are here to talk about sex. Christine Emba, a columnist for the Washington Post and author of the new book Rethinking Sex, examines our current sexual mores and finds them wanting. What’s the cause of today’s sexual malaise? What does a new sexual ethic look like? Listen (but maybe not with your young children) for those answers and more. Show Notes: -“Rethinking Sex” by Christine Emba -Christine in the Washington Post: “Consent is not enough. We need a new sexual ethic.” -David in The Atlantic: “Consent Was Never Enough” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Our hosts are here to discuss what her confirmation foreshadows for future Supreme Court fights. Plus, the Biden administration announced plans to end use of Title 42, a pandemic-era border policy, next month. What does that mean? Sarah, Jonah, and David finish the show discussing the practicality of bringing charges of war crimes as we learn more about the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine. Show Notes: -The Dispatch: “​​The Bucha Massacre and the Horrors to Come” -G-File: “Is It Okay to Use the ‘G-Word’?” -The Dispatch: “What are Secondary Sanctions?” -TMD: “How Will the U.S. Admit Ukraine's Refugees?” -Uphill: “Congress Finally Meanders to a Russia Trade Bill” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Cheri Bustos is leaving Congress at the end of this term. What has she learned from her five terms in the House and—as the former leader of the House Democrats’ campaign arm—from the 2020 election? How can Democrats improve their prospects in the 2022 midterms? Sarah gets these answers and more in a candid conversation with the Illinois congresswoman. Show Notes: -Hope from the Heartland: How Democrats Can Better Serve the Midwest by Bringing Rural, Working Class Wisdom to Washington -How Dems Win in Trump Districts -The Sweep: “Tsunami or Ripple? What a Midterm Wave Might Look Like.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden announced he would tap our strategic oil reserves in an effort to fight high gas prices. Our hosts are here to discuss the economic realities of that decision. Plus, it was the slap heard around the world: Why can’t we stop talking about it? Sarah, Jonah, David, and Scott finish the show talking about gaffes, cocaine-fueled orgies, and standing in line. Show Notes: -TMD: “It’s a Petroleum Reserve Release, but Is It Strategic?” -The Dispatch: “The Uncomfortable Truth of Biden’s Gaffe” -G-File: “Madison Cawthorn’s Warped Washington” -Capitolism: “Why You Should (Almost) Never Wait in Line” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1557 into law on Monday. The Parental Rights in Education Act—or “Don’t Say Gay” bill, as its detractors call it—is one of the most contentious and least understood pieces of legislation in recent memory. On today’s podcast, Declan is joined by Gabriel Malor, an appellate litigator based in Virginia, and Eugene Volokh, a law professor at UCLA, for a thoughtful conversation that dives into the bill text and elucidates what the law does—and doesn’t—do. Plus: What are the benefits and drawbacks of writing legislation with vague terminology? And why is Florida passing this bill now? Are the political right and left swapping sides on the exercise of government power? Show Notes: -TMD: “Breaking Down the So-Called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings have wrapped, and our hosts are here to break down the week on Capitol Hill. Jonah, David, and Andrew then turn to the latest developments in the war in Ukraine. Plus, what do the guys make of those Ginni Thomas texts to Mark Meadows? Or Trump dropping his endorsement of Mo Brooks in the Alabama Senate race? Show Notes: -TMD: “Biden, World Leaders Huddle on Russia” -The Dispatch: “Inside the First Ukrainian City to Fall to Russia” -Washington Post: “Virginia Thomas urged White House chief to pursue unrelenting efforts to overturn the 2020 election, texts show” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve talks with Taras Byk, a political consultant now working with the Territorial Defense Forces in Kyiv, to get a sense of what’s happening on the ground in Ukraine. What’s changed since the last time they talked? Steve then has a conversation with Tom Karako, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Why has Russia not been able to establish air superiority? What do we need to know about those hypersonic missiles that Russia launched? Tom has those answers and more. Show Notes: -The Dispatch: “Just How Many Russian Soldiers Have Died in Ukraine?” -French Press: “Questions and Answers After One Month of War” -New York Times: “How Ukraine’s Outgunned Air Force Is Fighting Back Against Russian Jets” -CSIS report: “Complex Air Defense: Countering the Hypersonic Missile Threat” -Bayraktar song Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we pass the third week of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our hosts are here to discuss the latest: The Biden administration looks to make a deal on Iran’s nuclear program. What are we to make of the president’s foregin policy? Plus, Sarah and the guys talk about inflation and the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates. Show Notes: -The Dispatch: “Concessions to Iran, Russia Pile Up in Nuclear Talks” -Uphill: “The House Hits Russia on Trade” -TMD: “An Interest Rate Increase” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Steve speaks with Eric Edelman, a member of the U.S. foreign service for 28 years who served as a U.S. ambassador, a national security adviser to the vice president, and an under secretary of defense. They discuss Vladimir Putin and his strategy going into the invasion of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to Congress, and finish with the latest on the Iran deal. Show Notes: -Edelman’s page at The Dispatch -Edelman’s podcast Shield of the Republic -TMD: “Iran Deal on the Ropes?