Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

Today, we'll hear about the Supreme Court's recent decisions about certain Trump administration policies, and what it means for democracy. On Today's Show: Kate Shaw , professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny, and a contributing opinion writer with the New York Times, offers legal analysis of how the Supreme Court is acting...

Last week thousands of federal employees who work for health agencies like the CDC, NIH and FDA lost their jobs.  On Today's Show: Selena Simmons-Duffin , health policy correspondent for NPR, reports on what kinds of jobs and programs were cut and where the impact will be felt. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal da...

After a weekend of protests against the Trump administration, we hear from a leading Democrat who made headlines last week for an official act of dissent.  On Today's Show: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D, NJ) talks about his record-breaking speech on the Senate floor last week and the Democratic response to Pres. Trump's agenda. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inform...

Global markets are in turmoil after President Trump announced his long-promised tariffs. On Today's Show: Kathryn Anne Edwards , economist and economic policy consultant, offers analysis of the market reaction and explains how they will hit consumers' wallets—plus how the overall economy may fare in the weeks and months ahead as other countries respond. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. Se...

Democrats have enjoyed strong showings in special elections in Florida and a big win in Wisconsin this week, not to mention Sen. Cory Booker's record-breaking speech on the Senate floor. On Today's Show: Katie Glueck , political reporter at The New York Times, offers analysis of Dems' very good week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

The Trump Administration is seeking the death penalty in the case against Luigi Mangione, who allegedly stalked and fatally shot a health insurance executive.  On Today's Show: Samantha Max , reporter covering public safety for WNYC/Gothamist, talks about Trump's relationship with capital punishment, and how Mangione's status as a folk hero to some factors into the political equation. Hosted by Si...

President Trump is reportedly planning to unveil a slate of new tariffs on Wednesday, which he has dubbed "Liberation Day." On Today's Show: Felix Salmon , chief financial correspondent for Axios, host of the Slate Money Podcast, and author of The Phoenix Economy: Work, Life, and Money in the New Not Normal (‎Harper Business, 2023), talks about President Trump's trade policies, and whether new tax...

Over the weekend, there were several developments in the stories about military plans accidentally shared with a journalist, and on Democrats' political priorities in Congress. On Today's Show: Jim Newell, Slate's senior politics writer, breaks down the latest national politics headlines since Friday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collectio...

A doctoral student at Tufts University was detained in an arrest that was caught on video and shared widely, and accused of supporting Hamas by the Department of Homeland Security. On today's show: Lindsay Nash , associate and clinical professor of law at Cardozo Law and co-director of the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic, offers legal analysis of this and other arrests of pro-Pales...

Columbia University agreed to the Trump administration's demands in order to restore $400 million dollars in federal funds, leading some faculty members to protest and take legal action. On today's show:  David Graham , staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the forthcoming book The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping Americ a (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), reports on the latest in...

Members of President Trump's national security team accidentally texted detailed plans for a military strike to an American journalist, opening the administration up to criticisms about its handling of classified information.  On Today's Show: U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill (D, NJ-11), a former active duty Navy pilot, talks about the scandal, her work in Washington, and more. Hosted by Simplec...

When it comes to bird flu, the nation's top public health official wants to let the infection burn through flocks to identify birds with high immunity. On Today's Show: Apoorva Mandavilli, reporter for The New York Times, focusing on science and global health, discusses the government's approach to bird flu, and why veterinary scientists say that RFK Jr.'s approach will likely cost more than it he...

On Friday, Columbia University's administration agreed to demands from the Trump administration over the institution's responses to pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Columbia faculty members Joseph Howley , associate professor of Classics, and Ester Fuchs , professor of International and Public Affairs and Political Science, weigh in. Then Sarah Brown and Kate Bellows from The Chronicle of Highe...

President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at downsizing the Education Department, leaving many who hold federal student aid with major questions about repayment. On today's show: Annie Nova , who covers personal finance for CNBC, unpacks the latest news about the Ed Department and the predicament for student borrowers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inf...

Shane Goldmacher , national political correspondent for The New York Times  covering the major developments, trends and forces shaping American politics, shares his reporting on how the Trump administration is attempting to sabotage Democrats' operations, and how it could affect elections and Democrats' ability to gain power in the future. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz....

With Trump squaring off against the federal court system, which has attempted to block some of his actions, we look at the state of the judiciary branch. On Today's Show: Heather Cox Richardson , professor of American history at Boston College and author of "Letters from an American" on Substack and several books, including Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America (Viking, 2023), offers...

The federal government has issued a list of demands to Columbia University that they say it must comply with in order to restore hundreds of millions of dollars of funding On Today's Show: Jake Offenhartz , New York City reporter for The Associated Press, talks about the nature of the ultimatum and the contentious relationship between the university and the Trump administration. Hosted by Simpleca...

On today's show: David Sanger , White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times and the author of New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West (Crown, 2024), talks about the many ways in which President Trump and his administration have challenged the post-WWII international order. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm...

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detailed Mahmoud Khalil—a legal permanent resident with a green card and prominent student-activist-turned-negotiator in pro-Palestine demonstrations at Colombia University. On Today's Show: Peter Markowitz , professor of law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and the founding faculty member and co-director of the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigratio...

President Trump's U.S. Department of Agriculture has purged the agency's website of  information related to climate change, extreme weather resilience and sustainable farming practices. On Today's Show: Emily Atkin , editor-in-chief of the HEATED newsletter, unpacks the story. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat...

Elon Musk and DOGE are slashing the size of the federal workforce in what they say will bring big savings to taxpayers.  On Today's Show: Stephen Fowler , political reporter with NPR's Washington desk, reports on the typos, exaggerations and shoddy math in DOGE's receipts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data fo...

After 6 weeks of the new Trump administration, different parts of the political left are calling for different postures in opposing it.  On Today's Show: Anand Giridharadas , journalist, publisher of the newsletter The. Ink, analyst for MSNBC, and the author of The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy (Knopf, 2022), shares his thoughts on the state of Americ...

After President Donald Trump delivered his address to joint session of Congress, we explore how the Democratic senator from Michigan responded. On Today's Show: Kadia Goba, congressional reporter for Semafor, provides her analysis from the chamber, and her reporting on how Democrats have responded to Trump's speech Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...

With RFK Jr. at the helm of the nation's health policies, we hear some public health analysis on his recent official actions from an expert on infectious diseases. On Today's Show: Jessica Malaty Rivera , epidemiologist, science communicator and PhD student at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, talks about the government's response to the ongoing measles outbreaks, why an FDA vaccine advisory...

President Trump is being choosy about which reporters are allowed to cover him as part of the White House press pool. On Today's Show: Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of several books, including The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters (Simon & Schuster, 2024), talks about the latest national political news, including the White House's relationship with t...