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Steve has a conversation with Taras Byk, a political consultant and former journalist now working with the Territorial Defense Forces in Kyiv, Ukraine. What’s he seeing on the ground? How are the people of Ukraine holding up as we pass the second week of Russia’s invasion? Plus, Sarah, Steve, and Jonah are here to discuss the latest fallout around the world and here at home. Show Notes: -The Dispatch: “The Past Offers a Way Forward on Foreign Policy” -Uphill: “The Tug of War Over America’s Russia Response” -The Current: “School’s in Session” -The Dispatch: “Why Did Russia Invade Ukraine Now?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s podcast, Sarah and Steve talk with Natalie Jaresko, Ukraine's former minister of finance. They discuss the history of Ukraine, its people, and what the last two weeks have meant for the country. Show Notes: -NPR: “Kenyan U.N. ambassador compares Ukraine's plight to colonial legacy in Africa” -The Dispatch: “Why Did Russia Invade Ukraine Now?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the first week of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine passed, our hosts are here to discuss how the world has changed. Plus, President Biden delivers his first State of Union address and Texas holds the first primary elections of 2022. What have we learned from the last week? Show Notes: -TMD: “A Nuclear Plant Scare in Ukraine” -The Dispatch: “Will the European Union Admit Ukraine?” -The Dispatch: “The Coming Surrender to Iran” -The Dispatch: “Fact Checking the State of the Union” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s podcast, Steve is joined by Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, our response to it, and his thoughts on the State of the Union. Steve is then joined by Barbara Comstock, former representative of Virginia, for a conversation about President Joe Biden’s speech last night and the future of the Republican Party. Show Notes: -French Press: “Questions and Answers After Six Days of War” -Jonah “Gradually, Then Suddenly: How the World Stood Up to Putin” -TMD: State of the Union -From The Dispatch: “GOP Reps Slam Greene, Gosar” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Right before recording today’s episode started, news broke that President Joe Biden is nominating Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Our hosts take a quick look at that and what it means for SCOTUS. Then the conversation moved to the dire situation in Ukraine. David cautioned against believing all of the information we receive in the fog of war and the group discusses how many people on the right have flip-flopped on Putin. Tune in, too, for a preview of next week’s State of the Union address. Show Notes: -Ketanji Brown Jackson nominated to the Supreme Court -Sen. Graham on KBJ nomination -Ukrainian woman gives Russian soldier sunflower seeds -Snake Island audio -J.D. Vance’s latest statement on Ukraine -Garry Kasparov on Twitter -Mr. President, It’s Time for a Little Humility | NYT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a lively discussion about who Vladimir Putin is and the danger he poses to the world, Steve is joined by Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, and Susan Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker. The two, who are married, offer insights to their book, Kremlin Rising, which they co-authored during their four year stay in Russia. The trio discuss Putin's rise to power, his current rhetoric, as well as how the Republican Party and Trump have grown increasingly close to him. Show Notes: -Kremlin Rising by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser -Susan's Frontline interview -Polling on Putin's growing popularity in the Republican Party Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to polling from Gallup, Americans are as happy as they’ve almost ever been. Yet their feelings toward the country as a whole are near an all-time low. Why is that? Sarah, Steve, David, and Declan discuss that and more. Plus, in San Francisco, the left seemed to do some self-correcting after a successful recall of a number of school board members. And finally, as Steve promised members on this week’s Dispatch Live, a continued conversation about Rep. Liz Cheney. Show Notes: -Gallup satisfaction numbers -San Francisco recall election results -What pundits don’t understand about the San Francisco recall | Mother Jones -David on the San Fran recall in The Atlantic -Squad politics backfire | Axios -San Francisco Mayor on The New York Times podcast “Sway” -Local BLM chapter posts bail for man charged with attempted murder of mayoral candidate -Dispatch Live (for members only) -Republican or not | SNL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the podcast, Sarah and Steve are joined by Klon Kitchen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss the latest in Ukraine after the country was hit by cyberattacks. Plus, how much is the Republican Party’s foreign policy views changing? And what exactly can the Chinese government do with all that TikTok data? Show Notes: -TMD: “Ukraine on the Brink” -Klon’s Dispatch piece: “The Old—and Incoherent—Foreign Policy of the New Right” -Ahmari, Deneen and Pappin: “Hawks Are Standing in the Way of a New Republican Party” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s podcast, Sarah and Steve talk with Todd Rose, author of Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions. How much of our thinking about each other is informed by false assumptions? What are the consequences of a society this mistrustful? And what are we to do about it? Show Notes: -Collective Illusions by Todd Rose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices